Superhero TV Show Power Rankings — MAY & JUNE 2018
It’s finale season & every show made it through cancellation season alive — but not every character was as lucky!
THIS MONTH(S) — Cloak & Dagger finally arrive on the small screen and finales for Arrow, Flash, Gotham, Supergirl, The Tick and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.!
I’ve watched every episode of every season of every show listed below and have given this months’ block of episodes a brief analysis and a ranking out of 10. The italicized number after that represents the change in ranking from last month.
For previous articles see November 2017, December 2017, January 2018, Feb+Mar 2018, April 2018.
SPOILERS for episodes of — Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Arrow, Cloak & Dagger, Flash, Gotham and Supergirl — UP TO AND INCLUDING 6/30/18, as well as ALL Jessica Jones season 2 & The Tick season 1.
ARROW (CW)
Season: 6
Episodes Reviewed: 21–23
RENEWAL STATUS: Renewed for Season 7!
THE GOOD: (1) Arrow could work on quite a few things, but one thing it does well is send-offs and it was a well-written bittersweet one for Quentin Lance. So many of the characters on Arrow have grown throughout the years, and Quentin’s arc was one of the best. (2) Oliver-as-Mayor was getting tiring, so I’m glad we’re finally throwing him into a new environment (as well as a new Arrowcave base!). (3) I love Christopher Chance a.k.a. The Human Target and applaud every time they bring him back for a bit.
THE BAD: (1) They didn’t defeat Dragon! I’m all for the Arrowverse mixing things up, but this seemed a bit...unsatisfying. (2) Why did they tease Diggle-as-Arrow? They didn’t really resolve that storyline — will this foreshadow the conclusion of the series? It has to, right? Or else, what was the point? (3) Was it just me, or was turning Anatoly back to ally way too easy?
How to Make It Better: I think we need to shake up the team. Have Dinah or Wild Dog take a break. Introduce a new team member. Perhaps bring back Rag Man?
Bold Predictions: Dragon will last 3 episodes and will spend that time hunting down Team Arrow. I still think Wild Dog will hang up the cowl soon.
Exciting Announcements Regarding Next Season: Oliver will grow the goatee!
Score: 6/10 ( — )
Old Prediction Realized: Stephen Amell has teased a game-changing finale. I think it has to be him pulling an Iron Man and revealing his identity to the world [Correct], and in doing so, retiring as the Green Arrow[Correct]. This will help Oliver get reinstated as mayor![Incorrect] Diggle will finally reclaim the hood and become the in-field leader of the team,[Incorrect] with Oliver continuing to help via the Mayor’s office [Incorrect]. This would also potentially clear Roy Harper’s name, allowing him to return to Star City. [Correct]
CLOAK & DAGGER (FREEFORM)
Season: 1
Episodes Reviewed: 1–4
RENEWAL STATUS: TBD
THE GOOD: (1) The biggest strength of this show are its compelling leads, Olivia Holt and Aubrey Joseph. (2) So nice to see a superhero show that’s not in New York or California. New Orleans is such an interesting city and, so far, it’s been an important character in the show. (3) There’s a bit of Legion-esque weirdness in this show and I like it.
THE BAD: (1) Like the Defenders shows, this is a slow burn. In fact, at the end of episode 4, they still have very little control over their powers. (2) It gets a bit expositioney when the two are comparing abilities and how they seem to be complete opposites of each other. (3) Their argument in episode 4 about white vs. male privilege and depression/suicide seemed to come out of absolutely nowhere - that’s something I’d suspect in a Supergirl episode, but felt uncharacteristic of this show’s writing.
How to Make It Better: Everyone seems to be wandering around, trying to figure out what to do. This show would benefit from a clear villain and a ticking clock — our heroes need to accomplish something in a certain amount of time.
Bold Prediction: Tandy’s ex is will be back and he’s not going to be happy.
Score: 6/10 (new)
THE FLASH (CW)
Season: 4
Episodes Reviewed: 20–23
RENEWAL STATUS: Renewed for Season 5!
