photo courtesy Netflix
Netflix has been on a roll with one new series after another this year. Its latest original series, “Raising Dion,” puts a spin on the life of an average single-mother.
Alisha Wainwright plays Nicole Warren, mother of 8-year-old Dion Warren. The storyline starts off as an ordinary day in the life of the Warrens. Nicole rushes around the house in an effort to be on time for work but her son is lax and not moving with a sense of urgency.
“Now Dion,” yells Nicole. The stern tone of her voice startled Dion and caused him to trip and spill his cereal. But instead of hearing the bowl shatter and the cereal and milk slap the ground, we saw the food in mid air.
This was the first run-in that Dion had with his powers. As time goes on, he realizes that he is able to move objects with his mind, teleport and shoot balls of energy from his hands.
Dion tries to tell his mom that he could do “magic” but she doesn’t believe him until his toys start floating when she asked him to clean up for bed.
“See. I picked them up,” said Dion.
Nicole was initially worried about her son and took him straight to the hospital for tests, but she soon realized how crazy her story sounded and decided to deal with it on her own.
As the storyline progresses, we learn that Dion got his powers from his father, Mark Reese, who is played by Michael B. Jordan. Reese was a storm chaser who disappeared after a huge storm in New Orleans.
Reese withheld his research about a meteor shower that he witnessed in Iceland in 2010. The meteor shower exposed him, his best friend and a group of fellow scientists to an abnormal amount of radiation.
It is revealed later in the season that everyone that was in Iceland for the meteor shower began to develop powers that caused them to absorb surges of energy. Reese ran tests on himself and did extensive research to figure out why he suddenly began to experience these strange side effects.
Reese‘s best friend, Pat, was also affected by the meteor shower, but his powers were different from anyone else. He observed the power of an electric phantom, the crooked man as Dion calls him, who’s hungry for energy. The same energy that was just absorbed by a plethora of individuals in Iceland.
Reese’s research led him to New Orleans for more information but the crooked man used that as an opportunity to kill Reese and absorb his energy. Nicole begins to piece the facts about her husband’s research together one by one.
Nicole had to balance dealing with the truth about her husband’s disappearance, keeping a job and raising Dion all at once. This series shows the hardworking efforts of a single mom trying to provide the best life for her son while dealing with his new abnormal lifestyle.
Season 1 of “Raising Dion” has nine episodes. Netflix has not revealed any information on the future of this series but many viewers are hopeful for a second season.