Review: SuperMansion “The Gurman Files”

Should you open this file?

Spoilers Below

Unlike last week’s episode, “The Gurman Files” comes in two distinct parts. Black Saturn is trying to track down a kidnapping suspect who hasn’t been seen since the 70s. American Ranger and Portia take a trip to Flesh Fest – they’re looking for Ranger’s ex-wife to get her to sign the divorce papers.

This episode is all about identity. In the superhero genre, it’s a theme that’s impossible to ignore. Here’s the rundown: Since Black Saturn has voluntarily left The League of Freedom, he tries to find a new identity outside of it, solving crimes solo, although he does recruit Portia’s boyfriend, Courtney, to be his sidekick. Courtney doesn’t have an identity on the show outside of his relationship to others in the group, which is a complex trait in itself. They set out to find the mysterious, missing Mel Gurman. He’s a former photographer who created an image for the world’s first supermodels, the Gurman Girls. On his quest, Saturn uncovers the secret identities of two of the people closest to him. Mel Gurman is Rex’s old alter-ego (not a shocker), and Saturn’s own mother was one of the Gurman Girls.

Meanwhile, Ranger comes to terms that he has to retrieve his elderly wife from a BDSM convention if he wants to finalize the divorce. His wife has constructed a brand new identity for herself and it’s not from the world he cares to be a part of. Portia uses her skills as an on-screen relationship coach to get Ranger’s wife to agree to a compromise of sorts: Portia and Ranger’s wife will dominate their submissives (Ranger being Portia’s, and Ranger’s wife with her new boyfriend) until one of them yells their safeword. Which, okay. I can’t not take a break in the review to acknowledge this.

I’m not okay with this current media trend of blatantly ignoring the basis of BDSM to make a “good” story. While it is likely that the SuperMansion audience is made up of informed, internet literate viewers, film and TV are many people’s first exposure to anything from this realm. People are still going to be curious. When what’s shown on-screen isn’t safe or accurate, they’re still going to try it. Then they’re going to get hurt, emotionally or physically. Portia wins the contest by not giving Ranger a safeword to be able to yell out. Ranger’s wife praises her by calling her a bitch. I know it’s just a show and it’s supposedly funnier this way, but safewords aren’t optional and I don’t like people being told they are. This whole theme of identity would have come through more strongly if Ranger really did have some sort of transformation at Flesh Fest, or if he was so motivated to get the papers signed that he won in earnest.

In fact, SuperMansion has explored this theme a few times before, and its other attempts were much more successful. This was a fun episode that stands well on its own. It also adds to the disjointed feeling that this season gives off as a whole. It looked like identity was going to be a thread tying each episode together, but the arc fell through somewhere in the middle. As a final tag on the episode, Dr. Devizo finally shows up again, making good on his promise to destroy Rex with the incriminating files from this season’s premiere.

I feel like I’ve been too harsh on SuperMansion, because I really enjoy it. It’s not just the voice acting that makes it great – I love the premise, the characters, and the writing in general. I believe in this show and that it can round out the whole thing nicely, even if it’s not as structurally sound as season one.