Amazon Prime’s new sci-fi action drama series, The Power, adapted by Naomi Alderman from her novel of the same name, imagines a world in which teenage girls around the world without warning discover that they have the power to electrocute people. As this new threat sends the patriarchy into a tailspin and leads to a reversal of the global gender power balance, a group of women in different circumstances and places must learn to come to terms with what their newfound ability means and how they can use it for good — not only in their lives but in those of the previously ignored, abused and mistreated.
The show stars Toni Colette and John Leguizamo as small-town mayor Margot Cleary-Lopez and her scientist husband Rob. Halle Bush and Heather Agyepong play teenagers learning to cope with the potential of their power in America and Nigeria.
How does the story reflect changes in the world made more pertinent since the novel was published in 2016?
John Leguizamo: The beautiful part of this show is that it reflects what’s happening in the world right now, especially in America where women are finally rising to power and the white patriarchy is not happy about giving up power. I often talk to my older white friends and they’re having a difficult time — they feel like they’ve been outmoded and there’s a lot of resentment. It’s interesting how this book plays that up but it’s sci-fi and there’s electricity and nuclear blasts, which help you understand that dynamic.
Toni Colette: It’s a time of transition in our world, in humanity, and this show is about evolution — massive change and massive transition so it’s aligned to current events. It's exciting to have this show come out at a time which feels reflective of what our potential could really be.
Naomi Alderman: The world has changed since we started working on this show — and not in great ways for women. Certainly the show is coming out at a timely moment and we’re presenting an imaginary journey for people that's more relevant now than when we started. There’s the character of Urban Dox who I put into the book and has become more relevant — in 2011 it was something people hadn't thought about. Now we’ve seen the effects of somebody like Andrew Tate.
One of the pleasures of working on this show is that when you see something on the news that upsets you, you can put it straight into the work and express how you feel about it. So not only have we come out of a difficult but maybe hopeful moment but there’s value in making sure that you continue to keep things up to date. We’ve worked hard on that.
Halle Bush: The show is going to spark conversations like this. I hope they're healthy conversations. With Roe v Wade and the racial injustice going on towards black women in America, it’s good for this show to come out now so other black women can see there’s diversity in it.
Heather Agyepong: One beautiful thing about this show is that it doesn’t give answers but rather raises questions. It questions the power shifts that are happening within the world of the story, which are reflective of what’s happening right now.
What do you hope audiences will take away from the show?
TC: That equality is absolutely essential. That’s what I love about the show; that’s what made me want to do it — it presents a potential example of how we could exist. Some issues in the real world have swung so far and we need to find a balance because balance is important. Our reality is out of balance. If there’s a second season the dust will start to settle as it does in reality and we’ll figure a way to move forward with a sense of inclusivity, respect for everybody, kindness for everybody — it’s the only way.
JL: There are a lot of weird things happening in the world that this show makes thrilling and entertaining. It helps us to take a look at ourselves as a society.
NA: I imagine a heterosexual couple sitting down to watch the show together and then having a conversation at the end. The show is for a range of people. Stories about power and gender are happening in everybody’s lives every day. Parts of the story take place in Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Eastern Europe — this is going on in everybody’s lives.
HA: I love that the show aims for the intersectional and talks about women in different cultural contexts. It is also about patriarchy and power and that affects everybody, whoever you are. So you might make an assumption that it’s about women and for women to watch but it’s for any audience.
- The first three episodes of The Power are now streaming on Amazon Prime. New episodes are added weekly thereafter.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.