I didn’t realize I was two episodes behind on The Cape. To mix things up I’ll review the stories together.Scales:
The Cape is trying to pit Scales and Chess against each other in hopes that Scales will reveal Chess’s true identity. By straining their relationship and putting them in a charity masquerade ball on a train together, The Cape hopes Scales will announce to the powerful people of Palm City the truth about Peter Flemming. The biggest problem is that The Carnival of Crime is planning to rob the train at the same time. What I particularly enjoyed about this episode was the exposition of Scales. He’s a criminal, and thug who battled his way into wealth. We see a man who is crude trying to be sophisticated, who is still haunted by his past as a carnival freak. It explains why he’s so angry and violent. No matter what he’s out of his league playing with the big boys.
After the last few episodes we forgot that The Carnival is actually a group of crooks, and this episode raises several question. Why is Max working with a hero? Will The Cape and The Carnival come to blows? I really like the carnies. As a group they’re hilarious together. I hope that whatever occurs they’re still be in the cast and ultimately be good. Either way a major conflict is going to occur between the carnies and The Cape.
Dice:
After mapping a child savant’s mind who thinks and calculates probabilities on the level of quantum mechanics, Peter Flemming is able to create the Tracy tool capable of predicting the future. However the father of the girl who’s mind was used as a template was one Chess’s first victims. She’s grown up to become Dice, a fem fatale who determined to get revenge. If Dice kills Flemming, any chance Faraday had of proving his innocence is gone. Now The Cape needs to protect his arch- enemy. Oddly Flemming is attracted to Dice, because she see the world similar to him. Whereas she formulates quantum mechanics in her mind, Flemming sees the world in a structured game through steps and strategies.
This episode touches on the idea of free will and destiny in a cursory manner. The Cape wonders how his life would be different if he’d never gone to the train yard and been framed. Somehow he and Orwell are both bind spots for Dice’s probability vision. There’s something special about them. This is further alluded to when Max flashes back to meeting Vince. Max seems to be expecting him and preparing the cape for him. My theory is there is a reason the criminals have created a superhero. Despite being a thief Max has honor. He didn’t like Kosmo because he was a villain. Maybe Max can see the future similar to Dice, and knew that a hero would be needed. This would be an interesting influence to the upcoming conflict between The Cape and the Carnival of Crime.
My biggest complaint about these episodes are the Faraday family. I know their roll is to show the hero is human, and is in essence fighting for them, but their scenes take away from the over arching plot of the story. When we pause to see Dana Faraday crying because her son is distant and upset over loosing his father, or see Trip bullied as the son of Chess, it takes away the momentum of giant thugs with alligator skin, or evil masterminds plotting to take over the city. I appreciate how they are portrayed as an idealized family, and it adds strength to the character, but I want them to be involved more. Some of the stories even write themselves. Dana is defending an innocent man who Chess is trying to frame. Chess sends a killer after her and The Cape has to defend her. Trip goes to the circus with school, meets the carnies and is caught in their highjinx. I feel the lack of interaction between The Cape and Dana is a major trope of superhero fantasy missing that could be played out in the show.
After seeing these episodes I’ve grown quite fond of this world that The Cape is weaving together. I want to see more of it.