What's bad here is pretty obvious and has been remarked on by many reviewers, so I'll be brief:
-terrible special effects -some awful overacting (especially by Copley) -some horrible, cheeseball writing -a few intensely irritating characters (especially Callista and Zora) -some apparent confusion about the target audience for the show (half of which seems aimed at teenagers, half at adults, which means no one will find it entirely satisfying)
That said, I wouldn't bother writing a review unless there was something substantially positive about this show, so I'll get to the good:
-As the season goes on, there is actually some high quality, impressive acting (including by Copley - who appears to be capable of subtlety when he tones it down a bit, and unsurprisingly by Eddie Izzard - but most notably by Noah Taylor, who increasingly becomes the most interesting and sympathetic character on the show - even with that weasely mustache!). Combined with some mature and thoughtful writing (again, surprising, given how cringe-worthy much of the dialogue is in the early episodes), this makes for a number of really compelling scenes. It's this that makes season 1 ultimately worth watching and makes you glad it got renewed for a second season.
-The show's premise is also noteworthy: a refreshing take on the super-hero thing (along 'Watchmen' lines - though this is definitely lighter fare) where 'powers' are morally ambiguous figures with a complex relationship to the rest of society, including a sub-culture of power 'wannabes'. Some reviewers were annoyed by the cheesy home-job look of the costumes and the shallow celebrity behavior of the powers; but to me this is actually one of the more clever aspects of the show. In reality, the costumes probably would be tacky. And if 'powers' existed, a lot of them probably would act like spoiled pro-athletes or egomaniac reality TV stars.
In sum, while it gets off to a rocky start, there's enough in season 1 to make you look forward to season 2. My one big concern is that Izzard - who carried so much of the first season - won't be back, and three of the least interesting characters (Callista, Zora, Crispin) have been set up to play a larger role in the next season. With Retro girl and Simons also gone, the show has lost three strong adult characters and kept all the irritating teenagers (ugh). Also, by the end of season 1, Royale is a much more likable character than the putative hero, Walker. Will be interesting to see how they deal with that...
-terrible special effects -some awful overacting (especially by Copley) -some horrible, cheeseball writing -a few intensely irritating characters (especially Callista and Zora) -some apparent confusion about the target audience for the show (half of which seems aimed at teenagers, half at adults, which means no one will find it entirely satisfying)
That said, I wouldn't bother writing a review unless there was something substantially positive about this show, so I'll get to the good:
-As the season goes on, there is actually some high quality, impressive acting (including by Copley - who appears to be capable of subtlety when he tones it down a bit, and unsurprisingly by Eddie Izzard - but most notably by Noah Taylor, who increasingly becomes the most interesting and sympathetic character on the show - even with that weasely mustache!). Combined with some mature and thoughtful writing (again, surprising, given how cringe-worthy much of the dialogue is in the early episodes), this makes for a number of really compelling scenes. It's this that makes season 1 ultimately worth watching and makes you glad it got renewed for a second season.
-The show's premise is also noteworthy: a refreshing take on the super-hero thing (along 'Watchmen' lines - though this is definitely lighter fare) where 'powers' are morally ambiguous figures with a complex relationship to the rest of society, including a sub-culture of power 'wannabes'. Some reviewers were annoyed by the cheesy home-job look of the costumes and the shallow celebrity behavior of the powers; but to me this is actually one of the more clever aspects of the show. In reality, the costumes probably would be tacky. And if 'powers' existed, a lot of them probably would act like spoiled pro-athletes or egomaniac reality TV stars.
In sum, while it gets off to a rocky start, there's enough in season 1 to make you look forward to season 2. My one big concern is that Izzard - who carried so much of the first season - won't be back, and three of the least interesting characters (Callista, Zora, Crispin) have been set up to play a larger role in the next season. With Retro girl and Simons also gone, the show has lost three strong adult characters and kept all the irritating teenagers (ugh). Also, by the end of season 1, Royale is a much more likable character than the putative hero, Walker. Will be interesting to see how they deal with that...