What if Lin-Manuel Miranda were a DC superhero?

The CW has achieved a feat of superhero television that was once unimaginable.  Four days in a row of shows based on DC comics, three of which take place in the same universe with the fourth just a hop, skip, and a breach away.  Somehow, the collective cast of this group of shows became full of actors with backgrounds in musical theater, especially Supergirl and The Flash.  The titular Supergirl and Flash are played by Melissa Benoist and Grant Gustin who both broke into television by way of Glee, and they are joined by esteemed Broadway legends like Laura Benanti and Jesse L. Martin as well as a younger cast with credits including Bonnie and Clyde and musical Internet sensation StarKid Productions (it's hard to explain if you don't already know).  That's why the two shows are planning a musical crossover for the current seasons.  And yet, they're not alone.  Arrow features John Barrowman, who has a background in the theater scenes of both New York and London, while Legends of Tomorrow has Godspell star Victor Garber and Once's Arthur Darvill.  With all these musical theater actors playing superheroes I wonder if there's a role for the musical-dork-in-chief, Hamilton creator and star Lin-Manuel Miranda, in a DC movie or series.

Blue Lantern

The 2011 film Green Lantern is widely considered a critical and commercial flop, so widely that even the film's star Ryan Reynolds seems to despise it.  I imagine it also raises complicated emotions in writer and producer Greg Berlanti, the ringleader of the CW shows.  However, the Green Lantern Corps of intergalactic police is still a great concept full of great characters.  That's probably why a movie is planned for 2020 and with a little luck a Lantern will show up on TV before much longer.  As for Lin-Manuel Miranda, I don't really see him as a Green Lantern.  GL's are defined by their determination, a trait Miranda surely has in spades, but I believe he would make an even better Blue Lantern.  Blue Lanterns have the same powers as Green Lanterns, (rings that create whatever the wearer imagines from thin air) but Blue Lanterns are defined by hope rather will.  If I know one thing about Lin-Manuel Miranda it's that he is bursting with optimism.  There isn't anyone alive who is more excited to be alive.  He doesn't seem to have a bad word to say about anything but an endless supply of good words about everything.  On the other hand, there could be place for him in the Indigo Tribe, a group of Lantern types who are powered by compassion.

Vibe

A few years ago the character "Vibe" was a fun obscure comic book reference.  He was the ridiculous joke of a "Justice League Detroit" gimmick to pander to hip-hop fans.  (The very first image of Vibe showed him break-dancing.)  The character is now building a different reputation thanks to his main role in The Flash.  The live-action Vibe is very different from the original.  He's a brilliant scientist who lives and breathes nerdy pop culture references and provides just the right amount of comic relief.  The only remnants of the old Vibe seems to be the name "Cisco Ramon," his Hispanic ethnicity, and his vibration based powers, along with a connection to the multi-verse that first appeared when the character was rebooted in 2011.  That's where Lin-Manuel Miranda comes in.  I believe he could perfectly fuse the two versions of the character, perhaps for the cinematic DC universe.  He's a lovable dork who loves hip-hop; the biggest nerd in the game and the coolest dweeb in the world.  I don't know if he can break-dance but I bet he could learn.

Plastic Man

As superhero movies grow in quantity the need for interesting, less known source material also grows.  That's how 2015 produced the excellent Deadpool and the sloppy but enjoyable Suicide Squad.  Maybe if that trend continues the long rumored Plastic Man movie could see the light of day.  Crafting a good Plastic Man movie would certainly be an impressive feat.  The character is as rooted in comedy as Deadpool but much more kid-friendly and cartoonish.  He has the power to stretch and mold his body into any shape he desires and change his appearance at will.  Casting a character like this would be a challenge unless Jim Carrey is still up for getting in superhero shape in his 50's.  For a more youthful alternative, I suggest Miranda.  He's an incredibly physical performer and as a host on SNL he proved his excellent comedic timing.  Although, it may not be a role befitting of a certifiable genius like Mr. Miranda.

Uncle Sam

On SNL Miranda compared Hamilton to the disastrous 2016 election but one notable difference is the time.  Hamilton takes place during and after the American Revolution, when the United States was a fledgling nation full of promise.  When Alexander Hamilton declares himself "just like my country, young, scrappy and hungry," it fills an American heart with pride.  It makes one believe that America's potential has not yet been tapped and depleted.  Also, it's nice to know that one of the greatest artistic minds of our time comes from the U.S. of A.  As far as superheroes go, one might think that Marvel has the market on patriotic do-gooders cornered with Captain America but DC is home to the one and only embodiment of the American Spirit known as Uncle Sam.  The man under the star-spangled top hat has existed in DC Comics in one way or another since 1940.  There's no reason Miranda couldn't regrow Alexander Hamilton's goatee to portray a Puerto Rican-American version of Uncle Sam, perhaps in Legends of Tomorrow.  Sure, it would be a little cheesy, but no one does cheese better than LMM.  The man's a human nacho cheese fountain.

