In a world full of remarkable people, does being pretty basic make one exceptional? That’s the question “Extraordinary,” the latest British Superhero-comedy series on Disney+, asks its audience. Created by Irish actor/comedian Emma Moran, “Extraordinary” is among a slew of Disney+ superhero series released in recent years but differentiates itself from the conventional MCU releases of the platform by being extremely self-contained, prioritizing narrative over spectacle, using neat subversions and showing the humdrum routine of gifted people most mainstream cape-fluttering media does away with. “Extraordinary” excels at using dry wit and acts as a more than decent attempt at being a pastiche of the superhero genre, in which context it can be compared to another popular UK superhero comedy, “Misfits.” The focal point of “Extraordinary” is the misadventures of the lead protagonist Jen and the character dynamics among her flatmates and friends, a group of twenty-somethings busy figuring out adulting. We will introduce the characters as shown in the first season and discuss the events that might take place in the following season.
Spoilers Ahead
Jennifer Regan
The audience gets introduced to the super-powered world through the protagonist, Jennifer Regan’s perspective. Portrayed by Máiréad Tyers, Jen, a 25-year-old foul-mouthed Irish girl, struggles with her life after being one of the very few people in the world who didn’t receive powers after turning 18. Jen’s predicament is extremely relatable, as she seems to be chock-full of vices that can make the audience point her out as another “me” character. Feeling left out and unfulfilled due to being powerless, she is very self-aware and insecure. This is further fueled by her overachiever half-sister and a pushy mother, neither of whom seem interested in her life problems initially. As sexually frustrated and anti-depressant dependent as she is, Jen also gets avoided and disrespected by the handsome casual hookup she has grown a crush on. Forced to remain stuck with a job that is as tedious as it is underpaying, her life is anything but interesting.
However, even though her mundane, droopy lifestyle can mirror the majority of viewers in similar age brackets, Jen is not an easy protagonist to root for. An influx of questionable life choices has plagued her, which range from exacting revenge on her half-sister Andy by humiliating her in public to getting shit-faced during her best friend Carrie’s keynote address as an alumnus and causing a ruckus, leading to the latter’s breakdown. She causes these remorselessly and without a shred of realization, and at times these nonsensical acts alienate her even more from the people close to her. Her self-indulgence and impetuous tendencies hurt others more than her, something no superpower could fix, even if she had one. Having a flawed protagonist to assist in the journey makes the series quite interesting.
In “Extraordinary” Season 1, Jen is preoccupied with digging out her powers with the help of a “Discovery Clinic,” and to be able to afford the amount it’ll require to get admitted, she makes the humanly possible (occasional superhumanly with help) wildest decisions imaginable. Using her friend to summon a perv singer’s ghost to get song royalties, using her adopted stray-turned-human to compete in a cat dance show (it would have been better if they’d have actually shown the cats dancing); she is at least creative even in her failures. Jen goes back and forth regarding her decision about going through the power-gaining process and has a moment of revelation after meeting someone in the same predicament as her. She gains a sense of freedom in realizing that she doesn’t need powers to become unique or to fit in; she’s extraordinary on her own—a brief moment of happiness snapped to oblivion just as the said someone becomes ecstatic after gaining hers.
Jen shares a special bond with her best friend Carrie, who lets her talk and interact with her deceased father—a safe space for Jen. After resentful exchanges throughout the season, Jen strengthens relations with her mother, Mary, played by the brilliant Siobhán McSweeney, in the final episode. Mary’s internal turmoil about being replaced from her daughter’s life by her deceased husband was something really poignant. Jen’s relationship with her stray cat-turned-human, Hercule/Jizzlord, is awkwardly sweet and sits well with the undertone of “Extraordinary” Season 1—uniqueness can be found in the most basic things and also settling for lower expectations.
Carrie Jackson
Carrie is Jen’s lifelong friend, flatmate, and basically unofficial guardian. She is the kind of friend who helps thanklessly and gets trampled over by others in their time of need. She has the powers of a medium, i.e., she can summon deceased spirits, a skill used by her solicitor firm to settle financial disputes of various kinds. An empathetic, reserved, nerdy, well-settled, and composed person, Carrie is everything that Jen is not. Carrie’s life revolves around being unwavering support for her boyfriend Kash and her best friend Jen, neither of whom deserve her efforts. Carrie is entangled with her own set of problems as she is without a shoulder to lean on, as neither is Kash interested in putting a positive effort into their relationship nor does Jen care much about her at times other than taking her for granted. After the alumni speech debacle in the fifth episode, Carrie and Jen get momentarily detached from each other, and they mend their friendship soon after – something which lets Jen rectify her approach and allows her to be mindful of Carrie’s problems. After Kash fails multiple times to prioritize their relationship over his personal issues, Carrie has a brief fling with Charles II’s ghost in her own body – which is as tragic and weird as it sounds. The downhill slope of their relationship reaches rock bottom after Kash tries to dissuade her numerous times from having a conversation regarding it, and she finally breaks up with him.
Kash
Kash is Carrie’s semi-recluse, unemployed, YouTube addict, moocher boyfriend, and her and Jen’s flatmate. Kash has the power to reverse time, something which he never puts to meaningful use. He is more accustomed to spending his days daydreaming about his own vigilante team, weaving his world of fantasy – to find an excuse to distract his directionless existence. Kash is full of lofty, fancy ideas and speculations as long as they remain unapplied, and he is also an expert gaslighter in his approach toward Carrie. He manages to form a ragtag vigilante team but abandons them at the first sign of danger. Inspired by Carrie’s motivation, he goes to make amends and gathers his team back – only to abandon them again and, this time, lose his chance at glory. His worst act, however, is deluding and neglecting Carrie throughout the season. In the sixth episode, after staying expectant for a whole day to make their date night special, a staggered Jen sits still as Kash just goes on with his usual stupidity and rambling – the scene hits hard. The situation worsens to the point that to avoid a conversation regarding a relationship, Kash keeps stalling and misdirecting Carrie by reversing time. This gesture acts as the last nail, and Carrie decides to part ways with Kash, something she should have done a long time ago.
Hercule/Jizzlord
A stray cat adopted by Jen is ‘affectionately’ named Jizzlord by Kash, but it turns out to be a human shapeshifter. After being stuck in cat physiology for three years, he goes through a tough time getting accustomed to human life. His cat identity is traced back, which reveals he was a cat show champion named Hercule. His human identity, however, remains unknown as Jizzlord himself is afraid of confronting his past. Unintentionally funny and socially awkward, Jizzlord finds the love of his life in Jen. In the epilogue of the last episode, it is shown that a kid and his mother recognize Jizzlord at a departmental store – something which might highlight his past.
Expectations From Season 2 Of ‘Extraordinary’
“Extraordinary” has been renewed for a second season right after the release of the first one, and from the hints in the first, it can be assumed that whether Jen manifests her powers will be addressed. Carrie and Kash went through a bad breakup; the next season will focus on them from the beginning. Lastly, the season ended with a cliffhanger of Jizzlord getting recognized by his family. This will lead to the unraveling of his past life.
