YMMV / No Ordinary Family

• Alternative Character Interpretation:
  • Does Theo from "No Ordinary Anniversary" relish trying to kill Jim and Stephanie out of sadism or because, like Rebecca from "No Ordinary Quake", he thinks King sent them to catch him? He warns them not to get in his way until they show off their powers and also doesn't seem too Ax-Crazy, since he wants to be broken out of a guarded hospital without having to burn everyone there and doesn't even kill his guards after escaping from custody. On the other hand, he's also willing to call King to ask him for help in escaping custody (albeit through blackmail), confusing the issue.
  • How much of Susan Volson's story to Stephanie is true? Is her Throwing Off the Disability scene a sign that she was never paraplegic? Or is the "standard payment" Dr. King mentions the super serum, with Susan needing it to walk like she claimed.
• Angst? What Angst?: The family doesn't seem very concerned that Daphne had her memory wiped by Katie's boyfriend suffered psychological trauma that made her lose her memory...
  • Of course, when Jim finds out later how it really happened...let's just say it's a good thing Katie can serve as a universal Morality Pet or he might have killed the culprit.
• Complete Monster: Helen Burton, aka "Mrs. X", is the head of Global Tech, plotting to sell super-powered individuals for profit. Becoming obsessed with making these powers permanent, she orders Dr. Dayton King to inject criminals with the Trisettum Serum to test their powers, resulting in multiple crimes, including murder. Proving too difficult to control, Burton demands King have them eliminated, and that he'll suffer the same fate if he doesn't do a better job with his work. She also murders a woman with a car bomb for failing to seduce Jim Powell and has son JJ's teacher killed too. After resurrecting dead shapeshifter Victoria, Burton threatens to kill her if she fails again. Burton gives powers to convicted killer Lucas Winnick and he kills an innocent girl when Burton sends him after the Powell family—stabbing and nearly killing Stephanie and trying to do the same to daughter Daphne. She also has the Powell family abducted to be tested and sends 80 people in a plane—including George St. Cloud—to possible doom in a recreation of the same storm cloud from which the Powells got their powers.
• Ensemble Dark Horse: Some characters who only make one or two appearances, like Reasonable Authority Figure Detective Cho, the Powells' mysterious new friends the Cotten family, supervillains Rebecca and Theo (an earthquake maker and a pyrokinetic), downplayed Obnoxious In-Laws Allan and Barbara, and Trent (a home invasion witness played by Jackson Rathbone) all enjoy almost as much fanfare and recognition as secondary characters with more than twice their screentime.
• Fanfic Fuel: The cliffhanger ending of the series can inspire a lot of fan fiction, given how the eponymous family is recruited by the government to pursue a plane load of convicts who just got permanent superpowers. George apparently getting powers, Joshua and Katie giving birth to a super-powered baby, and the Powell family being in a position to expose Burton to the government adds to the fan fiction potential.
• Fridge Brilliance: Why did Watcher fall for Katie? Well sure, she's cute, smart, and all these things. But remember else what both of them have in common. They wanted to be accepted (more or less). Watcher wants to be normal and have a family/be loved. Katie was a social awkward virgin looking for love as well. He sees in her as sort of fellow outcast.
  • Then in the season one finale, they take the elevator when they know the bad guys know where they are and are actively watching.
  • In the introduction for the shapeshifter character, why didn't Jim just ask "Steph" to use her super speed?
• Friendly Fandoms: There is some overlap between the fandoms of No Ordinary Family and The Cape, as both are Short-Runner Reconstruction superhero shows that debuted around the same time and star some notable geekdom cult actors. They also balance each other out some in that No Ordinary Family has characters with real powers but no costumes or codenames, while the characters in The Cape (save perhaps Dice and Scales) have codenames but no powers and rely on technology or hard-learned fighting skills.
• He's Just Hiding:
  • Detective Cho getting a Sound-Only Death in the second episode (although said death is discussed in the next episode) and vague statements the show runners made about not being sure if they were done with the character cause some fans to wonder if she's really dead.