THE GOOD: (1) That scene where The Thinker uses 10+ abilities to singlehandedly defeat a hallway of armed guards is one of the coolest scenes in Arrowverse history. (2) Ah, yes, they remembered Barry’s gibberish! Great reveal of “This house is bitchin’” in the final moments. (3) I’m surprised they brought back Dibny, but I think he will be a strong addition to the team next season.
THE BAD: (1) Ugh. Amunet Black. Does she really add anything to this show? (2) The Thinker’s defeat was a little underwhelming. (3) They’re going to bring in another Harrison Wells next season, aren’t they…
How to Make It Better: A villain who is truly terrifying.
Bold Prediction: Season 5 will finally address the newspaper article in the secret room.
Exciting Announcements Regarding Next Season: Ralph Dibny will be joining the team as a regular.
Score: 8/10 (+1)
Old Prediction Realized: Is Tom Cavanaugh’s character in trouble for the 3rd time? [Correct] Starting to think Harry doesn’t make it out alive this season. [Incorrect] It’s clear that he’s dead weight on the team (he even says as much) & hasn’t really offered much this season, as the team knows all about every sci-fi concept by now. Having fried his brain with the mind cap, perhaps he’ll sacrifice himself to stop the Thinker, finally finding a purpose.[Correct — he sacrifices his intelligence, but does not die.]
GOTHAM (FOX)
Season: 4
Episodes Reviewed: 20–22
RENEWAL STATUS: Renewed for Shorter & Final Season (5)!
THE GOOD: Wow. Just wow. Gotham went all out in its fifth season and an epic finale changes the entire show. (1) We finally have Ra’s al Ghul 2.0 and what will likely be the final Joker-esque character. (2) Selina’s been Bruce’s ally throughout the show. But will his abandonment of her be the straw that breaks the cat’s back? (3) New villains coming out of the shadows! Exciting and creepy!
THE BAD: (1) While no one stays dead on this show long, I’m surprised they killed off Solomon Grundy and Professor Pyg this season. (And Riddler/Lee, although they’re almost certainly returning.) (2) I guess it’s useless at this point, but there needs to be better security at the GCPD. (3) Is it starting to feel like everyone’s safe? It’s tricky with this show, because 95% of the characters are around during the Batman era. Hopefully the final season plays with our heartstrings a bit more.
How to Make It Better: All that’s left is to tie it up in a pretty little bow. Bruce needs to don the costume. Lucius Fox needs to provide the weaponry. And semi-villains need to break bad!
Bold Prediction: Harvey Bullock will die.
Okay… I’m gonna do it. I’m going to give Gotham’s finale the never-before-awarded…
Score: 10/10 (+1)
Old Prediction Realized: Before the end of the season we’ll see…BATS! [Incorrect]
JESSICA JONES (NETFLIX)
Season: 2
Episodes Reviewed: 12–13
RENEWAL STATUS: Renewed for Season 3!
THE GOOD: (1) Malcolm has become such an interesting character. I hope we see more of him. (2) Jeri’s storyline was very interesting, but hardly relevant to the main story. But who cares? It’s Carrie-Ann Moss! (3) I like the addition of Oscar Arocho to her “team”. A forger is someone that Jessica will be able to use in the future.
THE BAD: (1) No villain. The villain in Season 1 was so cruel and evil and powerful, that we really empathized with Jessica. But Kilgrave’s a tough act to follow. (2) This season focused too much on Trish and her drug-induced spiral. More Jessica! (3) The Punisher just had a finale fight at a carnival. Did Jessica Jones run out of shooting locations?
How to Make It Better: Better villain.
Bold Prediction: Trish is clearly being set up to get powers. And she’s going to go public with them.
Score: 5/10 (-2)
Old Prediction Realized: Jessica probably has to kill her mom or something.[Close, but incorrect]
MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.
Season: 5
Episodes Reviewed: 20–22
RENEWAL STATUS: Renewed for Short (and Final?) Season
THE GOOD: (1) A fitting send-off to Coulson. The only thing missing was Lola. (2) Fitz’s death was an absolute shocker — he was perhaps the “safest” member of the team pre-finale. But this problem will likely be fixed via loophole. A bittersweet finale. (3) Cool fight sequences between Quake and Graviton.
