The superhero comedy Extraordinary (Disney+, from Wednesday) is a wonderful showcase for the Co Cork actor Máiréad Tyers – but is it much more than that? Tyers sparkles in series two as Jen, an Irish transplant to London navigating the trials of twentysomething life: disgusting housemates, a dire job and an up-and-down relationship with her new boyfriend.
She also has to cope with the absence of anything resembling a superpower – a huge disadvantage in a universe where everyone receives a comic-book ability on turning 18. One of her housemate’s colleagues can split into multiple versions of himself; Jen’s therapist (The Mighty Boosh’s Julian Barratt) is able to literally leap into Jen’s mind; her best friend’s ex manipulates time; and so on.
These hugely random, Marvel-like augmentations would be of dubious use in most Avengers-like doomsday scenarios. That hasn’t prevented Jen developing seismic self-esteem issues regarding her lack of Wonder Woman-style talents. How can you feel special when you’re the only person on the entire planet who isn’t?
[ Series one review: Watch it for star-in-the-making Máiréad TyersOpens in new window ]
Such, at least, was the premise of season one. Second time around, the fantastical component has been dialled down significantly, to the point of being largely an afterthought. What’s left is a twentysomething relationship dramedy with some awkward superhero bits wedged in, occasionally to the detriment of the comedy.
The humour itself is a bit hit and miss. Extraordinary, scripted by the Co Fermanagh writer Emma Moran, works largely because of Tyers, who is fantastic at communicating the sheer rubbishness of your mid-20s, when you’re too skint to graduate to adulthood properly but too grown up to slum it like an eternal student. What a painful in-between period – and what a great performance by Tyers.
Just as impressive is the underutilised Siobhán McSweeney as Jen’s passive-aggressive mother, Mary. Ardal O’Hanlon has a smaller part as Jen’s father, who died several years previously but, thanks to the superpowers of Jen’s housemate, continues to voice-call from beyond the grave (which is better, at least, than having your dead dad TikTok you).
Where the show falls down is in the often puerile gags and general sweariness. There’s nothing wrong with a well-placed F-bomb to lighten a script. Alas, Extraordinary leans too far into free-form potty-mouthedness. There is also a lack of pizzazz between Jen and her boyfriend (Luke Rollason), who was once a cat but is now human. That isn’t the only awkward fact from his past: it turns out he has a complicated previous life involving glamorous influencer Nora (Rosa Robson).
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How does Jen know this? Because Nora can beam her thoughts straight into the mind of her nemesis. When she does so she makes it perfectly clear she is on the warpath against Jen – while all the seeming like sweetness itself to the rest of the world.
Extraordinary just about works, but the sense throughout season two is of a comedy beginning to run on fumes. Tyers does her best. The question the series poses is: does she deserve better?
