MeTV's SuperSci-Fi Saturday Night

[Christopher]

Superman: "The Evil Three" was a lot more boring than its title suggested. It was trying for creepy, and I guess it managed that a couple of times, but it was mostly tedious. The main thing I noted was that when Superman took off and jumped over the camera, the springboard briefly came into frame.

"The Riddle of the Chinese Jade" wasn't what I expected, since I thought from the title that it would be a remake of the radio story about the jade dragon whose teeth were engraved with the ingredients for an immortality serum. Instead they went for a much more prosaic story (although the dragon story kind of meandered and fizzled out). It deserves credit, though, for casting at least one real Asian actor (though the other two Chinese characters were apparently played by Western actors) and for writing the Asian characters non-stereotypically.

Still, it seemed to forget Superman's powers for most of the episode. Clark was right downstairs and he didn't hear the tussle or the girl screaming -- and once he was in the room, he should've instantly spotted the hidden panel in the wall.

 

[The Old Mixer]

Afraid I didn't catch the show tonight, and those episodes aren't ringing a bell offhand, so I've got nothing to offer.

 

[JD]

Rene Aberjonois was on tonight's Wonder Woman. Apprently he was a recurring character, because him and WW recognized each other. I must have missed the first one or ones with him, because I don't remember the character.
EDIT: I just checked Rene Aberjonois'c IMDB page, and this week's episode was the only he was credited for, so if the character did appear before it must have been a different actor.

 

[Christopher]

Superman's "The Human Bomb" started out well, with an impressively creepy performance by the guy talking about what he could do with the power to control Superman. Unfortunately it fizzled out after that, with the whole thing being about nothing but winning a bet. I think this was loosely adapted from a radio episode, something that had the same premise -- a villain controlling Superman with a hostage -- but different specifics. But I don't recall.

"Czar of the Underworld" is worth mentioning in the TOS forum thread about familiar faces in unexpected roles, since it featured Anthony Caruso and Paul Fix, though I didn't recognize either of them. It seems kind of weird that a mobster would be concerned about a movie expose, but I guess it was the equivalent of TV-news special reports a few decades later -- and similar to the way the Superman radio storyline "Clan of the Fiery Cross" brought attention to the Ku Klux Klan in ways that they weren't happy with (though the author's later claims that the story actually exposed specific KKK code phrases or something were exaggerated). Or maybe it was just an excuse to set up a story set in Hollywood. Anyway, Superman came pretty close to setting the gangster up to be killed. I could see Clark making himself the bait for an assassination attempt, but putting someone else in the line of fire seems out of character. What if the assassin had used a gun rather than carbon monoxide? Then Superman wouldn't have gotten there in time.


I'm getting tired of the poor digital transfer or whatever on MeTV's Superman episodes. The stock shot of Superman flying through the clouds tends to be rather posterized because of the dim lighting; I guess whatever process they're using can't distinguish well between subtle gradations of dark colors/shades. (My computer monitor has the same problem when I'm watching video on it.)

 

[The Old Mixer]

No comment until the time limit is up.

 

[Christopher]

That was kind of a clever gambit by Superman, although I'm not sure what was gained by it, since the guy said the stolen item would be of low value and would be returned. The only thing Superman really accomplished was putting Lois and Jimmy in more danger.

 

[The Old Mixer]

I guess it was more a matter of honor...not letting the man win and have his way. It might encourage others to do the same.

And everyone out there on that ledge reminded me of the I Love Lucy episode.... (My first ever exposure to Superman, and my first exposure to a super-hero other than Batman & co. on their show.)

Wish I'd been watching more closely, because I didn't notice Paul Fix in the second episode. As usual, I had it on in the background while doing other things. But I do have Season 1 on DVD if I really want to sit and watch it. I'll likely watch with more interest when they get into Season 2.

 

[Christopher]

I guess it was more a matter of honor...not letting the man win and have his way. It might encourage others to do the same.

Good point.

Of course, Superman could've just used his superspeed to disconnect the bomb control before the guy could set it off.

I've remembered one instance where I've seen the premise of someone controlling Superman's actions with a bomb -- the issue of John Byrne's Man of Steel miniseries where Superman and Batman first met, with Batman threatening to blow a random Gothamite up with a bomb if Superman tried to touch him or arrest him (although the "hostage" turned out to be Batman himself). But I do think there was a radio episode along those lines too.

 

[JD]

Did they ever show Superman using his super speed on the show? I can't remember it being used up to this point.

 

[Christopher]

Did they ever show Superman using his super speed on the show? I can't remember it being used up to this point.

It would've been hard to show using the primitive special effects of the era, except by undercranking the camera.


