Superhero TV Show Power Rankings — NOV 2017
It’s the Fall of 2017 and The Age of Superhero Television is more popular than ever.
ABC has Marvel’s Inhumans, FOX has Gotham and the Gifted, and the CW has a whole Arrowverse of characters with Supergirl, The Flash, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow and Arrow. Amazon has released the first batch of episodes for their reboot of The Tick and Netflix recently released the highly-anticipated The Defenders.
And that’s just what’s on now. Hulu plans to enter the game in a few weeks with Marvel’s Runaways and Future Man, Netflix has The Punisher ready to go, Freeform is developing Cloak & Dagger and CW plans to introduce Black Lightning some time in the Spring. Even Syfy and HBO are getting in the mix with a Superman prequel called Krypton and a Watchmen adaptation, respectively. Additionally, we’ve been promised new seasons of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC), Legion (FX) and all four of the existing Netflix-Marvel superhero shows (Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and, yes, Iron Fist).
With so many super shows to watch, how do you which ones to watch?
That’s where this article comes in!
I’ve watched every episode of every season of every show listed below and have given the current season a brief analysis and a ranking out of 10.
SPOILERS FOR ALL EPISODES OF Arrow, Flash, Gifted, Gotham, Inhumans, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl, Tick (up to 11/16/17).
ARROW (CW)
Season: 6
Episodes Reviewed: 6
The Good: I love that the team is facing multiple antagonists this season on completely different fronts. (1) Unmasking Vigilante was a huge revelation and should provide some interesting confrontations in the future. (2) I love Michael Emerson in everything and am excited that he’s going to be playing Cayden James, an evil tech genius. This should give Felicity and Curtis more involvement in the plots other than typing fast and coming up with answers. (3) Samandra Watson is perhaps the scariest Arrow villain yet, and she’s just trying to do her normal, legal job! Our heroes are holding their own, but it’s only a matter before she gets one of Team Arrow to crack. (4) Looks like Dragon is going to cause more trouble and cause more internal conflicts for John. (5 and more?)We know Deathstroke’s son, Kane Wolfman, is going to come back at some point, Anatoly Knyezev’s probably not done with Oliver yet, we don’t know what happened to the al Ghul sisters. Whew!
The Bad: (1) I understand the writers wanted to make Oliver struggle with the “being a Dad” thing, but it gets overshadowed that the young man playing William…needs more acting classes. (2) I’m perfectly happy with the way Arrow has toned down the romance factor since season 1, but it seems like everyone’s pretty chill about Oliver and Felicity getting back together. This should be a huge deal, right? They’re the heart of the show! (3) I love seeing Katie Cassidy on the show, but part of me feels that it lessens the impact of Laurel’s death a little bit.
How to Make It Better: We’ve had a lot of setup — Diggle is G.A., Vigilante is Dinah’s ex, Cayden James is up to something, the FBI is on the scent, Thea’s in a coma, Rene has a new court date, etc, etc. Oliver’s hanging out with Deathstroke, but they’re the least interesting things right now — I’m ready for something big to happen. I just hope it’s not another plan to destroy Star City.
Score: 8/10
DC’S LEGENDS OF TOMORROW (CW)
Season: 3
Episodes Reviewed: 6
THE GOOD: (1) Legends has always been cheesy and unsure of what it is exactly, but I do feel that this season is its strongest yet. The chemistry feels less forced and the humor seems to work better, now that the writers have more familiarity with the characters. (2) This is also partially because the show has wisely continued to decrease the presence of Rip Hunter, quite possibly the most bland and boring character in the entire Arrowverse. (3) I have high hopes for Mallus, this season’s still yet-to-be-seen villain. He sounds super evil and not nearly as cheesy as previous villains Vandal Savage and Legion of Doom. Let’s hope the third time’s a charm.
THE BAD: (1) Interesting that they added a character from the future to the team, but so far, Zari does nothing for me. She’s boring, pessimistic and has a glowy necklace. So what? Why should I care? (2) Unless they have some master plan in the works (which they very well may), the Arrowverse writers need to let go of Damien Darhk. While I love Neal McDonough, his character died 2 seasons ago and it’s time to move on. (3) It’s nice they’re giving Victor Garber’s character a reason to leave, but I was hoping he’d take Franz Drameh, who plays Jefferson Jackson, with him. But it looks like they’re going to change the Flash-established rules to allow Jefferson to fly as Firestorm solo. Having to decide between making Stein happy and being a superhero would have been a neat decision to see Jefferson make. Instead, he’ll likely get the best of both worlds.
How to Make It Better: Make it harder for our heroes. Give them impossible choices. The stakes — history itself — are high in each episode, and yet the heroes seem to get out of each problem with relative ease. Here’s hoping Mallus throws a real wrench into their plans.
