The Cape: Dice (S1E5)

So, let me just say how excited I was that Mena Suvari was in this episode. (As was heyitsabell.  She says she loves her but she kinda looks like an alien.)  When I saw the preview I just about squealed.  I'm glad, when I watched it, that she didn't disappoint.

A little sample of what happens when she analyzes probabilities

So, like I said, Mena Suvari is the focus of this episode.  Her name is Tracey Jerrod, but her nickname (or the one she goes by now) is Dice, so called because she could from an early age predict the outcome of dice rolls.  In the greater scheme of things, she could actually predict the future.  When you watch the episode, you see through her eyes that her mind works like a computer, endlessly analyzing probabilities and such.

Tracey as she was young, being analyzed by her father who was funded by Fleming

You first see her as a little girl.  Her dad works for Peter Fleming as a researcher.  And his study?  His daughter.  He says she's a savant and that her mind will save the world.  She makes a creepy prediction when she first meets Peter Fleming: He's going to kill her father, and then she's going to kill him.

Dice and Fleming at his casino themed party for the launch of T.R.A.C.E.

Fast forward to the future, she's all grown up and attending Peter Fleming's launch of their new predictive program: T.R.A.C.E. -- based off of her brain.  She finds and meets Fleming at a congratulatory party for the product later on.  He's intrigued, and hits on her.  (Can I just say, it's a little creepy considering he looked exactly the same when she was a little girl, and so the age difference is rather high.  I guess whatevers?)  She sets off a bomb at the party, but doesn't manage to do more than stun him.  Even after this attempt on his life, Fleming tells Marty that she's spectacular, and seems to be fascinated.

Vince tries to keep Dice from shooting Orwell.
In the mirror, you see written "God is the Dice."

Vince and Orwell find out about this, and at first Vince is rather happy that someone's gunning for Fleming.  Orwell manages to convince him that it isn't a good idea: if Fleming dies, the secret of his identity as Chess dies as well, leaving Vince stuck as the guilty party.  Reluctantly, Vince agrees to save Fleming's life.  He actually recognizes Dice (as little girl Tracey) too: he's been trying to build a case linking Fleming to Chess, and one of Chess's murders included Dice's father -- just as she predicted it.

Vince and Orwell break into Dice's apartment to learn more about her.  Dice surprises them and puts a gun to Orwell's head.  She calls Vince an interesting "blind spot," saying it's nice because it reminds her that she's not God.

The rest of the show is a flurry of assassination attempts by Dice and Vince's attempts to foil them.  Fleming lays on the charm thick, attempting to woo Dice even as she tries to kill him.  She claims what she wants is for the T.R.A.C.E. program to be destroyed... and of course for Fleming to die.  At the end, she gets at least part of her wish fulfilled: Vince destroys the floor of the building where supposedly all traces (ha ha) of T.R.A.C.E. are being held.

Doctor giving Fleming a checkup after the casino bomb

There's a few scenes that suggest Fleming might be suffering from a split persona or something: his physician (that was taking care of him after the first assassination attempt) asks him about if he had any visits from 'our friend,' suggesting that maybe the doctor was treating him for psychological problems as well.  Although Fleming denies it, it seems that it might be a distinct possibility, especially when you notice his eyes change color when he greets a chess opponent near the end.  Maybe Chess is an alternate persona of Fleming's.  Hmmmm....

The Cape: Scales (S1E4)

Oh my gosh, sorry for the spam earlier with episodes 2 and 3.  Blogger was doing something really funny so I was trying something out (deleting reposting etc) and I just remembered it would totally suck for anyone trying to read this on an RSS feed or something.

Well, let's get this up to date, shall we?

Scales

Episode 4 is in essence about the man named in the title: Scales.  He is being contracted by Chess for armaments and taxed legally by Fleming.  Vince, as the Cape, goes and informs him of this, pointing out an obvious fact: he was still getting order even after "Chess" was supposed to be dead.  So, in essence, Scales was paying the same man twice.

Now why go through all this trouble, especially if Scales is particularly unhappy with the Cape already from an earlier escapade (in episode 1 where he goes to save Max from him).  Vince's ingenious plan boils down to this: to get Scales to out Fleming as Chess, and thus clearing his own name.  He gives Scales the plan to corner Fleming aboard a train full of every "rich player in the city," called the Monte Carlo train.

