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POLL : What did you think of The Cape - Pilot; Tarot?

10 Jan 2011

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58 comments:

  1. darq10 January 2011 at 04:02

    Wow! That was a mess.... from terrible writing and trite dialog, to terrible plot pacing and bad FX... to bad scoring and predictability.... just a mess. At least the acting was bad.... I would have had to say it was inconsistant if the acting were good, but alas, it was just bad all around. On top of all that... the lead actor was a cross between Kirk Cameron and Jonathan Tucker... with less acting ability. Consider I said LESS acting ability than Kirk....

    In all honesty, sometimes it was pretty funny, but sadly only half the time it was actually trying to be funny.
    The pacing would have been bad for a movie, but for a TV series the pace was ridiculous. In one episode he went from cop to outlaw, from masked bank robber to caped crime fighter, from untrained to master of his cape.... all in a span of some 45 minutes I think. No distress at turning from law office to law breaker. Seemingly no transition from gun slinger to cape flinger... one 45 second musical montage with bad naration and he was an expert.

    Lastly, for decades people have been mocking Clark Kent's disguise of a suit and spectacles as silly, but the cape's disguise was even worse. His cowled cape covered less of his face than a typical hoodie pulled down. The camera looking over his son's shoulder saw his face clearly so why wouldn't his son? I guess he did decide to add the mask in the last 30 minutes for what it's worth. I won't go into the bad jokes or lackluster performances by James Frain, Vinni Jones or Marty the Midget.

    Very disappointed since I was looking forward to his for months.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Dan Kempner10 January 2011 at 04:44

    I think it's too early to judge the show. The show is obviously trying to mimic a comic book, and so it's not taking itself TOO seriously. I've been looking forward to this show for months, and I must say, I was not disappointed. The dialogue was fluent and witty, and the acting itself, while a bit too dramatic, added to the feeling of a high-paced, comic book show, much like the animated Batman show from the 90's. Must I remind you, it was a critical hit.

    I loved the concept of already building up the rogues gallery. I loved the idea that the former cop, who was pursuing justice, is taken by a band of bank robbers. I loved how he did not stay with them, but rather when on his own. I also appreciated the pop culture references ("Borat"), and the recurring Lost references, though I am not sure if they were intentional (Faraday, Linus and LaFleur).

    Is it a mind-bending, revolutionary hit like "Lost"? No. Is it trying to be? Absolutely not. This show is meant to be an hour of fun, action, excitement and recurring laughter, that tries to take us back to our love of comics. Thumbs WAY, WAY up. I can't wait for next week.

    ReplyDelete
  3. darq10 January 2011 at 04:58

    I love the premise and the defined enemies too. I was seriously disappointed by how it glanced over the transition from cop to robber to hero. For me that was the most interesting aspect of the story. And while I did not expect it to be LOST, I did expect it to be somewhat more drama based in its acting tone. If I had gone in expecting "poww!" and "zappp!" action like the old Bat-man I would have maybe enjoyed it more. I will probably give it another chance since the second episode was better and I now know what to expect, but even if I do like it more I may wait to see if it will be picked up for second season or even a back 9 episodes this season... I am skeptical of both from the pilot...

    ReplyDelete
  4. Dan Kempner10 January 2011 at 05:31

    Don't get me wrong, I agree with some points in your review. This is by no means a perfect show (besides, has there ever been a PERFECT show?), and many of the points raised are true and quite harmful to a new show like this. The transformation was quick, yet I think they did it so the pilot episode will merely be the launch to the story itself. Think of it like "Batman Begins", in 40 minutes. Was it a good choice? I don't think so. But what's done is done, and now we're supposedly on board with his mission, his goal, and his allies. Let's hope it's another case of "Flashforward" (which was a wonderful show) and it'll pick up rather sooner than later.

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  5. Burhan Zaman10 January 2011 at 06:49

    NBC has to stop making such cheesy shows... this show could have been good but they tried to put too much in this episode!!

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  6. darq10 January 2011 at 07:05

    Could not agree more. I think there was enough material and possible plot lines in this episode alone to have made AT LEAST 5 or 6 episodes. One episode of him being framed and then forced to be underground and presumed dead, one of him becoming a bank robber with the circus folk, one about his training with the cape, one of him trying to do some crime fighting and struggling, one of him uncovering Orwell and forming a team with her, one of her back story, one of The Cape versus Cain where he gets his butt kicked, and another of Team Cape getting revenge on Cain. I am at 8 episodes already I guess ignoring the possible episodes investigating the corruption in the police force, the prison system or businesses... that is half a season or so depending on the final order.

