ReCape: Watching The Cape

[Shamus Young]

I love deconstructionist humor so much. This article was tremendous fun.

Post-article fanboy crying was a nice bonus.

I know saying that people who disagree with you are fanboys is sort of your thing now Shamus, but I don't think that actually makes sense in this context. Only the pilot of this show has aired and just a couple days ago, it's a little bit early to play the fanboy card if that is still supposed to actually mean something.

I see a lot of angry people in this thread, and I can't see any other explanation than reflexive fanboy-ing.

Look, I loved, LOVED Lord of the Rings online. But I personally took it out to the shed and gave it a savage whipping, in a 20,000+ word epic that ran for half a year. I picked apart every little flaw of the game. And I laughed as I did so. Other people laughed. Some liked the game, some didn't. Good times. It's good to be able to see the shortcomings of the entertainment we consume, even if we enjoy it.

The complaints that "this is a bad / dumb / biased / unfair article because I liked the show" are missing the point. Harry Potter and Star Wars are classics that have shaped our culture, and people still hammer on their excesses. It's good. It's healthy. It's even fun, right up until a fanboy screams "HOW DARE YOU!?!"

Maybe this show will run for a decade. Maybe it will be canceled before the end of February. Either way, it's just as valid a target for ridicule as Trek, or Watchmen or LOST or any other shows out there.

 

[SamElliot'sMustache]

Caught it tonight, and it really is terrible. It was trying way too hard to be hip (the sidekick 'blogger' and all the product placement Apple gadgets), screwy internal logic (the omnipotent blogger who tries to conceal her identity, yet just walks up to the Cape in the middle of the street), it's characters had no personality, and the plot was like someone realized that people like Batman Begins and The Crow, and just thought, "Hey, if we kinda/sorta make something like those and repackage it, those dumb geeks'll sure flock to our show!" In a way, it's so much like a stereotypical bad comic that it was like watching a poor man's Rob liefeld comic, just remove Summer Glau's spine and add in breast implants, then give the Cape a million pouches and a huge gun,.

It was the fucking pilot episode give me ANY pilot episode of ANY series that wasn't SHIT compared to the rest of it.

Firefly, Lost, That '70's Show, Twin Peaks, Arrested Development, the original V (though to be fair, that was a mini-series, not a pilot), Batman: The Animated Series, Animaniacs, Spaced, Futurama, Invader Zim, the aforementioned The Shield (though it has a couple of rough patches), and I think I'll stop there.

Those, off the top of my head, were shows whose pilots were not shit, especially compared to the rest of the series, and I left off shows where maybe the pilot wasn't exactly television euphoria, but it at least offered some new angle that would make further watching rewarding somehow (like most of Whedon's shows, True Blood, The Walking Dead, Taxi, Veronica Mars, and The Simpsons). Speaking of which:

Everyone is tearing into the show and the article because it didn't suit your needs.

ITS A NEW FUCKING SHOW GIVE IT TIME

That's not how it works in the real world, I'm afraid. If a show has nothing to offer that is interesting on its own merits, then no one is obligated to "give it time." I'm pretty sure fans of Gossip Girl-type shows wouldn't go around screaming about how it's a "fucking pilot," then order you to "give it time" if you pointed out a new show like that was shit.

 

[SamElliot'sMustache]

counter counter point: The pilot was enough to keep people interested

Not all people, obviously. I personally think Elizabeth was too kind to it by half.

I know I'm avoiding future episodes.

 

[BabySinclair]

Yes there were CG problems, especially in the pilot but they seemed to improve on that by the second episode (namely in the CG involving the cape itself.) Cheesy dialogue was there, it's in the comics too so that's actually faithful to the "parent" material. First episode was rushed, second had some timing issues, but overall better than a lot of other shows. I give it a high C, low B at the start and it'll be interesting how it turns out by the end of the 8 episode season.

