Sunday, August 28, 2016

Wonder Woman- 2011 TV Pilot

DC comics has been a roll recently with television shows based on their properties.
Their Arrowverse on The CW comprises of The Flash, Green Arrow, Legends of Tomorrow, and now Supergirl, who they picked up from CBS. There is also talks of Matt Ryan continuing to portray John Constantine, a character that lasted one season on NBC, but has been accepted as a part of the Arrowverse continuity.

DC also has Lucifer and Gotham on FOX, iZombie on The CW, and Preacher on AMC.

Success wasn't always the case; sometimes you have strike out before hitting one out of the park.

NBC's Wonder Woman pilot back in 2011 was such that strike out. 


The pilot cold-opens with a young black man named Willis opening his college acceptance letter and celebrating the good news with his family. This moment of joy is short-lived as he gets a sudden case of stigmata.


Cut to a super fast foot chase between a bald guy in a hoodie and Wonder Woman. After catching the mystery man, she draws a vial of his blood and turns him over to the police.



The title card flashes and various news reports of Wonder Woman's latest apprehension are being flipped through by Cary Elwes, he plays Henry Detmer, the man who runs WW's company for her.

On one channel is a male political pundit voicing his opinion against her, while Nancy Grace thanks God that she exist.


Just like Bruce Wayne, Wonder Woman uses her company, Themyscira Inc., to fund her superhero escapades. Dr. Phil also gets a cameo, deeming Wonder Woman as a showboat who's a little nuts and needs anger management.

Wanting some normalcy in her life, she slums in an apartment as Diana Prince, complete with glasses and a cat, Sylvester. She talks to him about finally making a Facebook profile, and swoons over Ryan Gosling in The Notebook.

Blink and you'll miss the flashback to her breaking up with her boyfriend Steve.

She has a meeting with Willis's mom the next day, she finds out that fast bald guy gave Willis some drugs that caused the first scene. These drugs were manufactured by Veronica Cale, evil businesswomen and superhero drug maker, who baldie is a pawn of.

After this meeting, she holds a press conference, outing Cale for making super steroids; Cale is played by the very British and very pretty Elizabeth Hurley. Wonder Woman ends the conference by threatening to "get" Cale if the law doesn't.


A board meeting on Wonder Woman's image reveals to me that she's damn near Ozymandias from Watchmen.
They're both wealthy with multi million dollar companies, both sell their superhero identities with toys and other merchandise, and both are ok with killing.

She takes a stand on the new dolls because of their bust size and it leads to her storming off.


Another flashback to Steve, the boyfriend she broke up with. She dumped him so that he wouldn't become a target once she started her crime-fighting career. While back in the present, Veronica Cale shows up to offer peace, and by peace, she means back off!
She says that she has Congress by the balls and that their balls come easily to her. There's a joke in there somewhere, but it's a little too easy, just like Congressional balls coming to Liz Hurley.


Quick trip to the hospital to talk to Willis and to interrogate the bald baddie. Instead of using the lasso of truth that she puts on his chest, she threatens to break his arm if he doesn't give up some information.

Note: Because this show is boring and I have not much to write about, Wonder Woman's police liaison is played by Pedro Pascal, who would go on to be Prince Oberyn in Game of Thrones and the lead on Netflix's Narcos.


Willis passes away later in the night, causing WW to spring into action and committing a cardinal sin by putting on her costume instead of spinning and it magically appears.


 After fighting Cale's gym-bro security team, she kills a guy! and confronts Cale.

  
The cops show up, Cale gets arrested, and the Justice Department's lawyer shows up, being none other than ex-boyfriend Steve.

Steve shacked up after being dumped by Diana, so she ends her night with Sylvester and sets up a Facebook profile.


This wasn't Adrianne Palicki's first go round with a failed comic book adaptation, she was the main villain in 2006's Aquaman pilot. 

Palicki would finally have success at comic book roles in 2014
as Bobbi Morse on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. 

No comments:

Post a Comment