    It made me appreciate other series like Smallville or Heroes. I would have preferred a fifth season of Heroes to The Cape if the pilot was any indication of what is to come. I think they lost a huge opportunity to appeal to both comic fans and cross-over into the drama fans demo too. Not to mention ther could have been a mystery element with "who is Chess" if his identity was not revealed in the first act.

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  7. sweetdebbie10 January 2011 at 09:18

    I liked what I saw but I can acknowledge that the presented product wasn't anywhere near perfect. I think the pilot should have been the full 2 hours, instead of having it and episode 2 back-to-back...felt too rushed.

    Overall, I'd give the first 2 episodes a 7/10 score

    ReplyDelete
  8. jayjay8810 January 2011 at 09:35

    It was a comic book, mainly from the 80s. Once I started watching it from that standpoint, it got a lot better.
    Summer Glau in tight skirts and leather didn't hurt either.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Brianishere10 January 2011 at 09:46

    This show is Fraking awesome!!!! it's very well done . . . better than Smallville

    ReplyDelete
  10. darq10 January 2011 at 10:02

    Unless things change for the better DRASTICALLY I seriously doubt The Cape will get anywhere near 10 seasons that Smallville has run. It is early, but the Kents were multi-dimensional characters that did more than just pout or complain. So far, Mrs. Faraday (Thompson) and son were very, very weak characters that added nothing to the show directly... just an abstract idea of Vince reclaiming his good name and wanting to be with his family again.

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  11. sonny8910 January 2011 at 10:08

    Compared to No Ordinary Family, this obviously is taking the genre a little more seriously despite being about a guy with a magic cape. We don't have a lot of shows in this genre on right now and hopefully this one will overcome its kinks and fill the void that HEROES left .

    ReplyDelete
  12. darq10 January 2011 at 10:14

    I hope so too! I just have doubts. If I had to chose between The Cape and no Ordinary Family, I think I would chose NOF honestly. As cheesy as it is and as scaled back as it is to appeal to a wider audience, it is a much better made show with well-paced stories, and multi-dimensional characters. Just because they are trying to get a comic book feel does not mean the characters need to be as two dimensional as the comic books themselves! I do think The Cape has more potential, but if it tries to play it as 'comic-book-by-numbers' I am not sure it will last a full season.

    ReplyDelete
  13. JohnConnor210 January 2011 at 10:42

    Some Chuck fans want The Cape to fail because they think that NBC won't cancel Chuck if it's NBC's stongest scripted show.

    Some The Event fans want The Cape to fail because they think The Cape took its place.

    Some Heroes fans The Cape to fail because they think Heroes was cancelled because of The Cape.

    And now you dark! Why so much hate ?
    So sad!

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  14. huricane10 January 2011 at 11:47

    I'm not him, but I share his anger:

    Because of the poor horrible quality of the show.

    ReplyDelete
  15. huricane10 January 2011 at 12:08

    Daniel Faraday >>>>> Vince Faraday

    ReplyDelete
  16. JohnConnor210 January 2011 at 12:08

    You didn't like the premiere and are not willing to let the show a chance to improve in the next weeks? That's fine with me.

    Let me be more specific :

    What makes me sad is the bashing of The Cape by some Chuck fans on a site dedicated to tv rating numbers.
    What makes me sad is the spaming of youtube The Cape trailers by bitter Heroes fans (several hundreds comments).
    What makes me sad is the trolling of the official The Cape site by Heroes fans in real time during the viewing party.

    You can call me a paranoid but darq repeated negative commnts make me think he has a secret agenda for doing this.

    There is no room here for such practices

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  17. JohnConnor210 January 2011 at 12:10

    Thanks for this deep analysis!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Urinal Turd10 January 2011 at 12:20

    As opposed to other senseless bashings darq gave a pretty detailed analysis why she didn't like the premiere and apart from that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, especially when they give valid reasons for their critic.

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  19. MrGhoul10 January 2011 at 12:21

    Things were rushed with Orwell......but she does drive a couple of nice cars !!
    Same with how the cape was created....it was a bit rushed too....but then.... I didn't want things dragged out either, for that is when people would get bored and switch channels. ( I'm thinking along the lined of Caprica.....they really took too long to get the ball rolling)

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  20. huricane10 January 2011 at 13:12

    You want a deep analysis? Ok.