The Carnival of Crime, getting ready to do some business.

Fleming points a gun at the Cape.

Unfortunately for Scales (and Vince), the Carnival of Crime has also decided to attend the party.  While Scales pushes his way onto the train with his inside information over Fleming's head, Vince and Orwell have to try and prevent a robbery by the people who took Vince in.  They are aided by Portman, who has dressed as the Cape (the party is a masquerade of heroes and villains).  Through a series of unfortunate events, Scales, who does indeed out Fleming but is laughed at instead of believed, decides to rob everyone instead.  He fleeces them and leaves them to die (their brakes are sabotaged courtesy of a malfunction when the trains are separated), and he is in turn fleeced by Max and the others.  And as unlikely as it is, the Cape must team up with Fleming to save the day.  When all is over and done with, Fleming smiles and tells Vince that he's glad he has such a good opponent this time around.

Vince has a confrontation with Max later where he throws down the circumstances: one day, in the future, they will be on different sides.  Max just replies glibly that they should just enjoy the time until that day.

Trip on his birthday the year before.

There is a side story to all this: It's Trip's birthday.  That fact has Vince acting edgy all night.  Trip is not doing too well at school because all his classmates think he's Chess's son (his book gets marked up "Return to Murderers son") and his mother is stuck in traffic so she'll be late to celebrate his birthday.  She sends Travis Hall ahead first, who is there to go over some depositions with her as well as celebrate Trip's birthday, but Trip refuses to open the door because his father had once warned against opening the door for any strangers.  Travis spends most of the episode camped outside the apartment, talking to Trip while sitting and waiting on Dana.  He tells Trip some good news: technically, and legally, Vince is actually considered innocent until proven guilty.  He is rewarded with a fruit snack, but still isn't given entrance into the apartment.  (Laughs)

Orwell breaks down the evening, telling Vince why it wasn't a failure.

There's a sad, poignant moment when Vince and Orwell break down the night, and Orwell notes that after all that's happened, Vince is still wrapping a birthday present for his son.  She asks:

Orwell: "Why do parents love their kids like that?"
Vince: "They just do."
Orwell: "Do you think that anything could ever make that love go away?"
Vince: "No."

Points to another piece of evidence suggesting Fleming is her father.

The last part is a delivery for Trip, a birthday present from the Cape.  Such a sweet end.

My thoughts

I have to say, I was rather excited when I found out Vinnie Jones (Scales) was going to be in a TV show.  I've always kinda liked his gruff guy act.  I'm glad for him that he has a bigger part than just that bit role in the first episode.

About Orwell, I think that when the rest of her story gets revealed, I'm probably going to be a little misty-eyed.  I bet she wishes Vince was her father instead of Fleming (unconfirmed of course).  I'm a little worried the creators are going to start a relationship with Vince and her, but it's probably unfounded.  It would ruin his image as the family man.

And Trip?  He's just so cute, I feel so bad for him being bullied by his classmates.  I hope Fleming doesn't find him and make his life even more of a hell than it already is.  He's had enough.

The Cape: Kozmo (S1E3)

I realized my last post was a bit long, so I decided to sum up rather than recap it by each scene.  Seems to work better.  Anyway...

This episode focuses a little more on the cape itself.  Vince is still trying to battle Fleming in his own way, but he gets into a little trouble when a man comes and claims the cape he's using is actually his.

Gregor Molotov at a Russian prison

As was told by Max in the first episode, the cape used to belong to Kozmo, a magician who was called unkillable.  We find out through a Russian prison escapee, Gregor Molotov, that "Kozmo" is actually a name given to a long line of magicians, the latest of which was Max Malini himself.  Gregor was supposed to be next in line, and so he becomes pissed off when he finds out that Max has passed him over and has given the cape to Vince.  Further explanations by Max enlighten Vince to the fact that Max was sick of the black deeds done by all those that held the name "Kozmo," so he had the cape stolen back from Gregor and ended the line.  By giving it to Vince, he was hoping that it would have more beneficial instead of malicious intents.  He advises Vince to keep the cape hidden until Gregor leaves.

