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2015 American TV series or program From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Powers is an American superhero television series developed by Brian Michael Bendis and Charlie Huston for PlayStation Network. It is based on the Image/Marvel comic book series of the same name by Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming. The show depicts humans who have been granted special abilities, known as "Powers", that remain hidden until adulthood. The show centers around the character Christian Walker, who was once a hero that had the ability to fly and was known as Diamond.
| Powers | |
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| Genre | |
| Based on | |
| Developed by |
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| Starring | |
| Composer | Jeff Rona |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 20 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Running time | 39–53 minutes |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | PlayStation Network |
| Release | March 10, 2015 – July 19, 2016 |
The series was PlayStation Network's first venture into scripted original programming, and premiered on March 10, 2015, with the final episode of the first season being released on April 28, 2015. It was renewed for a second season of 10 episodes, which premiered on May 31, 2016, and was released through July 19, 2016. The series was canceled in August of the same year.
In a world where humans and superheroes called "Powers" co-exist, a former Power, Christian Walker, has reinvented himself as a homicide detective after his own powers were taken from him. He and his partner Deena Pilgrim work for the Powers Division of the Los Angeles Police Department, investigating crimes involving superhumans, who are at once crimefighting heroes and pop celebrities managed by specialized advertising agencies.
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Pilot" | David Slade | Charlie Huston | March 10, 2015 | |
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At Powers Division of the Los Angeles police force, a detective is killed when a Power breaks free following a routine arrest. As a result Christian Walker, who had become a detective after losing his powers as Diamond, is partnered with Deena Pilgrim who has newly transferred to Powers Division. Their first case is the death of superhero Olympia, found dead in a hotel room by a young homeless woman and Powers groupie named Calista Secor. The detectives interview Calista but she is teleported out of the police station by Johnny Royalle, a criminal Power thought to have been killed years ago by Wolfe. They visit Wolfe in The Shaft, a supermax Powers prison, where Wolfe hints that he will return Walker's powers if freed. Walker tracks down Calista who leaps from a tall building in a desperate attempt to activate the powers she hopes she has. Walker recklessly jumps after her and intercepts her in mid-air, and they are both saved by the timely intervention of RetroGirl. | ||||||
| 2 | 2 | "Like a Power" | David Slade | Charlie Huston | March 10, 2015 | |
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Walker wakes up the next morning on the rooftop, having spent the night alone. Olympia's cause of death was a new street drug called "Sway" which is being produced by Johnny Royalle's gang who used Calista to deliver it to the victim. Walker and Pilgrim go to RetroGirl's home to meet with Calista, but she flees. Johnny Royalle legally registers his powers and appears on television denying any criminal aspirations, stating that he faked his death due to rumors that he had been aiding Wolfe's crime spree, and claiming to have returned to help wayward Powers kids by setting up a youth center. Calista meets him there, claiming she has nowhere else to go. Later that night, Royalle teleports into Walker's apartment and threatens Walker to stay out of his way. | ||||||
| 3 | 3 | "Mickey Rooney Cries No More" | David Petrarca | David Paul Francis | March 10, 2015 | |
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Powers Division Captain Cross encourages TripHammer to continue experiments in removing the abilities of dangerous Powers despite the deaths of test subjects and the psychological toll. Walker and Pilgrim investigate the death of Levitation Boy who seems to have died as a result of his powers being greatly extended by taking Sway, the same drug connected to Olympia's death. The detectives head to Johnny Royalle's club where RetroGirl arrives with Calista, and witness Sway being passed around the club with no money changing hands. Walker and Pilgrim apprehend Calista but Johnny Royalle stops them from leaving, and Calista decides to stay with him. After the others leave, Royalle teleports into Wolfe's cell to witness him dismembering and eating a doctor who had been regularly lobotomizing him in pace with his regeneration as the only means of keeping his dangerous powers in check. Wolfe pleads with Royalle to let him go home as Royalle looks on in horror. | ||||||
