No Ordinary Family: "No Ordinary Marriage" - Oct. 5 - Grade & Discuss

[Christopher]

Re: No Ordinary Family: "No Ordinary Marriage" - Oct. 5 - Grade & Disc

Saw this episode but didn't see the premiere. I thought it was fun but a tad derivative. The big bad has Sylar's power, the girl has Sookie's power, the dad is basically Mr. Incredible.

Well, Sylar's power was the ability to absorb others' powers. Technically, his telekinetic ability was taken from the first of his victims. And there have been countless telekinetics in fiction before Sylar came along, notably Jean Grey, Stephen King's Carrie, and the Jedi Knights.

Similarly, there have been telepaths in fiction long before this "Sookie" character. Need I even mention Charles Xavier?

And yes, the powers are ones we've seen before, but what of it? The Incredibles all had derivative powers, but it was still a good movie. There are only so many superpowers in the world, so naturally they get used over and over. What matters is the storytelling and the characterization.

That seems like way too much set-up for a character who was going to die in the second episode - if she's really dead, that looks clumsy, if she isn't then it's a cheap cliffhanger.

It made me wonder if maybe the character was intended as regular/recurring in the pilot but the decision was made after the pilot to write her out -- maybe because the network didn't like the character, maybe because the actress got another gig, maybe because the producers decided on a new story direction that couldn't work with her around. It's common for some things to change after a pilot.

 

[Derishton]

Re: No Ordinary Family: "No Ordinary Marriage" - Oct. 5 - Grade & Disc

Christopher, that's true - I had the same thought that this was possibly a tweaking of the original series set-up (we already know the plane's pilot was supposed to be a bigger character, too). If that were the case, I might've thought a less blunt-instrument approach might have been better. At the very least, I would've dropped the "I know what you did" she was being set up for in the scene just before the apartment scene. So I still think that whatever's happening with that character, it was clumsily handled.

 

[Aragorn]

Re: No Ordinary Family: "No Ordinary Marriage" - Oct. 5 - Grade & Disc

That seems like way too much set-up for a character who was going to die in the second episode - if she's really dead, that looks clumsy, if she isn't then it's a cheap cliffhanger.

She was originally intended a regular, but they changed directions after the pilot, dropping two regulars (her and Tate Donovan) and adding a different one (Stephen Collins).

When someone's in the main credits for the first episode and a guest star for the second, they don't intend to keep them around for very long.

Her murder will be what sets off the whole superhero crime fighting crusade.

 

[Christopher]

Re: No Ordinary Family: "No Ordinary Marriage" - Oct. 5 - Grade & Disc

I don't see what's clumsy about Cho's 2-episode arc. I think it's good that she was given that much time to be developed. The pilot established that she was a cop whom Jim respected, but by having her notice his involvement here and confront him, they set up more of a relationship between them, as Jim extended his trust to her as a potential ally. That way, the impact of her death is greater.

 

[stj]

Re: No Ordinary Family: "No Ordinary Marriage" - Oct. 5 - Grade & Disc

Stargate was never a comedy, and this is not a comedy either. Just because there are some comedic elements to some of the shows does not mean it's a comedy.

Jack's character lost his son to an accidental gunshot wound. LOL!

SG-1 is too far off topic, but the bulk of the time in this show is spent in stories that could have come from sitcoms like Father Knows Best or Donna Reed or Kate & Allie or whatever. Not all comedies are knockabout farces bursting into anarchy.

And the laugh test isn't decisive for genre, it's decisive for your reaction. I laughed as the lab assistant's reaction to Chiklis' crimefighting. And I laughed when the car ran right over him too. Chiklis spent way too much time on his back raising a thumb for a drama.

But if you do insist on it being a drama, it has already screwed up, probably irreparably. Chiklis is supposed to be the sensitive, arty one. He is lying to his wife about an unknown menace, superpowered criminals, who, judging from the reaction of the one he met, will be murderously hostile. Lying to his wife for no reason is okay for comedy, which is all about conflict. But a serious drama where a suppposedly nice guy does something so irresponsible for no reason?

As I said, humorless people really need to duck and run.

 

[jep316]

Re: No Ordinary Family: "No Ordinary Marriage" - Oct. 5 - Grade & Disc

I really like this show and I love how they gave the cool powers to the parents instead of the kids like most shows would.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Re: No Ordinary Family: "No Ordinary Marriage" - Oct. 5 - Grade & Disc

It's a show about a family who gains superpowers. It's not a show about a superhero family. Some of you seem to be assuming the latter, even though everything (right down to the title) points at the former.

Maybe you should try watching it for what it is, rather than what you expected it to be?

Yeah I expected a good, entertaining show and got a mediocre, derivative, barely-worth-watching one. That happens to me a lot especially with broadcast TV.

But it is interesting trying to decide which one is crappier, this show or The Event. Pretty much a tie at this point...

Well, Sylar's power was the ability to absorb others' powers. Technically, his telekinetic ability was taken from the first of his victims. And there have been countless telekinetics in fiction before Sylar came along, notably Jean Grey, Stephen King's Carrie, and the Jedi Knights.

Which is part of the problem, that's pretty heady company and we can't help but be reminded at least subliminally and then the new guy comes along, as what's notable about him? Nothing in particular. Sure, that's writing him off quick but I distinctly recall that Sylar was very intriguing even before they'd cast Quinto in the role, and after that, well as we all know, he damn near took over the show. That shows the power of nailing the casting vs. getting some nonentity to walk around and recite the lines.

