Superhero TV shows are everywhere right now. There are so many of them, I’m not even sure I can name them all off the top of my head. But what about a superhero TV that doesn’t focus on the superheroes? What about a superhero show that’s really just a quirky little workplace comedy?
1. Workplace Comedy
Powerless is a workplace comedy set in a world where superheroes exist. It’s about a group of weirdoes that work for Wayne Security. They specialize in making products to help normal people feel safer in a world overrun by superheroes and supervillains. But just barely, because Wayne Security is failing as a business. They’re biggest success is a Joker Venom Antidote epi-pen that was such a hit, they re-released it a year later in a different shade of purple. Other than that they just try to cheaply reproduce products already on the market from Lexcorp and other companies.
I’m not usually a fan of workplace comedies, probably because work is the last place I want to think about while relaxing and watching TV. But in that regard, the one thing Powerless has going for it that other workplace comedies don’t is that it’s not based in reality. It’s set in a world where there are superheroes, in a world where trains explode and building are destroyed on a daily basis; it is a world where people don’t even give a shit about that anymore. They’re really just annoyed that Crimson Fox’s recent battle with Jack O’Lantern is going to make them late for work. And I think this is going to give Powerless some room to explore “office comedy” that other shows set in workplaces can’t.
2. Superheroes?
The big ones are constantly referenced – Batman and Superman, for example. I mean, the entire show is going to be take place at a company called Wayne Security, which is owned by Wayne Enterprises, which is owned by Batman. But they are never shown. Instead, we get some D-listers, Crimson Fox and Jack O’Lantern, and just a bunch of name-dropping and elbow nudging.
I am interested in seeing if they are able to pull this off long-term. If I had to guess, I would say that it’s not going to be doable (but what do I know, I’m a pessimist). I hope the show’s creators can find a way to do it that doesn’t feel tired after an episode or two. I’m assuming there’s probably a way to do it that isn’t just Batman this and Bruce Wayne that, which, sadly is kind of how it started to feel toward the end of the episode.
I hope so at least, because I really did enjoy this first episode, for the most part.
3. The Perfect Amount of Cheese
Powerless is full of corny jokes and laughable special effects. And I say that in a good way. The explosions barely look real. The superheroes flying through the air are anything but realistic. And the train crash scene in the beginning of the episode is very clearly CGI. But it works here.
I know that it’s probably this way because the show doesn’t have an endless budget to work with, but I’m going to pretend that it’s more of the show’s creators embracing the cheesiness of it all.
In all honesty, Powerless reminded me of a Syfy show I used to watch some years ago call Eureka. Eureka wasn’t a good show, by any means, but it was fun and I really liked it. And I just got the same feeling from Powerless.
I hope it continues to embrace the cheese. And if it really is just budgeting issues, I hope they continue to play it up and play it off like it’s intentional.
4. Alan Tudyk
That’s kind of all I have to say for this one, really. He’s great. I loved him.
He plays Van Wayne, cousin to Bruce Wayne. He’s a Wayne so the name comes with its own built in privilege, but just barely. At one point in the episode when he is questions about why he is drinking champagne in the morning at work, he responds that he is a Wayne and that he can go out right now and commit vehicular manslaughter and probably only get a slap on the wrist. Which is probably true, because privilege. (I will add that he was drinking the champagne at work in the morning because he thought he was getting promoted to the Gotham City office – which is the only thing he cares about).
Continued belowHe name-drops Bruce at every chance he gets. He wants nothing more that to get out of Charm City, which he refers to as a taint. He’s a boss like any other TV boss – he’s terrible at his job but it doesn’t matter because he’s the boss and that’s that.
I loved everything about his character.
5. Easter Eggs and Random Bits
I’m terrible at catching Easter eggs in movies and TV shows, and honestly, while I was watching Powerless I didn’t even think about Easter eggs. But I went online after the episode was over and lo and behold there are already lists of random bits and Easter eggs spotted throughout the pilot episode.
Now, when I watch subsequent episodes I’m going to actually try to pay attention to the minor details, so I can see if I’m able to find and random Easter eggs.
One thing I did catch, though, because how could I not, was Adam West doing a voiceover at the beginning of the episode. He’s got a great voice.
What did you think of the episode? Let us know in the comments!