Season 4 of 'Arrow': How a Good Show Really Screwed the Pooch

Oh, Arrow, I really tried to give you every benefit of the doubt with this Laurel Lance business.  I was certain that a show this good could never be so bad.  I told myself it was all part of a master plan and it would all work out within a few episodes.  Laurel's death was handled so poorly I could only assume there was a good reason behind every bad decision; you weren't making mistakes, you were just making choices that would be justified and forgiven before long.  Alas, the season has ended and Laurel's death remains a squishy brown stain on Arrow's leather undies.  Whatever comes in future seasons to rectify this will be too little too late.  The stain has set.

Let me be clear: this is not nerdrage, this is a criticism as objective as it can be.  I am not upset that my favorite character was killed.  I'm just disappointed in the way a character I barely care about was killed.  This isn't about "women in refrigerators."  For one thing, that's not my battle to fight and for another, I wouldn't know when that battle is worth fighting since the bugle is sounded every. single. time. a female character is killed.  This is just about the time when a great show was very, very bad.

I also want you to know that I understand why someone had to die and why you chose Laurel, although I don't think it was the best choice.  Last season introduced the infamous Lazarus Pit which can bring people back from the dead, opening a revolving door to and from the afterlife.  First there was Oliver, who didn't need the pit because he was only mostly dead which is slightly alive.  Then Thea was healed by the pit, followed by Laurel's sister Sara who was dug from her grave to be revived resulting in the destruction of the pit.  But that wasn't good enough and you had to send a message that the revolving door was out and replaced with a door that only goes one way.  And so a Lance sister was killed for what I want to say is the twenty-third time.  Is that right?

Your first mistake was calling your shot.  Every so often since the season premiere you showed that stupid grave and begged us to care about who was in it then you totally botched the execution, in more ways than one.  You pointed at the bleachers then hit a foul ball at the mascot's comically large head.

To go even farther back, the root of your problem is that you haven't really known what to do with Laurel since Tommy died, ending the Laurel/Tommy/Oliver triangle.  You couldn't even give her an interesting plot line in her swan song.  Most of the time when a character dies their show tries to send them out on a high note to elevate the emotional impact.  In this case you gave Laurel a job offer that would force her to give up her life as a crime fighter.  You tried to pull the old "one day left until retirement" move on a fairly recent initiate to the team.  It seems like just yesterday Laurel was in training and Oliver was yelling "you're not ready" at her over and over.  Even worse, you tried to convince the audience that she was encumbered with unrequited love for Oliver when there's hardly been a second of romantic tension between the two in years.

Which brings me to the death itself.  Laurel was stabbed by the big bad of the season Damien Darhk while trying to prevent his jailbreak and the team rushed her to the hospital, all still in costume because apparently there's no room in the van for a few sets of civvies or the prison is really close to the hospital.  Next Laurel came out of surgery and the doctor declared that she was going to be perfectly fine.  That doctor was presumably fired and barred from medicine for her incompetence.  Then Laurel poured her heart out to Oliver followed by a covert conversation that we are still not privy to but at the time very much seemed to be a plan involving a faked death.  Then she flatlined for no apparent reason.  Do you see the problem?  If your intent was to permanently close the revolving door you didn't have the option of leaving any wiggle room but this whole situation stinks of wiggle.

I said before that I don't care about Laurel but it's not from lack of trying.  I like the actress Katie Cassidy and I want to like her character.  As a matter of fact, I did like her when she was on your sister show The Flash for a couple of scenes about a year ago.  The Flash, especially in its first season, is a really fun show where people smile a lot, giving Laurel a chance to bust out those pearly whites.

There is much less smiling on Arrow, which is not something I ever want to change.  However, when a smile lights up the screen the way Laurel's does in that clip it proves an asset that you wasted for years.  It makes me think that the answer to making Laurel more interesting was to let her have some fun, but now she'll never have that chance.  Katie Cassidy might, though.  Fittingly, I imagine that Cassidy will make her return to Arrow by way of The Flash.  You've already laid the seeds for it.  You used that show's inter-dimensional hi-jinks to introduce Laurel's evil doppelganger who I assume will appear on Arrow next season.  You've made mistakes and that will never go away, but you still have a chance to do something right.  I only ask that when Darkest Timeline Laurel makes her debut on your show you let her have a good time being bad.

