I'd like to start by saying that I would prefer rating this a 6.5, however there is no such option. Typically with n.5 you would round up but in this case I simply cannot justify rating this show a 7.
As many are aware this is another take on the live action superhero genre, in this case more so in the vein of batman than spider-man. That is to say whether the physical manoeuvres demonstrated by the hero are only possible with supernatural ability or not, they are intended to be non-supernatural and presented as such. This is fine, many television shows feature heros that don't have supernatural abilities and yet are able to still pull off feats that are impossible in the real world.
The requirement for suspension of disbelief when viewing this show is not in and of itself a downfall however the way it is pushed is. It is not consistent in degree of intensity, at some points the show will seem almost like a superhero genre parody and at others they will attempt to incorporate a strong sense of realism and drama.
Many times the writers seemed to shoot themselves in the feet because just when some episodes are getting quite strong a cringe-worthy one-liner joke will be delivered which really hurts slowly built-up atmosphere. What's worse is that these completely inappropriately timed lines, more often than not intended as comedic relief in otherwise grim situations damage the depth of the character delivering them and makes them take on more of a caricature feeling.
The show has potential for sure, but generally easily preventable things are really making it difficult to look past all of it's short comings and objectively still call it a great show, whether it contains some great elements or not.
For the most part the acting is adequate or good, which, along with the stronger points of the show are sufficient to make me continue watching (along with being a fan of Summer Glau's work) but if the acting were generally sub-par I don't think the writing would be enough alone to keep me watching.
Overall a far from perfect show that has it's share of strong shortcomings but does have some endearing qualities in the form of elements such as character development that often come close to enjoying success but just have a few hiccups along the way holding them back.
As many are aware this is another take on the live action superhero genre, in this case more so in the vein of batman than spider-man. That is to say whether the physical manoeuvres demonstrated by the hero are only possible with supernatural ability or not, they are intended to be non-supernatural and presented as such. This is fine, many television shows feature heros that don't have supernatural abilities and yet are able to still pull off feats that are impossible in the real world.
The requirement for suspension of disbelief when viewing this show is not in and of itself a downfall however the way it is pushed is. It is not consistent in degree of intensity, at some points the show will seem almost like a superhero genre parody and at others they will attempt to incorporate a strong sense of realism and drama.
Many times the writers seemed to shoot themselves in the feet because just when some episodes are getting quite strong a cringe-worthy one-liner joke will be delivered which really hurts slowly built-up atmosphere. What's worse is that these completely inappropriately timed lines, more often than not intended as comedic relief in otherwise grim situations damage the depth of the character delivering them and makes them take on more of a caricature feeling.
The show has potential for sure, but generally easily preventable things are really making it difficult to look past all of it's short comings and objectively still call it a great show, whether it contains some great elements or not.
For the most part the acting is adequate or good, which, along with the stronger points of the show are sufficient to make me continue watching (along with being a fan of Summer Glau's work) but if the acting were generally sub-par I don't think the writing would be enough alone to keep me watching.
Overall a far from perfect show that has it's share of strong shortcomings but does have some endearing qualities in the form of elements such as character development that often come close to enjoying success but just have a few hiccups along the way holding them back.