One of the Best New TV Characters Has a Name We Can't Run in a Headline

[Editor’s Note: This post contains spoilers for Extraordinary Season 1, now streaming on Hulu.]

In an entertainment landscape that feels oversaturated with superhero content, Hulu’s original comedy series Extraordinary manages to feel fresh. The show’s heart isn't in the zany, supernatural elements, but in the characters and their journeys toward self-discovery. The protagonist, 25-year-old Jen (Máiréad Tyers), struggles with finding purpose, given that she’s part of the small minority of individuals who didn’t receive a unique ability after turning 18. Her best friend Carrie (Sofia Oxenham) is a lawyer with the ability to communicate with the dead, yet believes no one wants to truly get to know her beyond her power. Carrie’s boyfriend Kash (Bilal Hasna) can briefly turn back time, but has zero ambitions beyond forming an unsuccessful vigilante group.

The best parts of Extraordinary have nothing to do with any of the gimmicks we’ve gotten used to seeing on the big screen. Sure, there are some characters with the classic super-strength or super-speed, but there are also dudes who can 3D print things out of their butts, and women in their 40s unable to age past 11. Super powers are more quirky than heroic, as they end up being little traits for people to utilize (or not) in their everyday lives. But while having a power is the norm in this show, it doesn’t necessarily mean anyone’s lives are made any easier.

This is definitely the case for the show’s standout character, Jizzlord (Luke Rollason), an awkward shapeshifter who was trapped as a cat for three years before accidentally morphing out of it. Jen initially adopts him as a stray, bestowing him with the glorious name of, well, Jizzlord. Unfortunately, while Jen is changing, Jizzlord the cat shifts out of his feline form and into a very distressed and very naked man. He has zero memory of what his identity was pre-cat, so the flatmates reluctantly take him in as part of their gang as he attempts to slowly reintegrate himself into human life.

Jizzlord is adorably lanky and bug-eyed, with the innocence of a toddler. He’s initially played as comic relief, lingering in the background while wearing Jen’s colorful clothing and providing occasionally humorous asides, such as losing a battle to a can opener or failing to remember the word “job.” (“Like sadness, but… money?”) Then, in Episode 4, Jizzlord begins to evolve into a more fully-formed character, as he catches glimpses of his former life.

After finding out he’s microchipped, Jen and Jizzlord discover that his previous name was Hercule, and that he used to dominate cat shows with his now-deceased owner. A malicious pomeranian gives them clues about Jizzlord’s life as a stray, which leads them to a pub that he used to frequent. Though it turns out to be a dead end, the experience exposes Jizzlord’s fears of not liking the person (or cat) he might have been, and provides him with unexpected emotional depth.

Jizzlord’s insecurities about his former self overlap with Jen’s own journey, as she spends Episode 4 focused on Jizzlord to put off submitting her paperwork for an expensive clinic where she could potentially activate her powers. The show is essentially a coming-of-age tale for Jen, exploring her flaws and missteps as she tries to make sense of her life without powers.

As Season 1 progresses, we see promising developments between Jen and Jizzlord. In Episode 7, he turns back into a cat so that Jen can win money at a cat show. Although initially reluctant, Jizzlord wants to spend time with Jen and help her through her hardships — he doesn’t want her to feel isolated in her desperate search for purpose. While backstage at the cat show, Jen listens to a recording that Jizzlord saved for her, where he tells her how much he likes his current life (“I know I should be trying to find out who I was, but I’d rather stay with you”). During the talent portion of the cat show, Jizzlord shifts back into a human, and the duo share a bizarre interpretative dance on stage. Even as they get booed off the stage, this absurdly sweet moment solidifies their bond and shines a new light on their relationship, as Jen kisses him in gratitude.

Despite his naivety in just about all aspects of human life, Jizzlord genuinely loves and appreciates Jen for who she is. It’s especially refreshing compared with how her crush and friend-with-benefits, Luke (Ned Porteous) treats — or rather, mistreats — her, and the season finale sees Jen finally prioritizing her self-worth and allowing herself to be loved by someone deserving of her attention. For Jizzlord, the finale provides him with a brief sense of closure. Even if he doesn’t know what his former life may have entailed, his present life is blooming with endless possibilities, as well as newfound friends to guide him along the way.

Of course, that all comes to a crash during the finale’s mid-credits scene. When Jizzlord heads out to retrieve ingredients for pancakes at the local corner store, we hear a child call out that he looks like her daddy, and he turns in shock to see a mysterious woman and girl he appears to recognize. As the series heads into a confirmed Season 2, Extraordinary’s cliffhanger conclusion suggests it will be Jizzlord-centric. Not only does it mean watching Jizzlord continue to fumble with his cat-like quirks and nuances as a human, audiences will hopefully see the series delve deeper into the unexplored territory of his complicated past. It’s clear that Jizzlord must reconcile the person he was with the person he’s now become, and whatever direction that takes, it is sure to be an absolute treat to watch unfold.

Season 1 of Extraordinary is streaming on Hulu. Join the discussion about the show in our forums.

Dianna Shen is a TV Writer at Primetimer based in New York. Her work has been featured in Paste Magazine and Decider, among other outlets.