Summary
Raising Dion Season 1, Episode 1, “ISSUE #101: How Do You Raise a Superhero” is flagrantly on the nose with its story building in a way that it is off-putting.
This recap of Netflix Series Raising Dion Season 1, Episode 1, “ISSUE #101: How Do You Raise a Superhero” contains spoilers. You can read the season review by clicking these words.
The opening Episode of Raising Dion was the most “on the surface” opening to a story ever. “ISSUE #101: How Do You Raise a Superhero” provides an opening monologue from Dion’s mother Nicole (Alisha Wainwright) who talks about the pain of parenting, shielding their child away from a dangerous world. “But what if your child was capable of saving the world?”. Well, at least they’ll be busy.
What’s abundantly clear is that Nicole is widowed and struggling. Throughout Episode 1 she details her struggle and is impacted by a job loss. Time is precious, and there isn’t enough of it. The opening chapter plays with the theme of singlehood motherhood — finding that balance between raising a child but at the same time compliantly abiding by a social life and finding a progressive career.
The theme of grief also comes into play. Nicole transparently has not come to terms with the death of her partner Mark, who was an apparent eager scientist, building a shield that could withstand lightning. Of course, he was a scientific daredevil.
As for Dion — he is too young to understand that he has powers. The young boy calls it magic; Nicole brushes off his comments, believing he is discussing his imagination and not the fact that moments earlier, he was making objects float.
At school, Dion is an outsider and represents a black minority. Nicole’s black friends mock her for placing her son in a school that makes him “two raisins in a glass of milk”. Dion does not have many friends, apart from Esperanza, but no-one believes that he can produce “magic”. It’s a recipe for social disasters.
Once Nicole realizes that her son Dion has powers. In an incident that hurt her, she quickly runs to the hospital to speak to her friend. Why any sane person would run to the hospital and try and explain that their son has superpowers is illogical, but then again, it’s clear Nicole is at breaking point.
Episode 1 then dabbles with the notion that Nicole has not fully informed Dion of his father’s death, so they head up to a family cabin to bond. At the lake, Dion uses his powers again to lift fish from the water and aggressively take down trees.
Raising Dion Season 1, Episode 1, “ISSUE #101: How Do You Raise a Superhero” ends with Nicole shellshocked by the extent of Dion’s powers. He manages to form people out of the rain, and one of them is his Dad, warning Nicole to run away from danger.
The Diary Of A Growing Superhero
- Pat, Nicole and Dion’s friend, has a keen interest in superheroes.
- Mark died by saving a woman called Charlotte Tuck, who was in a river. Mark drowned as a result.
- Dion was able to impress acquaintances in the skate park by suddenly knowing how to use a board.
- Dion has no control over his powers, constantly saying abracadabra.
You can read the recap of the second episode by clicking these words.
