The Power is science-fiction TV series created by Raelle Tucker, Naomi Alderman and Sarah Quintrell and based on a book of the same name by Naomi Alderman. The series stars Toni Collette as Mayor Margot Cleary-Lopez, alongside John Leguizamo, Auli’i Cravalho, Toheeb Jimoh, Eddie Marsan, Ria Zmitrowicz, Zrinka Cvitešić, Halle Bush and others.
The series has 8 episodes, each with a runtime of around 60 minutes.
When teenage girls start to get a strange new power spontaneously, the chaos and confusion are accompanied by those in society who would do anything in their power to control them. But will the women realise their capabilities and walk towards a whole new world, or those who want them to fall win in this fight?
– The Power Review Does Not Contain Spoilers –
The Power takes its sweet time to build its electrical world and confused and confident characters – it’s honestly a waiting game; you need to patiently wait and absorb the information with the parents and teenage girls in these confusing and trying times. Thus, you are in the midst of it all, and you get to know things as the characters themselves do.
Although the series, as mentioned previously, takes a ton of time to build the world and the characters, the pacing can seem rather slow. It is slow, but it gives you a chance to really get into the nitty-gritty of the feelings that these characters share, who everyone is and a good understanding of the world it resides in, although the last part isn’t too unfamiliar to our own.
The Power finds a solid footing after the third episode, wherein you are sucked into these different people’s lives. The series gives every character (and we have several) the chance to say her piece so wonderfully that after the initial slump, their stories hit you hard. Maybe it’s because of the unfair world that we live in ourselves, wherein those in power don’t bat an eye before trying to control women and their bodies, but the series hits hard on several notes.
The idea behind the power, its origin and why women all of a sudden develop it is fascinating. I am glad that it’s not just another “welp, here’s a power that we don’t know where you got”. The series discusses in-depth (while keeping space for confusion and further discussion) exactly why and when the power emerges. The socio-political ramifications of it and how it pushes women to latch on to each other after years of bullying and torment will warm your heart.
It’s a time for radical change, and interestingly enough, there’s also the slight chance that there’s something supernatural about it too. Is there truly a God who, after having enough of the inequality and injustices against women, is here to right the wrongs finally? You can have your theories, of course, but the series has its own justifications as well that work together quite nicely as well.
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This is, in the end, a very serious show. The Power isn’t the quirky entertainer that we all might want. It’s a difficult watch that really dives into the dirty underbelly of what it means to be a woman in today’s world. It’s the scary reality of how threatened people can get when one section of society finally rises up from slumber to reclaim its rightful place. The series sometimes will give you goosebumps, while at others, you will be forced to confront a heartbreaking reality that might move you to tears.
It’s a mixture of these small victories and looming darkness that will make you get up and take note of The Power. It is, however, a very slow watch. Things take their sweet time to reach the crescendo. It’s acceptable because of the grim and scary payoff, but a faster pacing really would’ve worked out in the show’s favour.
Performances are great throughout the show, but considering the fantastic cast, it is probably a given. Toni Collette, Auli’i Cravalho, Toheeb Jimoh, Ria Zmitrowicz and Halle Bush are great in their respective roles and play these strong, scared and confused women with finesse. They bring forth these confusing feelings so well that you will find yourself in their characters somewhere or the other. This reliability factor makes The Power a truly powerful watch.
Summing Up: The Power
The Power is a powerful commentary about women, their rights, their bodies and those in society who would love to keep them under their thumbs. It’s a serious series that takes its sweet time to give us a beautiful showcase of characters and situations. The world-building in the series is truly good, but be aware that the pacing won’t be up everyone’s alley.
The Power is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
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