Gregor, the ruthless man that he is, won't stop until he gets his cape back and he's not above killing his old mentor, Max, as well as anyone else who stands in his way.

Dana at work with a lot of paperwork

Meanwhile, Dana's putting her new job to good use: she starts digging into Vince's case.  She discovers that there are many men at the freight yard who saw Vince drugged and dragged into the boxcar.  Unfortunately, she still trusts Marty and tells him of her discoveries.  He in turn routs out everyone from the freight yard, because he knows that some of them must've seen his face as well.

However, Marty's integrity is in jeopardy anyway, as Orwell finds time to blog about her suspicions that he is working under the thumb of Chess.

Luckily for Dana (and unluckily for Marty), she is anonymously given pictures of the routing at the freight yards, confirming her suspicions of a coverup.  The note that came with it told her to never lose hope.

On a personal note, Dana's boss Travis Hall has started showing interest in her, much to the chagrin of Vince who can only watch from the shadows.

Fleming at his desk at ARK headquarters

Then we delve a little deeper into Fleming.  We find out that Fleming is looking for his missing daughter and that he is royally pissed when he discovers that Orwell is onto Marty and tells him to designate a substantial section of his task force to finding Orwell and taking 'him' down.

Vince confronts Orwell about her secretive past.

Orwell goes to the Carnival (at Rollo's invitation) to find out a little more about Vince's other partners.

All is not good on the home front either.  Orwell gets mad at Vince for his risky behavior that caused her own anonymity to be in danger.  He in turn yells at Orwell, asking her why she never says anything about herself, not even her real name.

Orwell, hiding out in Vince's hideout, gets an invitation to the Carnival by Rollo.  Curious, she goes along.  She meets Max and his crew, as well as Gregor, who reads her palm and proclaims that she is not who she says she is (Julia, at the moment) and that she has been imprisoned before.  She confirms these allegations later as she is making up with Vince.

They reconcile fully after he saves her from the clutches of Gregor.

Trip Faraday on a rooftop talking to the Cape.

Another touching moment with Trip and the Cape, where they say the Cape's motto: "One man, one fight, one right."  Vince tells Trip to stop fighting in school because his father got his medals for valor, not for fighting.  Another example of how Vince is trying to be a good father to Trip, even in his roundabout I'm-supposed-to-be-dead sort of way.

Inside Fleming's music box.

After a glimpse inside the box of Fleming's and images of Orwell dancing, we are left with one last burning question: Is Orwell Fleming's daughter?

My thoughts

I had my suspicions on Orwell, considering the grudge she had against Fleming, but this just got even juicier.  What could she have been imprisoned for?  What could daddy dearest -- if it really is Fleming -- have done to deserve such hatred?

I know Gregor's supposed to be one bad dude, but you must admit he does have a flair for the dramatic when it comes to killing people.  It's sad to say, but the scenes of his violent crimes are my favorite picks for this episode, seconded very closely by Rollo hitting on Orwell in Vince's hideout.

The Cape: Tarot (S1E2)

Haha sorry this is late.  Heyitsabell's been on me to catch up but I guess I've been lazy.  On that note, however, I need to warn you: If you have not watched the first episode, don't read on.  There might not be too many spoilers, but there's one major one.

Yeah, okay, for those of you who are still with me, here we go:

Vince Faraday has donned the superhero persona known as the Cape.  By now, we (the audience) know that Peter Fleming is Chess, but for Vince to gain some credibility in exposing Fleming, he needs to build up his reputation.  In order to do that, and prove to his son that the Cape is a good superhero, he's been going around fighting small-scale crime.  The first scene is of a holdup in a drug store where Vince is shopping.  He saves the store (destroying quite a bit of merchandise though) and the owner gives his earnest gratitude.  When he asks for Vince's name, he says "the Cape."  It seems to be a running gag that everyone seems to think that's a really lame name for a superhero, so the owner calls out as Vince is leaving, "You'll work on it."

Now on to the real plot.  Patrick Portman, Secretary of the Bureau of Prisons, is the only man who thus far has stood up to Fleming publicly (Orwell doesn't count as she's not exactly a public figure).  He is the only one that has not approved the bill for privatizing the police force -- and handing over full reins to Fleming and Ark Corporation.

