Clips from the Failed ‘Wonder Woman’ Pilot Hit the Internet, Show Us Why We Can’t Have Nice Things

So, news broke awhile back that the plans for a Wonder Woman television series had been scrapped after the pilot episode. I was a little upset, because despite the promo shots of her costume (showing a post-issue-600-based costume complete with WONDER PANTS) I thought Adrianne Palicki really looked the part and hoped it was just a bumpy start.

But now, clips from the failed pilot have hit the internet and…this wasn’t just a little turbulence. This was “The Invisible Plane Crash Lands Moments After Take Off.”

A little background for you folks who don’t follow Wonder Woman in comics (which, you absolutely should, just saying): Diana is an Amazon Princess. She was raised in an all-female society of Immortal Grecian Warrior Women. She tends to be characterized as very regal but kind, strong but loving. She doesn’t shy away from killing when she absolutely HAS to, but that’s only when she HAS to and it generally ends up being a big deal (it changed the DCU’s perception of her when she snapped a supervillain’s neck in order to save the world).

If there’s anything she’s NOT, it’s ultra-violent and cruel. Or vulgar. And yet, the clips we’re shown of her feature her…well, you should just watch.

EDIT: OR NOT since apparently Daily Motion has pulled the vids. Will try and have updated uploads of them for you ASAP.

Footage from failed Wonder Woman TV pilot -… by kahramanlarsinemada

Footage from failed Wonder Woman TV pilot by kahramanlarsinemada

Oh, and DC Women Kicking Ass on Tumblr posted a full review revealing there is a scene where Wonder Woman finds out she’s pining after a married man (Steve Trevor)…so she goes home, creates a Facebook page and friends her cat. They do, however, note that Palicki was well-cast and from these clips I can say, yeah, she was, and it’s not her fault that the characterization was just so very, very wrong.

Look, I get that the attempt was to make the character relate-able. But that’s not what was done here. She was made into a stereotype of what people seem to think makes a Strong Female Character. She’s a word-that-rhymes-with-witch! But she’s vulnerable when boys don’t want her!

Maybe that would work for another character. But this ISN’T another character. This is Wonder Woman.

Can Wonder Woman be overly violent? Well, yeah, when she has to. But killing random thugs? That’s not a “have-to” situation. And when she’s fighting? There’s no nobility to her character. It just doesn’t feel like she’s an Amazon, like she’s someone that doesn’t just think of fighting as “brawling” but as a way of life, there’s no feeling of her being a warrior in the classical sense.

Would Wonder Woman make an “I’m not perfect” speech? Absolutely. Would she make that particular “I’m not perfect” speech? No. Can Wonder Woman be vulgar? Well, yeah, anyone can be. Would she use the word “tits?” Okay, once again:

She was. Raised. By. A race. Of Immortal. Grecian. Warrior. Women.

I’m just saying, how often do you think the word “tits” came up? There is a reason Wonder Woman calls our world “Man’s World:” she comes from a world without men, meaning she was raised without even really the concept of a patriarchal society and the devaluing of women and/or femininity. So, vulgarity about women’s bodies likely wouldn’t even be in her vocabulary.

The character as she’s written in this, thankfully, failed TV series isn’t Wonder Woman. She MIGHT pass for a decent Power Girl (another DC heroine who is actually pretty mean, has a tendency towards violence and should get more mainstream attention) but as Wonder Woman she’s just not right. If you’re going to write a Wonder Woman TV series, you should maybe:

  1. Read a few Modern Age Wonder Woman comics (that aren’t Amazons Attack, because that’s just all over the place character-wise, too)
  2. Think about “Gee, how would Wonder Woman approach this situation?”
  3. If you can’t answer #2, go back to #1 and start over.

Great Hera, am I glad this thing was shot down.