Please, for the Love of All Things Good and Holy, Watch 'Supergirl'

When Supergirl premiered on CBS in fall of 2015 it got fantastic ratings that quickly dropped off.  Over a few weeks the number of viewers dropped while the quality of the show shot up.  The seventh episode "Human for a Day" had less than three fifths as many viewers as the pilot despite being one of the best hours of SuperTV ever made, and I say that as someone who has seen every single episode of Lois and Clark, all ten record-breaking seasons of Smallville, and a few dozen 50's era Adventures of Superman.  (Speaking of which, Supergirl should at least get a chance to retell the "Panic in the Sky" episode, something of a right of passage for Superman adaptations.)  By the season finale Supergirl had less than half of the viewers of the first episode.  Numbers like that made a renewal seem unlikely but yesterday the second season was confirmed along with a move from CBS to the CW, home of sibling shows The Flash, Arrow, and Legends of Tomorrow.  The networks have given Supergirl another chance and now I'm asking that viewers do the same, not just because I might like a third season, but because I think you'll find that you will, too.

Like all recent adaptations of Superman, Supergirl faced the challenge of putting a fresh spin on a cultural icon nearly eighty years old.  The solution was to shift the focus from Earth's greatest champion to his younger cousin, the fantastic Melissa Benoist as Kara Danvers, a modern Mary Tyler Moore type trying to make her way in a Superman's world.  Kara was sent as a thirteen year-old by her parents to protect her infant cousin Kal-El, but she took a detour in space and time, winding up on Earth years after Kal-El had grown into Clark Kent and taken the mantle of Superman.  Making Kara the protagonist allows the show to meta-embrace the looming shadow of the Metropolis Marvel and explore all the same themes as a typical Superman story, like idealism, alienation, and hope, while putting more emphasis on the growing cultural conversation of feminism than Lois Lane alone can provide.

Speaking of gender, one of the early criticisms of Supergirl was its similarity to romantic comedies, specifically The Devil Wears Prada.  The comparison is fair, but only because Clark Kent has always been just one chromosome away from a clumsy, wide-eyed, adorkable rom-com protagonist.

Makeover!

The real problem is that so many people think The Devil Wears Prada is a romantic comedy.  It's much more accurate, even if slightly more sexist, to call it a "chick flick" since it treats its main character's personal relationships, platonic and romantic alike, as an afterthought, which is kind of the whole point of the movie.

Let's go back to the "Human for a Day" episode.  Stories about superheroes losing their powers are a common occurrence.  It seems like Smallville had two for every Tom Welling ab muscle and Supergirl's sibling show The Flash has just ended one as it nears the end of its sophomore year.  Still, Supergirl handled it better than most, turning a tired trope into an opportunity for insight and poignancy.  One scene, likely inspired by an issue of the Superman comic book released several months earlier, sees Supergirl suit up and stop an armed robbery despite being every bit as bullet proof as you or I.  She does it not with her fists or her fiery eyes but with conversation and compassion.  The image of her hand shaking like a leaf, due in equal parts to fear and a broken arm, is more powerful than a thousand Kryptonian haymakers.

The back half of the season got a slight ratings bump from a crossover with CW's The Flash.  The writers had to know it was coming and they made the most of it, turning out another of their best episodes for slightly different reasons than "Human for a Day."  It isn't quite as subtle or heart-wrenching but it's possibly one of most delightful episodes of TV in years, rivaled only by Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.  When Barry "The Flash" Allen suddenly appears from another dimension he becomes fast friends with Kara.  They then spend the better part of "Worlds Finest" reveling in each other's adventures and oddities.  "You're an alien?  That's so cool!"  "You're from another dimension and you time travel sometimes?  That's so cool!"  Cue the vomit of cynics while everyone else massages their aching smile muscles.  The lovefest isn't entirely devoid of meaning, though.  Barry also moves the story along by giving Kara some advice that prompts her to go for it with her love interest, Jimmy Olsen, who is cool for some reason.  In the climactic battle (one of 2016's few instances of heroes fighting villains instead of each other) Kara manages to prove herself and win back the affection of the public she lost a few weeks earlier thanks to some brainwashing Red Kryptonite.  It couldn't be more heartwarming or uplifting if all the extras were replaced with puppies.

