A lot of the frustrations with comic fans before the show premiered was the decision to completely revamp Ms. Marvel’s powers. Instead of being an Inhuman, she would have cosmic powers instead. The decision was based on trying to focus on Kamala’s family and personal journey. We finally got some backstory into the Khan family and the emotional connection to the bangles.
Marvel’s Ms. Marvel is now streaming on Disney+. If you missed last week’s episode then check out last week’s review.
Story: Back Home
After her grandmother told Kamala that she saw the train vision from the last episode, the Khan family goes to Karachi. Kamala tries to find the answers to her bangles and how it connects to her family. I love how the show explores the family trauma dating back to the Partition. We finally get the answers to why everyone is hesitant on bringing up Kamala’s great-grandmother. The scenes that focus on the bangles are much better done than last week. Instead of an exposition dump, they harp on the family struggles that plagued generations.
No jeans allowed.
Characters & Performances: The Red Dagger
It felt like a blimp on the marketing radar regarding the character of Red Dagger. Besides one or two photos, there wasn’t a lot of focus on the character. I liked the dynamic between Kamala and Kareem in the comics and thankfully it translates well to the show. Aramis Knight and Iman Vellani have that natural chemistry together. He’s one of the reasons that the Karachi story works so well. The whole Red Dagger society is so fascinating and made me wish that we really would explore that more.
On the flip side of Karachi, we get to see a lot more of Kamala’s grandmother, Sana. She has a kind presence that feels like that classic grandma archetype in shows. The way she treats Kamala and talks about the bangles does warm the heart. We also get some scenes that feature Sana and Muneeba talking about the pain from the past. The conversations about why Muneeba went to America in the first part and the pain from both sides were such a great scene. Then transitioning into Muneeba and Kamala talking shows how she doesn’t want to repeat the same mistakes with her daughter.
Cinematography & Sound: Stunning Karachi
It’s refreshing to see Karachi done respectably without using a filter to make it seem like an ancient place. Karachi is a beautiful modern city and the show does a great job of representing that. Especially some of the night shots showing some of the classic landmarks and city life. Just like a lot of things about this show, some much-needed representation can go a long way.
We haven’t seen a ton of action in Ms. Marvel, but it felt like the show ramps things up. We got a lot of fight scenes and chases that were pretty exhilarating. The climax of this episode features a great chase sequence that takes our heroes through the busy market. The hand-to-hand combat from Kareem in contrast to the platforms Kamala was producing is cool to see visually. It feels like we’re getting more creative uses for Ms. Marvel’s powers. Sometimes it’s used for platforms or shields while other times it’s used to empower her fist.
Meet Waleed: Leader of the Red Daggers
Editing & Pacing: Focus on the Movement
With some hand-to-hand fighting scenes, it could feel a little disjointed if the sequence has a lot of cuts. Thankfully, a lot of the action took its time with the cuts and let the viewer focus on the great stunts. A lot of the emotional parts also didn’t have a ton of cuts to them. It helped the pacing move along and didn’t have the unnecessary drag.
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- Feels good to see Sana in person and not just through FaceTime.
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- Meet Kareem.
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- I love the headband.
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- Trying to train Kamala.