  • Super-powered villain Theo Patton is crushed under a lot of falling sand, and dialogue implies that the characters at least think that he is dead, but some fans like to think he is only incapacitated.
• Ho Yay: Katie and Stephanie, George and Jim. Lotta yay going around. Given all the Yay going around, one could be forgiven for not realizing that Stephanie and Jim are married with children without the scenes where they're in their bedroom or what have you.
  • The Victoria!Joshua/Katie kiss in the Season One finale, if you think about it.
• Magnificent Bitch:"No Ordinary Friends": Michelle Cotten is a loving wife and mother who lets herself be recruited for an art theft to support her family after her husband Dave gets laid off. She enjoys the lifestyle and keeps stealing long after Dave gets a new job. She uses hi-tech gadgets and her athleticism to get through hi-tech security systems and repeatedly escape from superhuman vigilante Jim Powell. She and her family drop by to thanks Jim, not realizing he's also her pursuer, after he saves Dave from being hit by a bus. The family members become close friends but this also lets Jim figure out one of the Cottens' is the burglar. Michelle is apologetic when confronted by her new friends, but isn't willing to turn herself in and stop stealing. However, she ends up Taking the Bullet for Stephanie when another art thief tries to shoot her. Michelle survives her wounds, apologizes to Stephanie, gracefully accepts her arrest, and hopes they can resume their friendship someday.
• Moe:
  • Katie, due to her status as a Ditzy Genius, Genki Girl, pop culture Fangirl and Unexpected Virgin, and the nervous way she combines the latter two on a date.
  Katie: Before we do what it is that I think we're gonna do, um, you should know that... you're about to boldly go where no man has gone before.
  • Stephanie counts as one most of the time, due to moments like her caring attempts to connect with her kids, her interest in Katie's online dating life, and how invested she is in planning a surprise party. Julie Benz uses her smile to great effect on a regular basis.
• Moral Event Horizon: Dr. King crosses it when he tries to kill Jim.
• Nightmare Fuel:
  • When Watcher terrorizes Daphne before wiping her memory of the past three months and all of the experiences and bonding the family has had in that time. It's very reminiscent of a rape scene, which is fitting
  • In the same episode, Watcher telekinetically forces Dr. Chiles to commit suicide. Made even worse by Daphne's vision of Watcher's memory of the attack.
  • Watcher, who at this point has become a veritable Nightmare Fuel Station Attendant, killing a gangster by telekinetically forcing his heart to stop beating.
  • The final fate of Dr. King, which involves his dormant cancer condition coming back all at once when he gets injected with the serum antidote, which literally eats away at his cells.
• Rescued from the Scrappy Heap: Stephanie's Smug Snake coworker Dr. Chiles was widely disliked during his first three appearances, but some fans warm to him after "No Ordinary Anniversary" when he gets an Everyone Has Standards moment when King asks him to spy on Stephanie and then gets involved with the main story arc (albeit briefly).
• Spiritual Adaptation: Probably the closest thing we'll see to a TV version of The Fantastic Four or The Incredibles (which was itself heavily inspired by the FF).
• Tear Jerker: Has its own page.
• They Wasted a Perfectly Good Character:Has its own page.
• They Wasted a Perfectly Good Plot:
  • Other than hiding the Watcher's secret, Daphne's memory loss has no impact on the story, immediately being caught up to speed by absorbing the memories of the others.
    • But that not only conveniently covers the memories of the Watcher's secret, it also sets a precedent for future uses of this plot which will help avoid having it feel like an ass-pull.
  • The episode where Stephanie's powers develop time travel aspects is also the episode where supporting character Detective Cordero is killed. It would have been cool to see the family working to save him, in addition to stopping their secret from being outed, but the two plots are unrelated.
• Too Good to Last: The show's story, special effects and star power cause it to frequently appear on lists of unfairly cancelled TV shows.

---