Take Three: Powerless

Powerless: Season 1, Episode 3 “Sinking Day” (B+)

I don’t think I’ve mentioned just how much I love the opening credits on this show, which provide a fantastic new perspective on famed superhero moments in comic book history, with the unknown, powerless humans hiding in the background. This show is actually moving away from that concept and more to cleverer interpretations of this superpowered world, with Atlantis a real place as the home of not only Aquaman but also William H. Macy and Ron. I like that Sinking Day is a major holiday and that Van was able to do research into all the top execs to find out exactly what gifts would please them greatly, and the only thing that he got very wrong was the celebratory tuna, which is apparently a valued friend to them and not the centerpiece for a party meal. Van’s continued desire to please his relatives remains entertaining, and though I couldn’t have possibly guessed who would have been cast to play his father, I can’t think of a better choice than Corbin Bernsen, who has plenty of experience as a sarcastic dad on “Psych.” The common trope of people disappearing at the exact moments that superheroes showed up was a great diversion for Ron and Jackie in this installment as Teddy proved to be the reasonable one who thought their surveillance methods were a bit extreme. I enjoyed the way that he was ultimately shown not to be the super-man they thought he was, a remarkably simple and relatively stupid demonstration of normal strength as displayed in full view of everyone in the office.