Now Netflix introduces “Jupiter’s Legacy,” a multigenerational superhero saga shot through with peculiar nods to American history and confusing attempts at turning adolescent fantasy into a meaningful drama.
The Utopian (Josh Duhamel) and Lady Liberty (Leslie Bibb) are a good-looking couple. Stylish, with a touch of gray, they could be the leads in a TV commercial for AARP, Cialis or mutual funds. They seem ready for a Viking cruise tour of European capitals with their other wealthy friends. But they just keep having to save humanity from destruction while waiting for the kids to wise up and pull their weight.
Problem is, Utopian’s not sure his son, the Paragon (Andrew Horton), will ever realize his potential. And daughter Chloe (Elena Kampouris) is just impossible.
A backstory reveals that our super Mom and Dad (Sheldon and Grace to each other) are not aging boomers, but closer to 100 years old. Sheldon is seen in the 1920s, encouraging his dad to go big in the booming stock market, while his older brother, Walter (Ben Daniels), later to become Brainwave, suggests that Wall Street is heading for a crash. Not long after Black Friday, these trust funders are anointed with superpowers. Raise your hand if you’re confused. Or care.
Here in the present day, Walter/Brainwave continues to think outside the box while Utopian/Sheldon sticks to “the code.” To him, bad guys are bank robbers and muggers. Walter suggests they might go after evil corporations instead.
Maybe Utopian is right. Once you mess with the superhero formula, you’re left with a bit of a mess. Introducing adult themes like nefarious capitalists into an adolescent genre can play havoc with the magic. Are Sheldon and Grace eternal? Or sort of ageless? If everybody’s got invincible superpowers, why fight at all?
The violent action scenes seem kind of silly and slightly perfunctory — like the moments in the old 1950s “Superman” when the brainless bad guys emptied a revolver into George Reeves’ chest. They (and the show’s juvenile audience) knew it was a pointless gesture. But they just had to go through the motions.
— Returning series include the third and final season of “Shrill,” streaming on Hulu. Aidy Bryant stars in this cringe comedy about Annie, an underpaid writer dealing with the judgments and slights about her abundant weight. Her story has taken her from one immature boyfriend to another, and her dating life is too uncomfortable to describe. A strong ensemble includes John Cameron Mitchell as her passive-aggressive boss.
The Silicon Valley parody “Mythic Quest” also returns for a second season on Apple TV+.
In a revolving door of reboots, “Magnum P.I.” (9 p.m., CBS, TV-14) concludes its third season as “Dynasty” (9 p.m. CW, TV-14) begins season four.
TONIGHT’S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
— Red targets Townsend on “The Blacklist” (8 p.m., NBC, r, TV- PG).
— “Great Performances” (9 p.m., PBS, TV-14, check local listings) presents a London staging of Anton Chekhov’s “Uncle Vanya,” starring Toby Jones and Richard Armitage.
— Garrett’s quote goes viral on “Blue Bloods” (10 p.m., CBS, TV-14).
CULT CHOICE
— Director Bill Morrison blends fragments of decaying film from a 1928 German silent “Pawns of Passion” with music from the Los Angeles Opera with composer David Lang and soprano Angel Blue in the 2021 experimental film “Let Me Come In” (3:15 a.m., TCM, TV-G).
SERIES NOTES
Improvisations on “MacGyver” (8 p.m., CBS, r, TV-14) … “WWE Friday Night SmackDown” (8 p.m., Fox, TV-PG) … Baking without an oven on “Shark Tank” (8 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) … Allergy season on “Charmed” (8 p.m., CW, TV-PG) … “Dateline” (9 p.m., NBC) … “20/20” (9 p.m., ABC, r).
LATE NIGHT
Sen. Bernie Sanders and Julia Michaels are booked on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” (11:35 p.m., CBS, r) … Jimmy Fallon welcomes Jessica Biel, Chiara Aurelia, Nick Thune and Mad Foxes on “The Tonight Show” (11:35 p.m., NBC) … Maya Rudolph, Malcolm Gladwell and Kings of Leon appear on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (11:35 p.m., ABC, r).
Anna Kendrick, Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas visit “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (12:35 a.m., NBC, r) … Trevor Noah and Grouplove appear on “The Late Late Show With James Corden” (12:35 a.m., CBS, r).
