Naomi of course is based on the 2019 comic book with the same name, by Brian Michael Bendis and David F. Walker with Jamal Campbell providing the art. This six issue limited series was under the Wonder Comics label which were DC young hero comics that didn’t last too long. She allied with Young Justice, another Wonder Comics title, and Bendis also brought her to the Justice League with his run on the comic book. The pilot is co-written with Ava DuVernay with Jill Blankenship, also executive producers for the series. It opens with narration by Naomi (Kaci Walfall) who is posing the question of her perception of the world being wrong. She looks in the mirror and takes off her glasses, putting on the glasses causes her blurry vision, and Naomi says this is her origin story. Walfall was in two episodes of the recent The Equalizer (2021) tv series.
Naomi is a bit like Harry Potter in the first movie; everyone loves her, she has several love interests (Harry was awkward at relationships), and juggles a blog site, top performance at school (Harry struggled at Hogwarts), and friends. Still Walfall makes Naomi intriguing. This shifts to a house party, Naomi walks in smiling, and everyone is excited she is there. One the teens is taking a cameo and notes that she runs a Superman fan site. Naomi corrects him that Brazil is #1 and the Philippenes is #2. Wait!, she runs a Superman site and has no Super wear?, not even the symbol on a shirt? Nathan (Daniel Puig) dismisses Superman with his “cape and spandex.” Puig was in the dramatic tv movie, The System (2019). Naomi says that he is adopted just like herself. He leans in and says Superman is not real. This is an alternate Earth without superheroes. The Naomi of the comics was in Earth Prime with all of the superheroes. Then, she walks over to her best friend, Annabelle (Mary-Charles Jones). She was in the comedy, Kevin Can Wait (2016-2018). The first issue of the comic also introduced Annabelle.
She says to Naomi that she broke up with him after five dates, should be since he doesn’t realize her interest in Superman, then Naomi goes out to dance to a song. Morning, Naomi’s parents, Greg McDuffie (Barry Watson), in his soldier uniform and mother, Jennifer (Mouzam Makkar), are preparing breakfast. Watson was in the 2021 tv movie, Highway to Heaven, based on the tv show. Makkar starred in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2015-2020). Their first appearance was in the second issue of Naomi. I think the family needs more development and time in the show, yes it is teen focused, but Naomi's comics are mentioned, but not shown, also nothing in her room about Superman. It's difficult to see why she admires Superman, but has nothing in her life except the blog. Their daughter appears with a pink sweater and glasses. She gives a greeting in several languages to her linguist mother who is impressed.
Naomi’s last name was a nod to the late comics writer, Dwayne McDuffie, who wrote for animation, and co-founded Milestone Media. She tells her father that she came back home at midnight. A little late for a teen, but the McDuffies don’t seem to mind where she spends her time. Naomi heads to school on her skateboard. She rides her board and waves to the people on the street, a strange man watches her, and then another at a used car lot. This is the town of Port Oswego, Oregon. Naomi gets to the school and sees her friend, Anthony (Will Meyers), who didn’t show up at the party because he was given a fake address by Nathan. He didn’t call Naomi or follow the sounds of the house party? Meyers is in the horror series, The Walking Dead: World Beyond. At the debate club after school, the teacher notes that the presentation is for the military. Naomi gets a text from Annabelle that there is a stunt in town that deals with Superman.
She says she is taking a break and heads out on her board. She starts toward the disturbance, things start to become distorted, and Naomi collapses. Naomi on the ground sees the flash of Superman across the sky. Fade to black. She comes to and hears police sirens. Naomi rushes to Sutton Square and hears comments by citizens, a crashed car, and finally Annabelle. She uses her phone to record the accounts of people who were at the scene. This from the first issue of the comic book. They all believe it was a stunt and not some movie promotion. Next, she goes to the comic book store owned by Lourdes (Camila Moreno) with purple hair. She was in the sci fi film, Lost Beyond the Stars (2021). Naomi gets a text from her mother for a party and she says to Lourdes to text her, they give each other looks and smiles. Annabelle sees what’s going on.
Jennifer takes her daughter’s thermometer, just temperature?, she fell unconscious! At least, a trip to the emergency room. Naomi gets a text from Lourdes and her mother says Loudes has a crush on her daughter. Her parents bring up her dating life. At night, Naomi skates over to the square, she takes pics of the area, she should have done this in the day. She notices that all of the cameras around the square are broken. She hears a crashing sound in an alley. A shadowy form appears after Naomi has left. Next day, she checks on shopkeepers and school mates, investigating like a Daily Planet reporter. It is a mystery she wants to solve. At a park, Naomi confides that her father had given her a comic book when he was based in Japan, it made her happy when she didn’t fit in. This scene should have been shown, not told. Also, that she feels “strange” after Sutton Square.
NAOMI -- “Don’t Believe Everything You Think” -- BARRY WATSON, MOUZAM MAKKAR -- Photo: Boris Martin/The CW -- © 2021 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Later, Nathan has put together cell phone videos of the incident, and Naomi says she thinks Nathan has a good heart. They watch the complies video, Superman flies in, knocking over a car, crushing a truck, and damaging a building. In the air, he can be seen hurtling around the supervillain, he gives a hand wave to someone and flies away. Naomi notices after they play the video again that they see Dee (Alexander Wraith) from the tatoo shop. Wraith had a cameo in a 2020 episode of The Mandalorian. Dee was introduced in Naomi’s first issue. He seems to be watching Superman and Naomi says they appear to know each other. Later, they pass the auto lot, Zumbado (Cranston Johnson) walks towards them. He starred in the crime film, The Gateway (2021). The character appeared in the fifth issue of the comic book.
They see Dee, who is surprised that she wears glasses, Naomi says she would get a tatoo in her 18th birthday. Dee mentions that it is March 14th. Naomi tells him that’s when she was adopted. She asks him about the Superman incident. Dee sends them out since she is “not asking the right questions.” He admits that he planned the fight to increase his business. Naomi’s narration notes her comments to her site’s followers, she notices the blurriness with her glasses. Her parents surprise her with a new car. Naomi brings up Dee and why she hears glasses, Greg brings up her degenerative eye disease. Her parents offer to ride with Naomi to the base. On stage, the teacher, Villareal, setting up the debate subject, nature or nurture. Naomi counters the argument that the nuture topic is to decide “who we want to be.”
Her response gets audience applause. Several soldiers enter the room, she starts to hear the buzzing again. She collapses on stage and still no one worries about taking her to the hospital or medical unit on base. Later, she sees the soldiers and without her glasses, sees a note that says Red River Forest. Exploring the forest, she comes across a broken tree, a furrow in the ground and a strange disc. Naomi gets a call from Annabelle, but the her voice is distorted. She is confronted by Zumbado who says he is hiking. Zumbado says it is unusual that she chose Superman for her blog site. He wants the disc and knows she was on Main Street. The leaves start to stir around her and Naomi starts to run. She takes cover by a bush and Zumbado says she should control her powers. Naomi takes a cell phone picture of the disc. She turns to face Zumbado and then is thrown back by some force! He picks up the disc and says the title of the pilot episode. The mystery of Naomi's origin unfolds with her friends working to help her. Naomi is an intriguing character, maybe a little strange as a Superman fan and should develop her family before getting into possible powers.
Four Discs out of Five!
#Naomi, #KaciWalfall, #MaryCharlesJones, #BarryWatson, #MouzamMakkar, #DanielPuig, #CamilaMoreno, #AlexanderWraith, #CranstonJohnson.
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