Pilots

I keep starting shows. Some I'll finish. Most I won't. Below are my thoughts on the first episodes of shows I've recently watched, ranked from worst to best.

Into the Badlands

It doesn't take much to get by in the martial arts genre. Plot, character depth, acting - none of these are necessary. A basic exhibition of physical skill is more than sufficient to entertain. Without that, you have to try as hard as anyone else.


There's an intriguing premise here, impressive set design and a decent start to worldbuilding, but it's a generic framework to hang around a core that never materializes. Badlands fails on a fundamental level by using overchoreographed fight scenes that lack any impact. With no viscera, the body falls apart.

Every single show on this list has better action scenes than Badlands. When your fights look like rehearsals, you're doing it wrong. At no point does it look like people are genuinely trying to kill, hurt or be otherwise rude to each other.

Legends

Another in the long series of shows built around a character with identity issues. Where does the legend end and the man begin, and all that sort of thing. I liked it well enough on first viewing and planned to watch more, but further reflection forced me to admit the only thing I cared to see more of was the cute hacker girl. Little about Legends holds up to scrutiny, with its superhuman manipulation of computer records, vast conspiracy and plot armor. All that could be forgiven in the name of fun if only it weren't so pleased with itself and Sean Bean's acting. He can put on a stutter at will! Did you notice? Did you? I can't wait till next episode, where he develops facial tics for no apparent reason. Or maybe he stops covering up the muscle spasms he always had for real.

Supergirl

It's rule 63 Superman. I get the impression the writers saw Man of Steel, glanced at wikipedia, and went from there. It doesn't just tie in to the Snyder/Goyer vision of Superman, it apes everything about it.

Kara works at a newspaper. Her mom, like Kal's father, was important and noble, unbeloved of scoundrels. Her father, like Kal's mother, was her other parent. She has Superman's pal, and her best friendzoned has the classic Olsen's personality. She saves a plane first thing; they pointed out this similarity, but not exactly in a way that lampshaded it. She does the hop, skip takeoff. She fights a horde of criminals from Krypton and, apparently, other worlds with races who react similarly to yellow sun radiation. One wonders why Kryptonians were passing judgment on these alien races. She even gets her own General Zod.

What does she have that Superman doesn't? A sister. Supergirl was never a staggeringly original concept, but far more interesting, unique things have been and could be done with the character. The one thing that bugged me about the pacing was that they brought up the idea of Supergirl as Superboy's protector and went nowhere with it. The episode ends with "so much for that, guess I'll do something else." I know she can't literally protect Superman, but why not embrace the role of protector, strive to become someone who could defend her younger cousin? It seems like they put that in there just to reference it at the end, a false character arc where any growth is unrelated. She gives up on it like she never wanted the burden and settles into a general "helping people" as motivation for becoming a superhero.

White Queen

I might watch more of this, but like Legends, I've soured on it since initially enjoying the pilot. It has an old-fashioned romance and political intrigue in spades, which is to say it's a bit rapey and probably owes its existence to the success of A Game of Thrones. It's a solid effort, though, with more character in the supporting cast than the previous three shows combined. I'd be quick to return to it if the whole premise weren't built upon an attempted rape. This isn't a show you watch to get good and comfy at any rate, but I'll have to think it over.

Outlander

Has much in common with White Queen, though this seems more eventempered and less complicated. More hopeful, but not without its darkness. I'll get back to it.

Humans

The UK version of the Swedish sci-fi show hooked me from the start. It's the only one on the list where I've gone beyond episode one so far. Unfortunately, by the time I got through three more eps, it had completely fallen apart. Lazy writing results in laughable conflict resolution. Characters do whatever is needed for the plot, regardless of what obstacles lie before them or what logical leaps they need to make. I'm still interested in finishing the eight episode season, but it's more fun to laugh at Humans than follow their adventures with genuine interest.

Arrow

I went into this with mixed expectations. I'd heard mostly good things, but I was skeptical of any superhero TV show rising above the genre. It's an inherently silly concept - men in tights with secret codenames punching each other - and the typical mainstream approach is to take it all deadly serious like it's any other actioner under all the costumes. Costumes that magically deflect bullets. That's one of the goofier unwritten powers that all superheroes have, whether or not they have any "real" powers, and it rears its head here again with the Green Hornet Verdant Hood titular hero practically walking through a hail of gunfire without a scratch.

That's about the most annoying thing in the show, though, and it's no big deal. My overriding impression during and after watching this was "none of this bothers me." And the things I don't think would bother me in a lesser show? Those are good. I like most of the things. It all fits together. It all works. Even the dark, edgy bits seem to have a reason to be there, not simply existing to shock you. All the makings of a good vigilante show. Only wish I'd started watching sooner, before certain bits had been spoiled for me.