| 4 | 4 | "Devil in a Garbage Bag" | David Petrarca | Allison Moore | March 17, 2015 | |
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Wolfe kills several prison guards; Johnny Royalle urges Wolfe to leave the prison but Wolfe won't give up his vendetta against those who tortured him and Royalle is forced to leave. Walker and Pilgrim meet with TripHammer who has experimented with the Drainer, his invention that suppresses the abilities of Powers, and develop a plan to neutralize Wolfe but it fails and several guards are killed. Walker traps Pilgrim in a cell to protect her and confronts Wolfe alone, trying to reason with him but Wolfe refuses to stop his rampage. Meanwhile, Royalle prepares to leave the city, revealing to Calista that Sway is simply Wolfe's blood; those Powers who take it temporarily gain Wolfe's ability to absorb and increase powers. Royalle evacuates Calista who convinces him that he can't run away from this so he teleports back to Wolfe's cell where he finds himself under the Drainer, trapped without his powers. | ||||||
| 5 | 5 | "Paint It Black" | Bill Eagles | Julie Siege | March 24, 2015 | |
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In flashbacks, Wolfe lectures Powers kids including Johnny Royalle and Walker on responsibility, then is shown eating bodies in a killing spree; Walker convinces an uncertain Royalle to capture Wolfe and become heroes. In the present, Wolfe kills and eats imprisoned Powers and remembers that he took Walker's powers and Walker put him in The Shaft. Wolfe becomes enraged and clashes with Walker, who has taken Sway and gets inside Wolfe's mind where Wolfe denies any ability to return Walker's powers. Zora intervenes and is joined by RetroGirl, but Wolfe defeats them both. Walker re-engages with Wolfe and regains his powers, throwing Wolfe into the Drainer, then immediately collapses in pain. Royalle exits his cell and his powers return, allowing him to leave. Zora comes to and takes credit for stopping Wolfe. Walker awakens in hospital with RetroGirl at his side, and supports Zora's story rather than explain temporarily regaining his powers. Walker and RetroGirl comfort each other and she falls asleep in his hospital bed. Later, Walker opens his eyes which glow red as they had during his clash with Wolfe. | ||||||
| 6 | 6 | "The Raconteur of the Funeral Circuit" | Mikael Salomon | Allison Moore & David Paul Francis | March 31, 2015 | |
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Powers Division holds a memorial for the officers who died in the fight with Wolfe. Walker asks TripHammer if the Drainer could somehow return his powers and reveals to RetroGirl that he'd temporarily regained his powers to defeat Wolfe. Zora gives her condolences but leaves when her publicist criticizes her behavior with the grieving families. A very drunk TripHammer hints to Walker and RetroGirl of the Black Swan initiative, which Captain Cross says are preparations for a coming change. Meanwhile, Royalle shuts down his Sway operations. He uses his teleportation ability to attempt to remove Sway from a copy of Simons but badly injures him. Another copy of Simons gives Calista the last capsule of Sway as a punishment. Wolfe delivers a televised statement from The Shaft, stating that having his powers temporarily removed by the Drainer has made him realize the extent of his crimes, and he requests that his powers be permanently removed. | ||||||
| 7 | 7 | "You Are Not It" | Aaron Lipstadt | Remi Aubuchon & Allison Moore | April 7, 2015 | |
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Walker and Pilgrim serve a warrant at Royalle's club where they are attacked by Simons whom they arrest and throw under a Drainer at Powers Division. A copy of Simons has been confiscating Sway from the Power Kids and collapses as the cloning ability is suppressed. Calista tells Royalle who rushes to find Simons suffering from the death of his copy. Using this to prove the Drainer harms Powers, Royalle gets a meeting with Wolfe, and explains how Walker used Sway to temporarily regain his powers. Wolfe tells Royalle that the Drainer occasionally turns off and he can feel the Sway in the Powers Kids, making it easy for him to hunt and consume them when he escapes. Later, Walker meets with Wolfe who again offers to return Walker's powers for freedom. Royalle returns to find Calista in pain after taking Sway; Walker grabs Royalle who teleports them both away. Elsewhere, a Power is ambushed and has her throat slit, with "Kaotic Chic" spray-painted over her body. | ||||||
