Wonder Man: Excellently Acted
Wonder Man Pulls Off A Risky Establishing Scene
Never have I cringed so hard at the first moments (after a flashback) of a great show than Wonder Man. Though it establishes Simon as our main character effectively, it’s mostly focusing on his flaws, and they are brutal flaws for someone in his life circumstances. I wanted him to please, please just read the room and understand how bad a decision he’s making. I know enough about the world of movies and television to see how he was causing everyone else’s issues.
But now having seen the first three episodes, I completely understand why Wonder Man did this. The show is meta not in the Deadpool way, but thematically meta: meaning that it’s a series where excellent (real world) actors play struggling (fake) actors who are also (in narrative) very good actors, who discuss acting while one them is (secretly) only acting as their friend. And, if that isn’t enough, the show is about a person hiding their real superpowers so they can play a character with superpowers. Every interaction, every conversation becomes rich with subtext because no one, at any point, can fully tell the truth to anyone else, and it’s enthralling.
Wonder Man Has Just Incredible Rewatch Potential
My only possible worry with a structure like this is that, going forward, any reveal of the truth from anyone could result in tropey emotional fallouts. I don’t want the big emotional climax to be Simon learning of Trevor’s deception and then having an argument with him (which then results in The Department of Damage Control getting proof of his powers). From shows like Ironheart and Agatha All Along, I’ve come to expect Marvel television series (but not movies) to subvert the obvious and go for interesting swerves, and my only hope is that Wonder Man is steps ahead of me.
One Plotline Could Turn Out Extremely Predictable
Even if it’s not though, the series is operating on more than just one dramatic narrative. Though acting is the central discussion, it’s got two big stories happening through subtext, isolated moments, and a few distinct scenes. One is of interiority and one is of profiling. Simon is an excellently written character. He isn’t just a person who wants to be an actor; he’s a person who found the cure for his deep loneliness and trauma in watching movies, and—though it’s only my head canon by episode three—I think he can’t accept doing anything else as a job because it would mean losing those connections. And the second plot line, the one of Trevor’s deceptions, is only happening because of profiling by The Department of Damage Control. The DDC is actively looking for anyone with superpowers to lock up because they fear budget cuts because of not filling their prison, and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that—with only the smallest of hints that he has superpowers—they’ve decided that Simon is a dangerous person. I’m not qualified to speak on this much (or anything to do with the Mandarian plotline), or how well Wonder Man handles it, but the commentary on racial profiling is so obviously woven into the story that it wouldn’t feel like a true review without mentioning it, and I fully expect the DDC to try to create a scenario where they can arrest Simon in a pivotal moment.
It says something about a show where I’ve seen less than two hours of it, and I’ve thought this deeply about it. The writing is simply that good. Wonder Man wasn’t the show I expected, but I am so happy I found it. The acting, at all levels, is so well done, and the main characters have tremendous chemistry. So many scenes brought out deep emotions in me, and I was utterly locked in by the end of the third episode. I know you might be tired of Marvel, but this is the good stuff. Wonder Man is the kind of series that keeps people invested.
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