Alphas and drawbacks

[Ometiklan]

I just caught up by watching the entire season of Alphas. It is a pretty good show. More down to earth than Heroes was, and while not as compelling as Heroes season 1 was, I have hopes for it to continue better, longer.

Anyway, anyone know anything more about the "drawbacks" mentioned for the Alpha powers? The show gives some rather vague indications of them. Initially it seems like everyone has one explicit drawback that is basically a requirement of having an alpha ability. Then references to them are not made again until near the end of the season when someone (maybe a bad guy?) makes reference to his drawback. Is the idea of drawbacks one that mostly got dropped by the creators/writers as silly or secondary (like the "Pattern" was dropped in Fringe), or do you think it will come up more in later seasons?

Also, anyone else have an issue with none of the characters relating any kind of understanding of that they essentially have superpowers and could be superheros? "Heroes" had this, but this was strictly limited to Hiro and Ando. Everyone else in both series seems to accept these abilities as a normal, if sometimes unwanted, skill. Like being tall, or not being allergic to poison ivy; and that working with Dr. Rosen as part of a special alpha team is your normal salaried job. As fairly well grounded Alphas is, I think it odd that they don't reference this. Maybe that is a conscious choice; maybe in the "Alpha" universe superhero comics and stories simply don't exist. Maybe later on someone will get the idea to become a superhero (or supervillain)?

I thought this whole thing odd from the get-go that though the show uses Cameron, as an outsider, to help introduce the viewer to the world and concept of the Alphas, that he doesn't miss a step on finding out that he and others have superpowers. He isn't shocked or amazed or ecstatic, just incredulous and then accepting. Maybe I am looking at this backward and Cameron's easy acceptance of the concept with no greater thoughts of the importance of Alpha powers is simply how we the viewer are supposed to see the Alpha universe. But that seems to defeat the very purpose of having a show about people with, essentially, superpowers.

Thoughts? Anyone know of a reference anywhere in "Alphas" to superheroes?

 

[sojourner]

The abilities in Alphas aren't powerful enough for someone to act in as flashy a fashion as a superhero/villain. Though yeah, they should at least make a reference to"superheroes", maybe even having an alpha get killed trying to act like one just to drive the point home.

The drawbacks do seem to be fading into the background in the latter half of the season. Except for Bill's anger problems.

 

[Ometiklan]

Oh, I don't know about not being good enough powers. I think Bill, or the guy who can accurately predict and cause chain reactions, the assassin who was practically invisible, or the guy who could change his appearance, or Nina could easily be supervillains with some effort, and Bill could be a superhero too. Nina already "stole' things. Imagine if she did things on a larger scale.

 

[sojourner]

But most of those work best through anonymity. Superheroes/villains are anything but anonymous. Wear a flashy costume and run around twirling a mustache and someone is going to kill you.

Bill's life expectancy has already been shown to be pretty small. One good headshot...

I will admit the powers have been getting less "street level" since the show started. Still waiting for a bulletproof character and we sort of (briefly in the opening credits) see someone that can (might be?) flying.

 

[Caliburn24]

One of the things I find most refreshing about Alphas is that the characters don't spend a lot of time moping about having powers. I don't want another Smallville type of show where having extraordinary abilities means our lead(s) has to be depressed and passive until they suddenly became self-actualized in the last episode.

As to the actual physical drawbacks of being an Alpha, I don't think it needs to be hit on over and over unless it adds to the main plot. And for the most part, the first season did not focus on the personal lives of the team. Yes, there were some brief scenes with Bill's wife, Rachel's family, and Gary's mother, but they were not generally important to the main plotlines going on.

As to the concept of being heroes and dressing and acting the part and what not, none of our characters are that sort of comic book geek(Gary is a geek of a different sort). And it doesn't bother me.