The second season of Powers is coming out on May 31 at PlayStation®Store. It’s been a full year since Season 1, so we’re here to catch you up! If you haven’t started Powers yet… oh my god, what are you doing here? Are you one of those people who doesn’t watch movies but then just reads the Wikipedia synopsis so they feel like they get it? Here, the pilot is free on the PlayStation®Store, ya palooka. If you’re trying to keep up with the comics also (which you should be, because Brian Michael Bendis is a national treasure), the most recent volume just wrapped up a six-issue arc. Alright, let’s take a look at where the characters were when last we left off…
Christian Walker’s Sacrifice
Detective Christian Walker, formerly the superhero known as “Diamond” until he lost his abilities, has spent most of this season desperately trying to reclaim his superpowers. He lost them during a fight with power drainer “Big Bad” Wolfe, his former mentor turned super-villain. Wolfe seems to store powers inside of him, and Walker’s belief that they can be retrieved has led him to dangerously risk everything multiple times. In his final confrontation with Wolfe, he used one of the experimental power drainers designed by Triphammer… weakening Wolfe enough to be killed, but also ensuring that Walker will never see his powers return. This is a huge emotional turning point for Walker, as he finally accepts his mortality.
Deena Pilgrim Takes the Shot
Christian Walker’s partner, rookie detective Deena Pilgrim, has struggled learning the ropes of the LAPD Powers Division. She’s an experienced law enforcement officer, but she still has a lot to learn from Walker about how to deal with Powers. We’ve seen her grow more confident and controlled as she gains experience. In the end battle against Wolfe, she didn’t get the final kill, but she did manage to pump him full of enough holes to make Louis Sachar proud.
Johnny Royalle Kills Wolfe
The legendary mass-murdering super-villain known as Wolfe terrorized the cast for most of last season. Wolfe was considered an early superhero guru before he became a serial killer, and he mentored both the young Christian Walker and the young Johnny Royalle. Walker would of course grow up to become a hero and a cop, while his best friend Royalle turned to crime. Most of the casework last season involved Walker and Pilgrim investigating a drug called “Sway” that Royalle created using Wolfe’s blood. In the finale’s climax, Wolfe finally broke out of prison and went on another killing spree. He was ultimately stopped by Johnny Royalle, who decapitated him by grabbing onto his head and teleporting away. Royalle is now publicly recognized as a hero despite his criminal activities, and “Sway” should finally be off the streets for good…not including the stuff that’s literally dripping onto the streets.
Who Killed Retro Girl?
We’ve known that Retro Girl (Christian Walker’s superhero ex-girlfriend) is doomed from the start… the comics series opened up with her murder in the famous arc titled “Who Killed Retro Girl?” so you knew it was inevitable. The show seems to be taking less of a whodunnit approach, as evidenced by the fact that we know who the killers are and they were kind enough to sign their name. After someone died during an unsanctioned publicity stunt at one of Retro Girl’s charity events, the anti-Power vigilante group “Kaotic Chic” decided to target her. “Kaotic Chic” is a punk-influenced movement dedicated to showing the world that Powers are not above everyone else, through street art and murder. They also have a connection to Christian Walker. The woman killed at the charity event was the wife of Walker’s dead ex-partner, and her son Krispin Stockley is one of Kaotic Chic’s leaders.
Calista Takes Flight
Shortly before dying, it seems that Wolfe transmitted his powers to Calista, the runaway Powers groupie who believes her powers simply have not manifested yet. The final shot of the season showed her eyes glowing as she just started to take flight. If you’ve read the comics, you know that Calista eventually takes over the mantle of her idol Retro Girl. We don’t know for sure that the show is gonna take that direction, but it seems like that’s where this is headed!
Oh, Also, Zora is in the Hospital
The young up-and-coming superhero dilettante got her butt kicked by Wolfe and lost her fancy schmancy new talent agent. I’m sure she’ll be fine though, she looks okay.
Thanks for reading! For more information on Powers, check out the Powers Wiki on Wikia!