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In a culture oversaturated with superhero spin-offs, multiple multiverses and so many studios looking to get involved – no one mention Sony – Extraordinary is something special.
Written and created by Emma Moran, this hugely inventive superhero sitcom came with a radical twist and some perfect casting in the shape of Mairead Tyers (Jen). A twenty something singleton surrounded by enhanced humans living in London, who faced the same problems as everyone else except she lacked her own superpower.
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Season 1 introduced audiences to Carrie (Sofia Oxenham) who could commune with the dead, Kash (Bilal Hasna) who could literally turn back time, and a shape shifting cat called Jizzlord (Luke Rollason). This perfectly cast collection of characters made this comedy drama pop, while writer Emma Moran turned the concept of superheroes on its head.
The sophomore season brings more of the same, opening with an inspired dance number before catching audiences up on current events. Jen finally has enough money to get some professional help discovering that power, Carrie and Kash do the break-up dance and Jizz remembers more about his past than he might like.
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Those second 2 bullet points aside, what continues to make Extraordinary so extraordinary is the writing. Emma Moran swings for the fences every episode and really connects, landing sight gags, slipping in subtle character segues and grounding it all with pathos.
Surprising additions to this exceptional cast include Rosa Robson (Nora), who spends the season undermining Jen through a combination of self-help sessions and underhanded telepath. Elsewhere, Julian Barratt (George) comes onboard as Jen’s mentor guiding her towards some semblance of an epiphany, that may or may not result in this twenty something unlocking her potential.
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Comparisons to Fresh Meat and to a lesser extent Friday Night Dinner are inevitable, as these shows also possess that sense of unpredictability that keeps audiences guessing. They maybe scripted, but each one retains a degree of spontaneity shared by this Disney+ series. With some unflinching comedy which verges on the smutty, Extraordinary still manages to feel emotionally grounded, dangerously honest, yet rarely relies on shock value when it comes to sticking the punchline.
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This Disney+ show is a rare animal that addresses the insecurities of modern life without manipulating its audiences, features a bunch of slick performances from a perfect cast, and consistently surprises without taking the easy way out. In a perfect world Emma Moran and her company of players would get to make more shows like this one, because Extraordinary season 2 is exactly that.
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Seasons 1 & 2 of Extraordinary are available to stream on Disney+ now.