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sigelphoenix at 09:33pm on 01/02/2011 under general geekery
sigelphoenix at 09:33pm on 01/02/2011 under general geekeryI wish I didn't have to root for the sidekicks so much. Granted, there are ways in which it's easier to make peripheral characters more interesting than the main one(s). Sidekicks can be enigmatic, or pop up occasionally to do something hilarious or awesome, whereas the main character gets the most screen time and we see him in all his mundanity along with whatever awesome he has.
(I remember a comment that Megan Mullally - I'm pretty sure it was - made about the show Will & Grace. Her character, Karen, and a character named Jack were sidekicks to the titular characters, and were more outspoken and flamboyant, major scene-stealers. Someone commented that there should be a Jack & Karen show, and she responded that if there were, there'd be another "Jack" and "Karen" who were more popular than them.)
All that said - in The Cape, I find Max and Orwell much more compelling than Vince, even with the above qualifying information.
Take Max. He's a black man in his 40s/50s who probably lived through the Jim Crow era. He's a charismatic performer. What must it mean for a man to have spent his life (it seems) in entertainment, in a country whose racial legacy includes minstrel shows and once allowed black people to dance the lindy hop on screen but only as service personnel, not "real" characters? It's notable that his entertainment venue is also one that relies upon its performers being explicitly labeled (circus) freaks.
In episode 3, we get a bit of backstory as we meet Max's previous apprentice, Gregor Molotov. Max chose to take on this man who ended up becoming a serial killer - did he see Gregor's violent tendencies? Overlook them? Why? He comments at the end of episode 1 that he has no father or son - was this part of his motivation in taking on Gregor, then Vince? He took on - and renounced - the name of "Kozmo," who is apparently a legend in magic. He's also using another illusionist legend.
Take Orwell. We know she's Peter Fleming/Chess' daughter, and that he knows she is missing but not that she's Orwell. We know that she has lots of money, incredible computer skills, some fighting ability, and has been to prison (according to Gregor, confirmed by Orwell herself). Sure, the mystery is on purpose and the big questions are ones like how she split with her father, when she went to jail, etc. But I'm also interested in - how does a wealthy businessman's daughter grapple with expectations of the spoiled heiress, particularly when she knew he was a criminal? Why does she always appear with perfectly styled hair and coordinated outfits? Yes, this could be just the writers looking for eye-candy, but also - is she consciously performing her gender? For herself or for others? Dressing that nicely takes time, effort, and money, and if she's acting as a one-woman espionage force against her incredibly powerful father, why is she giving up that time, effort, and money? What does she think of Vince, particularly the role he gets to play as the star of the nascent urban legend, getting to scare the bad guys with his actual face/body/voice (though covered) when she cannot use hers?
Take Vince ... Eh. Yes, he loves his family and was converged upon by circumstances of suckitude, and yes, he has a driving need for vengeance. But really, eh. That story is just less compelling to me. Maybe I'm biased because he's a straight white dude, and I have been, am, and will be constantly told to care about straight white dudes' pain. Maybe his story is just too cliched. Probably both of these things - they're both overdone.
I'm fairly certain that the creators behind The Cape don't fully recognize what's great about Orwell and Max, or at least not why. But as with all texts, the alternative readings can still make it worthwhile even if they're not intentional.
So as to not make this entirely negative, two things I like so far: Vince and Orwell don't seem to have sexual tension, just new-partners-clashing-as-they-try-to-work-together tension. Also, every time someone says "The Cape" as a name, it has elicited mockery. This is good, because even if this is a superhero show in earnest - and I like me my earnest superheroes - superheroes are silly.
(I remember a comment that Megan Mullally - I'm pretty sure it was - made about the show Will & Grace. Her character, Karen, and a character named Jack were sidekicks to the titular characters, and were more outspoken and flamboyant, major scene-stealers. Someone commented that there should be a Jack & Karen show, and she responded that if there were, there'd be another "Jack" and "Karen" who were more popular than them.)
All that said - in The Cape, I find Max and Orwell much more compelling than Vince, even with the above qualifying information.
Take Max. He's a black man in his 40s/50s who probably lived through the Jim Crow era. He's a charismatic performer. What must it mean for a man to have spent his life (it seems) in entertainment, in a country whose racial legacy includes minstrel shows and once allowed black people to dance the lindy hop on screen but only as service personnel, not "real" characters? It's notable that his entertainment venue is also one that relies upon its performers being explicitly labeled (circus) freaks.
In episode 3, we get a bit of backstory as we meet Max's previous apprentice, Gregor Molotov. Max chose to take on this man who ended up becoming a serial killer - did he see Gregor's violent tendencies? Overlook them? Why? He comments at the end of episode 1 that he has no father or son - was this part of his motivation in taking on Gregor, then Vince? He took on - and renounced - the name of "Kozmo," who is apparently a legend in magic. He's also using another illusionist legend.
Take Orwell. We know she's Peter Fleming/Chess' daughter, and that he knows she is missing but not that she's Orwell. We know that she has lots of money, incredible computer skills, some fighting ability, and has been to prison (according to Gregor, confirmed by Orwell herself). Sure, the mystery is on purpose and the big questions are ones like how she split with her father, when she went to jail, etc. But I'm also interested in - how does a wealthy businessman's daughter grapple with expectations of the spoiled heiress, particularly when she knew he was a criminal? Why does she always appear with perfectly styled hair and coordinated outfits? Yes, this could be just the writers looking for eye-candy, but also - is she consciously performing her gender? For herself or for others? Dressing that nicely takes time, effort, and money, and if she's acting as a one-woman espionage force against her incredibly powerful father, why is she giving up that time, effort, and money? What does she think of Vince, particularly the role he gets to play as the star of the nascent urban legend, getting to scare the bad guys with his actual face/body/voice (though covered) when she cannot use hers?
Take Vince ... Eh. Yes, he loves his family and was converged upon by circumstances of suckitude, and yes, he has a driving need for vengeance. But really, eh. That story is just less compelling to me. Maybe I'm biased because he's a straight white dude, and I have been, am, and will be constantly told to care about straight white dudes' pain. Maybe his story is just too cliched. Probably both of these things - they're both overdone.
I'm fairly certain that the creators behind The Cape don't fully recognize what's great about Orwell and Max, or at least not why. But as with all texts, the alternative readings can still make it worthwhile even if they're not intentional.
So as to not make this entirely negative, two things I like so far: Vince and Orwell don't seem to have sexual tension, just new-partners-clashing-as-they-try-to-work-together tension. Also, every time someone says "The Cape" as a name, it has elicited mockery. This is good, because even if this is a superhero show in earnest - and I like me my earnest superheroes - superheroes are silly.