It’s very rare that cult classics become cult classics on one episode only. Surely, shows have become cult favorites with one season; there was “Firefly”, “Freaks and Geeks”, and “Brisco County”, but on one episode? I can’t think of too many series like that. “Aquaman” has become a cult classic not because of its quality, but because of curiosity. Curiosity not from comic book fans only, but from fans of “Smallville”, and the public whom enjoy kitschy entertainment. And sure, some people have managed to enjoy it. Okay a lot of people. But is it for the right reasons? First called “Mercy Reef” (taking off on the “Smallville” formula), then called “Aqua” and now called simply “Aquaman”, this series was an attempt to spin off from the popular guest stint of Aquaman on the “Smallville” series. The CW changed the series from “Mercy Reef” to the blunt “Aquaman” mainly because Aquaman just doesn’t hold the clout Superman does, and many people consider the character quite lame.
And the attempts at a spin-off failed. Miserably.
Now normally, pilots are vastly different from the actual series, since they’re basically filmed months before, and when picked up, are mildly retooled. Sets are changed, characters styles differ, and so on. So, how much of what we see here may have actually made it into the remainder of the series would be up for argument, but “Aquaman” lays down the groundwork for a larger more action packed series that’s a mixture of “Jag”, “Baywatch”, and–well–Aquaman. Whether or not Aquaman has a fan base is debatable, but the potential for this show was something the CW was hoping would eventually land them in a double dose of superhero melodrama trying to team it up with “Smallville”. And the downfall of “Aquaman” is just that. It’s the exact formula of “Smallville”. Young superhero, learning his ropes, tries to discover where he came from, how can deal with it, and tries to live in our world at the same time.
“Aquaman” is basically a “Smallville” carbon copy now dealing with Arthur Curry’s journey in his world, instead of Clark Kent. Further proof of this comment is an ancient home world, the loss of a parental figure which make up our hero’s journey of self-discovery, his father’s lecturing of his potential, his love interest who is basically exotic, our hero wears clothes that reflect his future costume colors, and the hero is an adopted child. While copies don’t always fail, the fact that “Aquaman” sank is probably a reflection on the series’ insistence to copy “Smallville” and its script almost point for point. But there are many possible theories. Maybe the CW just didn’t have enough confidence in the character, and or perhaps they felt they’d spawn another “Birds of Prey”.
Arthur Curry is now called AC (shortened for zing) and lost his mother when he was a child while flying over the ocean. The plane fell to the water, and his mother forced AC to leave while he swam back to shore, but not before seeing a mysterious figure grab her and drag her down. Before he escaped, AC was given a seahorse necklace by his mother, one that lights up whenever a mysterious ray bursts from the ocean to snatch pilots, and one that was just found on a mysterious swimmer in the middle of the ocean.
Save for many kinks and flaws, “Aquaman” possibly could have elevated beyond its traps and become a fun series, one that could have served to be a hit. It’s fun, and pretty gorgeous to look at with oceanic scenery, and gorgeous cinematography, but with the budget, that would have eventually changed. The pilot signals towards bigger storylines involving the military, sea monsters, and a possible invasion by Aquaman’s people; it reflects much of his cynicism he’d gain late in his life.
People hoping to see a lot from this one episode will be surely satisfied. So much happens in only forty minutes and the story is tight enough to be compacted in such a short time. The writers also manage to do double duty by implanting Arthur with a large knowledge of the military and its sea going technology which allows Arthur the ability to work around them to pursue his own exploits, but it also provides him with the knowledge when he one day becomes an opponent for the land going humans. Not many people are aware of Aquaman lore, so that advantage would have allowed for much improvising and starting from scratch with little fan backlash. The writers had carte blanche on new villains, new characters and plots that would differ from the comic books.
Not to mention, Hartley is a likable polar opposite to Clark Kent. He’s confident, charismatic, loves his abilities, and is more accepting of his fate. Hartley’s performance and handling of the character is decent, and he would have made the series much better. But beyond the almost obscure lore, the writers seem to be following the comics. Arthur’s character traits are basically there, he works with a triton for the first time ever, he has the potential to be royalty, and someone from his world is trying to capture him and kill him–presumably a family member who wants to usurp his future throne. It’s loyal to the lore, that’s for sure.
However. much of the flaws are clearly present, thus bringing this only three notches above a typical episode of “Baywatch Nights”. Most of all the acting, which is often very weak from the entire cast bring down an otherwise entertaining episode. Everyone except Hartley and Phillips seems to be either performing at over the top levels, or droning around without much to do. Ving Rhames is one who seems to be forcing out his lines which is evident and distracting since he plays a very important part in the forming of Aquaman.
Had the CW fixed these problems, and basically used the pilot to form a more unique and entertaining view on this character, “Aquaman” would have been a decent ratings grabber. It’s a fun series, and worth a gander and consideration by networks. I enjoyed it for what it presented to us as possibilities in one episode for the entire series. I would loved to have seen the person or persons trying to bring Aquaman to his death to take over his throne. But the question remains: Will the series ever be picked up since there’s a sudden resurgence in the Aquaman world? Probably.
Gough and Millar are willing to shop it to other networks interested in it, but if it is ever picked up, odds are it will differ greatly from what we see now. I wouldn’t hold my breath. But if I had to guess, I’d say “Aquaman” will remain in limbo forever, to circulate on comic conventions and bootlegs much like the “Dark Shadows” pilot the CW also never picked up. Such is Aquaman’s fate. But if you’re looking for this pilot to judge for yourself, it’s out there. You just have to fish around for it.