Look at that!  I got this far without talking trash about Zak Snyder!  That was nice while it lasted.  The reason I resent the director so much is that his depictions of Superman are severely lacking in hope and optimism, the tent poles of the character's appeal.  There's a line from the classic 1978 Superman movie that defines the Man of Tomorrow to me.  His biological father, who sent him to Earth to save him from Krypton's destruction, among other reasons, tells him from beyond the grave "[humans] can be a great people, Kal-El, they wish to be.  They only lack the light to show them the way."  If Zak Snyder insists on snuffing out that light, we are fortunate that Supergirl is up to the task.  The CW is willing to let her shine, but are you ready to come out of the darkness?

Mad Men Report: The Magicians, Angie Tribeca, and Legends of Tomorrow

We're a few weeks into the new year and with it comes a new batch of TV shows, and guess what: they're all great, because it's just impossible to make a bad show now.  It's a miracle that CSI: Cyber exists.  It's such a breath of fresh air.  Bad writing, a contrived premise and lackluster acting.  It's terrific!  But not these shows.  No, these new shows are a stupid fire-trucking delight to watch and it just makes me want to stab my own eyes out with a pair of 90's TV "bunny ears" antennas.  Speaking of the past, as always the rating system for these shows is based on their potential to distract me from watching Mad Men.  

The Magicians

A troubled loner is thrust into a world of magic and only he can stop the oncoming evil.  The Magicians, which officially airs on Monday the 25th but is available online and on demand, bluntly addresses things like sex and violence and addiction and mental illness.  You could certainly see it as Harry Potter for adults, or you could see it as The Chronicles of Narnia funneled through Mr. Robot, but the best way to see it is as a brand new magical world that we haven't even begun to discover that occasionally satires other fantasy.  The first episode suffers from the translation of book to live-action, perhaps because it's rushing to get to the good stuff, but it's worth it because the good stuff is delivered.  It's strange, dark, mysterious, and as wonderfully cinematic as the best of TV.  Jason Ralph is swell as Quentin Coldwater, the graduate student who goes straight from the mental hospital to his new magical college known as Brakebills.  In a small moment the series reveals its potential when a spirit guide of sorts tells Quentin that he won't be at Brakebills for long.  The sooner he gets away from the Potter comparisons the sooner The Magicians can just be The Magicians, and that's when things can get really nifty.

Mad Men threat level: 9/10

Angie Tribeca

There's a very specific kind of silly comedy that has only been done well when Leslie Nielsen is involved.  He's passed on now so instead Rashida Jones is trying her gosh darn best and cunting fuck if that's not good enough.  She stars in the new TBS comedy Angie Tribeca that premiered and ended its first season earlier this week.  I like to think the late Mr. Nielsen wouldn't object to having his body exhumed and Weekend at Bernie's-ed for a good enough joke but that may not be necessary with Rashida's excellent supporting cast.  The consistently hilarious Deon Cole plays Angie's fellow detective DJ Tanner, the esteemed Jagger plays Tanner's partner David Hoffman and the legendary Alfred Molina works in the forensics lab for starters.  As if that weren't enough, they are accompanied by a bevy of fantastic guest stars including Lisa Kudrow, Adam Scott, James Franco, and Bill Murray.  On top of that, the series was created by the comedy power couple of Steve and Nancy Carell.  With the idiotic writing and neat deliveries of Angie Tribeca, it would be hard to find a better tribute to the late Nielsen.

Mad Men threat level: 7/10

Legends of Tomorrow

The "Arrowverse" that started with Arrow and expanded to The Flash just introduced a new character who brought with him a whole new world.  Time traveling rapscallion Rip Hunter has taken upon himself to save the timeline from the immortal Vandal Savage.  To help him on this mission he has recruited a troupe of heroes (both anti- and pro-) and a couple of villains who all first appeared on The Flash or Arrow.  Rip, played by Doctor Who alumnus Arthur Darvill, has a personal vendetta against Vandal, as do the star-crossed lovers reincarnate Hawkman and Hawkgirl.  However, the heart of Legends pumps the blood of lighthearted adventure, and on that front Caity Lotz's White Canary is the true star.  After dying and returning to life on more than one occasion like Arrow's own Phoenix, Sara Lance has a new lease on life.  When Rip takes the team to the 1970's Sara leads the charge to get groovy.  More than anyone else, including Brandon Routh's adorkable genius Ray "Atom" Palmer, Sara has made the decision to have fun on this temporal voyage and that makes her the soul of the show, whether she has one or not.

