Naomi Review: Ready or Not / Who Am I? (Season 1 Episodes 12-13)
Naomi Season 1 Episodes 12-13, “Ready or Not” and “Who Am I?” thrusts its Big Bad into the spotlight, giving our protagonist a chance to save the day in a stunning display of heroics.
“Ready or Not” and “Who Am I?” feel significantly closer to what Naomi should’ve been all along: fast-paced, propulsive, and steeped in superhero magic. The show still has some distance to travel to fulfill its true potential, so here’s hoping it gets that Season 2 greenlight.
NAOMI: Do you know how long it’s taken me to find a place that actually feels like home?
Perhaps the biggest disappointment is the reveal of Brutus and his non-threatening goons. For a show about life and death, about a high-octane world where superpowered beings exist, Naomi suffers from a lack of heightened stakes. The show spends so much time methodically building Brutus to be the most formidable villain imaginable, but he enters the fray with a whimper.
Sure, the writers inject sizable stakes into the finale, but Naomi’s adversaries crumble easily. On another note, fingers crossed that The CW grants Naomi a sophomore outing and a vastly bigger budget. The weak special effects and overall editing detract from the story.
ANNABELLE: Maybe Superman is listening to sad girl music in his Ice Castle, too.
The story itself is powerful. Naomi McDuffie is an intriguing, multifaceted character, played brilliantly by the endearing Kaci Walfall. But the series suffers from a lack of resources, and sometimes strong characters aren’t enough to immerse one in a narrative, especially if it’s a genre-related one.
ZUMBADO: Your powers don’t make you a hero — your choices do.
“Ready or Not” delves deep into the nuances of heroes. It poses the question of whether even well-known superheroes like Superman succumb to low self-confidence from time to time. Does courage stem from a full tank of self-esteem?
Naomi deftly tackles these themes, revealing the humanity behind our superpowered idols while declaring that everyday folks can save the world, too. All it takes is one person doing the right thing.
NAOMI: The people I love aren’t my weakness. They’re what makes me stronger.
Admittedly, one of the highlights of these episodes is the performances, notably Walfall leading the charge and Alexander Wraith as Dee. Wraith churns in understated, layered work, never going over the top and maintaining a level of groundedness in his performance.
The other highlight is the reveal of Greg and Jen McDuffie’s deep-seated betrayal. They murdered Naomi’s birth parents and kidnapped her! Here’s hoping the series doesn’t “explain away” said betrayal should Season 2 come to be. It would be an exciting change if Naomi morphed two of its leads into antagonists.
Overall, Naomi has endless potential — it merely needs time to stretch its wings. Despite its rockiness, occasionally distracting effects, and corny dialogue, Naomi boasts charming characters and a heaping helping of heart, with an empowered Black teen girl at its center. It breaks barriers left and right, which is crucial. Should the Powers That Be give the series another go, we can only hope it continues to broaden its horizons in new and intriguing ways.
May it soar above the clouds like its inspiring heroine.
Stray Observations:
- Naomi and Annabelle are at a diner, “Amara’s Diner,” which feels like a reference to Supernatural. Sure, the latter’s not a DC property, and this isn’t the MCU, but why not?
- On another referential note, the diner feels like an homage to Riverdale, a DC property. Additionally, the birthday girl in the said diner is named Cheryl. That’s too many references to be coincidental.
- The season starts with a party and ends with a party! You have to appreciate the symmetry.
- Could Dee’s trip to Gaolus reveal more connections to the overarching DC universe/Arrowverse? Let’s hope so!
- Petition to make Lourdes Zatanna for real?
- Stephanie March is woefully underutilized this season, so here’s hoping Akira lives.
- We riot if Naomi doesn’t give us Naomi/Lourdes next season.
What did you think of these episodes of Naomi? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Naomi Season 1 is now streaming on The CW.
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Melody McCune
Melody loves TV. Maybe too much. Besides being a Senior Writer for Tell-Tale TV, she's the Managing Editor for Geek Girl Authority, an Independent Contractor for Sideshow Collectibles, and a Senior Writer for Eulalie Magazine. Additionally, she has bylines in Culturess, Widget, and inkMend on Medium. To top it all off, she's a critic for Rotten Tomatoes and CherryPicks.