NBC’s new show, Powerless, had a nice series premiere tonight. Powerless is a comedy with a cute cast of characters. If you are tired of superhero shows, don’t worry, this one is not dark and broody like the others. NBC takes a risk with Powerless, and it may work out in their favor.
Powerless is set in the DC universe, (which includes Batman, Superman, the Flash, and Wonder Woman) in a small city named Charm City. How cute! The cast is remarkable as well, with fan favorites like Alan Tudyk and Danny Pudi. Vanessa Hudgens surprises me as the lead role, but she fills the chipper role well.
Van Wayne tasks Emily to inspire the engineers to create a lifesaving product to protect people from superheroes and super villains alike. I think the dynamic between Emily and the engineers comes off as silly, mostly because it’s a comedy, and Emily doesn’t have much experience in this field. I hope the series can develop a believable dynamic within the cast.
The writers sprinkle the dialogue with references to DC franchises. I especially love Van Wayne’s desire to be closer to his cousin, Bruce. The big moment of the episode happens when Bruce fires them all, via phone call, and Tudyk says that they are “Powerless to stop that.” (He said the thing!)
Just as expected, Emily thinks of a product idea in a charming way, just in time to save their jobs. Later, the news reports that Batman used a similar product to catch the Joker.
It’s easy to tell that Powerless will not take itself too seriously. I’m happy to see the superhero trend go down the comedy path. Powerless is charming, and worth the watch.
(Photo by: Evans Vestal Ward/NBC)
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