I don't see what's clumsy about Cho's 2-episode arc. I think it's good that she was given that much time to be developed. The pilot established that she was a cop whom Jim respected, but by having her notice his involvement here and confront him, they set up more of a relationship between them, as Jim extended his trust to her as a potential ally. That way, the impact of her death is greater.

I like the idea that the show would give us a major secondary character in a role that we expect to stick around and them WHAMMO, kill her off! That's the kind of rule-breaking I'd like to see more of from this show. If she's still alive, and Mr. Sub-Sylar was just being sloppy, ech. Bad Writing 101.

 

[Anwar]

Re: No Ordinary Family: "No Ordinary Marriage" - Oct. 5 - Grade & Disc

I don't think she's alive. The actress is listed on IMDB as only being in two episodes.

 

[Hyperspace05]

Re: No Ordinary Family: "No Ordinary Marriage" - Oct. 5 - Grade & Disc

I liked it - Above Average.

The training scenes with the car were great fun. As was the texting while running gag. Nice to see that they at least have some semblance of attention to physics, at least when it comes to his powers.

I'm bummed that the killed off the cop - I liked her. Plus she looked nice. I hope she'll be back somehow. This kind of off-screen death is usually what productions do when they want to leave their options open.

 

[Checkmate]

Re: No Ordinary Family: "No Ordinary Marriage" - Oct. 5 - Grade & Disc

Maybe you should try watching it for what it is, rather than what you expected it to be?

Yeah I expected a good, entertaining show and got a mediocre, derivative, barely-worth-watching one.

No, like most people who bitch about shows in geekdom, you're upset that the show is something other than what you expected it to be. Thus it is "mediocre" and "barely-worth-watching." Not because the show actually sucks, but because it wasn't the type of show you wanted. Hence all the comparisons to Heroes (which was boring beyond fucking comprehension the first few episodes despite your rose-colored spectacles) and the like.

 

[Derishton]

Re: No Ordinary Family: "No Ordinary Marriage" - Oct. 5 - Grade & Disc

I don't see what's clumsy about Cho's 2-episode arc. I think it's good that she was given that much time to be developed. The pilot established that she was a cop whom Jim respected, but by having her notice his involvement here and confront him, they set up more of a relationship between them, as Jim extended his trust to her as a potential ally. That way, the impact of her death is greater.

I see that point - and I see how it's a matter of making something out of a change of direction - but it's tough to judge "impact". If it works for the majority of viewers, that's great. It didn't work for me, but only because having a "I'll be watching you scene" followed immediately by "I'm dead now" doesn't set her up as a friend or a potential ally or a lost opportunity. It sets her up as a secondary antagonist, and antagonists are less effective if they're dead. (As opposed to being undead, of course.)

But again, it's the eye of the beholder. Depending on where they go with the consequences of her death, it could be very effective in the long run. As with other aspects of the show, I'm withholding judgement, but interested enough to keep watching.

 

[PsychoPere]

Re: No Ordinary Family: "No Ordinary Marriage" - Oct. 5 - Grade & Disc

I'd love to see season one continue the trend of learning how to handle and use their powers, in addition to slowly building a support team around the family by figuring out who they think they can trust, all in prelude to some event down the road resulting in a public identity (similar to the Fantastic Four) by, say, season two or so. I've enjoyed both episodes so far a lot, but I do worry that the expected secret identity subplots could get stale after all and I think going public would be an interesting dynamic that we don't often see on tv or film for people with superheroic abilities.

 

[Aragorn]

Re: No Ordinary Family: "No Ordinary Marriage" - Oct. 5 - Grade & Disc

In this episode they got the daughter to control her power and added fast healing to the wife's powers. I wonder if the son's power isn't necessarily math but the ability to figure out all sorts of problems (it was suggested by his sister that he somehow beat the unbeatable carnival game with his power), which means he could end up being the brains of the family if they decide to fight crime together.

 

[FordSVT]

Re: No Ordinary Family: "No Ordinary Marriage" - Oct. 5 - Grade & Disc

Although they bent the laws a bit when he held onto it from behind at the end there. Maybe that could be possible if his shoes had amazingly good traction, but it's a reach. At least he didn't keep it up long.

That was a rear wheel drive GM or Ford van (I forget which) and the wheels were not touching the ground once he picked it up.

 

[Christopher]

Re: No Ordinary Family: "No Ordinary Marriage" - Oct. 5 - Grade & Disc

I wonder if the son's power isn't necessarily math but the ability to figure out all sorts of problems (it was suggested by his sister that he somehow beat the unbeatable carnival game with his power), which means he could end up being the brains of the family if they decide to fight crime together.

Well, continuing the analogy to Marvel's Amadeus Cho, that character uses his mathematical genius to calculate physical moves of extraordinary precision, enabling him to do things like deflecting an incoming missile with a tossed marble or something like that. This kid could presumably be doing the same thing -- calculating the angle and velocity he needs to throw the balls/rings/whatever at in order to hit the bullseye. Of course, it's harder than that in practice; just because you know what the angle and velocity should be, that doesn't automatically mean your muscles have the experience to achieve it. But fiction tends to gloss over such distinctions; for instance, math prodigies are often shown to be expert pool players because pool is all about geometry and forces.

Bottom line, the kid still hasn't been shown to do anything which can't be explained as a function of his mathematical insights.