Weekends are for consuming media. This weekend was for watching the first season of Edge of Normal, a web series created by Amanda Overton and produced Tiffany L. Gray, Samantha Covington and Sarah Cahill. The series is presented in 6 webisodes, the first five all a few minutes long and the season climax final episode at a pretty-darn-full 10 minutes.

The series introduces us to a number of young women with extraordinary powers. Several of them know each other already. They band together to save a friend from a decidedly real-world threat and gain two new peers in the process.

The story is firmly rooted in our reality and the series is pretty up-front about presenting powers as more of a burden than a blessing. Their frustration with the way the world is, the way people are, is one of the things that the protagonists all bond over. They also don’t necessarily have control over their powers, which suits the setting well.

Each episode is named after and focuses slightly on one of the 6 characters. There is very little exposition in these short episodes, things are explained in visions and flashbacks. Although we get little time with any one individual character, the story telling is very tight and by the end of the 6th episode, not only do we have a pretty significantly developed plot, but a very decent denouement and a powerful postscript leading, I hope, to a second season.

There are two couples in the story, one in real time and one possible/who knows and both work. Given the time constraints, a single scene for each couple defines the beginning of what we’re obviously hoping becomes more.

There is some violence, of the triggering kind, if you have issues with parental abuse. Special effects were understated, and the whole thing looks like a good job done with a low budget. If they do go to a second season, I’d rather them pay everyone more and stay at the same level of production, rather than blow their budget on location or effects.

Ratings:

Character – 8
Story – 9
Yuri/Lesbian – 6 with lots of potential
Service – Nothing really, other than the violence

Overall – A solid 8

I blew through the first season yesterday morning and have to say, I honestly hope we get a second season. Edge of Normal was pretty damn good.