    My biggest problem is that the first episode suffered from "Ghost Rider" Syndrome, which is when he has mastered all his powers by the end of the first episode. And then, just 10 minutes into the second episode, he gets stabbed, falls from a skyscraper, lands on a car, and still survives. And his enemy turned friend in 30 seconds from the previous episode is there to help him. Also, his costume looks like a giant garbage bag, and the effects of the cape are horrible. The dialogue is despicable dawg. The characters are mostly bland. I want to know how Vince was as a cop, why his friend betrayed him (a more in depth explanation than to protect his family who we have never met). The action itself was embarrassing, especially the "gunfight" at the end of the first episode. And the scene when Vince was thrown down a lake in chains? That happened too quick, and we didn't need the cheesy flashbacks (from the same episode!) to know he would get out. I wonder how long they will keep up the grieving wife who is out of the loop act for. "V" ended it around the season's half way point. Hopefully The Cape will do the same, because it's very annoying. How could the little boy not recognize his dad's own voice?

    I think the major problem so far is that storytelling wise, the writers are trying tot treat this as a comic book adaptation (even though it isn't), not an original story. The over dramatic scene when Vince puts on the mask for the first time? There is no reason to care about that. This show is a mess of problems. There are only 2 things I liked: The makeup on Scales, and the midget from "Pirates of the Caribbean".

    I will watch the next new episode to see if there is any improvement, but if that one is just as bad, I'm calling it quits.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Dan Kempner10 January 2011 at 13:22

    I myself am a screenwriter in my free time, and so I got to respond to your latest suggestion. There is a fine line between exploring one's story and providing it merely to stretch it over as many episodes as possible. I promise you, you would've hated to have an entire episode where all he does is learning how to use the cape, and an entire episode that end with him getting his ass kicked. While the pace might have been a bit TOO fast, I am happy it wasn't stretched over an 8 episode span. While "Lost" is my favorite show, I wouldn't tune in to a new show that would use its complex story to cover multiple episodes, and "The Cape"'s attitude towards this genre is nothing like it.

    ReplyDelete
  22. fcheuihay10 January 2011 at 13:52

    My God, your comments are way too long, if they even were interesting! And give it a break on the hate, girl, some people like the show. You're not some specialist you just have internet.

    ReplyDelete
  23. fcheuihay10 January 2011 at 13:55

    I agree with you, too much hate and overanalyzing for just a Pilot. And repeatedly. Give it a break, it's showing.

    ReplyDelete
  24. fcheuihay10 January 2011 at 13:57

    First people want answers and plots to move fast, now it's too fast and too much answers. Make up your minds. I for one loved the fast pacing. Stop nitpicking.

    ReplyDelete
  25. fcheuihay10 January 2011 at 14:00

    You clearly have an agenda or some serious problems with all this nitpicking LMAO. Write your own show then if you think you know so much better, boo.

    ReplyDelete
  26. TV Spoilers10 January 2011 at 14:19

    I stopped after the first episode. I mean it wasn't bad and I can imagine there are lots of people who enjoy this kinda stuff but it's nothing for me.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Sultonone10 January 2011 at 14:44

    I liked what I saw but I can acknowledge that the presented product wasn't anywhere near perfect. I think the pilot should have been the full 2 hours, instead of having it and episode 2 back-to-back...felt too rushed.

    Overall, I'd give the first 2 episodes a 7/10 score

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  28. Dan Kempner10 January 2011 at 15:02

    Amen.

    ReplyDelete
  29. tariqq10 January 2011 at 15:06

    felt like i was watching a cartoon

    ReplyDelete
  30. mbale47310 January 2011 at 20:53

    After the first episode, I was thinking how much I miss Heroes and hate NBC. After the second episode, I started to become a little more interested, but I do not think it delivered after months and months of hype. It was too fast paced and all over the place. For me, the acting was cheesy. I am having a hard time getting into any of the characters. Keith David was great, I have been a fan of his since The Thing. Maybe it was the acting, I don't know, I'm torn right now. I'll give it a few more weeks.

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  31. darq10 January 2011 at 20:53

    I do watch Chuck and like it , but have no agenda. Not to mention I don't like any show on TV enough to spam sites. I was looking forward to The Cape since I first saw the preview before the Fall Season. My dislike is partly my fault admittedly, I am not a comic book fan and thought the show was going to be a different type of superhero show from the preview. When it turned out to be a typical comic book superhero show.. and a bad one, I was both disappointed and annoyed. Now, I have no problem with some one seeing a reason to like it. There are genre fans for everything, but badly done is badly done. That does not mean it cannot get better and I hope it does! No agendas necessary.