Score: 6/10
THE DEFENDERS (NETFLIX)
Season: 1
Episodes Reviewed: 8 (all)
THE GOOD: (1) Krysten Ritter, Charlie Cox and Mike Colter bring their A-game, as always. (2) Scott Glenn as Stick is always fun, and he was a good choice for the big “good guy casualty” of the season. (3) It was really fun to see all the characters from the 4 different shows come together…
THE BAD: (1) But on that note — it did seem like the writers were at a loss of what to do with them all. At one point, all the supporting characters were trapped in a room together wondering what to do. (2) I know this is a darker superhero series, but did we have to kill all three of Mrs.Miller’s kids? That seemed extreme. At least when the Punisher loses his family he gets to kick ass. Mom Miller has to sit at home and be sad for the rest of her life. (3) I know Elektra is a vital component of the Daredevil universe, but I don’t love Elodie Yung’s portrayal or find the role she was given very interesting.
How to Make It Better: This likely won’t get another season. But just in case, here’s a tip : if you’re going to cast someone as talented as Sigourney Weaver as your main villain, give her a better character! That’s what this show needed.
Score: 6/10
THE FLASH (CW)
Season: 4
Episodes Reviewed: 6
THE GOOD: (1) After 3 seasons that progressively got darker, the Flash is finally going back to the fun “super-villain of the week” formula that made its first season so memorable. A non-speedster as a villain is a nice change too. (2) FINALLY, the writers have found a way to make Iris West a useful character. Granted, that’s having her run Team Flash, an easy out, but at least it doesn’t feel like she’s just “there”. On the other side of the coin, Kid Flash, who hasn’t found much of a role (which he clearly pointed out a few weeks ago), has been written out of the show for now. Great! Problem solved. (3) While I wish Julian Albert and/or Tracy Brand would have stuck around, I am excited to see how Ralph Dibny (a.k.a. Elongated Man) will impact the chemistry of the team.
THE BAD: (1) I wish the series had tried a few episodes without Barry Allen before bringing him back. I feel like it negates much of the impact of the Season 3 finale. (2) I’m over Killer Frost. For a show that makes a point to explain the technical side of things, I’m still not sure how that works. Hopefully we get to a point where Caitlin can just turn it on and off at will like everyone else in the entire Arrowverse. (3) Let’s tone down the multiverse thing. It’s getting overdone. Meeting the Harrison Wellses of different worlds is getting to be a repeating gag every season. I don’t like Gypsy and Jessie Quick is no longer needed, now that Wally’s on leave. Let’s focus on this world.
How to Make It Better: As long as we’re going back to the Season 1 formula, let’s have the team help The Flash think of some clever ways to defeat each week’s bad guy. Would love to see more of Barry Allen as the forensic scientist who has to explain why he’s late to his boss. Like old times!
Score: 7/10
THE GIFTED (FOX)
Season: 1
Episodes Reviewed: 7
THE GOOD: (1) Can’t complain about the special effects on this show, which include teleportation portals, object levitation and earthquakes. That’s the only good thing I have to say about this show.
THE BAD: (1) Oh wow. A story about mutants who are hunted by the government because they’re different. A really original idea — if it hadn’t been the focus of at least half of the 9 X-Men feature films and a bazillion comic books. The plot of this show does absolutely nothing in the name of creativity or in the name of doing something different. (2) This show would have been at least slightly better if it was focused on only the Struckers or only the Mutant Underground. Together, it feels like a show with too many characters and nowhere to go. (3) It seems like the writers are already grasping for plotlines. “This week, our successfully-hidden heroes find another reason to bother the authorities.” It feels like I’m watching the same episode every week.
How to Make It Better: Honestly, the most interesting character in this series is Jace Turner of the Sentinel Services. I’d prefer to see a show about his life and job, not the poorly-developed B-level X-Men. But since we are stuck in this mess, I wish the Stucker parents would go away — they’re holding their kids back. Imagine if you had the opportunity to join the Avengers but your mom is there saying “No, I will not allow it!” What a buzzkill.
Score: 1/10
GOTHAM (FOX)
Season: 4
Episodes Reviewed: 7
THE GOOD: (1) Gotham’s versions of the Riddler and Penguin are more cunning than insane, which makes the arrival of Professor Pyg so exciting. The serial killer who leaves his victims faces covered with the head of dead pig has brought the creepy factor back to TV’s world of Batman. Pyg is both crazy and super smart, presenting a whole horde of issues for Gordon. (2) The revelation that Harvey Bullock is on Penguin’s payroll is a huge emotional blow to Jim. Good call, writers. Gotham works best when Gordon is as miserable as possible. (3) To the non-comic fan, the idea of Solomon Grundy may seem dumb, but I am loving the character so far. I’m curious to see what they do with him next.
