Naomi premieres on January 11 on The CW.
By Ariba Bhuvad
Ladies and gentlemen, prepare yourselves for CW’s next superhero series, Naomi, based on the 2019 DC comic book series created by Brian Michael Bendis, David F. Walker, and Jamal Campbell. It is just getting started but is making its own place on CW’s long list of DC-based shows.
Critics were given the first two episodes to review, and I am happy to report that they are absolutely excellent. Ava DuVernay brings this comic book series to life as an executive producer, and if you know anything about her work, then you already know that she only produces phenomenal content.
For those of you who don’t know anything about the character Naomi, don’t worry. You don’t need to have any previous knowledge of her to truly enjoy this series. It’s like a fresh start that keeps you connected to the larger DC universe while still allowing you to immerse yourself into Naomi’s world as she struggles to discover her origin story. There are plenty of nods to characters we know and love, but the series is doing a great job of letting the show stand on its own.
Naomi McDuffie, played by Kaci Walfall, is introduced to viewers as a fun-loving, carefree teenager living in the small town of Port Oswego. She’s a huge fan of Superman who is just a fictional character in her world as he is in ours. Off the bat, you can tell there is something special about her, and I credit Walfall for making us feel that way. She has a way of pulling you into Naomi’s story and making you feel invested almost immediately. Hands down, she is my favorite part of the series already–along with the cast of supporting characters who add to the fun and lightheartedness of the series. It’s a cast I can promise you will fall in love with right away!
It is revealed pretty quickly that Naomi was adopted at a young age by her adoptive parents, Greg (Barry Watson) and Jennifer (Mouzam Makkar). But there is something mysterious about her past life and that is where this series spends its time very cleverly. Without giving away any spoilers, Naomi’s past is a critical piece to the person she is, and the series reveals it in a fascinating manner. Instead of telling us everything right away, the show spends more time allowing us to learn about Naomi, her present life, and the connection she shares with a strange incident involving Superman that happens in her town. Of course, no one thinks it is actually Superman and chalks it off to a dangerous stunt, but of course, we all know better, don’t we?
If the first two episodes are any indication, I think we are all in for a treat with Naomi. The characters, the writing, the acting, and everything else in between are on point. It’s exactly what we needed I’d say that Naomi’s world is about to take us all for a rollercoaster ride we don’t want to get off of–and I can’t wait.
I give Naomi Season 1 an A.
TV and City 