 

[dubious_wolf]

The 6 page recap was lengthy for an escapist article, then again this was a 2 hours series premiere, so I'd say it's warranted. I think that in and of itself is the first problem with this show. They tried to put way too much into a single episode, even if it was 2 hours. I mean come on writers you have an entire series to characterize and shit. Pace yourselves better! I think this show suffers from the same delusions of grandure our main character does. (The only way you can save a corrupt city is by being batman). This show is trying to characterize too many damn characters all at once. It also seems schizophrenic. At times it wants to be a comic book and at other times it wants to be sand-in-your-shorts-at-the-beach gritty. It needs to pick a direction and stick with it. So far this whole thing seems like a mishandled mess. Thank you NBC for further proving to me that by not watching you I haven't missed anything.

To the fan-boys, this recap is exactly what it's supposed to be a critique. It points out problems and criticizes the weaknesses of the material being reviewed. So calm down, she didn't say "don't watch it!" And if there's one thing that never agrees it's oil and water, the other is critics and the public. I mean didn't Star Wars: A New Hope meet some pretty scathing reviews way back when? Didn't critics praise Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and yet it was a flop?

Also side note: Did his having a family thing seemed kind of forced. I mean he has a wife, and he has a super hot female sidekick? Is that just like trying to be future temptation.

further side note: Holy shit that was Summer Glau wasn't it?! I'm not sure her being a "blogger" makes a lot of sense. It seems like a poorly set up cultural reference.

 

[joshthor]

loved the show, hated the recap. it was basically trolling.

 

[warmonkey]

Are they stupid?! You keep the mystery as long as you can manage before it starts to irritate the audience, that way they feel like they have to keep watching this piece of dross just so they know what happens next.

Stupid? Maybe, but maybe we should applaud them for the ballsy move. Maybe they're going to try and NOT repeat the same shitty-ass tripe that resulted in LOST and BSG. Nothing but daytime soaps in the evening. Garbage.

Any show that requires you to watch every episode in order to understand any episode is a show that I will not watch and will celebrate when it ends.

Reason? That sort of show is designed to allow for shitty writing. That's the whole point. Each episode need not stand up on its own legs. You can have a 5 year old write it and all you need to do is either set up, tease, or reveal some Point Of Interest that actually may not be interesting in the least, hi LOST how are you doing I see you understand that well.

Intersperse with a bunch of interpersonal drama that is so far removed from reality that the only people who could write such drivel are in fact themselves 13 year old girls, for only they could understand talking and bitching about trivial details endlessly without ever considering directly solving your problems or dealing with them quietly and must instead endlessly drone on to anybody who will listen.

Garbage. Television is full of unentertaining uninteresting unoriginal garbage.

Stargate SG:1 was pretty good, because it nearly lacked any continuity between episodes. Look at Star Trek also for a great example. You watched it because it was entertaining -- not because you wanted to know what fucking happened! SG:U was garbage because it copied BSG's model, which itself was just the cliff's notes version of a daytime soap with the setting changed to IN SPACE!

The complaints that "this is a bad / dumb / biased / unfair article because I liked the show" are missing the point. Harry Potter and Star Wars are classics that have shaped our culture, and people still hammer on their excesses. It's good. It's healthy. It's even fun, right up until a fanboy screams "HOW DARE YOU!?!"

You're totally wrong, the screams of "HOW DARE YOU!?!" are but a sign that you're on the right path. Though I guess that's a slightly different kind of fun.

Sacred cows are made of meat and should be eaten.

 

[theultimateend]

Is it possible for you to re-write this without the obvious bias? It's hard for me to take things seriously when that rears its disgusting head.

I know, what is with people giving their opinions and trying to entertain people? The audacity! This article should have been a simple transcript, followed by an ACCURATE numeric score!

I agree. Let's make this happen.

Shamus has our back everybody. Lets all picket till this gets changed.

 

[Aurgelmir]

ReCape: Watching The Cape

If you think that's a forced joke, you obviously didn't catch The Cape last night.

Read Full Article

Compared to all other superhero TV series prior to The Cape, this show rocks. And honestly I disagree with most of your bashing of the show.
Whats our superhero alternatives these days anywyas? Heroes and No Ordinary Family. The first one outplayed its welcome after season one, and the second one has potential. But the Cape is superhero from the get go.

 

[Branches]

I just caught it earlier. Either The Cape is a massive joke by the creatives at NBC or it's an elaborate ploy to bring in viewers who's comic book IQ is slimmer than an issue of final crisis.

