A stodgy superhero series that fizzles out in an instant is recharged as a streaming sensation

Slap a superpowered twist onto almost anything and it’s guaranteed to find at least a modicum of success given the vociferous appetite audiences have had for such stories dating back decades, but it remains to be seen if Prime Video’s The Power has the legs to keep viewers hooked right the way through to the end of its first season.

It’s off to a phenomenal start, though, with FlixPatrol revealing the literary adaptation to have instantly seized control of the streaming service’s number one spot on the episodic charts, but that was always going to be the case. The real test is how long it can hold onto the position, especially when reviews have been merely solid as opposed to spectacular.

The concept is stellar, with every teenage girl in the world suddenly developing the power to electrocute at will in what surely has to rank among a troll or misogynist’s worst nightmare. It can’t be stopped or taken away, but it doesn’t take long for corporate bigwigs to realize that it may be capable of being controlled.

From there, the youngsters learn they can even awaken the gifts laying dormant in the older generations, forcing millions to cower in fear at the prospect of women ruling the world with the means of laying waste to anyone who opposes. The cast is solid and the conceit is even stronger, but given the fantasy genre’s questionable status among on-demand bigwigs, we’ll just have to wait and see if The Power lives to fight another day. For now, however, it’s nothing but a certifiable sensation for Amazon’s platform.