Patrick Portman, Secretary of the Bureau of Prisons

Naturally as in all superhero shows, Fleming hires a dangerous hitman to take out the opposition: Cain, a mercenary trained under the deadly art of poisons.  Vince meets Cain firsthand when he breaks into Fleming's home to figure out his next plans.  After discovering the assassination plot on Portman, he is confronted by Fleming and is stabbed by a flying dagger dipped in poison.  He falls out the window to be picked up by Orwell in a NICE car (2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG).  Cain gets down the stairs in time to break in the window and show Orwell the image of a Tarot card tattooed on his forearm.  He can't be taken to the hospital as he's supposedly dead, so he goes to get help from Max.

Cain, Fleming's new assassin

After Vince's near death experience, Max takes the cape back, saying that he was wrong and Vince is not ready for it.  He even offers him an escape: untraceable train tickets for him and his family to start over somewhere new.  Vince, unable to accept failure and running away, refuses vehemently.  He leaves, determined to carry out his mission, with or without the help of the cape.  Vince finds a new secret hideout location and starts finding useful equipment.

Meanwhile, Fleming and his very cool computer combines components such as Portman, Cain, a Tarot card entitled "the Tower" (last seen tattooed on Cain's forearm), and a few other files into a master file which he names "Siren."  No news yet on if this means anything.

Back on the home front, Dana has been searching for a job under her maiden name, since Faraday is causing too many eyebrows to be raised.  Trip finds out when he answers a phone call and gets angry.  He believes that if she truly believed Vince was innocent, she would have nothing to fear from using her real name, and that she is trying to erase him by saying anything differently.  Faradays are fighters, is what Vince always said.  She goes to bed chastened by her son and thinks about it.

Vince practicing to avoid knives in his new hideout.

(Sorry for the poor lighting, but his place is kinda always like that.)

Orwell holding up a tarot card and explaining the significance.

Back to Vince: he's been trying to practice to defeat Cain, knowing he's been foolish to underestimate his opponents.  He dodges knives and takes poisons in small doses to build up immunity.  He also makes his mask for the first time.  After he shakes down a couple thugs for some information (which he's promised at a later time), Orwell shows up and informs Vince that he's not seeing the bigger picture: Cain might be the first evidence there is of Tarot, "a secret society of killers," of which Cain is most likely their poisoner.  After Vince's lead gets poisoned (along with the rest of the bar), he goes to find Portman and tell him directly about the hit placed on him and tells him he's not alone in his fight against Fleming.

On a happier note, Dana decides to stand up for herself and her pride as a Faraday in her next job interview at the district attorney's office.  "Faradays are fighters" she informs her interviewer seriously while telling him off about not giving her the job.  She argues that her husband, though everyone believes him to be guilty, was never given a trial and she wants to provide justice for those who are denied it like him.  You go, Dana Faraday.  (Minor spoiler: He hires her. Yay.)

Some reconnaissance work by Orwell and Vince (with a handy password of Marty's into the ARK mainframe) is done on Cain, and before Vince sets out on his protection detail of Portman, he gets a surprise visit from an old friend.  Max comes by and gives the cape back.  It seems the tickets were a test, to see how far Vince was willing to go.  Vince says his family is his strength and not his weakness, and they won't be in danger as long as Vince Faraday is dead.  Max tells Vince very seriously that if he ever wants to get his family back and go back home, he has to do it as Vince Faraday and not the Cape.

The Cape and Orwell foil the assassination attempt and Portman votes down the bill.  All is well in Palm City, at least for the moment.  Even Chess is happy: he finally has an opponent who is worthy of his time.  It ends with Dana apologizing to Trip for not believing, and telling him that their memories of Vince can never be spoiled by others.

Dana and Trip Faraday

My thoughts

All in all, a solid episode.  I'm glad they kept up the intensity and action, even with revealing the identity of the villain in the first episode.   All the interludes of Dana and Trip Faraday kinda bring it home, knowing that Vince's family really is worth fighting for.

