Marvel’s Cloak & Dagger S01XE02 Review

May 26, 2018

Marvel’s Cloak & Dagger
Freeform

Season 1 Episode 2 “Suicide Sprints”

No one gets away clean as both Tandy and Tyrone deal with the aftermath of their encounters from the previous night and what this might mean for the developing powers. Tyrone has to deal with the real-life repercussions of his tangle with a rival teammate and he’s given some pretty solid fatherly advice. Advice that helps to establish that there is an anchor for Tyrone. People he cares about who care for him as well. It’s nice to see.

Tandy has it even worse. After stabbing the guy who tried to rape her, she goes to her partner to determine what to do next. She doesn’t know if the guy is alive or dead and frankly, can’t decide which is worse. We get more info and an introduction to more side characters including a police detective who’s getting close to the events of the previous night and a dry cleaner that gives Tandy a means to leave the city clean.

The detective continues to get closer to Tandy and there is a sense of tension in the episode as Tandy decides to try a desperate plot to get the money she needs to escape the city. There is an interesting contrast between both stories as Tandy’s deals with the dangers around her and Tyrone deals with his internal struggles. It’s pretty clear that both of these kids are really bad at living their lives, especially since most of the time is spent heavily into self-sabotage. This becomes more and more evident as this episode progresses and the choices they make seem to make matters worse.

I like the direction this series is taking. Visually it looks really good and there is a real sense of establishment in both the world and the characters. The writers and producers are taking their time to make something that is tangible and interesting. On the flip side, I still have a hard time finding something to like in the leads. From a character perspective, they seem empty. This might be because they haven’t found out who they are yet, but it can be an issue when trying to find something to hold onto with them as people in this world. It’s the difference between them being part of the narrative rather than just subject to its events.