I wanted to like Jupiter’s Legacy. I really did. Superheroes, Leslie Bibb in a grey wig, and powers? What more could you want? A lot, it turns out. You could want for a story that doesn’t move at a snails pace while trying to assure you that everything is going as planned. You could want for a villain that feels honest, real, and like everything we’ve been waiting fo. And you could want for a group of young superheroes who feel relatable. All of those things could’ve made Jupiter’s Legacy something special. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.
The Union, the superhero organization in Jupiter’s Legacy, was bogged by down by a code that no longer works. Sure, it might’ve been ok 60 years ago. But the world is different now. And you either adapt with it or you get left behind. And in many respects, the entire Union got left behind by a world that has tougher problems and need better decision making from these heroes if they are to save lives. No more playing it safe and hoping that things will turn out alright because they have before. 2021 is a different monster and it should be treated as such.
Their code was made even more infuriating when you saw how much Sheldon, the Utopian and leader of the The Union, used it as an excuse to not change. He would’ve rather stuck to his guns until his dying breath if that meant he continued to be right. Hell, his life, that of his wife, junior superheroes, and plenty of innocent civilians were put in danger because the Utopian had to prove that it was his way or the highway. And I loathed how this overshadowed every relationship that he had; from his wife to his children, he wouldn’t bend even for them.
His children, have no such qualms about bending the code. And honestly, I’m with them. Brandon killed a creature, because he was just a copy, that was going to kill his parents, his friends, and countless people. I would’ve done the same thing if I were in his shoes. And I would feel righteous anger at a father who hesitated to save me because he had to be right. That’s why I feel sadness when I look at Brandon and how much he idolizes his father. The Utopian, because he’s that more than he is Sheldon, doesn’t deserve to have Brandon’s loyalty without question. At this point, it has to be earned and I feel no regret saying that.
Chloe was a whole other hot mess and I could and still understand why. Sure, she understood that her parents were always off saving the world. That mattered. But they were their kids. Time should’ve been allocated to them with the same care that The Union implemented their code, day in and day out. And honestly, I didn’t get that until later on in the season. I thought she was just having first world problems. But your parents help shape you. And if they’re not present, you try to shape yourself. And along the way you fuck up, stumble, and keep trying. That’s what happened with Chloe in Jupiter’s Legacy.
The two characters that I wanted to know most about, and who kept me interested in the show were Grace/Lady Liberty, played by Leslie Bibb, and George/Skyfox, played by Matt Lanter. Grace was poise, strength, and resilience wrapped in one. George was cocky, different, and layered. And I think Jupiter’s Legacy could’ve done more with both of them. Instead I was given Sheldon and his problems when Grace was right there. And we barely got to see George besides knowing that he betrayed his friends years ago and was the “big bad” of the story.
All together, Jupiter’s Legacy could’ve been something amazing and different from what we’re used to when it comes to superhero stories. But it underutilized it’s characters and stuck to it’s gun in remaining in the dark ages when it comes to change. Now, I’m not saying that I’m down with the changes the real bad guy wants. I’m saying that if The Union is to survive in any way, shape, or form in regards to what’s coming, they need to evolve or get crushed (or worse) under the weight of the present and the future to come.
Jupiter’s Legacy is now available on Netflix.