I've seen commercials for "The Cape" and they say that they're taking suggestions as to the next villains for the show.  It's probably a fun idea, but I hope it pans out in the end.  Too many ideas can cause a project to seem a little too haphazard and not cohesive.  I'm sure they'll make it work though.

My favorite part of this episode is when Vince is practically dying at Max's, Rollo is asking him where he met the hot Orwell.  "Was it an online thing?"  He cracks me up.

The Cape: Pilot (S1E1)

Hi there, apparently I've already been introduced. I was convinced into giving my input since I have been immersed in television as of late.

Onto the topic: NBC's new show "The Cape" sounded pretty interesting when I first saw the commercials for it. But honestly, I'm a huge fan of superheroes, so I'm not going to lie, it kinda already had an edge. I'll just give you a basic plot and such and try not to put too many spoilers in.

A man named Vince Faraday living in Palm City is a very decent cop and all around good guy. In fact, it's pretty hard to find a straighter arrow than him. He's well respected in the police force, people like him, and he's a great family man -- he even reads comic books about a superhero named the Cape with his son Trip. How quaint.

Vince and his son Trip reading the comic book

On the other side of the law, there's Chess, an inscrutable outlaw who wears a black mask and assassinates people. Only Orwell, an anonymous blogger, seems to know anything: already there's a list of dirty cops. As the lawless seem to be prevailing in the eyes of the public, Peter Fleming steps in and suggests a privatization of the police force under his company, ARK. When an attempt by Chess on the new Chief of Police's life is successful (due to misdirection of someone faking Faraday's orders), it seems inevitable and Faraday takes a job at ARK with his partner Marty Voyt.

First appearance of Chess

Fleming

Orwell leaves a message for Faraday telling of a deal Chess has set up with Scales, an arms broker of sorts, and knowing what a good guy Faraday is, Faraday goes to check it out. Long story short, Faraday is framed, escapes from his pursuers and is presumed dead -- and guilty. He is then brought unconscious to a circus full of bank robbers, headed up by Max Malini, aptly nicknamed the Carnival of Crime. He, thinking that he has brought back Chess, expects Faraday to fall in and commit some crimes together. He refuses, but gives them means to rob any bank which employs ARK to do their security-- which by this time is practically every single one.

The Carnival of Crime

Faraday understandably feels conflicted since he's a cop and he's aiding and abetting crime. With Max's help, he comes up with a plan: he will become the Cape, the hero who stepped forward when the world needed someone to, and in the process prove to his son at least that justice -- and proving his innocence -- will prevail in time.

Max gifts Faraday the cape and teaches him the ins and outs of using the cape. It is super tensile (apparently made completely of spider silk), "stronger than kevlar and thinner than filament." He learns to use it basically as a whip, picking up and throwing things. Along with that training, he also learns the methods of an escape artist. When Max finally declares him ready, he goes out on his first mission: to stop Scales's latest shipment. On this mission (which he kinda botches), he meets Orwell for the first time.

Flyers Orwell leaves at places she spies to let all her enemies know: Orwell is watching.

They agree to help each other -- Orwell will take care of the intel and the technological problems while Faraday goes down and dirty, up close and personal, and whatever other cliche you can think of. They both have the same goal: take down Chess.

Meanwhile, Chess figures out the identity of the bank robbers and kidnaps Max with an intent to kill him (he's not very cooperative). The Cape interferes, predictably, and ends up fighting Chess. Chess escapes of course (there really wouldn't be a season if he didn't).

The episode ends with the Cape paying a visit to Trip Faraday, telling him of his father's innocence and the promise that they'd be united someday, before he disappears off into the night. Very reminiscent of Batman.

My thoughts

Personally, I loved it. I'm totally into the superhero thing, have been since forever. This pilot episode totally gives you a delve into the backstory of the newest "caped crusader." Yeah, I know he's not Batman, but they gave him pretty a impressive toolbelt anyway -- well, metaphorically speaking anyway. He's got Orwell to watch over him, Max's place to hide out in, and learned to use his cape as an effective weapon. Not to mention the cool disappearing acts.

My favorite part is when Max starts teaching him to use his cape. Makes me wish I knew how to throw things with a cape, although I wouldn't want all the danger and tragedy that seems to go with it.