I just went back a few pages in this thread to see what speculation there was on the Hazel vs. Luther strength and everyone seems mystified by Hazel being a match for Luther and falling back on his training vs. Luther being strong, but slow.
I finally got around to re-watching this show and have finished the first 3 episodes and something occurred to me since everything is fresh in my mind.
Right off the bat they said there were 43 children born and Hargreeves only got 7. That leaves 36 unaccounted for.
My thinking is both Hazel and Cha Cha are 2 of the other 36 and recruited by the Commission, just like they recruited #5.
Training might allow Hazel to fight better than Luther, but unless Hazel is "special" as soon as Luther lands a solid blow it would be all over and Hazel was able to boh dish it out and take it in a straight up fight.
Likewise Cha Cha was able to match both Diego and Allison straight up.
This only occurred to me just now, on my first viewing I was like everyone else wondering why Hazel wasn't pulped by Luther after Luther got his hands on him.
What's interesting is how much that the Luther v Hazel strength issue leaps out at us as an audience - given that if we buy into the show we're okay with immaculate conception, time travel, talking to the dead, mind control, a time travelling adjustment bureau based in 1955 who have unisex toilets ( I mean in 1955 ?) and a violinist being able to blow up the moon.
To be honest I can live with Luther not using his strength very effectively ( he's got some fighting skills but he's not a very skilled fighter like Diego and quite slow, and also not a killer ) and Hazel being extremely tough - both he and Cha Cha take a pounding but keep on going ( she probably loses to Diego in the finale because she's just been in a car accident). Nobody seems bulletproof though.
The Commission had technology that could travel through and even stop time, as well as heal the Handler after she was caught in a grenade blast and build 5 a new body. It's not hard to believe they could modify Hazel and Cha cha to be extra tough. Again, they also have unisex toilets so clearly they're extremely advanced.
To be honest I don't see the strength issue as a major problem. Luther can effortlessly toss bowling balls with a lot of force ( his best feats are throwing - he throws Hazel quite a distance, if he had thrown him at a nearby wall maybe that would have been more effective). We see Hazel get stabbed in the leg by Diego, which hurts him but he immediately walks it off.
What I think is a more important question is who has the best dance feats - something TUA have the X-Men beat at hands down.
Diego really busts the moves during the family dance sequence, Hazel and Cha cha get funky during the arson sequence and Luther and Allison would probably win dancing with the stars with their number. Who's the best ? I love Ellen Page but you have to wonder if she dances that awkwardly in real life or the director had to make sure she was extra stiff in that scene. Can't wait for more dancing in season 2 !
