We can pretty much agree that parenting is the toughest job in the world. Now imagine parenting a child only to find out that he is developing super powers. “Raising Dion” runs with this scenario to explore the trials and tribulations of parenthood. The exciting Netflix series dropped its second season on Feb.1.
“Raising Dion” premiered in 2019 with a stellar first season. The series follows Nicole (Alisha Wainwright), a widow who discovers her young son Dion (Ja’Siah Young) has inherited powers of telekinesis and teleportation from his deceased father (Michael B. Jordan). After the shocking discovery that the evil and enigmatic Crooked Man is hunting down super powered individuals, Nicole must protect her son against the villainous archrival. They learn which family and friends they can and cannot trust while Nicole tries to keep Dion’s powers under the radar. The first season concluded with the thrilling showdown between our heroes and the Crooked Man after we learn that he has taken over Pat Rollins (Jason Ritter), Dion’s Godfather, as a host. After the Crooked Man’s supposed defeat and death, we learn that the villain has survived the ordeal and possessed Brayden (Griffin Robert Faulkner), the young son of another fallen super powered man.
This season picks up two years after the events of the finale. We see that Nicole and Dion have adjusted better to what has become their new normal. Dion has taken to training at the science company Biona, which acted as a mysterious entity in the first season. Since the company has earned the trust of both Nicole and the audience, we discover how Biona has been handling this new world of people with powers. After the reemergence of the Crooked Man and the shocking reappearance of Pat, Dion and Nicole once again must fight the forces of evil in their hometown of Atlanta. In their new battles, we find out that a weird infection has been building an army for the Crooked Man. With the risk of Nicole’s rapidly growing infection, Dion must team up with his loved ones to save his mother and the world.
The superhero genre is one of my personal favorites, but some may feel a certain exhaustion to a new movie or television series following masked vigilantes. While a simple fresh take is enough to revitalize the genre, “Raising Dion” instead utilizes a whole new outlook to show the potential of a good superhero story. The acting is remarkable (especially when considering the show’s prominent use of child actors), but the bond between a mother and her child sits as the heart of the show. Dion is a boy who tragically lost his father and then moved into a new home. He struggles with the same problems many kids face, but now has the power to move objects with his mind. Similarly, Nicole is just a single mother trying to raise her son, but the circumstances of his childhood have now changed drastically.
While superheroes usually face the issues of villains, Dion’s a kid that also has to grapple with bullies. Aside from the tropes he deals with as someone with powers, he is a normal kid with realistic problems. In the first season, we watched Nicole struggle to find a job to support her son. She had to have a hard conversation with Dion about confronting racism in their everyday lives. Most mother and son duos usually don’t have to worry about fighting villains made of lightning, but when your son has super powers, the conditions change and we have to watch Nicole realize that fact. While the circumstances of the series can complicate this family dynamic, the relationship between Nicole and Dion keeps us invested in their fight for good.
While the second season is far more action-packed than the first, the mother and son bond is still a prominent force in the series. If you liked the first season, you should definitely give the second a watch. This series is worth checking out for anyone interested in superheroes, especially if you were a fan of “family heroes” like “The Incredibles” or superhero television shows like the “Arrowverse” or “Stranger Things.”
Ultimately, “Raising Dion” is a heartfelt story between a mother and son at the center of an epic journey. It’s a standout series within the superhero genre.
“Raising Dion” is available to stream on Netflix.