Jupiter’s Legacy
So I just finished watching the Netflix original live-action superhero show, Jupiter’s Legacy. Overall, I think the show is fine. It’s not The Boys, but it’s leagues above the majority of CW shows. That being said, having so many good mature superhero shows such as Wandavison, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, The Boys, and Invincible back-to-back only to have a mediocre show ride off the coattails of the other’s success might cause some people to get sick of superhero shows. One of the major flaws with Jupiter’s Legacy is the constant flip-flopping between the A story and the B story in between scenes. It should've done what the anime Bungo Stray Dogs did and spend the first season with the A story and the second season with the B story. That way, everything flows much smoother.
Another criticism reviewers had are the children of Utopian, Brandon and Chloe. Many people found them too annoying and whiny. I personally didn't mind Brandon and Chloe, but one of the biggest issues with their characters was that they're adults. If they were teenagers, they'd still be annoying, but their whole "daddy was never there for me" gripe would've been more understandable. That being said, Utopian's problem is he can't turn off his superhero side. Part of Superman's appeal is his ability to get down on everyone's level and talk to them like a person. Utopian, however, is nothing but business 24/7. However, this is why his character works for me. Between becoming a businessman at 25 and a superhero for another 70 years, it's no wonder that he's forgotten how to "people." There's also the fact that he's been a superhero longer than he's been a father, considering Brandon and Chloe are only in their 20s. So it's not surprising that he doesn't know how to be a father outside of the strict rigid system of business and superheroes.
Brandon and Chloe may also be screw-ups, but Utopian isn't really helping much either. Brandon does nothing but train and contemplate his murder of Darkstar's clone throughout the season, yet all Utopian does is berate and belittle him and never tries to understand his side. When Chloe tries to explain why she never wanted to be a superhero despite her powers, Utopian just calls her selfish. It doesn't help that everyone around her kept pressuring her to be a superhero and even tried to get close to her to gain leverage in joining the Union. Also, Chloe stated that Utopian would use his powers to intimidate and scare off her boyfriends, which is extremely controlling. Utopian constantly ignores both of his kids' needs and simply wants them to be younger versions of him. It's just like when parents who are lawyers and doctors dismiss their kid for wanting to be an artist. Saving the world is important, and I think Brandon and Chole understand that. However, parents can't expect their kids to love and obey them unconditionally if they weren't present in their lives. Especially if all they do is dismiss their goals and aspirations. Even when Utopian's own wife calls him out on his bullshit, he still just blows her off. Once again, all of this stems from the fact that he's been a superhero for 70 years and is mentally in his 90s. He believes that the father’s word is the unquestioning law. This is also a textbook example of an abusive tendency that parents inflict on kids. It really is telling how the only person that Utopian feels comfortable spilling his guts to is one of his greatest supervillains. I will also give the show props for showing a father going to therapy. We need to normalize therapy.
P.S. Can we all agree that Hutch is the best character in the show? The scene in episode 5 when Utopian confronted him, he freaked out and teleported to Iowa, then Utopian shot lasers at the ground and stole his teleporting rod to stop him was hilarious. I can only imagine the shitstorm that may unfold when it's revealed Hutch was having sex with Chloe.
