It followed "Chuck", Summer Glau was in the previews and it seemed to have a superhero element to it.
I was kind of hoping this would have been NBC's redemption for the last season of "Heroes" but it seemed my hopes failed me.
The reasons why the show is on my dislike list:
1. The ideas of villains on the show are too relative towards comics when the main character isn't and lacks depth for the most part.
2. The main character has an intriguing back-story on how and why he is the "Cape" but the family plot line in the last couple of episodes is getting a little tiring.
3. Another little critique is the cape itself, in the trailer it seemed more like a superpower but in the show it is explained as being a magician's cloak that gets passed on every generation - but from circus people...In which, while decent acting, I am not a fan of the circus folk. It is just a part of the plot that needs to be cut out. He couldn't have just met an old magician and been guided to use the cape by him? It would have been better than this sub-plot of circus people who are also robbers.
4. This brings me to a similarity with the show "Heroes" - what made "Heroes" not work in the end was having way too many characters - "The Cape" has done the same thing. I am fine with having a recurring villain and sidekick but there is way too many sub-characters that have no development of any kind.
5. Half of the time the main character whines about why he can't kill his nemesis Chess [not so cleverly named either might I add] to be able to prove his innocence to his family. We get it, that's the plot, you don't need to keep reminding us every episode NBC. Just keep it in the recap and all is well.
6. My last critique is on Summer Glau's character Orwell. She was a big part of why I started watching in the first place -- and I am disappointed about it. While Orwell the character was intriguing in the first episode, since the premiere, her character has fallen. Her character should one: get more lines - she's a great actress and she is a lot more intriguing than the circus people who get more airtime - two: Summer Glau has pretty decent martial arts training [as seen in Serenity/Firefly], where the hell did someone drop the ball there? - three: actually have a developed character - right now she kind of just introduces what the "Cape" has to do in the episode and talks to him on a Bluetooth. If this is an action/superhero show, then why not give her character some action to do? The whole little snip-it about her being Chess' daughter was interesting but then following that episode, it was never heard of again.
The positives? Well I only have a few but they are in no means a reason to watch the show:
James Frain - "Chess" - plays an awesome villain, especially for television villains. He has a good storyline, he is a great actor for this role, and he is very good at appearing good to the public but then psychotic and creepy behind closed doors. I applaud to who casted him.
and then
the sub-plot of the main character naming himself after a comic book existing in his world - it isn't as bad as a name if he is just finding a way to relate to his son...
That's it. My positive is the villain and James Frain's acting - sorry NBC.
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