"Thundermans Undercover": Gay-vague superhero Jack Griffo flexes, tries to pick up men. With a lot of beefcake and Griffo junk

  Link to the n*de photos

Nickelodeon's Thundermans (2013-18) featured a nuclear family with superpowers trying to live incognito in the normal-powered world. Teenage Phoebe has chosen superhero as her career goal, while her twin brother Max  (Jack Griffo) wants to become a supervillain.  He trains under Doctor Colossus, a supervillain transformed into a rabbit, and later the sensei of evil, Dark Mayhem.  Eventually Max decides that being a supervillain would be too destructive for his family, so he switches career paths and teams up with Phoebe.  They become the Thunder Twins.

Max was heavily gay-coded, with minimal interest in girls.  When he does ask a girl out, it is often because he wants to use her to acquire something of value, or to continue to hide his secret identity.  Or he'll date a girl once and find an excuse to drop her.  I did that quite often in high school, too.  Anything to get out of that darn good-night kiss.

The spin-off Thundemans Undercover (2025) has the grown-up and bulked-up Thunder Twins going undercoer in Secret Shores, Florida, to investigate a new supervillain threat.  Superheroes work pro bono, so to pay the rent, Phoebe gets a job as an art teacher at Secret Shores High School, and Max becomes the assistant principal.  Don't you need years of teaching experience to qualify to be principal? They are also living together and parenting their little sister Chloe, who happens to be a student. 

The familial relationship between Max and Phoebe, and the fact that the Chloe is the real focus character, eliminates the need for hetero-romance. Phoebe dates once in the first season, but Max continues to be gay-vague.  

I'm reviewing Episode 1.9, "No Friend in Sight."

Scene 1: After a long day of school and superhero training, teenage Chloe is trying to have "Me-Time with No Max."  She settles down with a giant bowl of popcorn (essential for watching tv on tv, but never in real life) and turns on Glove Island.  Whoops, Max appears, and wants to hang out.  

Nope, Chloe zaps herself into the kitchen to watch alone.  Now Phoebe appears and wants to hang out!

She tries zapping into the superhero lair, but both Max and Chloe follow.

Frustrated, she announces "I'm going to Splats."  But they grab her hands as she zaps -- she's stuck with them. 

Scene 2: Splats, the standard teencom hangout.  Chloe criticized her guardians for wanting to spend every moment with her. They should make some friends of their own.  

It can't be hard to make friends, right?  Phoebe rushes up to a girl and exclaims "My future maid-of-honor!  We both wear pants!", scaring her away.

Scene 3: Apprised of how not to come on too strong, Max heads to the gym. Personal trainer Jim asks if he wants to sign up for a chance to win tickets to a party hosted by A-List Elixers, where they will introduce their $100 milkshake.  Max pushes: "My new best friend!"  Turned off, he walks away.

Jim is played by gay actor/model Austin Trapp, who you have seen in Yellowjackets, Tracker, and So Help Me Todd

Max tries to attract the next guy by flexing. It's a gym, babe -- everybody is  muscular.  Try winning him over with your wit and charm...oh, right.  Better flex.

Buffed Dude agrees to spot him, but when Max requests "a lifetime of friendship," he gets spooked and rushes away.

More after the break.

Jack Griffo's Gay Connection

 Jack Griffo (left) was both a Nickelodeon and a Disney Channel teen hunk, with a guest spot on Jessie and a starring role in The Thundermans.(2013-2018).

Born in December 1996, Jack got his first commercial contract at age 2, and soon began modeling and acting in community theater in his hometown of Orlando, Florida.  A talent agent spotted him, and convinced him and his family to relocate to Los Angeles in 2010.

In 2011, he appeared in the movie Sound of My Voice, and on the Disney channel teencom Kickin' It (as a dancer) and Nickelodeon's Bucket and Skinner's Epic Adventures.

In 2012, in the short What I Did Last Summer: First Kiss and the music video American Hero.

In 2013, in Nickelodeon's See Dad Run with Scott Baio and Marvin Marvin 

He starred as a gay-vague supervillain in training in the Nickelodeon teencom The Thundermans. 

More after the break

Gay Supervillain in Training: The Thundermans

The latest in the "my secret" teencoms is Nickelodeon's The Thundermans, which premieres on November 2nd.  It's about is a retired superhero, Thunderman, who is trying to live a "normal life" incognito in Hiddenville (!).

First thought: you might want to change your name.

Hank Thunderman (Chris Tallman) and his wife Barb (Rosa Blasi) are the standard fat-doofus-husband-hot wife couple that we see everywhere on tv, but Hank is particularly doofus-like.  He's constantly trying to revive his superhero powers and failing miserably, like a former high school football player trying to relive his gridiron glory after losing the battle of the bulge.

We aren't told exactly why they have to go incognito, but I suspect that it has something to do with Hank's increasing impotence around supervillains.

Their four kids also have superpowers to hide.

Teenage Phoebe (Kira Kosarin) is a "good girl," a straight-A student who plays by the rules, including the rule of "no non-supes in the house," which sort of keeps her from having friends and negates the desire for a "normal life."

She has a best friend, Cherry, who suspects her secret.

Her twin brother Max (Jack Griffo who doesn't want you to say "gay") is a wannabe supervillain who wants to attend Villain University in a few years.  Apparently he's going to be a stereotypic gay villain, pushing up the feminine-coded mannerisms, although he'll be dating a girl by the third episode.

The younger kids, Billy (Diego Velazquez) and Nora (Addison Riecke), have super-speed and heat vision, respectively.

Oh, and there's Dr. Colosso, a supervillain transformed into a bunny who acts as Max's mentor and confidant.

There is an inevitable comparison with the Disney Channel's Wizards of Waverly Place, about a family of wizards, complete with a Dad who has lost his powers, two teenagers, one conniving and one straitlaced, a best friend who suspects the secret, and a rambunctious preteen.  It's too soon to see if it will have as many gay subtexts, or as much beefcake.