With Powers, a new series about a cop who chases supervillains, PlayStation is throwing its hat into the original programming ring. A year after it was initially announced, Powers is now available, and viewers can get a taste of the series by watching the pilot episode on YouTube.
The Powers debut is available on the official PlayStation YouTube channel, which has more than three million subscribers. The series stars Sharlto Copley (of District 9 fame) as an experienced homicide detective, with Susan Heyward portraying his new partner. The pilot, which runs for 53-minutes, is a combination of a police procedural, a crime thriller, and a sci-fi adventure.
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If you’re on the fence about whether you should set aside a Powers hour today, you can let critical reception influence your decision. Despite a few negative reviews, most responses to the show have been optimistic. Flavorwire dubbed it “a series that deserves [an audience],” Variety went with “a refreshingly R-rated retort to broadcast’s overabundance of comicbook serials,” and Kotaku Australia concluded that “the first three hours of Powers to make me want to watch more of the series.”
The problem with the series is its availability. Beyond the pilot, viewers can purchase episodes of Powers by logging in with their PlayStation Network accounts on the series’ website or can receive the entire series for free by buying a PlayStation Plus subscription. These distribution methods aren’t necessarily a problem, especially since the $10-per-month PlayStation Plus service has more than 11 million users, but subscribers have had trouble finding the three episodes of Powers that have already been released. Take, for example, this article from Forbes contributor Paul Tassi, who details how hard it was for him to locate and view the new show.
If PlayStation wants to become a bigger player in the original programming game, it will need to improve its distribution. Still, it can at least call Powers a positive debut. The superhero serial may not draw many new signups to PlayStation Plus, but it will at least give existing subscriptions something fun to watch.
