# Powers (2015)

> Two homicide detectives investigate crimes committed by people with superhuman abilities in a celebrity-obsessed world where heroism is rarely genuine.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/38848

## Facts

- Seasons: 2
- Episodes: 20
- Episode runtime: 40 min
- Status: Canceled
- Genres: crime, science fiction, drama
- Created by: Charlie Huston, Brian Michael Bendis
- Network: PlayStation Network
- Cast: Sharlto Copley, Susan Heyward, Olesya Rulin, Noah Taylor, Logan Browning, Adam Godley, Max Fowler, Michelle Forbes
- TMDB rating: 6.6/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1851040/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: gritty, cynical, violent, noir

## What critics say

Audiences find Powers a gritty, cynical take on the superhero genre, with a strong noir-tinged detective premise, though its mixed reception reflects uneven execution.

## Synopsis

Powers (2015-2016) is an American crime science fiction series created by Charlie Huston and Brian Michael Bendis for PlayStation Network. Sharlto Copley plays homicide detective Christian Walker, who teams with Susan Heyward's Deena Pilgrim to investigate murders and crimes involving people with superhuman abilities known as Powers. Their work is complicated by a media culture obsessed with celebrity and endorsement deals, where the powered elite are as likely to pursue fame and profit as they are to save lives. Olesya Rulin, Noah Taylor and Logan Browning round out the principal cast in a world where the line between hero and criminal is constantly blurred. Across two seasons of ten episodes each, the series follows a case-of-the-week structure threaded with a longer arc about power and corruption. Its tone is gritty, cynical and violent, with a noir sensibility drawn from police procedural conventions. Set in a contemporary American city saturated with paparazzi and spectacle, the show asks what happens when superheroes are not heroic at all. Fans of The Boys, Jessica Jones and Fringe will find resonance in its blend of dark superhero fiction and detective work.

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