And another thing, what the hell is with the big rush for Rich people to live inside of garages? I mean, Tron: Legacy was one thing, but this? I mean, she drives a Porsche then a Benz, but She lives in a Firehouse turned Modern-art house.

 

[Mysnomer]

i am currently kicking myself for not noticing the garage door,thank you for pointing that out for me.

What you should be kicking yourself for is not noticing that before entering the garage, she drove through a large gate, the door of which she lowered, and they are in a walled area. What Elizabeth ignored in her hasty attempt to up her snark count is that Orwell is obviously extremely rich, and they are most likely in some sort of private mansion-type structure.

Look, I loved, LOVED Lord of the Rings online. But I personally took it out to the shed and gave it a savage whipping, in a 20,000+ word epic that ran for half a year. I picked apart every little flaw of the game. And I laughed as I did so. Other people laughed. Some liked the game, some didn't. Good times. It's good to be able to see the shortcomings of the entertainment we consume, even if we enjoy it.

And that's exactly what I'm talking about, you loved something so much that you were willing to take the time and effort to craft a satire that played it's flaws up for humor. Educational and entertaining. This article is dashed off, a thoughtless act of malice for something she didn't care about in the first place.

snip

Hey, just wanted to point out that you accidentally quoted me. So, if you want that guy to see your post, you might want to fix that.

 

[StrangerQ]

Since i just readed whole thing and thought if she gives such good bashing it's shame that i dont have chance to see whats whole thing about...
in more clear way i just got interested about show and since your beyond atlantic tv is not that well accessible here so i guess ill go to youtube and hope to find some decent quality clips

brb


oook
By all the trailers i could gather i can see the cheesy (especially "dont lose hope " part")
But still goodcheesysome woot etc.
now to hunt full episode
edit: curse continental based video stream sites for example hulu " we like to politely tell you that OMG U NO USA U NO VIDEO SEE"
*insert annoyed cursing here*

 

[Mysnomer]

ReCape: Watching The Cape

If you think that's a forced joke, you obviously didn't catch The Cape last night.

Read Full Article

I have to question your credentials that allow you to make sweeping judgments like "Poor pacing," and "bad camera work."* I noticed very little of what you play up to be massive faults. Maybe what was skipping around every few seconds was your attention**.

-You don't know that L-9 is a rapidly expanding explosive (despite it being mentioned 2 or 3 times)
-You deride his ability to tear the mask, which is not in fact stapled to his face (the strap that goes around the back is what they stapled)
-You even mock the cape shtick (you do realize you're watching a super-hero show, right?) -You criticize the open garage door, ignoring the fact that their in a walled setting (most likely a villa or something)
-You snark about Max dying, ignoring the fact that he got shot
-You describe the store owner as ungrateful, when he is anything but (he does snark about Cape's name, but it's good humored, unlike a certain someone)
-And finally you missed the part where Cain injects the bird to test his poison (food coloring water is a point I will concede, but it isn't a very strong point).

Why would I go through all this trouble? Why is it important I show just how little you care? I don't want someone to read your poorly conceived and written article and think they got a real review. The Cape, as something new, deserves an honest examination, and I recommend people watch it for themselves. Some will hate it, some will love it, and some (like me) will think, Hey, this could be interesting. If you don't like it, good for you, but your article has little to no real humor value, and without humor you simply have a nasty opinion, and as any Escapee will tell you, it's just that, your opinion. Unless you can present it in a truly entertaining way, or have a thought deeper than, "It's bad," or "It's good," keep it to yourself.

*Not saying you have to be an expert to have an opinion, but if you're going to use technical terms, you better have the knowledge to back it up. Otherwise, stick to, "It was hard to follow."

**Oh, look at me, I can snark too. Can I be a featured writer, Escapist staff? 0_0 Pretty please? I'll even get a goofy avatar and everything!

 

[omegawyrm]

I love deconstructionist humor so much. This article was tremendous fun.

Post-article fanboy crying was a nice bonus.

I know saying that people who disagree with you are fanboys is sort of your thing now Shamus, but I don't think that actually makes sense in this context. Only the pilot of this show has aired and just a couple days ago, it's a little bit early to play the fanboy card if that is still supposed to actually mean something.

