Wednesday, September 10, 2014

On which Superhero TV Series to watch for Fall Season 2014.

This coming fall season is a season of superheroes on network TV with a gamut of offerings such as Arrow, The Flash, Gotham, Constantine, Agents of Shield and Agent Carter. Now I know that we are all busy people with not enough time to watch all the shows on TV so I have prepared this blog entry to give you a quick review of these shows and to provide an opinion on what is worth watching based on various qualitative and quantiative criteria with qualitative being personal opinion and quantitative measures by rotten tomato ratings.

Starting with:



Arrow
Tomatometer: 100%
Audience Rating: 95%
Season Premiere Date: Oct 8, 2014

Starting this fall in it's 3rd season, Arrow is without a doubt the best superhero movie this decade. Based on DC Comics hero Green Arrow. Season 2 saw an epic showdown between Green Arrow and Deathstroke the Terminator in an epic finale that rivals any others on TV. Season 3 promises greater action sequences with much hinted appearance of Ra's al Ghul, that will keep looking forward to Wednesdays every week. Also promised is a crossover with potential hit series, The Flash which will see two 1 hour episodes screened depicting a crossover between the emerald archer and the scarlet speedster.

Pros:
Great action sequences
Compelling storyline
Strong emotional attachment to characters
2 hour crossover episode with the flash!

Cons:
Presence of some cheesy one liners


My verdict: If you can only watch one of the 6 shows, this show is the definite number 1.

The Flash
Tomatometer: N/A (Not yet aired)
Audience Rating: 96%
Premiere Date: Oct 7, 2014
From the same creators as Arrow, the Flash brings to screen the Scarlet Speedster and forensic scientist, Barry Allen who acquires super speed through a freak accident and becomes known as the Fastest Man Alive. The birth of the Flash was featured in a crossover episode in season 2 of Arrow and it is promised that this will be a faithful adpation of the DC Comics character. With the much anticipated crossover event, this show has is likely to take off running at a pace that will put you on the edge of your seat.
Pros:
Crossover event
Faithful adaptation to the comic book character
Great choreography and compelling storyline
Cons:
Some cheesy acting expected


My verdict: A definite must watch along with Arrow. This show is a number 2 on my list.


Gotham
Tomatometer: N/A (Not yet aired)
Audience Rating: 100%
Premiere Date: Sep 22, 2014
Airing on Fox, Gotham is an origin story of the great DC Comics Super-Villains and vigilantes, revealing an entirely new chapter that has never been told. Gotham follows one cop's rise through a dangerously corrupt city teetering on the edge of evil, and chronicles the birth of one of the most popular super heroes of our time.
Pros:
Great Casting
Unexplored period within the Dark Knight's timeline with focus on James Gordon rather than the Dark Knight
Cons:
Bruce Wayne's still a kid so no this will be a Gotham without Batman

My verdict: Potentially worth watching. Number 3 on my list.



Constantine
Tomatometer: N/A (Not yet aired)
Audience Rating: 89%
Premiere Date: Oct 24, 2014
Airing on NBC, Constantine is based on the wildly popular comic book series "Hellblazer" from DC Comics, seasoned demon hunter and master of the occult John Constantine specializes in giving hell... hell. Armed with a ferocious knowledge of the dark arts and his wickedly naughty wit, he fights the good fight - or at least he did. With his soul already damned to hell, he's decided to leave his do-gooder life behind. But when demons target Liv, the daughter of one of Constantine's oldest friends, he's reluctantly thrust back into the fray - and he'll do whatever it takes to save her.
Pros:
Trailer looks good
Series aims to bring back the charm of Buffy the Vampire Slayer of the 90s
Intelligent Storyline
Cons:
Might not live up to the hype of Keanu Reeve's Constantine (2005)

My verdict: Potentially worth watching. Number 4 on my list.

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D
Tomatometer: 86%
Audience Rating: 71%
Season Premiere Date: Sep 23, 2014
The show premiered on Sep 24, 2013 with much hype but later proved to be a disappointment as the choreography, storyline and acting were very much sub par. It starts off in the aftermath of the battle between invading aliens and the Earth's mightiest heroes, the Avengers, but doesn't manage to tap into the vast MCU to propel its storyline forward. The show also relies on verbal story telling to add an enigmatic feel when a flashback could have done a better job. Furthermore, the fight choreography is limited considering the size of the budget for the production. AoS tries to redeem itself by connectiing with the events on Captain America, the Winter Soldier but it is a case of too little too late.
Pros:
Connected to Marvel's Movie Universe
Cons:
Zero connection to characters on the show
Only good actor on the show is Clark Gregg
Fails to tap into the vast MCU
Relies on verbal story telling instead of flashbacks

My Verdict: Wish I could take back the hours I spent watching Season 1. Number 5 on my list




Marvel's Agent Carter
Tomatometer: N/A (Not Aired Yet)
Audience Rating: 50%
Season Premiere Date: Unconfirmed

Airing in 2015 is Marvel's Agent Carter, which will see Agent Peggy Carter appearing in the second season of Marvel's Agents of Shield this fall. However, there is little news out there on whether we will be seeing younger Peggy Carter from when S.H.I.E.L.D. was formed, or a slightly older Carter in a flashback with Coulson, or the dementia suffering Carter from ‘The Winter Soldier.’ It’s easy to assume that they could be using flashbacks to make parallels between Peggy putting together S.H.I.E.L.D. originally with Coulson trying to rebuild it in modern times. Offhand, also in the episode will be TV Host George Stephanopoulos who will be playing himself.

Pros:
Likely to be connected with Marvel Cinematic Universe
Cons:
Likely to be sub par version of Marvel's Agent of Shield with a focus on an even less interesting character.

My Verdict: Not worth your time. Number 6 on my list


L.A.M.