I’ve almost come to the end of the first season of Wonder Man, although it’s one of the few MCU shows that has a confirmed second season. It’s been interesting watching this version of Simon Williams develop, and his scenes with Trevor have been great. Ben Kingsley and Yahya Abdul-Mateen have done fantastic jobs. Now that they both have roles in the movie they were going for, things seem to be finally falling in to place. So you know that can’t last, as we see as the guys are confronted by “Kathy Friedman.”

The episode starts with another early flashback of Simon’s childhood. It both highlights the distance between Simon and Eric, and the closeness between Simon and his dad. Simon’s dad does something pretty cool, and we get another hint about why the Wonder Man movie is so important to Simon. In the present, Simon is in his trailer, playing with some props (I mean, who wouldn’t?), and beginning to get the star treatment. I’m worried he’s adapting to that a little too quickly, but we’ll see what happens over these last two episodes.

Simon banters with Maura, the wardrobe lady, and then reunites with Trevor. Those two really have gotten close quickly. Simon is starting to do the same overthinking about his lines that got him fired from American Horror Story back in episode one, but Trevor steps in with a simple suggestion that works for everyone involved. Who would have thought Trevor was the man for the simple option? That night, Simon and Trevor have dinner with Janelle the agent and what I guess is becoming Simon’s entourage. Simon seems lost, and Trevor’s suggestions aren’t making anyone else there happy. Especially since Simon defers to Trevor’s opinion. They also get told about a profile piece on the two of them by the titular Kathy Friedman of the New York Times. Normally this would be great news, but considering the pair both have secrets to hide, it’s not welcome news.

Simon is freaking out about the news and Trevor, as usual, tries to calm him. It’s an interesting scene on a few levels, among them because Simon reveals he’s a bit more self-aware than I had thought. Trevor gives him some reasonable advice, and the next day, Simon starts off overusing it. Kathy has a few rules that make sense to me, and Simon is now frantically trying to backtrack on some of his star perks he was so enjoying earlier. It’s kind of like trying to impress someone on a first date, and going just about as well. The day finally ends with Simon finding out about who Kathy has been talking to, which makes Simon even more uneasy.

Kathy’s revelation leads Simon to meet up with his ex, who we saw move out in episode one. The meeting doesn’t go at all how Simon expected, and he has some surprises to deal with. He’s nowhere near as good at keeping secrets as he thinks he is, and it’s clearly making him wonder about a lot of things as the visit ends. Later, as Trevor tries to reassure him (Trevor’s default setting in this series, it seems), Simon hears from his mother about her own interview with Kathy, and that Eric also spoke with her. Since we’ve seen some of Eric and Simon’s relationship, Simon is understandably worried about this development. With all this on his mind, Simon isn’t thrilled when Kathy asks for a private meeting with the two of them in the conveniently empty studio restaurant.

The meeting doesn’t go at all how either Trevor or Simon expect. As the sit down goes on, Simon is initially relieved and then enraged. A major secret does get revealed, but not at all what Simon was worried about. The meeting ends abruptly, and there are some heated words between Simon and Trevor over what Kathy said. By the end of the discussion, Simon is not in a great place, which I get. Simon goes for a walk, getting more and more worked up as he goes. What follows is something that makes me wonder if either Simon and Trevor’s friendship or the movie are going to continue. It’s a hell of a place to end, and a great set up for the finale.

What I Liked: Simon and Trevor’s friendship is fun to watch, as more down to Earth Trevor (not a role I would have guessed for him back in either Iron Man 2 or Shang-Chi) keeps trying to keep neurotic Simon from completely spinning out. Simon’s self-awareness when he talks about the crew’s different reactions to him and Trevor vs just him was interesting, and also something of a tragic flaw. He knows what some of his issues are, but he can’t manage to do anything about them. Kathy was an interesting addition, and I wouldn’t mind seeing her around the MCU more. I also like that throughout the MCU we’re seeing people with powers who don’t want them and have no intention or interest in becoming a hero. Or a villain, I suppose.

What I Didn’t: I can’t help but feeling bad for Simon. He never asked for his powers (and might be the youngest onset of powers we’ve seen in the MCU) and they’re putting his dream in serious jeopardy. He’s made a lot of bad choices, but I also feel bad for Trevor. And really, pity the poor set crew who made that entire place that doesn’t fare too well in the final scene.

This series has been really interesting and a very different slice of life in the world of powered people. I’ll give this a 4 out of 5, and look forward to finishing the show.