Mad Men threat level: 8/10

7 DC Characters Who Should Be On TV (For Real This Time)

Last week I promised nine suggestions of characters that should be in the upcoming TV series DC's Legends of Tomorrow, but I only delivered two and a bad joke because I was coming up on my semi-rigidly self-imposed deadline and I'm kind of just a jerk.  Since then the trailer was released for the series along with the possibly-connected-but-probably-not Supergirl.  Both shows look great and remind me how cool it is that the golden age of television coincides with the golden age of live action superheroes.  Now I feel I should deliver on the promise in last week's list, but I stand by the previous entries.  Static would be a fantastic addition to any of DC's current TV series (except Gotham which I'm ignoring because I haven't watched it in months and it's definitely not connected to the other shows) and Mr. Mxyzptlk could work on Legends, Supergirl, or The Flash.

The Question

Legends of Tomorrow's parent show Arrow is far darker than any of its offspring.  Its setting in Starling City would make a great home for a hard boiled detective without a face, namely Vic Sage AKA The Question.  Sage works as a TV journalist in the day and moonlights as a noir style gumshoe.  The Question is a perennial outsider and could offer his unique viewpoint and skills to the team in Legends.  Sage also has a close relationship with Helena "The Huntress" Bertinelli who has appeared on Arrow several times. His successor as The Question, Renee Montoya, is also close to Bertinelli and would be welcome on any series.

He doesn't not have a face for TV.

The Legion of Super-Heroes

The Legion is a team of superheros from roughly ten centuries in the future.  They first appeared in the present to induct Superboy (young Superman, not young clone of Superman) into their team.  They quickly became a staple of Clark Kent's early heroic career.  Supergirl also joined the Legion and developed  romantic ties to fellow member Brainiac 5, a descendant of the iconic Superman villain Brainiac.

The green and purple one is Brainiac.  Why?  What color is your evil robot
villain's great great great great great grandson who has hair for some reason?

Jonah Hex

Since Legends apparently involves quite a bit of time travel it should allow for some run ins with characters from throughout DC's history, which includes the westerns that featured the likes of charming and stylish Bat Lash, the musical Minstrel Maverick, and most famously the scarred bounty hunter known as Jonah Hex.

What could possibly go wrong with a live action Jonah Hex?

Wonder Woman

It's going to be at least a couple of years before Wonder Woman gets her own movie (which is still at least a couple decades too late) so it would be great to see Princess Diana of Themyscira back on the small screen where she made her mark as played by Lynda Carter in the 70's.  It might be good for Supergirl to interact with an established female hero as she lives in Superman's shadow.  Even if Wonder Woman herself doesn't show up the Legends could possibly swing by ancient Greece and visit the Amazons on Paradise Island, or at least White Canary and Hawkgirl could while the men play Candy Crush and charge their phones on The Atom's suit.

Already a better western than Jonah Hex.

The Super Pets

A dog is man's best friend, which is why Krypto the Superdog has become such an endearing part of the Superman mythos.  Supergirl has a pet of her own, a cat named Streaky who gains powers by playing with a special ball of yarn.  The "adorkable" Supergirl we've seen so far definitely seems like she would have a cat, but a Krypto appearance would also be fun.  However, neither would be as much fun as Comet the Superhorse.

Fun!  Not creepy!

Scandal Savage

The main villain of Legends of Tomorrow is going to be the immortal Vandal Savage.  Being immortal, Vandal has no doubt procreated on more than one occasion.  His most notable offspring is Scandal Savage, a member of the anti-hero/villain team Secret Six.  Scandal has a lot in common with Nyssa Al Ghul, who was a major player in the third season of Arrow and the battle against her father, the nigh immortal R'as.  Scandal could also be a valuable ally as the Legends fight Vandal.

Nothing snarky to say about Scandal but
I do want to apologize for Jonah Hex.
I haven't even seen that movie.

Jerro

I'm most familiar with Supergirl from her early years in the 60's.  It was a very strange time for comic books and perhaps Supergirl more than most.  Superman forced her to live in an orphanage and resist adoption until she proved herself, she had an android duplicate of herself that she kept in a tree, and as previously mentioned she had a Supercat and Superhorse.  One of my favorite aspects of this time for Supergirl is her courtship with Jerro.  Jerro is a merman and an associate of Lori Lemaris, a mermaid who dated Superman.  He's a merman, his name is Jerro, and he loves Supergirl.  If that's not good TV I don't know what is.

Have some dignity Jerro.  Clinginess is not
befitting of the noble merman.