The good news about Sony PlayStation’s new online series POWERS, it is a fun series with a great cast. Now the bad news, it is only available online via Sony PlayStation. That is right: if you do not have a Sony Playstation or a Sony Playstation online account, you cannot watch POWERS — though the first episode will be made available on YouTube to entice new viewers to continue watching on the Sony PlayStation platforms.
POWERS is based on the best selling comic book series of the same name, created by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Michael Avon Oeming, and stars Sharlto Copley (“District 9”), Susan Heyward (“The Following”), Michelle Forbes (“The Returned,” “The Killing,” “Battlestar Galactica”), Eddie Izzard (“Hannibal,” “The Riches”), Noah Taylor (“Game Of Thrones”), Olesya Rulin, Logan Browning (“Hit The Floor”), Adam Godley (“Manhattan,” “Suits”), Max Fowler (“Wolf Hall”), Aaron Farb, Justice Leak and Sterling Beaumon (“Red Widow”).
The basic premise of POWERS is that in the POWERS world there are those with special abilities (such as, flying, teleportation) and those without powers. It is a battle between those that want to do whatever they please with their powers versus those who want to do what they can to help protect the rest of the world from power-infused criminals. Heroes versus villains. It is a familiar story, but with a slight twist.
In Powers, the lead character is Christian Walker (Sharlto Copley), a homicide detective in the Powers Division of the LAPD, who used to be a “power” superhero until his powers were stolen from him. After the death of his partner and subsequent murder of a former hero teammate, Walker finds himself teamed up with a gung-ho new recruit, Deena Pilgrim (Susan Heyward) and together they attempt to track down the elusive criminal mastermind, Johnny Royalle (Noah Taylor) — a “power” who had been previously thought dead. Johnny and Walker go way back, all the way to a time when they were childhood friends. In fact, they both mentored under a super villain criminal, known as Wolfe (Eddie Izzard). Alas, fate intervened and sent all of them in vastly different paths for their lives — Walker was stripped of his “powers,” Wolfe ended up in prison, and Royalle simply disappeared. But now, Royalle is back and that bodes badly for Walker.
Following the story outlined in the comic books, Powers jumps straight into the fast-paced world of the “powers” versus the non-powered and the complex interpersonal relationships that Walker has with both sides. Fortunately, star Sharlto Copley easily carries the show with his charismatic charm and viewers will soon fall under his spell. Adding to the show’s appeal, getting to know the “powers” and the actors who portray the off-beat, zany and downright diabolical characters is a fun process. As each character is introduced, and as their place in Walker’s world is explored, POWERS starts to take shape and and by the end of the first episode, viewers will be clamoring for more.
At a special red carpet premiere, stars Sharlto Copley, Susan Heyward, Michelle Forbes, Noah Taylor, Logan Browning, Max Fowler, Aaron Farb, Justice Leak, and Sterling Beaumon talked about their characters and what viewers can expect:
(Note:,POWERS is designed for a more mature and adult audience, exploring adult themes of sex and violence. Parents of young teens may want to prescreen the series.)
POWERS is available starting Tuesday, March 10th on PS3 and PS4. In addition, it will be made available to those with PlayStation Plus membership for viewing online via computer.
SENIOR ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER | Tiffany covers events such as San Diego Comic-Con, WonderCon and press junkets, as well as covering events at the Paley Center in Beverly Hills. She has a great love for television and believes that entertainment is a world of wondrous adventures that deserves to be shared and explored. Tiffany is one of the newest members to the prestigious Television Critics Association and is happy to be able to share her passion for television shows with an even wider audience of fans and her fellow critics..
