The Cape

As many of you probably know, there is this new show (a midseason replacement) on NBC called "The Cape."  It follows the ex-cop Vince Farraday after he is framed for being the masked baddie "Chess" and then supposedly blown up on TV (he escapes through a vent). 

So anyway, obviously Farraday is pretty PO'd at the real Chess, who both framed him and has gone around being criminal-y.  So, after (wait for it) being rescued by a circus/band of thieves ("Carnival of Crime") and taught all their tricks, he dons a semi-magickal cape and mask, and becomes "The Cape" after a character in his kid's (oh.. yeah, he has a wife and son who think he's dead and a baddie) favorite comic book.

Anyway, it isn't genius or anything, but I rather like the show.  Mostly, because it isn't pandering to the non-nerdly masses flocking to the Superhero genre nowadays.  It is very comic book-y versus comic-book-made-into-a-movie-y.  Seriously.  The shots, the cheese, the catchphrases, all of it comes straight out of comic book lore.  From those books all us true nerds read and got bullied for before the popular kids opened their eyes to the genius of our genres.

From what I've read review-wise, it isn't terribly popular with the critics, but I'm hoping the true nerd fanbase is enough to sustain it.  Even when I'm cringing from the corniness of flashback scenes between Vince and his son, I'm still happy that it stays true to the comic book genre. 

Also, and possibly the most important reason I've been watching the show, "The Cape" stars the ever-gorgeous-and-under-appreciated Summer Glau.  She is much like the show in remaining true to the nerdlings who worship her.  After "Firefly" was insanely cancelled, she hopped on the "The Terminator: Sarah Conner Chronicles" train, guest starred in "Big Bang Theory," "Chuck," and "Dollhouse (side note, she also guest starred in "Angel" before "Firefly."  Presumably, her amazingness stunned Whedon so much that he wrote the show as a tribute to her).

Well, I'm pretty happy watching it.  It reminds me of my childhood.  And of watching Eat Pray Love because strangely, that film is the only other thing the lead actor, David Lyons, has been in that I've seen.  Yes yes, he really was the nude Australian who (unsuccessfully) tried to seduce Julia Roberts' character.

If you've seen it, let me know what you think ^___^  Though I have a hard time believing it would appeal to the nerdless.  Just saying...