What I’m Watching: No Ordinary Family

No Ordinary Family: Season 1, Episode 14 “No Ordinary Double Standard” (C+)

I was all set to like this episode until it stalled about halfway through, but I’d like to at least commend it for trying something new and succeeding with it at least a little bit. The idea of competition between Jim and Stephanie to determine whose powers are better as well as who can best utilize them to help solve crimes is an entertaining one, though I’m not sure how well it was executed. It’s that lack of a serious tone that often presents a problem for this show, particularly when characters die or boyfriends erase their girlfriends’ memories, presenting severe events that clash with other lighter developments. I will say that I enjoyed Katie’s efforts to seduce George and his subsequent fury over having been used by her. The children dating seniors was an iffy plotline, and while I enjoyed Jim’s snap judgment that congratulated his son on dating an older woman but forbid his daughter from dating an older guy, it didn’t strike me as entirely realistic parenting. Daphne’s newly-discovered skills make her seem an awful lot like the Watcher, who is now using his abilities to help maintain his relationship with Katie, which can’t be a good thing for the future of their romance. Daphne’s use of her powers on her dad was a bit shocking, though on this show it’s not likely to have any consequences. If this were a much more intense drama on some cable network, which I fully understand it’s not, Daphne’s highly manipulative actions would lead to some pretty awesome moral confrontations and developments in future episodes.