‘Me’ Recap: ‘Facing Up’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Amanda Reid as Carter in Episode 103 of ‘Me’ – ‘Facing Up’. (Photo Courtesy of Apple.)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Three of ‘Me’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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If there is one particular trope that is used ad nauseum in superhero origin stories, it is what becomes of the hero when they discover their powers. Wherein our newly christened hero goes upon quite the journey. Where they discover a mentor or guide or find a quiet corner of the world to hone their skills and become the hero, we want them to be. So that when they emerge from their Fortress of Solitude, they are a well-oiled, pure hero that is ready to stop evil because good is in their heart. And while that’s epic to watch since it speaks to how people can embrace the good in their soul, and find strength from it, it is quiet escapist in nature… for if superpowers were reality, their discovery would go a different route.

In fact, we can likely use the Apple TV+ series, Me, as the blueprint of what obtaining superpowers would look like in real life. For this series has thumbed its nose at such tropes and is instead eager to use reality to grow a hero in a different manner and for proof… look no further than its next episode. For ‘Facing Up’ was a story that should have seen Ben begin to feel a calling to head into the wild to learn. But instead… he simply went about his life. Because he still had responsibilities, and leaving his family behind to learn would go poorly, as evidenced by how things went down in the pilot when he ‘disappeared’. So instead, this story explored the harsh reality that being a teenage hero, wouldn’t really offer any major benefits up front. Just more teenage moments, the kind that frustrate.

After all, that lack of understanding of his powers, left Ben helpless to help Owen. Who kept taking real heat from the school bully, Jason, and Ben truly wanted nothing more than to use his powers to teach a bully a proper lesson. But there was little he could do, other than try and enlist others in his quest. Which only led to trouble for Max, whom he talked into helping embarrass ol’ Jason. The kind that did force our hero to intervene and use his powers for a parlor trick to avoid accountability. Because that too, is what a teenager would do with powers, in the midst of also trying to navigate life itself and the struggles of blended family life. In fact, the struggles of learning to communicate in a new family dynamic are partly why Max agreed to help Ben. Since she needed him to help smooth over the mistake that Elizabeth made.

All of which just made… for a slice of life story. One that explored the ups and downs we deal with as a teen, along with those very real struggles within his family. Not to mention, an opportunity to lean into tropes, was broken up with logic. Because Carter did make her presence known more often in this tale, and she did explain how superpowers would likely create fear in our world, and that… there would need to be some modicum of maturity and real desire to use those powers for pure good before answers and training could come into play. Which in many ways, made this episode akin to the frustration that teens feel when they are eager to become adults, but cannot because they’re in that awkward phase where they are stuck, limited by the world and their standing, until time and growth nudge them in the right direction.

If anything, that made… for a brilliant episode. Since it informed us, that real life will always take precedence in this tale over anything else, and the superhero stuff is the fun stuff that we the audience… will have to earn, just like Ben. But while we wait to get there, we can celebrate an episode that worked hard to help this series in its quest to reinvent the superhero origin story. All while educating us and reminding us of the perils and struggles of being a teenager and it continues to compel us to continue the journey. For it is also obvious we are building to bigger days for Ben, and bigger moments as well… the kind that relate to the maturity we uncover as we grow, and it will be quite the treat to see how this brilliant series handles that as it continues to surprise us and subvert classic superhero tropes. Until next time.

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