I see a lot of angry people in this thread, and I can't see any other explanation than reflexive fanboy-ing.

Look, I loved, LOVED Lord of the Rings online. But I personally took it out to the shed and gave it a savage whipping, in a 20,000+ word epic that ran for half a year. I picked apart every little flaw of the game. And I laughed as I did so. Other people laughed. Some liked the game, some didn't. Good times. It's good to be able to see the shortcomings of the entertainment we consume, even if we enjoy it.

The complaints that "this is a bad / dumb / biased / unfair article because I liked the show" are missing the point. Harry Potter and Star Wars are classics that have shaped our culture, and people still hammer on their excesses. It's good. It's healthy. It's even fun, right up until a fanboy screams "HOW DARE YOU!?!"

Maybe this show will run for a decade. Maybe it will be canceled before the end of February. Either way, it's just as valid a target for ridicule as Trek, or Watchmen or LOST or any other shows out there.

Umm, yeah, you call people who freak out about those things FANBOYS because those properties have a FANDOM. I seriously doubt that The Cape has anything that could be considered a community at this point. People in this thread aren't complaining about the criticism because they have serious time or energy invested in this series or because they think it's a deep and affecting work. What is fanboy supposed to mean here? Is anyone who says that something is being unfairly criticized a fanboy?

 

[wulfy42]

Um, I think the article was a bit harsh and really hasn't given the show a chance yet. I mean how about writing an article about "No Ordinary Family"...thats been around awhile and is total drivel.

Where are us comic/superhero fans supposed to turn now? No more Hero's, Smallville is ending (Even if many people don't seem to like the show I certainly loved it) and the other super hero show released this year is some kind of Joan of Arcadia meets Family Ties mix up (With a bit of Fantastic Four mixed in just to draw people in).

The Cape certainly has room for improving. I enjoyed "The Walking Dead"'s pilot far more for instance.....but I enjoyed The Cape's pilot far more then "No Ordinary Family"....and I still watch that crappy show. Why? Because I'm desperate for a good super hero show and will be even more starved for one next year once Smallville goes poof.

So yeah, the pilot wasn't great. It didn't leave me on the edge of my seat for the next episode but I have more motivation to watch it then other shows on tv. Even Chuck is leaving me a bit cold this season (was one of my favorite shows before this one).

I don't want to jump on the bandwagon of saying the article blew, but I think it might have been a bit premature to tear the show apart so much and such an article might cause quite a few people to avoid watching the pilot or giving the show a chance at all.

You are certainly entitled to your opinion, but please.....give superhero/comic shows a chance? I'm willing to watch even the worst ones due to not having much choice......If I can sit through week after week of shows like NOF.......The Cape is a giant step up. I'd rather it not get canceled due to having such a small viewing audience....at least not till a few more super hero tv shows are made to replace it.

 

[Brett Alex]

In a way, it's so much like a stereotypical bad comic that, just remove Summer Glau's spine and add in breast implants, then give the Cape a million pouches and a huge gun, it was like watching a poor man's Rob liefeld comic.

The phrase "poor man's Rob liefeld comic" is a beautiful gem of description in and of itself.

 

[iLikeHippos]

Well, they've done it... They have accidentally done one of the most hilarious type of shows out there - sub-conscious parody!

 

[Moeez]

You guys feel starved of superhero TV shows?

Misfits - British superhero TV show in the vein of Skins + Heroes, except good.

http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ldgg0snr271qcxo1qo1_500.jpg

Thank me later.

 

[RobCoxxy]

That was a good read, Liz.
As a British chap, I can't say I've seen it, so I can only add:

"What the shit were these people thinking?"

And Summer Glau? Why? D:

 

[RobCoxxy]

You guys feel starved of superhero TV shows?

Misfits - British superhero TV show in the vein of Skins + Heroes, except good.

http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ldgg0snr271qcxo1qo1_500.jpg

Thank me later.

Or, there's that "superhero" on it who's invincible.
And another who can control dairy products.
Superhero A eats cheese.
Superhero B wraps it around his spine, in a totally plausible scenario rendering superhero A crippled.

I don't like Misfits. They're all unlikeable as well.