Oh, but did you note the extraordinary thing in Superman's confrontation with Dinelli the mobster in "Czar of the Underworld?" Dinelli threw his empty gun at Superman -- and Superman didn't duck!

 

[The Old Mixer]

Intrepid reporter Lois Lane...faints at the sight of a poochie.

 

[Christopher]

I recall a radio storyline or two built on the same premise as "Ghost Wolf," but the specifics were different. It was a pretty awkward episode. The guys went up there to investigate the mystery, but the mystery resolved itself when the mill boss just happened to stumble across the woman and her wolf. And they never explained the whole "wolf tracks turning into woman tracks" scam, although I guess that was just the bad guy pretending he'd seen it. And since when did you start a rainstorm by attracting a lightning bolt? Weather does not work that way. Still, the bit with Superman holding up the train trestle was pretty cool, in comparison to the usual level of action on this show.

"Crime Wave" was kind of wild. It was largely a clip show, repurposing practically every action scene in the season so far along with a bunch of stock footage to generate its newsreel-style crime-wave montage, but the way it was put together was actually kind of clever, and it was frankly more exciting than any other episode to date. And I liked the final act. I don't think we've seen an episode before where the villains attempted to attack Superman with sci-fi technology, so that was effective; and I liked the payoff. Although it was very obvious from the start who the bad guy was.

It's noteworthy that the narration in the early minutes referred to Perry White as the former mayor of Metropolis, the role he held in the radio series from 1946 onward. That's another clue that the TV series considered itself at least loosely a continuation of the radio series.

 

[The Old Mixer]

Yeah, "Crime Wave" always intrigued me...an unabashed clip show, yet it breaks the formula and the story is actually more ambitious than usual.

The most awkward part is where they have the woman spending time telling the criminals who the cast is, as if we need to see that...obvious padding, and they stumble upon Clark changing into Superman but don't put two and two together, to boot!

 

[Christopher]

^They probably figured that Clark just knew where to find Superman and ran to tip him off. Like, maybe Superman just hangs around in that alley or something.

 

[The Old Mixer]

That seems to be what they were going for, but it still makes the crooks look like idiots. And story-wise, it seems like a wasted opportunity to use this beat without discovery of Superman's identity at least being threatened.

 

[Christopher]

That seems to be what they were going for, but it still makes the crooks look like idiots. And story-wise, it seems like a wasted opportunity to use this beat without discovery of Superman's identity at least being threatened.

Yeah, that was awkward. But if they had figured it out, then probably all four of them would've had to fall off a cliff by accident or something. I prefer them just being too dumb to figure it out.

 

[The Old Mixer]

It could have been used as a less contrived basis for an alternate version of "The Stolen Costume".

Another thought about that episode...if, in the show, he only had one costume, and it took an annual physical to get it out from under his street clothes...did he really need a conspicuous secret closet to keep it in? He could have put it in a safe (hidden or otherwise), in a hidden wall, floor, or ceiling panel, in a false-bottomed drawer, under his mattress....

 

[publiusr]

Yeah, "Crime Wave" always intrigued me...an unabashed clip show, yet it breaks the formula and the story is actually more ambitious than usual.

I found it ennobling. Better than the camp of Batman.

I prefer them just being too dumb to figure it out.

Same here.

In superhero TV crime, bad guys are both more, and at times, less evil in real life.

Evil here is a positive quality.

Why do they rob banks? Because they are bank robbers!

Not because one got laid off from his job, or whatever.

Still, old fashioned stories should have that feel. We all hear about going Dark this that or the other.

One can look at Superfriends as being more childish than the Justice League with the Conroy Batman.

I look at it the other way around.

They are older now--more mature in Superfriends.

In the days of riots and sovereign citizens/militia nuts--showing a little respect for law enforcement is actually a new concept now.

 

[JD]

I was rather shocked when the bad guys in didn't figure out that Clark and Superman were the same person after they saw him run into the alley. I did like his little act when the bad guys used their electricity thing, or it was. When he looked like he was trapped in the room, I was trying to figure out why he couldn't punch through the door. I was relieved when it was an act, and not a screw up.
When do they introduce Kryptonite into the show?

 

[Christopher]

When do they introduce Kryptonite into the show?

Wikipedia says it debuts in "The Defeat of Superman," episode 6 of season 2. "Crime Wave" was essentially the first-season finale, since the remaining two episodes of the season are the two halves of the Superman and the Mole Men theatrical pilot. So assuming the episode order remains consistent, we should see Kryptonite in the second episode on Dec. 20. From the description, the episode involves villains making synthetic Kryptonite, so it's assumed that the characters and the audience are already familiar with the stuff -- another hint that the show is more or less a continuation of the radio series.