The CW Wednesdays @ 9pm ET
They are the next evolutionary leap of mankind, a generation of humans born with paranormal abilities — the Tomorrow People. Stephen Jameson stands at the crossroads between the world we know and the shifting world of the future. Up until a year ago, Stephen was a “normal” teenager — until he began hearing voices and teleporting in his sleep, never knowing where he might wake up. Now, Stephen’s issues have gone far beyond the usual teenage angst, and he is beginning to question his sanity. In desperation, Stephen decides to listen to one of the voices in his head, and it leads him to his first encounter with the Tomorrow People.
These days, being a superhero isn't even super anymore: it's normal. Ordinary humans who develop extraordinary powers are everywhere you look: comic books, graphic novels, movies, TV shows. They're a dime a dozen, so it's particularly risky whenever a new brand enters the field. It's got to have something special going for it or it's bound to get lost in the masses of Avengers and Arrows and Amazing Spider-Mans. So what new take on the genre does The CW's "The Tomorrow People" offer? What unexplored depths does it tap into? What unique insights does it bring to the table?
Not many, as it turns out.
The story of young people suddenly discovering they have superpowered talents isn't an original one. It draws immediate and obvious parallels to the "X-Men" series or, perhaps more appropriate for a TV comparison, "Heroes". But whereas those properties had limitless potential with powers ranging from flight to healing to painting the future, all of The Tomorrow People have the same three abilities: teleportation, telepathy, and telekinesis. (Our hero, Stephen, is a super-superhero, so he has a fourth ability of time-stopping.) The fact that literally every Tomorrow Person we'll meet on the show will have powers that are already established in the first episode is perhaps the series' biggest drawback. After all, isn't half the fun of a show about mutants continually discovering and exploring increasingly-bizarre powers?
From the hoodie-wearing, angsty protagonist to the shadowy organization hunting down the mutants, from the pretty-but-enigmatic love interest to the "twist" of an unexpected connection between hero and villain, everything in the first episode of "The Tomorrow People" is by the (comic)book. And the gratuitous shirtless scenes of its buff young star are straight out of every CW show ever. Oh, and it's a remake of a 90s Nickelodeon reboot of a 70s British sci-fi series. But just because "The Tomorrow People" may be the least unique show of the fall season doesn't mean that it won't be successful: there's comfort in familiarity, and The CW certainly can't be criticized for not knowing what its audience wants.
It must be said that for all its lack of originality, there is still a certain charm around the show. A lot of this is due to Robbie Amell, who plays Stephen -- and who is, in a bizarre twist, the cousin of Stephen Amell, the star of CW's other superhero show, "Arrow", which airs immediately before "The Tomorrow People" on Wednesday nights. (That is one impressive gene pool.) Robbie Amell practically oozes charisma: he's equally adept at action, angst, and comedy, and strikes a confident presence on screen. Peyton List ("Mad Men") is also terrific as Cara, the voice in Stephen's head who draws him into the world of The Tomorrow People. And Mark Pellegrino ("Lost", "Dexter") is a welcome presence as the head of Ultra, the organization hunting down mutants. The special effects are impressive (particularly the teleportation) -- which is not a given for a TV show. And the final minutes of the pilot avoid the predictable beats of most superhero shows and manage to take the series in a surprising direction.
While no sane person could ever argue that "The Tomorrow People" is original, it certainly makes for a pulpy and promising new series that will be a perfect match for fans of "Arrow". Wednesday is now officially Amellsday.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wi0PnEIdjc[/youtube]