| 8 | 8 | "Aha Shake Heartbreak" | Tim Hunter | Julie Siege | April 14, 2015 | |
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Johnny Royalle teleports Walker to his secret bunker and suggests putting aside their differences for a team-up to kill Wolfe and save the Powers Kids. TripHammer admits to RetroGirl that Black Swan is a Powers doomsday scenario, for which his Drainer was designed as a countermeasure. Calista awakens and is arrested by Pilgrim, who finds evidence on Calista's phone connecting her to "Kaotic Chic" and Krispin, the conflicted son of Walker's dead partner. At a benefit hosted by RetroGirl and Zora, Krispin disrupts a staged fight between Zora and another Power. Krispin's mother tries to intervene and is accidentally killed by the Power, who had used Sway to aid his performance. Witnessing this, Walker agrees to Royalle's proposal to kill Wolfe. | ||||||
| 9 | 9 | "Level 13" | Bill Eagles | Brian Michael Bendis | April 21, 2015 | |
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Walker informs Pilgrim, Cross and TripHammer of Johnny Royalle's proposal to kill Wolfe, and they set a trap to neutralize and arrest Royalle in Wolfe's cell. Walker later informs Royalle of this, claiming it was the only way to get close to Wolfe. Royalle gains Calista's release and she attempts to comfort Krispin at his mother's funeral but he sends her away when he sees she brought Royalle. Walker and Royalle infiltrate The Shaft and Royalle is trapped under the Drainer in Wolfe's cell, but as Walker confronts Wolfe (to get his powers back) he finds it is an imposter. With Royalle in custody, the real Wolfe is ordered back to his cell but Simons, earlier freed by Royalle to create diversions, kills his guards. Wolfe drains Simons, overpowers TripHammer, and confronts Walker, telling him that he needs to talk to both Walker and Royalle. | ||||||
| 10 | 10 | "F@#K the Big Chiller" | Mikael Salomon | Charlie Huston & Allison Moore | April 28, 2015 | |
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Zora fights Wolfe on the streets but is severely beaten. Wolfe goes to Royalle's club where the Powers Kids have gathered, and tells Calista that she is something special. Pilgrim evacuates the kids but they do not get far as Wolfe drains them all, gaining enormous power. Royalle teleports Wolfe several thousand feet up and drops him through the roof. RetroGirl tries to fight Wolfe but is overpowered. Desperate, Walker holds an explosive Drainer between himself and Wolfe and sets it off, suppressing Wolfe's powers while losing any hope of regaining his own. Wolfe seems to send the last of his power to Calista before Royalle seizes the opportunity to teleport Wolfe's head off his body. Royalle is hailed as the hero and pardoned. RetroGirl recovers while Zora is stabilized at hospital. Krispin and Kaotic Chic are shown plotting, after which Walker is called to a murder scene where RetroGirl's body lies on a sheet with "Kaotic Chic" on it. Calista again steps off the roof from the first episode, and with red eyes takes flight. | ||||||
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | 1 | "Caracas, 1967" | Mikael Salomon | Remi Aubuchon | May 31, 2016 | |
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Krispin and Marigold each go into hiding after being framed for RetroGirl's murder and set up to die delivering a bomb to a Powers Division press conference. Krispin reaches out to Walker but is found dead in an apparent suicide. Meanwhile, Calista uses her newfound powers to beat up her estranged father and steal RetroGirl's costume. | ||||||
| 12 | 2 | "Funeral of the Century" | Rod Hardy | Brian Michael Bendis | May 31, 2016 | |
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Powers Division tries to calm tensions between rival gangs the Hacks (cyborgs) and Quants (powers) but an outside force provokes them toward a gang war. Zora becomes an internet joke and demands Craig take down her ads. Demonstrators clash outside RetroGirl's funeral, where Calista makes her debut in RetroGirl's costume and beats-up an unruly Rainbow. Walker spots Krispin in the crowd and chases him to a sex club, catching him. It proves to be THX, a Hack lieutenant, using tech implants to change his face. | ||||||
| 13 | 3 | "Hell Night" | Mikael Salomon | David Simkins | May 31, 2016 | |
