It’s 2014, and every electronic device in your house is in the original programming game (just wait until you see how the dishwasher re-invents the three-camera sitcom next fall). And your PlayStation’s first foray into scripted series is Powers, a superhero-oriented police procedural that’s based on Brian Michael Bendis’ comic of the same name.
The series has cast a few key roles, starting with The Following’s Susan Heyward (you may also know her as Grizz’s fianceé, Feyoncé, on 30 Rock). Heyward is the show’s female lead, Deena Pilgrim, a non-superpowered detective tasked with fighting superpowered crime. The casting notice describes Deena as “equal parts beauty and sarcasm, a wunderkind detective with edgy style,” and we know that character log lines always sound awful, but read the comic and not the press release and you’ll be a lot more excited.
Rounding out the supporting cast are Max Fowler (The Killing), and Adam Godley (Breaking Bad, Suits). Fowler plays the son of the murdered officer whom Pilgrim replaces, while Godley plays Captain Cross, a police chief who seems to have more to do than scold his officers for not following the rules, playing by the book, obeying simple instructions, coloring inside the lines, ordering from the menu, adhering to best practices, sticking to the style guide, or staying on Santa’s “nice” list. Instead he’s described as “bookish, respectful and loyal,” but may “harbor a secret agenda.”
Still missing from the cast is Pilgrim’s partner, detective Christian Walker—on paper a typically lantern-jawed comic book hero—who plays the jaded veteran to Pilgrim’s wide-eyed rookie. Hey, they can’t dodge every cliché.