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  32. darq10 January 2011 at 20:53

    OH I did not mean the only thing that happened was on battle with Cain or just training with his cape. There certainly could be and should be other subplots like maybe about the family, the ex-partner, or cirque de criminale. All of which need to be explored more and I hope will be in future episodes. For a non-comic fan like myself to ignore the most compelling story of the transition from lawman to vigilante was a crime. I guess in comics they just sum up and move to the crime fighting and let it be. I can see why in a movie, but for a TV show I think they could have done more than a fast forward montage with music.

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  33. darq10 January 2011 at 20:53

    Agreed. I also like the overall premise of framed man trying to get revenge and protect his city. Kind of The Fugitive meets Batman.

    ReplyDelete
  34. darq10 January 2011 at 20:53

    Not hate... disappointment honestly. I was looking forward to this for months! Being critical has nothing to do with hate or love, it is simply objective analysis.

    ReplyDelete
  35. darq10 January 2011 at 20:53

    Yeah after months of great anticipation and hype I was so disappointed by the first episode it is hard to just look at the second one as a stand alone. It was better, and the show has potential, but that first episode was just a mess... agreed.

    And it made me realize Heroes was not nearly as bad as many thought... agreed.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Bob10 January 2011 at 20:59

    Completely agree with everything you've said, you may be a bit harsher on it than I generally was but other than that, I think you're right. I'll still be tuning in next week.

    ReplyDelete
  37. darq10 January 2011 at 21:01

    I will tune in too because I WANT to like it and had high hopes for it.

    ReplyDelete
  38. darq10 January 2011 at 21:01

    I think there is a happy medium without being like Caprica or The Cape. I think the second episode had better pacing, but right after the first it is too easily forgotten.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Kyle_Maloney10 January 2011 at 21:33

    If you were reminded of Heroes part of that could be that they re used the Sullivan's carnival set, according to Wendy the makeup lady. heh

    ReplyDelete
  40. Hungry Emo10 January 2011 at 21:41

    I don't necessarily agree with what Darq has said here and in other discussions but there's no need to be a complete douche.

    Instead of insulting, try making a case for why you think the first two episodes were good.

    ReplyDelete
  41. darq10 January 2011 at 21:46

    Ha1 That's fun, and I guess it makes sense too since both are NBC shows.

    ReplyDelete
  42. Hungry Emo10 January 2011 at 21:51

    WELL.

    I finally got to see the first two episodes and, while I understand what several people have said, I still don't think it warrants the really negative comments. I'm no TV reviewer but I am an aspiring screenwriter, and although I feel the writing wasn't particularly strong in either episode, I understand the position many writers and showrunners are put in by Networks.

    The Pilot was very much Wham Bam Thank You Ma'am. There wasn't much in the way of character or substance, which is a potentially damaging thing, but I can respect that they did what they could to establish the status quo. In this day and age, Network's feel the average audience have an attention span of a Goldfish, and so they try to set things up as quick as possible. Obviously, the script itself can suffer from this, and I think the Pilot did.

    Saying that, I did enjoy quite a bit of it. There were some very funny moments in it I wasn't expecting and some great special effects. I walked into this show expecting a bit of fun and I wasn't disappointed on that front. However, they will need to give us a little more, so we can empathise with the characters, and enjoy the show on another level... one that will bring us back for more.

    The second episode, "Tarot," was already a huge improvement. These days, it seems like an impossible task to bang out a successful Pilot, which I'm sure is why they aired two episodes in a row... because even they knew the Pilot didn't explore the themes and characters of the show as much as it should have. I like the flashbacks, presenting the relationships, and hope they delve much deeper into those in the future. We skipped past those in the beginning, so I'd really like to see that in more detail.

    For a Supherhero TV show, I feel it did what it needed to do, and has me hooked. But in order to keep me, it will need to go a little further. I'm not looking for the next Six Feet Under or Damages, but I'm hoping for something a little more than No Ordinary Family/Smallville.

    ReplyDelete
  43. Wilson Crawford10 January 2011 at 21:51

    WAIT WAIT WAIT, something's amiss.

    ReplyDelete
  44. Hungry Emo10 January 2011 at 21:57

    I've just woken up. Gimme time to put my asshat on.

