No Ordinary Family

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ThatNickGuy

ThatNickGuy

Did anyone else check out the premiere for this show earlier in the week? I saw some ads for it on the net and decided to check it out.

The basic premise is a family takes a trip to South America. The plane crashes in a river filled with mysterious, green glowing stuff. They come home and all of them have super powers of varying power.

It was kind of cliche, but to be honest, I dug it. I could be biased, though. Still, it's got two of my favourite actors in it: Michael Chiklis and Julie Benz.

The special effects are basic, but a lot of fun. The acting is decent enough to make up for the cliche writing. The best part was when Chiklis' character met with a super powered bad guy in a damn good fight.

So yeah, it's not great, but it was good enough for me to at least check out a few more episodes. Anyone else?
 
Covar

Covar

I enjoyed it. I'm having trouble swallowing the idea that I'm supposed to believe the dad from 7th Heaven is a bad guy.
 
strawman

strawman

It seems kind of fun, but it's not making me go, "I can't wait for the next episode!"

---------- Post added at 11:41 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:38 AM ----------

A little bit incongruous having them recognize some of the problems of superpowers (why isn't the dirt sandblasting your corneas?) but completely ignoring other problems (he should be breaking through the roof of the buildings he's landing on). A middle ground is annoying.
 
ThatNickGuy

ThatNickGuy

Part of me just hopes that we might see some actual costumes in the show. Give at least Chiklis and Benz some costumes and codenames. Otherwise, it's just a family-friendly version of Heroes.
 
Covar

Covar

First Lady Puffinstuff said:
It seems kind of fun, but it's not making me go, "I can't wait for the next episode!"

---------- Post added at 11:41 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:38 AM ----------

A little bit incongruous having them recognize some of the problems of superpowers (why isn't the dirt sandblasting your corneas?) but completely ignoring other problems (he should be breaking through the roof of the buildings he's landing on). A middle ground is annoying.
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I love that the basically asked all the same questions people ask about the Flash and then essentially explain the speed force.

Also they are taking the old approach of super-powers are supposed to be cool, not fuck you. Hence why Michael Chiklis doesn't break through every roof he lands on.
 
sixpackshaker

sixpackshaker

Hence why Michael Chiklis doesn't break through every roof he lands on.
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I've not seen the show, but how far is he falling when he hits the roof? It would seem that a 200 lb man would not necessarily destroy a roof by landing on it.
 
strawman

strawman

sixpackshaker said:
Hence why Michael Chiklis doesn't break through every roof he lands on.
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I've not seen the show, but how far is he falling when he hits the roof? It would seem that a 200 lb man would not necessarily destroy a roof by landing on it.
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He's clearing buildings several stories higher than the ones he's landing on, so he's falling at least 30 feet in every case, and many times it seems he's falling 100-150 feet. He's easily 250 (Tall, muscular).

I can understand not falling through every roof, but if he's falling for even 3 seconds, and landing on the equivalent of one sheet of paper of surface area, then the roof load may be hundreds of pounds per square inch. Roof loads are typically much, much lower for static loads (ie, snow, airconditioning units, etc) but even live loads aren't supported beyond a few dozen PSI. Note that it only took an 8 story fall to completely devastate asphalt with concrete underneath. A bit of wood sheathing and metal beams isn't going to stand a chance.

But hey, perhaps he's always landing on the roof over the support beams on above-average buildings, and cushioning his landing with an even 100PSI over several seconds rather than a 1,000 PSI landing that happens in a tenth of a second...

(Note that this doesn't actually bother me, it's interesting in the same way that it would take a lot more balloons to lift a house, but I still enjoy Up)
 
Null

Null

Maybe his superpowers include dispersing the kinetic energy of his impact over an exponentially greater surface area - instead of his (x*y), it disperses it over (x^2*y^2) or the like, and that it happens reflexively so that he doesn't have to think about it - the inner ear senses "falling" and the power engages.
 
W

Wyrminarrd

So far the powers on this show don't seem all that original, hopefully they will still manage to do something new with them.

I'll continue to watch this show but only if the daughter gets over the freak issue that Claire on Heroes absolutely drove to death.
 
Shawn

Shawn

I got distracted before I could watch the entirety of the episode. Thus far I have to say I wasn't too impressed by it. The writing is really bad and cliche. The super powers revealed so far are really predictable. I mean how many super hero families have a father who has super strength? So it's got bad writing and it's not original in the least bit. Disney has done the super hero family forumla about 20 times now. And that's not even counting The Incredibles.
 
figmentPez

figmentPez

Staff member
I'm watching the pilot now. If he's that much stronger than a normal human, then why can't he run faster?
 
