The Fall TV premiere season is upon us, folks, and we should all be rejoicing, for it is a great time to be a TV nerd. With nearly every genre covered within the spectrum of TV, everyone has their options, but those of us who would like to refer to ourselves as “suckers” for a good old fashioned superhero show have endless reasons to rejoice. In this article, we will break down the new, groundbreaking advancements in the Superhero TV genre, and give you reasons to check out each new season as it hits the air, or in some cases, the web.
Gotham, Season 3 [FOX]
As you may well be aware, Gotham has received its (often times well-deserved) hate from the personalities here at Tiny Table 3. Even as a fan of the show myself, there are moments where Gotham fails to understand its core audience and fan base, instead opting to stray from source material or trying to build up original characters rather than delving into their vast catalog of “proven-successful” comic book personalities. However, season 3 looks to continue to build on last season’s big twist of introducing Gotham City to the mutated and unstable freaks who escaped from Indian Hill Laboratories. It also looks to bring Jim Gordon into an even darker, more fitting role as he continues his struggles as a rogue policeman with a passion for justice. Where other seasons have stumbled in developing Gordon’s comic book backstory, this season seeks to focus on building him up to the legend we are all familiar with. Expect to see some new yet familiar faces on the show, but don’t be surprised if the show has a few stumbles along the way. I’ve kind of grown to accept a certain amount of hiccups each season, yet still find the show enjoyable. Gotham is already heading into its third episode of Season 3, and airs Monday nights on FOX.
Supergirl, Season 2 [The CW]
Fans will rejoice when The CW’s big superhero block party premieres in just a few weeks. Joining the following week, Supergirl will make its debut on The CW after a lackluster first season on CBS. If you ask me, this is going to be a groundbreaking advancement for the show and The CW in general. Not only does Supergirl’s “teenage soap opera-esque” vibe fit well with the other shows on The CW, but it allows the character to actually interact with the other beloved DC characters who have already established their own shared universe. For Supergirl, expect bigger guest characters and comic book references. We’ve already seen several promos introducing Superman to the mix, and only time will tell how many other Justice-Leaguers we’ll be meeting along the way. Also, expect Supergirl to have a lasting impression on the rest of The CW shows. While The Flash and Arrow have had little interstellar storylines over their runs, the addition of Supergirl makes for the possibilities of several aliens heroes and villains to join the fray. Supergirl is definitely going to break down the walls of the sandbox, so to speak. Catch her on Mondays, kicking off a week of super shows on the CW.
The Flash, Season 3 [The CW]
Following the big cliffhanger from last season, Season 3’s “Flashpoint” will find Barry suffering from the effects of his decision to go back and prevent his mother’s death. However, fans of the famous comic book storyline shouldn’t look for any obvious comparisons or similarities. This will be a unique take on the concept of time-changing and alternate realities. Yet, as most of you already know, there really isn’t too much to worry about when it comes to The Flash. Expect another amazing season. Look for the Flash on its usual Tuesday nights.
Arrow, Season 5 [The CW]
While the past few seasons of Arrow have fallen short of fan expectations, expect Season 5 to bring back a darker tone and something more akin to the earlier, more well-perceived seasons of the show. Picking up several months after last season’s big shakeup, Oliver Queen is now leading a new, ragtag bunch of wannabe vigilantes. But life is not going to be easier for Oliver and Company (see what I did there?). Expect a rougher, deadlier, and much darker crime story this season, and hopefully one that is much more well-received than the last few. Arrow is still anchoring down the CW superhero week on Wednesday nights.
Legends of Tomorrow, Season 2 [The CW]
Sticking with the juggernaut of superhero TV that is The CW lineup, expect a huge breakout season 2 for Legends of Tomorrow. While the first season was definitely exciting and full of fun and plot-twists, it did have its shortcomings. Despite lack of a full season order and a few pitfalls as far as acting goes, season 1 laid the foundation and planted the seeds for what is sure to be a thrilling second season. Ditching the iffy Hawkgirl and Hawkman (who suffered mainly from bad actors), the team is now venturing into the past and forming ties with the Justice Society of America. This makes for many potential Easter eggs and a ton of fun encounters for our heroes. Hopefully they will run into some other new and even familiar faces along the way. Catch Legends of Tomorrow Thursdays, as you wrap up 4 days worth of superhero CW material.
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Season 4 [ABC]
Now, I’ll admit, I was reserving judgment on season 4 of Agents of SHIELD for a particular reason. Firstly, while I enjoyed some of the first season, the last two really pushed me to the point of abandonment. Seriously, it got pretty awful. Suffering from an early time slot and stricter parental guidelines, the show was lacking something special. So when they announced that season 4 would be moving the show deeper into the night, where things on Primetime network TV have a little more flexibility, I was excited. Then, they made the bold announcement that Marvel treasure, Ghost Rider, would be joining the show. This scared me, and honestly still didn’t convince me of a successful season 4. However, now 2 episodes in, I am happy to report that Agents of SHIELD just might have figured out its adolescent issues and is becoming the show it was hyped to be. Now, let’s obviously give it some time to progress, but so far Ghost Rider is one of the coolest Marvel TV heroes to grace the screen, and the show has been able to push the envelope several times for the better. Expect an action packed and risqué season ahead. Catch Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD Tuesday nights on ABC.
Marvel’s Luke Cage, Season 1 [Netflix]
We’ll wrap up our superhero TV preview with an easy one. Given the track record of Marvel’s Netflix properties, is anybody really wondering if this show is going to be good or not? I think it’s safe to assume that all of us are going to be saying “Sweet Christmas”, when we check this sure-to-be epic show highlighting Marvel’s Harlem Knight, Luke Cage. Expect the raw, violent, and sometimes promiscuous storylines that you’ve seen in Daredevil and Jessica Jones, and also expect some enlightening social commentary as well. I would even be willing to bet that Luke Cage will hold the most emotional and eye-opening storyline for any of the Marvel Netflix shows this far. Marvel’s Luke Cage entire season 1 premieres on Netflix on September 30th.
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