Review: Powerless Episode 1

Quick Summary

Pros: Some of the jokes showing the civilian side of a world run by superheroes end up being pretty funny. It also makes some deeper DC Universe references that fans will appreciate.

Cons: Overall the humor was way too over the top and typically ended up being very unfunny. The show also tries way too hard to be a “superhero” show and ends up looking odd because of it.

Overall: This show has the potential to be something great, however right now it is weighed down by a number of its own flaws. The humor and jokes it makes are consistently unfunny and the “superhero” aspect of the show feels forced and odd. Right now, there really is just nothing that makes this show worth watching besides a connection to DC Comics. This show needs some changes and improvements in order to stand a chance at being noteworthy.

Story

I wanted to like this show. I enjoy Vanessa Hudgens, Danny Pudi, and Alan Tudyk and I love DC Comics so I was hoping this would be something great. However this first episode proved to be, at best, a very rough start and, at worst, an incredibly underwhelming mess. The show suffers from its comedy simply being unfunny, with jokes that range from childish potty humor to constant lame references to Bruce Wayne. It also is a very clear attempt to find a new way to cash in on the nation’s current superhero craze and thus gives off an inauthentic and soulless vibe. The show does a few things right and the core concept is fun but overall this first episode just does not hit its mark. If things improve from here then this could be a show to watch, but right now it simply is not.

(spoilers start here)

To start out with, the humor in the show is just awful. Nearly every joke in the show relies on people either acting over the top and ridiculous, childish potty humor, or making references to comic figures like Bruce Wayne and Batman. The shows favorite jokes involve Jack O’Lantern not so subtly talking about his “balls of fire” and the fact that everyone but the protagonist is an idiot. Before the show came out, NBC was trying to compare it to things like The Office or Parks and Rec, who’s humor can jump from being subtle to obvious throughout any episode. However this show loses all trace of being subtle and seems to just throw out as many jokes as possible, hoping that maybe some will stick.

With the humor not working, the show does not give viewers much of a reason to watch besides the fact that it is a DC Comics show. The show tries to shove obvious DC references into the show at any moment they are able, whether it feels organic or not. It was as if there was an on-set mandate that the name “Bruce Wayne” had to be said at least once in every scene. Again, a little more subtlety would have perhaps helped smooth out these references but instead they try to shove superhero references into as many scenes as possible. At the core, having this civilian based superhero world is a great idea and even works at points, however overdoing it like this show does will ultimately hurt it more than help it.

Despite all of its flaws, the show does manage to get some things right; sometimes it even provides a good deal of hope that the series will improve as it develops. It can be surprisingly funny when its parodies of the comic world are not overdone, like when they talk about the world no longer being simple like it used to be because things are too focused on “Superheroes fighting each other for vaguely defined reasons”. Or when one of the employees states “that the number one cause of workplace accidents is Superman crashing through office windows mid-fight, that’s a simple fact”. These smaller and less “in your face” jokes are actually pretty funny and if there were more of them, this show may have been a lot better.

There is more positive to the show than just this comedy though, meaning the show does have some hidden potential. About half of the cast is charming and fun to watch, even if the dialogue and jokes written for them are not. The show also has a good base in comics and occasionally goes for some pretty deep DC references. It also has a solid premise, the entire concept of street level people reacting and living with superheroes is very interesting and the show manages to show that. All of these things together give some hope that this show could be something in the future. Unfortunately it is not there yet.

(spoilers end here)

 

Summary

This first episode is not a great indication for the way this series could go. The jokes are stale or fall completely flat, the writing is bad, and the entire thing feels inauthentic. The unfortunate part is that this show does have a lot of potential; the core concept is unique, the actors are fun, and the show occasionally can be funny. Remembering that this is only the first episode and things can change a lot from here, the show really has the ability to go anywhere. If has the potential to refine itself and become something really special and unique. However it also has the potential to stay the same and remain a lackluster mess. Only time will tell, however hopefully things will improve for DC Comic’s first comedy.