The latest episode ofMs. Marvelseems to make it very clear that this isn’t going to be the kind of Disney Plus series that’s going to have explosions and action and superpowers around every corner. Instead, this show is very much about a teenage kid not only trying to find her way in the regular world but also trying to find a way to blend her life and what she wants to become, with suddenly realizing she has powers. Speaking of those powers, while they are similar to what Captain Marvel has to offer, it turns out things are quite a bit differentwhen it comes to Kamala Khanand what that bangle is actually doing for her.
This week’sepisode ofMs. Marvelpicks up roughly where the last left off, with Kamala continuing to deal with the fallout of more of the world seeing her in her superhero getup. It also continues the storyline of Kamala and her family getting ready for her brother’s wedding and sheds some real light on what the rest of the season is going to be about. In the process, the episode might have demonstrated quite nicely why the show spent so much of its time laying the groundwork and not having her fight real villains.
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Kamala finally meets the people that are able to explain the bangle she found and just why she has super powers. It turns out that once againMs. Marvelis pulling from real history, more than Marvel comic lore when introducing the group of people known as the Djinn. There’s a quick origin story from back in 1942, during the partition where these Djinn people are trying to find both bangles. It turns out that Kamala’s bracelet is actually part of a set that was hidden away from the world until the Djinn and Kamala’s great-grandmother Aisha found it.
The origin story also serves as a mechanism for the Djinn to explain who they are and why they are helping Kamala run from the government. Unfortunately, this is also the first real weak part of the series when it comes to the storytelling. It’s possible this is theproblem with Marvel wanting to condense all of its showsinto short runs. Stories that could be fleshed out and make a little more sense have to be quickly dispensed with and the big twists are just a little too rushed.
This time around, the story focuses on the fact that the Djinn are from another dimension known as the Noor Dimension and they are desperate to get back home. They also have some superpowers, though even later in the episode it doesn’t seem clear as to why they have powers. Being from another dimension doesn’t seem like it would naturally grant people superhuman strength and speed, and it wouldn’t have been a terrible idea to perhaps explain just a little bit what the Noor Dimension is and why the Djinn have powers.
There’s also the fact that while this group is clearly not all that happy about being on earth, they also have apparently decided to start families. Again, it wouldn’t have hurt for the backstory of the Djinn to have taken a bit more of this episode and then they could have moved into why they want to go home so bad. In fact, spending a bit more time on who they are, why they’re here (although it appears that’s supposed to be a bit of a mystery) and what they did over the last 100 years would have made quite a few aspects ofthis week’sMs. Marvelepisodebetter.
Likewise, taking a bit more time to explain what’s going on with the backstory of the bangle would also better explain the 100 percent heel turn done in the middle of the episode. From that point forward, the “villains” of the show are not remotely interesting or make much sense. They go from people who were desperate travelers to unabashed killers in the blink of an eye and for seemingly no reason. It certainly seems if they had waited a day or two, they could have gotten what they wanted without outing themselves as bad guys.Marvel wants to do these showsin six or eight episodes and it’s a decision that continues to hurt the product.
That’s not to say that everything in thisepisode ofMs. Marvelwas unappealing. The series has done a masterful job of showing how Kamala is trying to balance what appears to be a very happy life in her community and with Bruno, with the fact that she wants to be something more. The show seems to also give those who may not know much about Pakistani culture a look inside both everyday life as well as special events.
Kamala’s interactions with Nakia, her family, and Bruno are all well done. Especially the parts where her parents are starting to write her off as a problem child while she’s really out there saving people. While there’s been a lot of talk about howMs. Marvelhas felt a bit likeSpider-Man: Homecoming, or evenNo Way Home, this show definitely has its own vibe. It’s just pretty unfortunate that the show is starting to ruin the good feelings that come along with Kamala’s private life, with some hastily put-together baddies and a story that looks like it might not make much sense by the end.
