Netflix’s Jupiter’s Legacy Season One Review

At first glance, it’d hard to know what to think of Jupiter’s Legacy. Was it going to be the “same old” stuff we’ve already seen a dozen times before? Do we really need another superhero TV show? We’ve already got The Boys and we’ve got DC’s version of The Boys with Titans. We’re getting more than enough superhero content, and we don’t really need more.

It took a while to warm up to Jupiter’s Legacy, but after the first few episodes, the characters and where it was going became a lot more interesting, making it well worth the watch. The interesting thing about the series is that it’s not about mutants or aliens that have landed on Earth. It’s about a group of ordinary people, a family including Sheldon Samson (Josh Duhamel), his brother Walter (Ben Daniels), his wife Grace (Leslie Bibb), and his children Chloe (Elena Kampouris) and Brandon (Andrew Horton). who were merely looking for something and ending up finding their destinies changed forever.

The emphasis on family bonding (or breaking as the case may be) is what drives this first season to greater heights. Where it truly excels is how it delivers a unique take on the entire superhero story as we know it. Jupiter’s Legacy introduces some interesting villains with very different abilities, some of which are unique. This was a surprise given the familiarity factor of The Union. There are just as many villains as there are superheroes.

However, a few things, mostly minor hitches, should also be pointed out if only to give viewers an idea of what they’ll be getting themselves into. The group of superheroes of Jupiter’s Legacy call themselves The Union. Sheldon heads the group with his brother, Grace, his best friend George Hutchence (Matt Lanter), Fitz Small (Mike Wade), and Dr. Richard Conrad (David Julian Hirsh). Walter’s powers were far too similar to that of Charles Xavier. Some of the characters and their names took some getting used to, such as Sheldon, known as ‘The Utopian’, Fitz is ‘The Flare’, Conrad is ‘Blue Bolt’, Grace is ‘Lady Liberty’, and Sheldon and Brandon is Paragon. The Union must also follow a code which they must uphold at all costs with some members believing in it more than others. They have a hidden building where they all congregate for meetings as they sit around a round table reminiscent to that of the Knights of the Round Table.

Meanwhile, the casting of Jupiter’s Legacy should also be commended with Duhamel, Bibb and Daniels cast as Sheldon, Walter, and Grace respectively. They are all exceptionally talented actors who put everything into their roles, particularly Duhamel and Daniels. Daniels continues his fine run since the TV series that should never have been cancelled The Exorcist as Walter Samson. Not being a fan of his prior to this series, Duhamel surprised as Sheldon Samson, a role that was truly made for him.

At the end of the day, Jupiter’s Legacy is a series deserving of your time. While an entire season may seem like a lot, after the first few episodes, it truly gains momentum and will surely lead to viewers rooting for certain characters, finding their favorites and wanting more. The best way to describe it is a mix of The Boys and Succession. For fans of either of those series, this one might be for them.

still courtesy of Netflix

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