***This review contains minor spoilers***
Watch the SPOILER review on YouTube
As the CW’s latest offering to its superhero lineup, “Naomi” starts off with potential thanks to its likable lead actress and a mystery tied to Superman. But weak secondary characters, terrible pacing and practically no follow-up to the Superman angle cause the show to quickly lose momentum and create apathy towards Naomi’s journey.
Naomi is the saving grace of her self-titled series. Kaci Walfall is likable in the role, and her acting is solid. While she helps sell her character’s quest for answers about herself, the Naomi character is all over the place. For one, her powers are poorly defined. A lot of what she does is vague, and while she is supposed to be getting more powerful, her abilities seem to be whatever the show needs for that episode. Secondly, she comes off as flighty as she switches priorities at the drop of a hat. And while Naomi elevates most scenes she’s in, the same can’t be said for the supporting cast. Whether it’s the tight-lipped Dee or the stereotypical high school classmates, mediocre characters and subpar acting make most of these characters feel unnecessary. (And while there’s something unique that Camila Moreno brings to the Lordes role, she’s criminally underused.)
Thanks to a brief glimpse of Superman and the mysterious changes Naomi is going through, the plot starts off pretty strong. But the fact that in a world where Superman actually appears, even though he’s just a comic book character, quickly becomes irrelevant. He’s never seen again and rarely mentioned. (And it’s never brought up if he’s always been there or he recently arrived.) Meanwhile, Naomi’s story drags along as everyone refuses to tell her anything. And even then, she’s fed a lot of half-truths. And none of this is helped by the terrible pacing. Storylines generally go nowhere or just have weak payoffs. Something crazy will happen to Naomi and her friends, and then the next scene is just a normal day at school where it’s brushed off till they move on to the next useless adventure. Just as things look like they’re getting in place for the finale, the show still takes even more strange detours. And having random henchmen with vague powers instead of giving us a big bad really lowers the threat. (Not to mention never really knowing which of the main characters are really trustworthy makes them less likable.)
Overall, the show looks okay. Metallic wings and energy blast look convincing enough, but some of the other effects look pretty obvious. There’s not much action, and it’s typically too quick to do anything impressive. (And don’t expect any super-suits. Everyone fights in civilian gear.)
As a lesser-known character, “Naomi” has to work harder to win over audiences. With a haphazard plot, an overstuffed cast and a bunch of random bad guys instead of a big bad, the show never gets out of first gear. Thankfully, a strong lead character helps fight the urge just stop watching the show.
*1/2 out of *****