You're a superhero, Grandpa!
Dynoman and the Volt is the third episode of Season One of Apple+'s Amazing Stories (2020). This story follows an aging grandfather, Joe Harris, who has gotten angry over his age dragging him down on everything from work to even moving around. Then he receives mail that has a colorful ring (which he bought 60 years ago for $0.50) and thus it rejuvenates him by granting him super strength. But rather than repair his broken ties with his family, he uses his new powers to streamline his job.It features Robert Forster in his last posthumous role as the leading man before his death on October 10th, 2019 from brain cancer.
Tropes
- Always Need What You Gave Up: When the ring deactivates on Grandpa, he decides to get rid of it since he can't use it anymore. However, Dylan is in trouble and in danger of falling to his death in the car plunging off the school, and Grandpa doesn't have the ring on him (it would have given back his powers to save Dylan since it activates when it's needed), thus forcing Grandpa to feebly try to push the car back onto the roof.
- Create Your Own Villain:
- Dynoman was said to have created his own villain (the Volt) because he accidentally killed the Volt's parents in an attempt to avert a meteor from hitting a Romanian village. Though Dynoman did successfully prevent hundreds of deaths, two were sacrificed (the Volt's parents), and the Volt vowed revenge and built a suit for himself out of the same energy that Dynoman has absorbed.
- Later on, because of Grandpa's neglectful attitude towards him, Dylan chooses to adopt the Volt's persona himself.
- Does Not Know His Own Strength: Grandpa at first when he gains super strength from the ring.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: Grandpa and Dylan repair their ties to each other, Michael saves both of them from falling off the school roof trapped in the car and the three agree to stop obsessing over the ring by burying it since Grandpa now realizes the ring only grants him powers when it's needed. And then the ring after being buried transforms into a plant.
- "Flowers for Algernon" Syndrome: Grandpa experiences this since the superpower ring allows him to re-gain his job, overshadow his own boss at work in performance but his increased ego drives him away from his family.
- Grass is Greener: Dylan complains he wants out of junior high to his grandpa's face. Grandpa claims he wants back in.
- Grumpy Old Man: Grandpa has gotten cantankerous over his loss of productivity and loses his temper when his boss tries to lay him off in exchange for a big pension plus Social Security benefits.
- Halloween Episode: With a heavy emphasis on superheroes and costumes.
- It's All About Me:
- Grandpa when he first gains his powers only uses them to streamline his woodcraft job by outperforming his entire workforce combined, including his own boss.
- Dylan's best friend Brady also comes off as this, refusing to spend time with Dylan and instead wishing to be with his girlfriend for the dance this year.
- Jerk Jock: Grandpa said he was this back in junior high school as the captain of the football team. He seems to miss high school out of wanting to be this trope again.
- Narcissist: Grandpa is very prideful of himself, and feels that he's better than everybody else both physically and morally. The ring only helps fuel his pride.... until the ring has decided Grandpa no longer is deserving of its powers and so deactivates, restoring Grandpa to his old weak self.
- New Powers as the Plot Demands: The ring from grants new powers throughout the episode.
- Only the Pure of Heart: The ring deactivates upon Grandpa and wears off since the ring was sensing Grandpa was getting selfish and egotistical with his powers, neglecting his family.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Michael gives a sharp one to Grandpa for selfishly caring more about his job than spending quality time with his grandson Dylan. Grandpa ultimately accepts this speech and from then on works to redeem himself by becoming a better grandfather to Dylan.
- Rule of Three: The ring grants the wearer three abilities each designated with its own color: (these are listed in the order they were introduced)
- Red - Enhanced strength
- Green - Super speed
- Blue - Flight
- Screw Politeness, I'm a Senior!: Grandpa's mindset. Michael, his son, calls him out on it and orders that he change his mindset. The ring that gives him superpowers does change that mindset, but rather than stop being so condescending, so impertinent and such a narcissist, Grandpa's mindset is altered into "Screw Politeness, I'm a Senior with Superpowers!". THAT is the change in Grandpa's mindset!
- Technologically Blind Elders: Grandpa complains that comic books today overtly explain where a hero gets their powers from, i.e. magic or extraterrestrial origins.
- Third Wheel: Michael, the father, plays this for the most part until at the end when he puts on the ring and is able to avert Grandpa and Dylan's deaths from falling in that car off the school.
- You Killed My Father: The Volt hates Dynoman for accidentally killing his parents.
