Why Hutch's Use Of The Power Rod In Jupiter's Legacy Makes No Sense
"Jupiter's Legacy" on Netflix follows the rich tradition of modern superhero shows that put a meta spin on the classic hero stories of the past. Instead of the protagonists being wholly good and the villain entirely evil, everyone operates in a shade of gray. Nowhere is that more evident than in the character of Hutch (Ian Quinlan).
He's the son of George Hutchence, a.k.a. Skyfox (Matt Lanter), who used to be a hero as part of the Union, but as the audience learns throughout the first season, he betrayed his comrades at some point and broke bad. Now, George spends his days trapped in an extradimensional space prison. The incarceration angers Hutch, so he spends his time with the magical power rod to try to find a way to break his dad out of prison.
The rod grants the user (in this case Hutch) the ability to teleport anywhere by simply saying the location. It comes in handy with quite a few of Hutch's exploits as a master thief. However, as tends to be the case with magical objects, some inconsistencies in its usage bring up some plot holes within "Jupiter's Legacy."
Why is Hutch poor when he can steal anything?
Throughout Season 1 of "Jupiter's Legacy," Hutch's goal involves finding a way to locate his father with the power rod. He teams up with a group of supervillains pulling off heists and stealing various valuables in the interim. Maybe he gets a kick out of putting his life in danger and living as a vagrant, but it's all unnecessary, seeing as how he could take whatever he wants.
The power rod allows him to teleport anywhere in the world. He could say "bank vault" or "Pandora jewelry store at the mall," and he'll be there in a second. He could then take whatever he wants, sell it, and earn himself a nice profit. Plus, he could stick with stealing from lower-profile places that aren't as likely to draw the attention of someone like The Paragon (Andrew Horton) or Ruby Red (Gracie Dzienny). He can work on the power rod to find his dad in his off-time, but getting on the wrong side of Big Man (Robert Maillet) is simply foolish.
If anything, it's even more ridiculous he regularly puts his life in danger because if he dies, then there will genuinely be no one left in the world with a vested interest in rescuing George. Instead, he steals way too much than he needs to and draws the attention of The Utopian (Josh Duhamel). Hutch may be many things, but this oversight shows he's not much of a criminal mastermind.