    ReplyDelete
  45. darq10 January 2011 at 22:09

    I think I agree with almost everything you said (peruses Revelations in a panic). I actually like the superhero genre and hope this gets better! The FX are fairly good and the comedy while predictable, was pretty good too. I think my earlier shredding was mostly out of disappointment, but like you said,it needs to give the viewer more depth on many levels! I don't think you are wrong to expect more from a show than shallow action and comedy, depth and character development can be and should be in any genre.

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  46. Death210 January 2011 at 22:45

    The only thing showing is your incredible ignorance.

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  47. Adam D. Harris10 January 2011 at 22:52

    I feel like I'm missing out.

    Better get watching these first two episodes :P

    ReplyDelete
  48. Hungry Emo10 January 2011 at 23:14

    I think we both just went into the show expecting different things, and thus, the different viewpoint.

    Though, I think we do agree on the important pieces of it. Given that the second episode was better than the Pilot, I'm cautiously optimistic about its future.

    ReplyDelete
  49. darq10 January 2011 at 23:22

    Exactly. I think many people could enjoy it as is and be happy for a few seasons by the reactions here, but I just expect well done shows no matter the genre. The pilot was just a mess, but Tarot had promise as I stated... and others stated. Now that I have watched and know what to expect I might see it differently when I watch 1x03. All that said if they do not get deeper into the family, villains, circus folk or Orwell, and slow down the pace, it will be hard for me to keep watching. Not that the series or its fans would miss me. LOL.

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  50. Hungry Emo11 January 2011 at 00:11

    Devil child, devil child!

    ReplyDelete
  51. Adam D. Harris11 January 2011 at 00:24

    One Hour in. Decided to go to bed now rather than watch Part Two tonight.

    It started well enough. But ridiculously rushed and at times camp beyond belief. "Cape, they got Max." "Good Luck Cape." yada yada.

    Still Part Two Tomorrow. I'm holding out hope, but it felt paper thin, when it had everything there to be layered up and developed well if they took their time with the story. But to give the origin story in its entirety in a TV series in the the first 45 minutes is a sin.

    ReplyDelete
  52. Hungry Emo11 January 2011 at 02:31

    Just remember that's a sin the writers/showrunner probably had no say in. The Network would have decided that.

    So hopefully, now that's out of the way, the writers can go ahead with writing how they want.

    Whether that's a good thing or not remains to be seen.

    ReplyDelete
  53. Michael Di Biasi11 January 2011 at 03:02

    It was bearable to watch. But it was way too cheesy I am already sick of those faded flashes about his family when he is in trouble. I don't know why scales has scales is it a mask? or something. bad attempt to create a comic book villain.

    some of it was funny but a lot of the jokes were cheesy, predictable and just not funny.

    I could go on about the pacing, how its over dramatic, the characters are not believable or engaging etc etc

    I will continue to watch because i do usually give shows around 5 episodes to interest me (except the undercovers i could not get through the first episode of that)

    But at the moment its a swing and a miss for me.

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  54. darq11 January 2011 at 03:55

    I think Scales is supposed to have some skin condition, but why it is green and gold is beyond me. I would have understood pink or red, maybe brown, but gold and green? Odd choice if they were trying to keep all the villains as "real" people that could exist.

    Agreed.

    Agreed.

    I struggled to get thru Undercovers too.. .definitely the worst new 'drama' of the year for me.

    ReplyDelete
  55. DarkUFO11 January 2011 at 18:40

    Hey, there is no need for that sort of reply

    Everyone here is entitled to their opinion here at SpoilerTV.

    There is no need to be rude.

    If you diagree, fine, but as soon as make rude comments about another
    persons opinions, you automatically lose the argument.

    ReplyDelete
  56. captaingolddigger12 January 2011 at 04:46

    wow...just...wow...i mean. w t f is this? i want the two hours of my life back ...now....i rather spend those hours eating hot garbage than watching this shit.

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  57. captaingolddigger12 January 2011 at 04:49

    this was like..watching a fat pregnant snail try to move.....this show was such a huuugeee let down....

    ReplyDelete
  58. Kitanishi H McDonald14 January 2011 at 10:49

    People complaining about the show so far seemed to expect an uber realistic over-complex dark drama and are missing the point.


    Its not the "current" generation of superhero comics. its way back into the 80's comic books where Superman would fight nazi tanks and Captain america would defend new york from evil radioactive mutant communist squids.


    It HAS to be over-the top in characters, style and plot.


    Overall loved it, it sets itself apart from usual USA tv shows and feels like some 80's gem. 10/10.

    ReplyDelete

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