At his debut Supacell was that only Netflix original series in the top 10 in the US. It also conquered enormous audience numbers in Great Britain and a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes. Although the pacing in the first season sometimes left something to be desired, the series finished strong with the final episode.
The story of five black Londoners with superpowers, Supacell explores the concepts of division and unity of a community, the need for alternative economic systems, and interpersonal relationships under the added pressure of superpowers. The superpowered characters have the ability to come together to save the lives of their loved ones, or fight with each other and watch it all fall apart.
These themes also reflect the current sociopolitical climate here in the United States, where the 2024 electoral landscape is permeated with messages of unity following the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement four years ago and ongoing threats to human rights. Supacell can be intense to watch, but it is important for us to do so.
After a incoherent episode 5Creator Rapman successfully brings the narrative together in an explosive finale that leaves you wanting more seasons.
The Supacell activates
In this episode, we finally see our heroes begin to use their powers in a unified and united manner to confront the mysterious, electricity-equipped, hooded enforcers who are trying to stop and kidnap them, but they must help each other to stay out of their own way.
Tazer (Josh Tedeku), for example, remains hot-headed and angry over his mother’s death. When Michael (Tosin Cole) stops the enemies in time, Tazer rushes into action without consulting the team. To stop him, Michael transports him to another place and time, but this releases the enemies where they were and lets the remaining members of the Supacell deal with them. In this scene, we see how a lack of unity greatly hurts the remaining members of the team, as Rodney and Sabrina must face a two-on-four battle and Andre is nowhere to be found.
When the enemies set Rodney (Calvin Demba) on fire, Sabrina (Nadine Mills) becomes angry and uses her powers to push all four away.
Sabrina’s heroic moment doesn’t end there, as Rodney suffers severe burns. She checks him over and says he needs to go to the hospital, but then Rodney heals before her eyes, revealing that his superpowers also grant a sort of regenerative ability. As the de facto leader of the group, Michael uses his leadership skills and protects the three other heroes while they rest after the fight. But it’s obvious how much this increases his stress, how, because he’s always looking out for everyone else in his life, he puts his everyday life at even greater risk. This is the Michael I wanted to see more of in the last episode, not someone who struggles with telling the truth, but someone whose living truth is protecting others. It’s refreshing to see the OG Michael again, and him finally telling Dionne (Adelayo Adedayo) the truth. To be a hero, Michael must be motivated by more than just fear, and he finally accepts that.
Criticism of the surveillance culture
While the symbolism of a white-run shadow organization imprisoning and monitoring black people with superpowers is obvious, there is another insidious theme in the organization’s actions: the use of surveillance. They are able to track down and confront the Supacell because of their ability to tap into publicly placed security cameras.
The idea that the organization – which represents both misguided governments and Big Tech in the real world – could be watching us becomes more and more disturbing as we see how it uses the information it collects. In the public consciousness, we are becoming more and more aware of this problem as governments may change as data helps foreign governments Influencing elections on social mediaand tech companies sell our data to the highest bidder. Supacell is largely unaware that they are even being monitored, although they know a nefarious group is after them.
Not all monitoring and technology features in Supacell is bad though. We also learn that Jasmine’s father put a tracking device on her bag, not out of malice but out of overprotectiveness. This allowed him to determine that she was taken to a facility called “The Estate” or Ashington Estate. Dionne reveals that she used to serve customers there, but that the building is being demolished and there are currently no people there. Jasmine’s father plays a recording of his last phone call with Jasmine, in which she says that they are hurting her by constantly making her use her powers and that she wants to come home.
As the (white) man in charge at The Estate walks past several black prisoners with superpowers, he deliberately ignores their pleas. The guards mistreat Jasmine as they drag her into a larger cell where there is an injured black man with a deep gash on his back. She uses her powers to heal him, and then we see that the injured man is Andre (Eric Kofi Abrefa), who has also been injected to dampen his powers.
At the facility, Andre learns that the “super cell” is a mutation of the sickle cell, which is why these superpowers, as well as the disease, are widespread among black people. And of course, the organization wants to control them and offers Andre the only thing he needs: a permanent job with a regular income. The director explains that being close to other people with superpowers can activate a person’s powers (cells).
Two of the main power brokers in this episode use threats to exert their power. The first is the estate’s director, who suggests that if Andre complies, his son AJ will stay safe and taken care of. The second is Krazy (Ghetts), who threatens to hurt Tazer’s grandmother if he doesn’t show up for his meeting – meanwhile, Sabrina is ready to confront Krazy about Sharleen’s disappearance.
A victory for women
I’ve been critical of how the show handles female characters, but Sabrina’s character development is satisfying. She’s a nurse, educator, and healer by day, but as a person with superpowers, she causes a lot of damage with violence when she’s driven by anger.
I appreciate how that comes together in the final episode of the season and feel like it represents the role society expects of women and the anger we are supposed to suppress because we are expected to always be nurturing despite all the stress in our lives. It took a while to get to this point, but I’m glad Rapman got it right for this character.
However, the death of another female character primarily serves to motivate one of the men, and while this didn’t happen earlier in the season, it’s still frustrating to see this be her primary plot function.
Without giving too much away, the final battle is epic. Michael discovers that sometimes no action will produce the desired result. This reinforces the “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” nature of living in a society built to reinforce your failure rather than your success. Michael follows the rules. He is exceptional. He tries to change everything that is bad and take care of his fiancée, his ailing mother, and his new Supacell family. But ultimately, there are too many systems and power points working against him. It’s a hard lesson, but a realistic one that many superhero shows try to avoid by wrapping everything up in a hopeful bow rather than acknowledging the reality of the world superheroes must function in.
The future of Supacell
Supacell Fans can hope: Netflix has neither canceled nor renewed Supacell. While the series works satisfactorily as a standalone season, Rapman revealed Radio times that he has plans for three full seasons of the series – and the season ends with a clear direction for the new season. The innovative and expressive concept offers a lens for depth and exploration that other superhero series lack.
While some episodes of the first season were much stronger than others, Supacell is a refreshing take on superheroes and explores black identity in a way not served by mainstream superhero franchises. The series is also set in London, and while I love American superhero movies and series, watching a show from a different culture with a good soundtrack broke up the monotony of superhero series for me.
Supacell is about complex characters whose stories could fill more seasons, and voices that deserve more time and space on Netflix. Since we don’t have a Michael in real life to help us with that, it’s up to fans to watch the show and advocate for more seasons.
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