Critic Reviews

It’s an episode of television that exists at the intersection of Marvel’s superpowers-as-puberty metaphors and the half-baked cultural upheaval of True Blood—with a Whedon-esque anti-authoritarian streak thrown in for good measure. The show could devolve into a grab bag of familiar themes and tropes down the line, but its pilot does a remarkable job of synthesizing a cohesive introduction out of those disparate parts.

From "The Mod Squad" to "Being Human," TV's young misfits find it [family] where they can, and Tomorrow is that next step, too. Scripter Phil Klemmer wrote for "Chuck" and "Veronica Mars," good arguments for promise here (and "Undercovers," a bad one).

Silly as the set-up may seem, it works because of competent writing and convincing performances.

Although predictable in predictable ways, there are enough twists and turns and, relatively speaking, complexities of character to keep things interesting, and a pivot at the end that I did not see coming. Which bodes well.

This won't be a show focusing on teenage angst, which is a healthy breath of fresh air from a network that capitalizes on brooding male protagonists.... One major aspect the pilot lacks is character development, as the fast-paced action and plot dominate the first hour to set up the series.

The CW has established a reliable [network formula]: beautiful young things plus alienation plus supernatural powers plus slim-fit leather jackets. It works again in this new series. [11 Nov 2013, p.40]

There’s enough set in motion here to perhaps lure a small, loyal audience from week to week.

With so many powers, the Tomorrow People seem near invincible, and the measures Ultra uses to thwart them seem flimsy. The idea that a prohibition against killing could be genetically encoded seems both convenient and implausible — and also lessens the stakes.

Derivative of sci-fi and superhuman dramas we’ve seen plenty of times before, up to and including the slo-mo 'Matrix' bullets flying out of a gun.

Yet another in the assembly line of fantasy/sci-fi shows, it offers little in the way of thrills, suspense or drama.