The Power Review 2023 Tv Show Series Cast Crew Online
Imagine a world where teenage girls suddenly and without notice became the apex predators of the human race. Imagine that their new power lay dormant in older women, and younger girls would develop the same ability when they got older. Imagine a world where the patriarchy was on its final legs and the dawn of a new world was at women’s fingertips. This is the world of The Power, Prime Video’s latest series. Through several intersecting stories, The Power follows the sudden impact of teenage girls developing a new organ that allows them to release electricity from their fingers. With the power to take lives or heal, these girls will change the world. There is no “if” here, as the structures that prop up the patriarchy will crumble; it is just a matter of when.
The story, both in the novel of the same name, and the series adaptation developed by Raelle Tucker, Naomi Alderman, and Sarah Quintrell, follows Margot (Toni Collette), Jos (Auli’i Cravalho), Roxy (Ria Zmitrowicz), Allie (Halle Bush) Tatiana (Zrinka Cvitešić) and Tunde (Toheeb Jimoh). Margot is the mayor of Seattle who is faced with the political ramifications of this new power. Jos is her daughter struggling with the average teen drama while also developing a power that will change her family and life. Roxy is the neglected teen daughter of a gangster who wants to solidify a relationship with her father and find a place in his business. Allie is a young woman who escapes an abusive foster family and embarks on a pilgrimage of self-discovery. Tatiana is the wife of a sexist dictator who finds a new purpose as the power sends shockwaves through her nation. Finally, Tunde is a young journalist who chases down the story that will change the course of history.
The cast is filled with familiar faces and new talent that do so much to carry this massive story. Breaking down the overarching narrative into smaller stories allows the ensemble to find individual moments to shine. No singular performance shines above the rest, but the younger ensemble is particularly notable for their vibrancy. When the writing fumbles, which it does in places, the cast admirably picks up the pieces and runs with it. That said, The Power struggles with pacing. The narrative is slow to get going, making the world-changing situation of young women developing a new organ seem less important than it is. Though the personal narratives it follows do a lot to explore the wide range of experiences that come from this commonality, it doesn’t make up for the lack of compelling world-building. How the stories of these characters intertwine is telegraphed competently, but there is this unsettling feeling that the series could do more to highlight the urgency of this rapidly developing crisis and soon-to-be gender war.
The novel by Naomi Alderman chronicles the fictional history of these characters and the effect they have on changing the course of history with women (biological females, in this case) reclaiming the patriarchal world in what can only be described as cosmic justice for the thousands of years of oppression. Narratively, the show is on par with Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale and FX’s short-lived Y: The Last Man, with the latter being the most similar due to the narrative structure. But instead of the male species being wiped out or the total subjugation of women, The Power explores a story with women in the evolutionary dominant role reckoning with the reality that they will soon inherit the planet. The slogan “The Future is Female” could not be more accurate for this series. This is a fascinating narrative to explore, especially as season 1 is set at the beginning of this change when the world is unprepared for this shift. Despite the potential for a multi-season story following the devastating and euphoric changes for the characters, the series starts rather tepidly.
The show is decently crafted, with good special effects, straight-forward directing, and strong performances. Ultimately, the series is banking on investing in these characters first and expanding their stories later on. Season 1 is good and effective in this regard, but more should be done to amp up the excitement and the horror this narrative naturally provides. The Power still has the potential to be a tremendous multi-season series. However, the same was said about Paper Girls — Prime Video canceled that. The Wilds also had potential, but Prime Video ended the series after two seasons.
The Power offers a lot to be confident in, and it’s genuinely interesting. It’s a good start for a series with a thought-provoking story about gender and the dynamics that come from the imbalance of power. The Power can go far, but it might boil down to whether Prime Video is invested in a series that foregrounds young women.
The first three episodes of The Power premiere on Prime Video Friday, March 31. The remaining seven episodes will be released weekly.