THE BAD: (1) I guess Piper and Davis are the new team members? I wish their stories would have had more substance, if that is truly the case. (2) While it probably makes more sense to name Mack team leader, it was a bit of a let-down to have Daisy turn down the role after all the build-up. (3) What about Deke???
How to Make It Better: The final season should focus on rebuilding S.H.I.E.L.D. back into the powerful organization it once was. Full circle!
Bold Prediction: Nick Fury appears before the series end!
Score: 9/10 (+1)
Old Prediction Realized: I think Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has to go about their season finale as a series finale, just in case. So to wrap things up — Ghost Rider returns [Incorrect], Coulson dies [Incorrect, but his impeding death is implied], Daisy takes over [Incorrect], May raises Polly [Incorrect], Fitz-Simmons goes on vacation [Incorrect], and they change the dark future [Correct], which causes Deke to disappear [Unknown]. And perhaps, one last appearance by Nick Fury himself [Incorrect]. Of course, this is assuming this all takes place before Avengers: Infinity War. [Correct] If not, you know what will happen.
SUPERGIRL
Season: 3
Episodes Reviewed: 16–23
RENEWAL STATUS: Renewed for Season 4!
THE GOOD: The best thing about the finale was that it brought about huge changes for the next season. J’onn giving his role to Alex, Winn trading roles with Brainiac V, James coming out as Guardian, Kara wishing her mother farewell, My’rann sacrificing his life, Mon-El and Kara leaving each other yet again. There’s another Supergirl?? And is Lena becoming a true Luthor??? These are all big changes and I think they are all not only conflict-generating and character-building changes, but relatable changes as well.
THE BAD: (1) This show’s big bads have never been great & Reign was probably the worst of the three. She was overdramatic and evil for the sake of evil. (2) I think saving Sam was a missed opportunity. If she had died, Alex could have easily stepped in as Ruby’s mother. And it would have presented the team with its first big loss. And no, Agent Demos is not a “big loss”. He’ll never be mentioned again. (3) I didn’t understand any of the “science” behind anything that happened with Reign and My’Rann and the witches, etc. It doesn’t have to be real, but at least make something up that sounds believable!
How to Make It Better: A Legion of Superheroes episode would be amazing. Especially if we include Bouncing Boy. (Also, did we forget about Supergirl’s step-dad Jeremiah Danvers? I didn’t!)
Bold Prediction: The return of Morgan Edge!
Score: 8/10 ( — )
Old Prediction Realized: Heading into its 4th season, Supergirl needs to break from the pattern in order to stay fresh. Arrow added magic via Damien Darhk. Flash introduced a non-speedster villain. Legends of Tomorrow is hinting at a Constantine-eqsue underworld theme. So here’s predicting that Supergirl…joins the Legion! [TBD] At least for a few episodes, we’ll see Supergirl team up with Mon-El, Saturn Girl, Brainiac 5 and meet the others. [TBD] The Legion has been teased in Smallville and other shows, but it would be extremely fun and different to really explore their reality.
THE TICK
Season: 1
Episodes Reviewed: 7–12
RENEWAL STATUS: Renewed for Season 2!
THE GOOD: It’s a ridiculous show, for sure, but it’s good fun. The casting is excellent. They wrapped up the first season with a solid end and good cliffhanger.
THE BAD: It still feels a bit outdated. This show would have been a hit 15 years ago, but now it’s just another superhero comedy.
How to Make It Better: There needs to be more serious stakes. Someone needs to die or get seriously injured.
Score: 7/10 ( — )
FINAL RANKINGS — MAY and JUNE 2018
1. GOTHAM (10)
2. MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. (9)
3. FLASH (8)
4. SUPERGIRL (8)
5. TICK (7)
6. CLOAK & DAGGER (6)
7. ARROW (6)
8. JESSICA JONES (5)
On next month’s Superhero TV Show Power Rankings…
Luke Cage is back in action and more from Cloak & Dagger!
What do you think? Comment with your rankings!
