We’ve all had our fair share of comic book shows. The CW has had wild success with shows like Flash, Arrow, Supergirl and Legends of Tomorrow. ABC and Fox have Agents of Shield and Gotham respectively. Now NBC wants a piece of the action with Powerless. The only difference is NBC is trying something the others aren’t.
From IMDb:
“Follow the staff of an insurance company, specializing in products to protect defenseless bystanders from the collateral damage of Superheroes and Supervillains.”
[Rick]
We’ve seen plenty of superheroes take center stage, but Powerless explores what the rest of the world is doing while crimefighters are handling their business. Starring Vanessa Hudgens, Alan Tudyk, Danni Pudi and Ron Funchess has it’s fair share of known talent.
Exploring the life of everyday civilians is tough, but so is not having the rights to bigger bolder superheroes. NBC takes the heavyweights out of the equation and focuses more on the lesser known DC entities. The first episode we see both Crimson Fox as the hero and Jack O’Lantern as the villain. The question the audience is left with is will they bounce around week to week with new villains and heroes?
While Powerless does explore the obscure references to little-known characters it makes sure to point out they’re still in the same universe as Batman. Not only do the characters work under Van Wayne, Bruce’s cousin, the company they work for is under the Wayne umbrella. On top of that Bruce Wayne is name dropped multiple times throughout the first episode. Top that off with the DC comic intro and Adam West narrating the pilot episode and the show has it’s own DC easter eggs for the fandom.
The Review: In its first episode Powerless did little to impress. The show’s title not only depicts the concept of the show but describes the show itself amongst its predecessors. At face value, it won’t jump up your list of favorite superhero shows. However, with a cast of known actors in comedy and putting a new twist on old favorites could be the staying power the show needs. Conceptually it is a unique show that not only stands on its own but has the lighter side of these action packed counterparts. Powerless has a ton of potential. The show’s success will live and die by whether or not it can be consistently funny and create unique stories. Should it rest too long on one plot point or another, viewers will quickly lose interest.