Take Three: The Cape

The Cape: Season 1, Episode 4 “Scales” (C+)

This third outing is a bit better than the second, if only because it’s more engaging and gives more characters a showcase to spew their ridiculous overacting. I’m thrilled by the idea of Summer Glau’s Orwell going into the field and carrying out a mission, but that’s not going to work if she can’t help revealing her conspiracy theories (however true) and pretty much giving away her identity. It strikes me as far too convenient that the Carnival of Crime just happens to be hijacking the same train on which Chess is traveling without knowing it, and it also makes little to no sense that the Cape would be okay working so closely with people who are determined to be criminals, as was most astutely observed in the clandestine meeting of the Carnival of Crime. I was excited to see Richard Schiff return as a crime-fighter wannabe, dressed up as the Cape and eager to help take down the bad guys, so determinedly that he even threatened to go rogue if he wasn’t given something to do. It’s good that he didn’t try to look too polished and appeared appropriately awkward wielding a gun and trying to take control of the situation. It took me a while to recognize Dayton Callie, who plays Chief Unser on “Sons of Anarchy,” as the politician less than eager to talk to Scales on the train. For anyone who’s counting, this is now the third episode (of three) to feature a face-to-face encounter between Chess and the Cape. How many times can that happen before the show simply implodes due to repetitiveness?