Episode Report Card Cindy McLennan: C+ | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT 'Quickie' Takes On A Whole New Meaning
By Cindy McLennan | Season 1 | Episode 2 | Aired on 10.05.2010
In a hurry? Read the recaplet for a nutshell description! Finished? Click here to close.Well the Powell kids are far more tolerable this week, and there is no annoying narration, but some shine is off George (I'll hit that in the weecap), and there wasn't much progress on the new-bilities front, so all in all, No Ordinary Family is holding its own. It retains its likability, pacing and energy, but I'm hoping to see some more depth within the next few weeks.
Here's the skinny: Cherry Pie doesn't mention her virginity once this week, so we'll just call her Daphne. She reads JJ's mind and -- whoa -- it's no longer a black hole. After JJ aces some math tests, his teacher accuses him of cheating. JJ doesn't want to tell his parents about his new-bility, because he finally feels like they're proud of him. When the teacher tells Jim that JJ is cheating, Jim doesn't know what to think, because he knows his kid is truthful, but he's suddenly doing post-grad level work. Super-genius doesn't occur to dear old dad. Poor JJ.
Jim and Stephanie promise each other they won't use their powers until they learn more and determine them safe, but Stephanie breaks her promise by zooming to Arizona, in order to get a water sample of the phosphorescent phlebotinum that was sent to the wrong lab. And later, she encourages Jim to break his promise, in order to save George, who is taken hostage during another bank robbery. Detective Yvonne Cho sees Jim leave the scene and confronts him at home. He demonstrates his new-bilities, but Yvonne insists he must stop playing vigilante. Jim warns her -- with a surfeit of foreshadowing -- about the super-powered bad guys running around town and all but begs her to let him help, but his pleas fall on deaf ears.
SCIENCE proves the phosphorescent phlebotinum is just naturally occurring phosphorescent phlebotinum, so Stephanie and Katie decide it can't be responsible for the Powells' powers. I can't help but wonder if wonder-plant Trilsetum Coronis is to blame. At any rate, Stephanie tells Jim that whatever has caused it, she's going to work at a way of curing them all, whether he likes it or not. Across town, Yvonne is shot at home by The Watcher -- Dr. RevCam King's super-powered minion, who calls RevCam after the hit and reports, "It's done." Have they really killed her off this quickly, or is she going to turn out to be a superhero, too? I suspect she's dead, but only time will tell.
I'll be back tomorrow with the full weecap. In the meantime, join the discussion in our show thread.
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Want more? The full recap starts right below!The Powell family's new super-powers are nothing if not wish-fulfillment. Now super-strong, Papa Jim used to feel impotent (not sexually, you pervs). Previously harried and hurried, Mama Stephanie has become super-fast. Learning disabled son JJ? He's turned into a super-genius. The Most Blessed Virgin Daughter, a.k.a. Our Maiden of the Hymen, a.k.a. Cherry Pie, a.k.a. Daphne the jealous and insecure -- has become telepathic. This week, since she barely whines and doesn't once mention her sexual status, I'll be good and call her by name, but fair warning, Show: I am not above breaking out the Virgin of Nuremberg, if you drive me to it. Anyhow, in the pilot, the powers were a boon to every Powell but Daphne, who learned her best friend and boyfriend were hooking up behind her back, and was otherwise tormented by all the non-stop thoughts of everyone around her. This week, her parents and brother join Daphne's struggle to adapt to their new-bilities. NOF maintains the quality introduced in the pilot, which is good, but it fails to build much upon it, which is not so good. But since this is only the second week, let's give NOF some time. I mean, what are we -- FOX? Now come on, let's get to it. Here we go. Up, up and awaaaay.
Jim Powell makes a rough jump landing atop one building, but thanks to his inability to feather it out, he skids like an out-of-control half-ton truck on black ice, and ends up on the roof of the next. Sidekick George tells him they have to work on that in the future, since George can't be filling in Jim-sized divots all over the city, which -- what? C'mon, don't make awesome George into a dummy, Show. Jim's er... skid marks were not one of the things pestering my mind. But now they are pestering my mind. Don't get me wrong. I'm not pestered by the fact that Jim's jumps have caused road damage that needs to be repaired. I live in New England, birthplace of the pothole. Oh no. I'm pestered by the fact that an A.D.A. can repair roads -- and stealthily, at that (and now, I'm also pestered by my overuse of pester). Anyhow, George is in the Lair With Wifi, directing George to the scene of the current crime-in-progress. The cops are still 3 minutes away, so Jim takes a flying leap and lands in alley near the target-bank, right smack-dab in front of the black get-away van. What's this? He's facing down the van. And? He's failing. SPLAT. Better luck next time, Jim. Our cartoon-flat superhero-in-training may not have been able to stop the getaway van, but he did get a good look at the suspect's face.