ThatNickGuy

ThatNickGuy

So, I've watched up to the most recent episode (6) and honestly? I think the show is getting stronger (no pun intended). It's a lot like Heroes, only not trying to be cool, edgy and dark. Plus, there are more uses of the superpowers and the little mystery is interesting.

Personally, the best part of the show has been with the son, J.J. It's interesting to see the "genius" power used in such interesting ways, like football.
 
Covar

Covar

ThatNickGuy said:
So, I've watched up to the most recent episode (6) and honestly? I think the show is getting stronger (no pun intended). It's a lot like Heroes, only not trying to be cool, edgy and dark. Plus, there are more uses of the superpowers and the little mystery is interesting.

Personally, the best part of the show has been with the son, J.J. It's interesting to see the "genius" power used in such interesting ways, like football.
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You should read the Incredible Herc then, his powers are pretty much an exact rip of Amadeus Cho.

I like this show so far, it's like Heroes except with personality and characters that actually do heroic things. Still have to watch last nights episode, but so far I'm enjoying it and the sidekicks are my favorite characters.
 
phil

phil

It's been... Ok I guess. I apparently missed an episode but aside from the son joining the football team I don't think I actually missed anything.

I liked, season one at least, of heroes more. Right now it doesn't seem to have much driving action besides figuring out and playing with their powers. They're close to having some serious drama what with the wife working for what I'm guessing is the bad guy giving people powers.
 
@Li3n

@Li3n

Show is cute so far... and less whiny about the powers then Heroes ever was... lets just hope it lasts. It will do fine until something better comes along (well there's Misfits, but being a brit show that's 6 episodes/season, hardly enough for my super fix).


Wyrminarrd said:
So far the powers on this show don't seem all that original, hopefully they will still manage to do something new with them.
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PRO TIP: If you think some powers are original, you must not be into comics much.


I do like how the father has Supermans exact original powers... now get a Mercury cap thing on the wife already...

I'm watching the pilot now. If he's that much stronger than a normal human, then why can't he run faster?
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Technically he should be leaping while running instead... because i don't think more muscles would allow you to move your feet faster per se (which is why runners don't go body-builder for their feet), but would allow for more distance per step.

And he does have some extra speed, what with catching bullets/high speed baseballs and all that.

He's clearing buildings several stories higher than the ones he's landing on, so he's falling at least 30 feet in every case, and many times it seems he's falling 100-150 feet. He's easily 250 (Tall, muscular).

I can understand not falling through every roof, but if he's falling for even 3 seconds, and landing on the equivalent of one sheet of paper of surface area, then the roof load may be hundreds of pounds per square inch. Roof loads are typically much, much lower for static loads (ie, snow, airconditioning units, etc) but even live loads aren't supported beyond a few dozen PSI. Note that it only took an 8 story fall to completely devastate asphalt with concrete underneath. A bit of wood sheathing and metal beams isn't going to stand a chance.
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Don't you know anything? In superworlds all roofs are made of reinforced concrete and no one notices all the man shaped proprety damage...
 
AshburnerX

AshburnerX

@Li3n said:
Wyrminarrd said:
So far the powers on this show don't seem all that original, hopefully they will still manage to do something new with them.
Click to expand...
PRO TIP: If you think some powers are original, you must not be into comics much.
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Yeah, it's virtually impossible to come up with new powers anymore. Comics have been around for almost a century at this point, so everything has been done. Besides, it's usually more interesting to take old powers and give them fun disadvantages or limitations...
 
figmentPez

figmentPez

Staff member
@Li3n said:
Technically he should be leaping while running instead... because i don't think more muscles would allow you to move your feet faster per se (which is why runners don't go body-builder for their feet), but would allow for more distance per step.
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Actually, some scientists did a study recently and found that the limiting factor of human running speed was muscle strength, not speed. They concluded that without any changes to nerve or contraction speed, if a human had enough strength they could run fast enough to "walk" on water.

Edit: Wow, my memory is either completely wrong or there are contradictory findings out there: Human running speed of 35-40 mph may be biologically possible
"The researchers said the new work shows that running speed limits are set by the contractile speed limits of the muscle fibers themselves, with fiber contractile speeds setting the limit on how quickly the runner's limb can apply force to the running surface."
...
"'Our simple projections indicate that muscle contractile speeds that would allow for maximal or near-maximal forces would permit running speeds of 35 to 40 miles per hour and conceivably faster,' Bundle said."