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THX is taken to Triphammer for interrogation but the cyborg's hardware fatally crashes before he can reveal who hired him. Ambitious Powers That Be reporter Nicole initiates looting at Colossal Fun, merchandiser of Powers-related toys. Kutter comes to Pilgrim's aid in the midst of the riot; they join Zora attempting to separate dozens of Quantums and Hacks vying for control of the city. The violence is stopped by the return of SuperShock after forty years in seclusion. At the same time, Walker finds Marigold but Heavy (Stefan Rollins) drops a building on them. | ||||||
| 14 | 4 | "Stealing Fire" | Jonathan Frakes | Ben Edlund | June 7, 2016 | |
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Pilgrim is conflicted over her relationship with Kutter while watching over comatose Walker. Cross and Triphammer deduce a non-registered gravity power was responsible. Believing the suspect may be in the Federal database, Walker seduces Lange to gain access to her laptop; in response, Lange and the FBI take over Powers Division. Meanwhile, PAR agent Craig is pressured to get the new RetroGirl and a tip from a paid informant with Powers That Be lets him make contact with Calista while Nicole's ambush tactics convince Calista that she needs his help. Craig introduces Calista to merchandising magnate Conrad Moody (Wil Wheaton). Throughout, flashbacks show Walker's past relationship with Angela "Lynx" Lange, dating while they were powers, and later arresting her for Powers Division. | ||||||
| 15 | 5 | "Shaking the Tree" | David Solomon | Allison Moore | June 14, 2016 | |
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Walker and Pilgrim continue to pursue the RetroGirl case and tie several leads together when there is an attempt on their lives. Lange refuses to break ranks, so Walker appears on Powers That Be and blows Heavy's identity as a covert Federal asset who went rogue a decade earlier; both Walker and Pilgrim are suspended. Senator Bailey Brown (Enrico Colantoni), whose anti-powers legislation is put on hold when his S&M video is leaked to the media, tells Walker his part in trying to mentor Heavy and implies the secret Federal program is dangerous and far-reaching. SuperShock later visits Brown and they mourn the loss of their former Unity partner, RetroGirl. Also, Calista grows closer to Moody and moves into an apartment at Colossal Fun. Triphammer recruits Zora who begins training with Martinez. | ||||||
| 16 | 6 | "Requiem" | Aaron Lipstadt | Linda McGibney | June 21, 2016 | |
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Heavy kills Triphammer, who bequeaths his estate to Zora and Martinez. Calista memorializes RetroGirl and Triphammer at a Colossal Fun gala. Her agent, Craig Sherman, suicides over pressure to testify, and the murder scene is found at his agency. Walker and Pilgrim are attacked by Heavy allowing the FBI to get a drainer on him and take him into Federal custody. Suspicions leads the detectives to confront the person who ordered RetroGirl's death. | ||||||
| 17 | 7 | "Origins" | J. Miller Tobin | David Simkins | June 28, 2016 | |
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Senator Brown's body is discovered in his constituency office. Nicole tracks down the dominatrix from his S&M video who claims her stalker ex-boyfriend is the murderer but he proves to have an alibi. Calista asks Walker to coach herself, Zora and Martinez. Walker's migraines worsen. SuperShock claims The Ghost killed Brown and is after him. Throughout, SuperShock's origins are shown, with antagonist The Ghost and ally Janis. | ||||||
| 18 | 8 | "Chasing Ghosts" | Matt Earl Beesley | Mac Marshall | July 5, 2016 | |
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Krispin returns from the dead, haunted by Marigold. Calista kills her estranged father when he seeks her aid in conducting a bank robbery. A troubled SuperShock takes Walker to his remote mountaintop cabin, where Walker finds a letter Janis left for Brown that "SuperShock must be subdued or destroyed". Pilgrim sets down boundaries with Kutter; in Walker's absence, they investigate The Ghost who stabs Kutter. | ||||||
| 19 | 9 | "Slain Dragons" | Aaron Lipstadt | Brian Michael Bendis | July 12, 2016 | |
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Walker is returned to L.A. and finds Krispin who is registering his power. Walker and Pilgrim clash over whether Morrison is real or the delusion of an insane SuperShock. Powers begin dropping out of the sky in an apparent spree killing, and Pilgrim is exposed to powers residue. Calista flees into a dampener cell where Walker and Zora inspire her to return to fight SuperShock. Pilgrim follows a lead to The Ghost who, unable to beat SuperShock, has engineered his self-destruction. The story is intercut with flashbacks of Walker having lost his powers and being invited by Cross to join the new Powers Division. | ||||||
