The new Prime Video series, The Power is based on the best-selling novel by Naomi Alderman. The series is a Young Adult Sci/Fi that tells the story of 4 young women (out of hundreds possibly thousands) who gain electrical powers. This power shifts the landscape between men and women forever. Is it for the better? Only time will tell. 

THE WOMEN OF THE POWER

Cleary-Lopez Family at Podium
Auli’i Cravalho (Joss Clearly-Lopez)
Halle Bush (Allie)
Zrinka Cvitešić (Tatiana)
Ria Zmitrowicz (Roxy), Eddie Marsan (Bernie Monke)

We first meet the Cleary-Lopez family. Mom, Margot (Toni Collette) is the mayor of their town, her husband, Rob (John Leguizamo) is a doctor, and they have 3 young kids. Jos (Auli’I Cravalho) is in high school, Matt (Gerrison Machado) is feeling like the lone wolf, and their youngest daughter, Izzy (Pietra Castro) is living in tween bliss. 

Roxy Monke (Ria Zmitrowicz) is the daughter of a mobster. Tatiana Moskalev (Zrinka Cvitesic) is a retired Russian Gymnast who was basically sold by her family to a powerful man who now runs the country. Finally, there’s Allie (Halle Bush), an orphan who has been tossed from foster home to foster home. After gaining the power she begins to hear a voice, runs away, and begins a religion. 

While each of their stories is wildly different, there also oddly similar. They’re all trying to navigate their newfound power, while still fitting into the world. 

WHAT’S GOING ON?

While I’ve only seen 8 out of the 10 episodes of season one of The Power, at this point not a lot has happened. Which is strange to say after 8 episodes. At this point, it feels like everyones story is just getting started, but the season is bout to end. 

The thing I like the most about the series so far is how it’s handling the topic of change. Women are given a power that, in a way, levels the playing field with men in a physical way. At this point in the series, there are no conversations about how women are better than men or whether women should be the only leaders. The conversation is still about equality and safety.

Of course, there are those who take this power as a threat to their manhood and society’s status quo. That said, I’m sure in the future they will be a bigger threat in the series than they are now. 

At this point, I’m just waiting to see how the first season of The Power ends because at this point I’m very underwhelmed. The entirety of season one so far is entirely world and character building which hasn’t really been the focus of a series in ages. My hope is that season 1 ends with a bang, and a season 2 announcement happens quickly.