A Funny Look at the Wayne Security Team for NBC's POWERLESS

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Submitted by S.J. Mitchell on Tue, 01/31/2017 - 11:39

In just 2 days DC's first comedy, set in their expansive universe, will premiere on NBC. POWERLESS will give us a hilarious look at what's it's like to live in a world of superheroes, from a citizens perspective.

This featurette introduces us to the members of Van Wayne's (Alan Tudyk) team at Wayne Security. I suspect his interactions with the team will create a bit of a hero/villain dynamic within their workplace. The character is like a cross between Michael Scott from THE OFFICE and Lex Luthor. He's in charge, a little full of himself and has his eyes on a much bigger picture.

"Look at THAT picture...that picture's huge."

The little known Crimson Fox also makes a cameo for the premiere and there are references to Superman and Green Lantern. The strength of this 'workplace comedy' will be to rely on pop-culture references to DC's main heroes and villains to appeal to a wider audience. Well-versed fans will be excited to pick up on easter eggs that will no doubt be littered throughout the series.

I especially like the use of 'panels' during some of the sequences. I hope those aren't just for the promos because I think it can really add flair to the series set in a comic book world. It has a very meta feel to it. It looks like we'll have an intro that depicts the characters in comic book form as well.

I love that they're going 'all-in' on the parody.

Seen through the eyes of Emily (Vanessa Hudgens) who moves from a small town to the metropolis sized Charm City, she acts as the stand-in for the audience viewing at home. Her curiosity and excitement at seeing superheroes for the first time is countered by the lasse-fair attitude of her co-workers who have seen it all before.

There's plenty of comedic material just waiting to be unlocked. The big question is, will it deliver the ratings it needs to survive? It looks like you'll need to have some knowledge and understanding about the DC Universe in order to fully appreciate the show so with enough support from fans it could be an instant hit. However they did include some regular 'Office Space' themed gags in order to appeal to a general audience.

I mean, who hasn't wanted to gut punch a co-worker for eating the last muffin?

Check out the featurette below and tune in to NBC this Thursday (2/2) at 8:30 pm EST for POWERLESS