Slowly but steadily, this show is improving, week by week. Cloak & Dagger's first season has been rocky at best, but there's a certain charm to it that makes it easy to watch. The dialogue is clunky and the action is almost nonexistent, but the acting is phenomenal, especially in this episode. I liked the core of "Funhouse Mirros", and it's the best this show has looked so far.
Both character's stories this week are defined by the idea of what they could have been, had their respective tragedies not occurred. Tandy spends this episode attempting to get close to Mina Hess, the Roxxon engineer who was shown in the last episode. She's got a certain charm to her that makes this storyline fun, although I had a lot of trouble believing she was an actual scientist. Mina has a lot of parallels with Tandy, from her relationship with her father to her drive towards her goals, but she seems like she has more of an interest in making the world a better place. In a great turn, Mina sees right through Tandy's lies, which were admittedly quite flimsy, showcasing her intellect, which could be useful in the future. Most of this plot is mostly done in service to setting up this possible new friendship, which makes for a great closing, as Tandy struggles to cope with Mina's father's condition. This was a good debut episode for Ally Maki, and I would love to see more of this character.
Tyrone, or Ty as this show insists I call him, is reconnecting with his past in the form of Duane, Billy's former friend. This show has spent a lot of time setting up Tandy's resourcefulness, and now it's Tyrone's turn, as he infiltrates Duane's drug business. I thought the interaction between these characters was mostly fine, although I struggled to believe that Tyrone would ever gone down this path if Billy was still alive. Ultimately, Duane's presence here is to set a counterbalance to Tyrone's misguided view of "justice", providing good reasoning for why he could work with the man that murdered his friend. Duane has never had the chances or opportunities that Tyrone gets on a daily basis, so he was willing to do whatever it took to survive, an easy character trait to empathize with. Like Tandy, Tyrone loses another connection to the past, as Duane is killed by Detective O'Reilly in self-defense, as Connors manipulates everyone. He really is an a**hole, isn't he? It's a powerful closing to the episode, as Tyrone mourns his friend's death while Tandy watches on, helpless due to the nature of their powers.
(P.S. If we could never have a "New Orleans is a city of survivors" piece of dialogue again, it would be much appreciated, Cloak & Dagger writers).
7/10
This show or this episode are by no means perfect, but there's a lot here once you get below surface level. "Funhouse Mirrors" showed an understanding of character motivation unlike most shows I've seen, and displayed a staggering level of heart and emotion for a show in its first season. There's clearly something here, and for the first time, I actually want to see more. Cloak & Dagger has finally found an identity, a charming show with lots of heart and big ideas about class and society. This is a really encouraging sign, and one everyone involved with this show should absolutely be proud of.
Both character's stories this week are defined by the idea of what they could have been, had their respective tragedies not occurred. Tandy spends this episode attempting to get close to Mina Hess, the Roxxon engineer who was shown in the last episode. She's got a certain charm to her that makes this storyline fun, although I had a lot of trouble believing she was an actual scientist. Mina has a lot of parallels with Tandy, from her relationship with her father to her drive towards her goals, but she seems like she has more of an interest in making the world a better place. In a great turn, Mina sees right through Tandy's lies, which were admittedly quite flimsy, showcasing her intellect, which could be useful in the future. Most of this plot is mostly done in service to setting up this possible new friendship, which makes for a great closing, as Tandy struggles to cope with Mina's father's condition. This was a good debut episode for Ally Maki, and I would love to see more of this character.
Tyrone, or Ty as this show insists I call him, is reconnecting with his past in the form of Duane, Billy's former friend. This show has spent a lot of time setting up Tandy's resourcefulness, and now it's Tyrone's turn, as he infiltrates Duane's drug business. I thought the interaction between these characters was mostly fine, although I struggled to believe that Tyrone would ever gone down this path if Billy was still alive. Ultimately, Duane's presence here is to set a counterbalance to Tyrone's misguided view of "justice", providing good reasoning for why he could work with the man that murdered his friend. Duane has never had the chances or opportunities that Tyrone gets on a daily basis, so he was willing to do whatever it took to survive, an easy character trait to empathize with. Like Tandy, Tyrone loses another connection to the past, as Duane is killed by Detective O'Reilly in self-defense, as Connors manipulates everyone. He really is an a**hole, isn't he? It's a powerful closing to the episode, as Tyrone mourns his friend's death while Tandy watches on, helpless due to the nature of their powers.
(P.S. If we could never have a "New Orleans is a city of survivors" piece of dialogue again, it would be much appreciated, Cloak & Dagger writers).
7/10
This show or this episode are by no means perfect, but there's a lot here once you get below surface level. "Funhouse Mirrors" showed an understanding of character motivation unlike most shows I've seen, and displayed a staggering level of heart and emotion for a show in its first season. There's clearly something here, and for the first time, I actually want to see more. Cloak & Dagger has finally found an identity, a charming show with lots of heart and big ideas about class and society. This is a really encouraging sign, and one everyone involved with this show should absolutely be proud of.
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