YouTube Premium’s new series Impulse, a spinoff/sequel to Doug Liman’s 2008 film, Jumper delivers a brand new clip ahead of the premiere, and it has all the crazy teleporting action you’re looking for. So far, the series has presented a moody, atmospheric teen drama centered on Henrietta ‘Henry’ Cole (Maddie Hasson), a small-town high school student and part-time graffiti artist who slowly discovers she has the ability to “jump,” or teleport, though controlling that ability is another matter altogether.
While YouTube Premium (yes, they wisely rebranded from YouTube Red) has been busy selling the new original series on its teen angst and small-town crime angle, there’s clearly a much larger story unfolding in the background. That much is made clear when a man is teleported out of a karaoke bar onto the rooftop by a “Jumper” named Dominick (Keon Alexander). It’s not long before Dominick’s plans are cut short by Nikolai (Callum Keith Rennie, Battlestar Galactica), who appears to know a thing or two about handling people with Dominick’s unique power set.
More: Legion Season 3 Confirmed By FX
The clip is a good example of the look and tone of the new series. With Liman on board as an executive producer and establishing its visual palette having helmed the pilot, Impulse is no slouch in the effects department, but the show also has a strong grasp on how to arrange a tense action sequence. That much is clear as Dominick and Nikolai’s brawl doesn’t pull any punches and only ends when Dominick and his intended target take a potentially lethal tumble off the roof.
It’s an exciting look at the larger spectacle of the series, but it’s also a hint at just how big the Impulse’s story will eventually become. Though it seems notably smaller than what was seen when Hayden Christensen was “jumping” away from Samuel L. Jackson, it looks as though the ancient war between those who can teleport and the organization determined to eradicate them is still going strong. It will be interesting to see how the series aims to fold that immense story into the smaller one at its center.
While the clip lacks context for viewers unfamiliar with Liman’s film or the book series providing the basis for that and this new series, a glimpse at the conflict happening in the margins (for the time being) might be enough to get a few more eyeballs on the series when the season drops in full on Wednesday.
Next: Succession Premiere Review: A Darkly Funny Take On Power, Wealth, & Family Dysfunction
Impulse season 1 will be available in its entirety on Wednesday, June 6 on YouTube Premium.