Either my memory glitched, or my original reading of the article thought muscle contractile speed was limited by strength, or maybe scientists disagree on the matter.
 
D

Disconnected

Stop! Stop putting science in superheroes!
and goddammit stop having fun!
fuck.
 
@Li3n

@Li3n

figmentPez;447933][QUOTE=@Li3n said:
Technically he should be leaping while running instead... because i don't think more muscles would allow you to move your feet faster per se (which is why runners don't go body-builder for their feet), but would allow for more distance per step.
Click to expand...
Actually, some scientists did a study recently and found that the limiting factor of human running speed was muscle strength, not speed. They concluded that without any changes to nerve or contraction speed, if a human had enough strength they could run fast enough to "walk" on water.

Edit: Wow, my memory is either completely wrong or there are contradictory findings out there: Human running speed of 35-40 mph may be biologically possible
"The researchers said the new work shows that running speed limits are set by the contractile speed limits of the muscle fibers themselves, with fiber contractile speeds setting the limit on how quickly the runner's limb can apply force to the running surface."
...
"'Our simple projections indicate that muscle contractile speeds that would allow for maximal or near-maximal forces would permit running speeds of 35 to 40 miles per hour and conceivably faster,' Bundle said."

Either my memory glitched, or my original reading of the article thought muscle contractile speed was limited by strength, or maybe scientists disagree on the matter.[/QUOTE]

No dude, what i was saying was that instead of him running faster like the wife is by moving his feet 100/sec he'd actually be taking bigger steps instead because he'd be putting more force in each step... so he should be able to run faster then normal people.
 
ThatNickGuy

ThatNickGuy

When you guys are also able to rationalize the science between teleporter dude and earthquake girl, THEN I'll believe actual science has a place on this show. :D
 
phil

phil

I want to see more with JJ's powers. I mean if he's able to turn football into simple physics and master it, what else could he do? I'm thinking he has some real Batman potential.


I also wonder if the sister, I forgot her name, will get any other mind powers. She could maybe develop moving things with her mind as well, like the one bad guy.
 
Covar

Covar

He's just Amadeus Cho, complete with his annoying ability to have the physical means to be able to do the actions he sees.
 
figmentPez

figmentPez

Staff member
I was watching Linkara review Action Comics #1 yesterday, and it hit me that Jim Powell can jump farther than Superman. Well, at least farther than Superman could originally. Action Comics #1 says Supes can manage 1/8th of a mile, while Jim can jump over 1/4th of a mile.
 
Frank

Frank

Covar said:
He's just Amadeus Cho, complete with his annoying ability to have the physical means to be able to do the actions he sees.
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Is that actually a power Cho has? That bothered me in Siege where he just chucked a whole quiver of arrows into the air and managed to deflect them off of the environment using complex calculations circumvent Mr. X's ability to read the actions of those he's fighting.
 
Covar

Covar

Frankie Williamson;448993][QUOTE=Covar said:
He's just Amadeus Cho, complete with his annoying ability to have the physical means to be able to do the actions he sees.
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Is that actually a power Cho has? That bothered me in Siege where he just chucked a whole quiver of arrows into the air and managed to deflect them off of the environment using complex calculations circumvent Mr. X's ability to read the actions of those he's fighting.[/QUOTE]

Not officially, but I think Greg Pak just doesn't care.
 
ThatNickGuy

ThatNickGuy

Anyone else still watching it? I've been enjoying it as a fun, light show. There's still nothing outstanding or award-winning, but it's been enjoyable.

Though, it bothers me a bit by how quickly they'll forget what should be major concerns. Like the daughter losing her memory of the last few months. Or the lab assistant finding her guy has her boss's notebook. The fixes are a little too quick and convenient.

But then again, so were similar problems in earlier comics, which is partly what this show is harkening to. As someone else said, it's treating super powers are fun, not a curse.
 
Covar

Covar

I'm about two episodes behind (last watched No Ordinary Sidekick) and it's getting better and better. George and Katie are my two favorite characters so far, and I'm glad the over-arcing plot is finally picking up.
 
figmentPez

figmentPez

Staff member
I'm still watching, and enjoying immensely. It's fun. Nothing really unexpected or spectacular, but it makes me feel happy.
 
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