When we said that the Deadly Class pilot was one of the best comic book TV pilots ever made, that came — as all such declarations do — with a caveat: a great pilot does not mean a show will be great any more than a weak pilot means you cannot recover.
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At the time, our thinking — and that of a lot of fans of the comic — was that the proof would be in the execution of the “Vegas episode,” tonight’s “Saudade.”
The episode centers on a trip to Las Vegas, where Marcus, Billy, Maria, Saya, and Willie plan to kill Billy’s abusive, gambling-addicted father. When they stop at a Grateful Dead concert along the way to buy some drugs from a hippie encampment, the weekend takes a turn for the decidedly Fear and Loathing-esque…but just being stoned out of their minds in one of the most surreal cities in the world does not mean they aren’t there to do a job.
After four strong episodes, Deadly Class levels up with “Saudade.” Our — and other — reviews can drop the “comic book TV” qualifier; with tonight’s episode, Deadly Class makes its case for being one of the best shows on TV.
A lot goes into one episode — so much that it could easily have boiled over and left the audience feeling overwhelmed. The pacing and direction are exactly what they need to be to make it work, though, and by the end, “Saudade” leaves you with that same hollowed-out, ecstatic anticipation for the next episode that the best episodes of The Walking Dead have over the years.
The craft is what elevates this, though; Rick Remender’s script (based on the comic he wrote and published with artist Wes Craig, colorist Lee Loughridge, and letterer Rus Wooton) is a near-perfect adaptation and expansion of one of the most popular stories from the source material, but it could have easily failed to work if not for a few key parts.
First, the performance by Benjamin Wadsworth. Playing drunk or stoned convincingly is difficult — and it’s something that virtually everyone in the cast did a solid job with — but Wadsworth had to take it to another level, soaring on 7 hits of acid and talking to a slot machine, among other high points. He managed to ground the performance in something real and to let some moments of genuine emotion peek through, even while turning the volume up to 13 in search of the comedy the episode demands.
Another key component was the direction of the episode: not only did Adam Kane have to take on the challenge of directing a bounch of young people acting stoned without anyone breaking, but there are several elements that presented challenges unique to the Vegas episode. While Kane has already established himself as having a solid grasp on what makes Deadly Class work, the strategic and technical challenges presented by this script were on another level, and every big swing the episode takes, it knocks out of the park.
The animation, which has been a high point of the series up to this point, goes to the next level in the episode (as one might expect). You can just check the Twitter feeds of the talent involved to see various glimpses of the insanity that comes from that. There are also a couple of other highly stylized segments unique to the Vegas episode. They all work, and one in particular — you’ll know it when you see it from a certain character’s popped collar ’80s chic — feels destined to become a fan-favorite GIF.
The other big standout performance comes from Liam James, whose Billy kickstarted the whole trip to Vegas last episode by suggesting they take a road trip to kill his dad. In last week’s episode, fans got to see class clown Billy in a new light as his defenses dropped and he let Marcus (and the audience) in on his heartbreak. This week, we see James delivering a balanced portrayal of Billy that still hangs onto the humor that makes him so lovable, but does so while acknowledging the seriousness of what is going on in his life.
If you have not been watching Deadly Class, this episode has a number of plot threads that are direct carryovers from the pilot. The show has been great so far, so far be it from us to suggest that you skip the three episodes in between, but if you are looking for a perfect opportunity to get on board? Tonight’s the night, and all it takes is a look at the pilot, which is streaming free on SYFY.com, to get caught up.
Deadly Class airs at 10 p.m. ET/PT, Wednesday nights on SYFY.
