TV On My Terms: Good vs. Glee-Vil
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There is a battle underway in the TV world, unfortunately proving, thus far, the old adage to be true:
Good guys always finish last.
Despite the creative nosedive taken by the song-n-prance phenomenon Glee in its sophomore season, it's still managing to pulverize the pulp out of its Tuesday night competitor, No Ordinary Family.
Ratings evidence to the contrary, NoF has done a super job of depicting how the lives of an average family would be impacted if they suddenly developed uncanny abilities. To use the term "realistic" might seem a bit absurd, given the context, but it seems to me that the writers have gone to great lengths to allow for an organic, yet light-hearted, progression of their discovery.
We've been privy to the ups and downs, the successes and failures, the friction and cohesion, as they've started to slowly piece together the larger puzzle into which their collective pieces fit. The charming blend of drama, action and humor - as well as all the comic-book geekery that comes with the territory - has elevated the experience for me, keeping me fully invested in how all this is going to work out for the Powells.
I can, however, understand that for some who may have bailed early on, the first handful of episodes might have seemed a bit too expository in nature and taken a little too long to get to the good stuff.In case you are among those who have defected away from this upstanding quartet of heroes to the sex-crazed, plot-starved minstrels of McKinley High, please hear what I'm about to tell you:
It's about to get ridiculously good.
It has taken some time to build this house of cards, but with the end of last week's episode, a strategically placed card was yanked. And it's all about to come toppling down.
Everything came to a head in "No Ordinary Double-Standard" as Stephanie got a taste of of the thrill of crimefighting; she and Jim learned of Dr. King's involvement in experimenting on prison inmates, giving them temporary abilities; Dr. King discovered, via video surveillance of his own rescue, that the Powells have abilities of their own; Joshua, Katie's super-powered boyfriend and formerly one of King's minions, mind-wiped Katie's knowledge of his past grievances; and Daphne discovered she has the ability to influence the thoughts of others, persuading them to do her bidding.
I'm fortunate enough to have pre-viewed the upcoming episode "No Ordinary Powell" and it blew me away as the best of series to date. It's "Heroes: Season One" good. I won't spoil it, but suffice it to say that a lot goes down in the span of one episode, and it sets up an interesting twist that should only create greater suspense and thrills moving forward.
Among other things, here is some of what you can expect to see:
- A J.J. and Daphne crime-solving team up
- Insight into King's motivations
- A doppelganger showdown
- A choice with potentially catastrophic consequences
- A disappointing death
If you've been waiting for the proverbial doody to hit the fan, this is the episode to watch.
I implore anyone with even a casual interest to set your DVR to record Glee (if you have to) and watch NoF LIVE this Tuesday. If you want to watch a thoroughly engaging show with a sharp cast that continues to build creatively, now is the time to align yourself with the heroes of No Ordinary Family.
Jeffrey Kirkpatrick is a TV Fanatic Staff Writer. Follow him on Twitter.