NBC’s comic-book inspired TV series, “The Cape” suffered a set back Tuesday when the network announced that it had reduced orders of new episodes from 13 to 10 for the rest of this season. The Cape is suffering a steep slide ratings in its regular Monday 9 PM slot. Last night, the show drew a 1.5/4, down 6% for a series low.
The series, set in fictional Palm City, CA, follows Vince Faraday, an honest police detective who is considering leaving the city’s corrupt police force. He witnesses the murder of the city’s new police chief by a mysterious individual known as Chess. Faraday accepts an offer to work for the private security firm of billionaire Peter Fleming, who is petitioning the city to privatize their police and public safety operations. An e-mail from the anonymous investigative blogger Orwell leads Faraday and his partner Marty Voyt to a cargo train owned by Fleming’s firm that is smuggling explosives. Unfortunately, Voyt has set up Faraday and delivers him to Chess, who is Fleming himself. Fleming frames Faraday for the police chief’s murder and sends his security teams after Faraday in a chase (televised by local news stations) that culminates in an explosion. The entire city (including Faraday’s family) now believes that Faraday is Chess and that he died in the explosion. Faraday survives and is taken in by The Carnival of Crime, a traveling circus turned bank robbery ring. Their leader, Max Malini, trains Faraday to use a special black cape to defend himself against his foes. The circus folk convince Faraday that he cannot reveal himself to his wife and son without endangering their lives. Faraday decides to fight Palm City’s corruption and clear his name by taking the disguise of his son’s favorite comic book hero, The Cape.