Is anyone else watching No Ordinary Family — the show about a family of superheroes? I think it may have pulled a Riker’s Beard (the opposite of “Jump the Shark”) in last night’s episode, and turned itself around.

Don’t get me wrong, the show has its inspired moments. But usually it’s so bad that I created a new drinking game. You do a shot when you see something completely unbelievable.¹

Here’s how you would have played the game with last week’s episode:

• When the nosy grandparents show up unexpectedly, the entire family goes outside to talk in “private.” They discuss their superpowers out in their driveway in the still of night, without lowering their voices in any way.
  TAKE A SHOT
• The family is worried that the grandparents will notice something is different with them, so instead of trying to avoid them, they inexplicably alter their lives to spend more time with the grandparents so they can keep the grandparents from figuring anything out. On what planet does that make sense? ²
  TAKE A SHOT
• The father, who has super strength, jumps up to a half a mile from house rooftop to house rooftop without so much as breaking a tile or alerting the houses’ occupants.  Does he have silencer shoes? Why couldn’t he have simply made these jumps in alleys behind the houses or somewhere else more stable and discreet?
  TAKE A SHOT

Needless to say, if I play this game I’m usually sloshed by the end of the episode.

But last night’s episode was disappointing, in that it wasn’t, er… disappointing. It was actually pretty good. Maybe the disparate voices in the writers’ room have finally agreed on the tone of show? Maybe it has pulled a Riker’s Beard and is about to become awesome?

Only time will tell. But in the meantime, I’ll have my booze ready. (Maybe the trick is to drink before watching the show?)

Anyone else find last night’s episode uncharacteristically good? Anyone think I’m off base? What’s your take?

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