The Cape vs. No Ordinary Family [TV Showdown]
Since its debut two weeks ago, NBC’s The Cape has been trying to dethrone ABC’s No Ordinary Family. Though the two shows are not competing for a time slot, they are competing for the hearts and minds of superhero fans.
No Ordinary Family has been a fun departure from the superhero formula. The Powells are a typical American family growing steadily more distant. But after a plane crash in the Amazon, they gain amazing super powers. While Jim Powell (Michael Chiklis) tries to use his powers to stop crime, the rest of the family are trying to cope with their new abilities and maintain a “normal” life.
The Cape, on the other hand, does the opposite. It follows a cop named Vince Faraday (David Lyons) who is framed for the crimes of a master-criminal known only as Chess. When Faraday is apparently blown up on live television, he goes underground. With the help of a circus of criminals, he learns to fight back using a cape that can be used as a weapon. Like the hero in his son’s favorite comic book, he has no super powers, but he’s taking on criminals while trying to clear his name.
So, which show is the better superhero story? It may still be a bit too soon to declare a winner in the battle for prime-time superhero supremacy. But let’s take a closer look.
Powers
This is a bit of a no-brainer.
In No Ordinary Family, the dad, Jim (Chiklis) has super strength and invulnerability. Mom, Stephanie (Julie Benz) has super speed. The kids, Daphne (Kay Panabaker) and geek brother J.J. (Jimmy Bennett) are telepathic and super smart, respectively.
As The Cape, Faraday doesn’t have any powers. He has been trained by the Circus of Crime to be an escape artist, an illusionist, and a hypnotist. And, of course, he has a special cape that is “thin as spider silk but stronger than Kevlar.”
Advantage: No Ordinary Family
Villains
A hero is only as good as his or her villains. Take a look at Batman’s Rogues Gallery sometime. It’s the villains who test the mettle of a hero and define the hero by their evil actions.
In The Cape, Faraday has been framed by a criminal mastermind named Chess (James Frain). So it’s no surprise that Chess has become The Cape’s arch-nemesis. Like the Joker or Lex Luthor, Chess is the main bad guy. But there are others as well. Like The Cape, the villains don’t have super powers. With names like Chess, Scales, and Cain, they are more like caricatures of a real-world mobster.
In No Ordinary Family, the Powells abilities are the result of an accident in the Amazon jungle. So one might assume there aren’t any other similarly powered villains running around town. Unbeknownst to The Powells, Stephanie’s boss, Dr. King (Stephen Collins), has been experimenting with giving powers to test subjects. The powers are unstable and require constant injections, but the test subjects are every bit as powerful as The Powells.
Advantage: No Ordinary Family
Sidekicks
Every hero needs a sidekick, someone with whom they can share their secret and turn to for help now and then.
The Cape not only has the Circus of Crime to help train him, he has Max (Keith David) to act as mentor and guide. He also has a high-tech hacker named Orwell (Summer Glau) to help him track Chess’s movements and keep him connected to what’s going on.
In No Ordinary Family, Jim has his best friend George St. Cloud (Romany Malco), who works in the district attorney’s office and has a state-of-the-art surveillance “lair” in his garage. Stephanie’s lab assistant, Katie (Autumn Reeser), is not only her go-to helper, but she also has a head filled with superhero trivia.
Advantage: Tie
Costumes
Everyone knows a superhero needs a disguise to help hide his or her true identity.
So, it’s a bit surprising that Jim Powell hasn’t really caught on to this concept yet. He was working under the cover of darkness for a few episodes. But now he’s taken to leaping across town in broad daylight without so much as a bandanna to cover his face. It’s a wonder no one has snapped a picture yet.
The Cape, of course, has the the whole costume thing down. Naming himself after his son’s favorite comic book hero, Faraday knows how important it is to conceal his identity. Even when Max took away his cape for an episode, he had the presence of mind to fashion a mask for himself. Of course, calling yourself “The Cape” when you don’t have a cape is kind of stupid, but funny.
Advantage: The Cape
Tone
Tone is probably the biggest difference between The Cape and No Ordinary Family. Unfortunately, this is a bit like judging a flavor of ice cream. I may love chocolate, while you prefer strawberry. One isn’t necessarily better than the other. It’s just a question of taste.
The tone of The Cape is both serious and light-hearted. The world of Palm City and its problems are very realistic. This is basically a story of organized crime and one man’s quest to bring justice to his city. As a result, the story has some light-hearted moments to break up the tension. For me, the tone is almost perfect. If it has one failing, it’s the weekly subplots with Faraday’s estranged family. They slow down what otherwise would be a fast-paced adventure.
No Ordinary Family feels more like a situation comedy with superheroes thrown in for good measure. It’s not always funny, but it isn’t serious. When I saw the first couple of episodes, I kept describing it as “fluff.” It is, but I mean that in a good way. The story revolves around family drama more than crime fighting, as if this were a surreal deconstruction of a post-nuclear family. I know the fan community has been very vocal about the tone of this show not taking itself seriously. I don’t have a problem with it. But I would like to see the family come together more often to use their powers against a real villain.
Advantage: The Cape
Summary
So, if you’re counting, that’s 2 points for No Ordinary Family, 2 points for The Cape, and one tie. Both shows offer superhero drama, but they are doing it from opposite ends of the spectrum. But, if I had to make a guess, I think No Ordinary Family has the best chance to survive. As I said, it’s more of a family drama with superheroics thrown in. As such, I think it will reach a wider audience.
My recommendation is to try them both. Give each one a few weeks to grow on you. And if you like them, tell the networks. Maybe we’ll see more comic book-inspired television in the future.