Strap in, folks. We’ve got the nuttiest premise for an episode yet, followed by the most offensive. It’s quite the rollercoaster ride.
1. A depressing vision of old age
We begin with Perry White getting forgetful and extra abusive at the office. Before we find out the full story – and it’s a doozy – we just see Perry becoming what many of us have seen our grandparents or parents become. He’s forgetting what he’s told people, becoming paranoid, assigning Jimmy bizarre tasks, and getting frustrated when people can’t follow his deluded concepts and conversations. Perry, who is usually bristly and brusk, becomes a doddering old man before our eyes. It’s quite the thing to see, sadly.
It’s implied that Perry has an apartment in Metropolis, and a house ‘in the country.’ It’s so far in the country that he has to take an airplane to get there, and it is on the airplane that we see the full extent of what is going on with Perry.
So, on the airplane, Perry begins to hear a voice, which he’s hinted at, but this is the first time we’ve heard it. He’s looking for it, but realizes it isn’t in the plane, so he decides to open the airlock and walk outside. Luckily, Superman is on the case and saves him. Once Perry is in his country house, the shit gets real.
2. Let’s get literal! Literal!
Look, we all know Perry White is likely to yell “Great Caesar’s Ghost” whenever the slightest thing bothers him. The writers for Adventures of Superman must have had a chalkboard with phrases written on it, just waiting for inspiration to strike from those prompts. One such writer, Jackson Gillis, took the heroic step to stand up and utter this phrase: “What if Perry White believed he was being haunted by Caesar’s Ghost?” God bless you, Jackson Gillis.
So while at his country house, he encounters, as seen in the featured image above, someone claiming to be the ghost of Caesar himself. It is revealed that he has been hearing this voice at home for some time now, but this is the first time he’s seen the ghost himself. I must say, the look of the ghost is about as good as you could expect from a 1950s television series, and the episode does a good enough job of exhausting Perry that, while never quite believable, it takes on a more plausible tone than you may imagine.
Of course, it wasn’t really a ghost. It was a ploy by a gang that was about to go on trial to discredit Perry, who was set to testify against them. It’s an elaborate ruse, especially as it seems like Perry isn’t that hard to get to. Why trick him into walking off an airplane when you can kill him so much easier?
3. Oh no
In “Great Caesar’s Ghost,” there is reference made to Jarvis, Perry’s “man.” This is not meant to be a sexual implication, but rather that of a servant who works for White. Before they showed Jarvis, I was hoping that they would be better than to make Jarvis African American and, thankfully, they did. I thought I had escaped the stereotyping for the day.
I was wrong.
The second episode, “Test of a Warrior” starts off with Native Americans having a ceremony of some sort. The imagery is about a stereotypical as you can imagine, but nothing especially offensive happens during the ceremony. However, shortly thereafter, a Native American comes to visit the Daily Planet, and is greeted by Jimmy Olsen, who knows how to be culturally sensitive like he knows how to not be the dumbest character in a series filled with incredibly dumb characters. He greets the gentleman with “HOW!” and it goes downhill from there.
4. “Great White Bird”
The reason that Perry is paid a visit is that the tribe is in the process of choosing a new chief, and the best choice is an older man. The problem is that he likely won’t survive the trials that will be necessary for him to assume the role, but he is who is best for the tribe, due to his son being able to succeed him. The son is lauded for his education by the white man’s schools (not my words, trust me) and progressive ideas. So, the messenger from the tribe is looking for the Daily Planet to get him in touch with Superman, who somewhat resembles a legend called the Great White Bird, who would be able to help with the trials.
Continued belowOn one hand, the portrayal of Native Americans as not being this monolithic culture stuck in the past, who want to change and adapt, is a somewhat enlightened idea for television of the 1950s. On the other, just about everything involving the tribe on their land is presented almost comically out of touch. Even leaving aside the term “Indians,” which would have been the prevailing nomenclature of the time, the show really goes to lengths to make the Native Americans seem foolish at times.
5. I wish this show knew who Superman was
A few examples of this episode getting Superman 100% wrong:
– Superman only shows up because he thinks Jimmy is in trouble, not because people need his help
– Superman needs a distraction to sneak across an open area, seemingly forgetting that he can fly over there and/or use his super speed to get there.
– To prove he is the Great White Bird, Superman steals some dynamite (which he hilariously gets from a box he brazenly slapped the lid off of) and detonates it in a cloud, causing it to rain. Superman wouldn’t steal or trick people into thinking he’s a legend.
Oof.