| 20 | 10 | "Legacy" | Mikael Salomon | Michael Avon Oeming | July 19, 2016 | |
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SuperShock is lured to Powers Division, demanding they hand over The Ghost, but on seeing Morrison denies that it is his old arch-enemy. Pilgrim instinctually uses her borrowed powers to kill Morrison, but afterwards is hospitalized by SuperShock. The New Unity find SuperShock and ask him to allow them to take over his work; he says the world would be better without powers, and they fight. Despite the heroes' efforts, Supershock is more than a match for their combined might and defeats them all. Walker confronts SuperShock as Diamond, trying to calm him down, but Supershock remains focused on killing the youngsters, after which he says he'll go after Morrison. Walker gets his attention claiming to have been Morrison the whole time, stating that it will only end when they are both dead. At Walker's prompt SuperShock is goaded into flying them both into the sun. In the midst of the panic, Brown's Anti-Powers Legislation is brought to an emergency session of Congress, where it is declared that all Powers will be prohibited from operating in public. During the post-credits, Walker is revealed to have apparently survived, and is being monitored by unknown specimens, who have apparently done so for "ten iterations". One tells the other to put him through the second trial to find out what he is really made of; the screen fades to white, followed by Walker's scream. | ||||||
Sony Pictures had optioned the series for film production in 2001.[1] Powers television show began the development on FX in 2009, with Brian Michael Bendis as the writer of the pilot for the show.[2] In February 2011, a greenlit pilot of the show scripted by Charles H. Eglee was announced as a co-production by Sony Pictures Television and FX Networks.[1] Soon after, Charles S. Dutton became the first cast member in May when he signed on to play Captain Cross.[3] Imminent filming in Chicago within weeks was announced in June.[4] The following week, Lucy Punch was cast as Deena Pilgrim.[5] Katee Sackhoff had campaigned for the part.[6] Although FX was rumored to be courting Kyle Chandler for the part of Walker,[6] Jason Patric was cast in the part.[7][8] Later in June, Carly Foulkes was cast as RetroGirl and Bailee Madison as Calista.[9][10]
Filming on the pilot began in Chicago in early July 2011 and ended in early August.[11][12] In November, FX began to retool and reshoot the Powers pilot.[13] Bendis wrote at the time that the reshoots were planned for January and were "all about tone and clarity".[14] In April 2012, more scripts were ordered and writing continued, but reshoots and recasting were being discussed by the network.[15]
Instead of premiering on FX, Powers became the first original television series for the PlayStation Network, and was announced to stream exclusively on PlayStation consoles in December 2014.[16][17] That year in the summer, Susan Heyward, Max Fowler and Adam Godley were cast as Deena Pilgrim, Krispin Stockley and Captain Cross.[18] Eddie Izzard, Noah Taylor and Olesya Rulin were cast in the roles of "Big Bad" Wolfe, Johnny Royalle and Calista.[19] Sharlto Copley was cast as Christian Walker and Michelle Forbes as RetroGirl.[20] Mario Lopez guest stars in the pilot episode as the host of Extra wondering about Walker's current whereabouts.[21]
The series was renewed for a second season in May 2015,[22][23] with the second season consisting of 10 episodes.[24] It was subsequently canceled in August 2016, after premiering in May of the same year.[25][26]
A trailer for Powers premiered at New York Comic-Con in Autumn 2014.[27] Marking PlayStation Network's first venture into scripted original programming,[28][29] the series debuted on March 10, 2015.[30][31][32] The final episode of the first season was released on April 28, 2015. The pilot episode is available for free for people in the United States on YouTube,[33] and the entire first season was available on Crackle from November 2015,[34] until May 2016.[25]
The second season of 10 episodes premiered on May 31, 2016,[24] with the final episode released on July 19, 2016.[25]
The first season has received mixed reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes it has a score of 48% based on 29 critic reviews, with an average score of 4.6/10. The critical consensus reads: "The interplay between the characters lacks spark, but the detailed world-building of Powers shows potential".[35] On Metacritic, it has a score of 51 out of 100, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[36]
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