THE BAD: (1) The Ra’s al Ghul storyline ended rather abruptly and was kind of a bummer. First, Bruce killing someone seemed out of character. But more importantly, Ra’s is a (grown-up) Batman villain. As they’ve been careful not to kill off any of the major comic book characters until now, I do wonder if he’s truly gone. (2) Can we give Tabitha and Barbara something to do? I honestly feel like the average viewer wouldn’t even notice if Tabitha stopped showing up in episodes. Her character is useless without Theo. (3) Scarecrow’s debut was a bit underwhelming, especially compared to what Nolan did with the character.
How to Make It Better: This show has struggled at times, but I think that right now, it’s at its best so far. But to make it better? There’s one origin story I’ve been waiting for since the first season —the story of Harvey Dent a.k.a. Two-Face. Nicholas D’Agosto hasn’t shown up since Season 2, but bringing him into the mix would make for lots of fun. For everyone except James Gordon that is.
Score: 8/10
MARVEL’S INHUMANS (ABC)
Season: 1
Episodes Reviewed: 8 (All)
THE GOOD: Not much to put here. (1) For a terrible script that’s all over the place, Ken Leung, Anson Mount and Serinda Swan are perfectly casted and do the best they possibly can. (2) Props to special effects on Lockjaw, the giant teleporting bulldog. Not an easy feat. (3) I thought the Mordis character was pretty interesting. Would have liked to have seen more of him before his death halfway through the series.
THE BAD: For a show about a team with superpowers you have to have two things — a team & superpowers. Marvel’s Inhumans, for the most part, has neither. (1) The first thing they do is to scatter the heroes around Hawaii. No team. They don’t even fight together in the finale. (2) Triton gets “killed”, Medusa gets her super-powered hair shaved off, Karnak loses his powers to a brain injury, and Black Bolt can’t ever use his powers because he’s “too powerful”. The only people to ever really use their powers are Gorgon and Crystal, although neither of them really do much. (3) For being humans themselves, the writers sure had a rough time thinking of non-Inhuman characters. Surfer Dave was a one-dimensional caricature, Jen was a horny creep and Louise was an annoying attempt to replicate Arrow’s Felicity. I was thrilled to see Henry Ian Cusack guest star, but his character, alas, was useless.
How to Make It Better: They’ve got a long way to go, but addressing the above-mentioned is a good place to start.
Score: 2/10
SUPERGIRL (CW)
Season: 3
Episodes Reviewed: 6
THE GOOD: (1) It would be easy to bring back Mon-El with a device from Cisco, but the writers keep him out of this season to give Supergirl a good ‘ol heartbreak. Looks like he’ll be back soon though… (2) Thought the episode about the Supergirl-worshipping cult was a great change of pace and it felt like something that could happen in this universe. (3) Melissa Benoist is perfect as Supergirl. Bravo, casting department. Also, those girls that starred as Young Alex and Young Kara in 306 were amazing.
THE BAD: (1) Once stars of the series, Winn and James have been downgraded to minor supporting characters. While I don’t find either character particularly compelling, there’s more they could do with Winn’s criminal father and James’ vigilante career as Guardian. (2) Have we completely forgotten about Supergirl’s step-dad Jeremiah Danvers, who’s being brainwashed? Yes, yes we have. (3) Props to the writers for trying to make something relevant to today’s society, but it feels like Supergirl is the CW receptacle where writers bring their political ideas. Sometimes, I want to escape from all that and just see Supergirl kick ass.
How to Make It Better: It’s almost universally accepted that Superman’s greatest opponent isn’t Zod, but Lex Luthor. And that’s because an enemy who’s smarter than our hero is more exciting than a villain who’s stronger (see Astra and Rhea). I’m hoping Morgan Edge (who has already murdered someone!) brings some danger back into the series, but I’d love to see them introduce the long-talked-about-but-never-seen Lex Luthor. If I can’t have that, I’d want to see Maxwell Lord or Lillian Luthor make a return in a big way.
Score: 3/10
THE TICK (AMAZON)
Season: 1
Episodes Reviewed: 6
The Good: (1) Griffin Newman plays a perfect Arthur, and while I haven’t seen the original, it seems that Peter Serafinowicz is a good fit for The Tick too. (2) The humor is a bit all over the place, but some of what the Tick says is so outlandish, I can’t help but smile. (3) The writers play us for fools — they make us believe that the Tick doesn’t exist for the first few episodes!
The Bad: (1) Dot, Ms.Lint and pretty much the rest of the cast are forgettable. (2) Maybe it’s what they’re going for, but the show feels dated. Superheroes have been parodied so much that this new “Tick” probably isn’t as groundbreaking as its predecessor was.
Score: 4/10
So there you have it! Gotham & Arrow lead the way while Inhumans and Gifted need to be cancelled yesterday.
On next month’s Superhero TV Show Power Rankings!
- MARVEL’S RUNAWAYS!
- THE PUNISHER!
- FUTURE MAN!
- THE ANNUAL 4-WAY ARROWVERSE CROSSOVER!
- And further analysis of the above-mentioned shows!
What do you think? Was I too harsh on some on these shows? Too gentle? Comment with your rankings!
