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Marvel’s ‘Runaways’ S1. E6 Recap: “Metamorphosis”

Last time on Marvel’s Runaways, the kids finally used their superhero-like abilities to save each other, strengthening their bond even more. In the meantime, Karolina and Nico are getting closer, and we finally met the mystery man who was being kept in Leslie’s meditation room.

In typical Runaways fashion, we begin with a 15-year-old flashback. Geoffrey and Catherine Wilder are being shown the ceremonial room for the first time by Jonah, the man we met last week who offered them the business deal (and in present day, is the one kept in Leslie’s room). Geoffrey takes notice that the room is underground, and Jonah tells them that they’ll be doing things they won’t want their neighbors to hear.

We then jump to the first PRIDE sacrifice, with all of the parents together (including Molly’s). Everyone feels awkward and confused about it all except Leslie, who calls the impending act “beautiful.” She leads the victim into the box of light, causing him to disappear.

Once complete, the parents are guilt-ridden over the fact that they killed someone, as that’s not what they signed up for. But Leslie reaffirms them that they did, in the form of accepting Jonah’s grand offers. Geoffrey notices a camera recording them, but since Tina obliged to have the footage sent to her server, it can’t be erased. In that moment, they all realize they’ve made a deal with the devil.

Back to present day, Leslie and Jonah are in the meditation room preparing for the night’s annual PRIDE gala. Leslie is apprehensive about Jonah being in the spotlight, especially since she’s been cheating on Frank with him. But she and Jonah both believe it’s important for him to be there to meet Karolina, who he confirms is actually his daughter.

Over at the Minoru’s, Nico gets a call from Alex, who’s ready to come up with a plan to get the footage of the sacrifices. But as they’re located in Tina’s office, he needs Nico’s help to get in. Just as she hangs up, Tina is waiting for her to begin training with the Staff’s abilities, much to Nico’s excitement.

Anything that Nico imagines in her mind can become real with the Staff. And it turns out that it’s not even magic at all, but was designed with high-end Wizard technology. In the comics, Nico would have to cut herself to activate it, but thankfully the show did away with that. Instead, the Staff turns on by slightly nicking her thumb to read her DNA. Taking notice to their relationship growing, Tina reminds Nico that she could’ve asked her about the Staff, and even her sister Amy’s diary. Tina tells her that she never thought Amy would kill herself, but Nico knows deep down that the truth about her death was covered up.

At the Dean’s, Karolina is in her room flipping through a book of her grandpa’s drawings. Frank walks in, and she asks if her grandpa ever saw the beings of light that were depicted in his art. As Frank failed to go ultra and might distance himself from Gibborim altogether, he doesn’t know if anything Karolina’s grandpa thought is real. Victor and Chase are working on the Fistigons, when the latter shortly leaves to meet up with the rest of the Runaways. Victor knows that Janet has been cheating on him with Robert Minoru, which is revealed as he taps into the car radio to listen to their conversation. Janet tells Robert that she’s planning on leaving Victor, which devastates him.

The kids have met up at the coffee shop to discuss the PRIDE gala. Alex offers to drive Nico, and Chase offers to drive Karolina, to which both girls look completely uninterested in. Gert exclaims, “Dating is so heteronormative,” and decides that the group will take a limo together to the gala. The real plan is to find the sacrifice footage – which they know could put their parents away for life – and they agree to band together regardless of what might happen.

Nico has decided to get ready for the party at Karolina’s house. After almost taking off her Gibborim bracelet, Nico reminds her that her glow should never make her feel afraid, or ashamed. As it’s tied to an organization run by Leslie, who Karolina now views as evil, what does that mean for her?

Reassuring as ever, Nico explains that they’re not defined by their parents or all of the wrong things they’ve been doing. Karolina tells her that she’s not only ready to take control of her life and finally be free, but also be honest about who she wants to be with. Interrupting the endearing moment (and Karolina’s longing stare) is Gert and Molly, who Nico invited over without Karolina’s knowledge.

On the way to the gala, it’s clear that Karolina couldn’t be any more turned off by Chase. I think she’s tired of him as much as Runaways viewers are tired of his crush on her existing. When the group arrives, they notice how everyone else views their parents as heroes, when deep down they know who they truly are.

Leslie feels bad that Frank didn’t go ultra, but he tells her that it’s time for him to follow his own passion. Jonah comes between the tense conversation to steal Leslie away, and Frank is immediately wary of him. As they walk away, a brief, hazy memory plays in Frank’s mind of a time he walked in on Jonah and Leslie sleeping together in the meditation room.

As the Runaways discuss their mission, Gert pulls Karolina aside. Since she got a vibe earlier that day, she asks Karolina if she has feelings for Nico, and that she would totally support her if so. But Karolina isn’t ready to be open about this yet, and deflects it by assuming Gert just wants Chase to herself. Karolina asks Chase to go get a drink with her, but Gert knows that she’s not being honest.

Molly is off by herself at the party, and is texting Catherine Wilder about wanting information on her parents. Since she knows that everyone in PRIDE could be on their way to prison, she tells Catherine that time is running out. That leaves Alex, Nico and Gert to get possession of the sacrifice footage. Gert’s job is to distract the man at the front desk, while Nico and Alex sneak into the elevator, then into Tina’s office.

At the same time, Karolina takes a bottle of vodka from the party and walks up to the roof to be alone, and of course Chase goes looking for her. When he arrives, Karolina is fed up about the fact that her life has been a lie, and thinks that maybe now is the time to be reckless. She accidentally falls off the ledge, and Chase tries to catch her by the arm, removing her Gibborim bracelet. But Karolina is rescued by her glowing lights, revealing that she also has the ability to fly. Karolina is often insecure about her glow, but when she sees it in full effect, her insecurities seem to be eliminated. Her desperation for freedom is something that her fans can definitely relate to.

When she returns to the ground, Chase puts her bracelet back on and kisses her, which obviously makes her feel nothing. This entire time, Molly had been spying on them through the window.

The two go back downstairs, where a speech is being given by Tina Minoru about PRIDE. She calls Victor up to talk, but instead of giving a traditional speech, he decides to expose Janet and Robert for their infidelity. In the middle of it, Victor’s symptoms from his brain cancer cause him to pass out. A concerned Chase rushes up to him, and he and the parents bring him upstairs to make sure he is okay. Leslie brings Jonah up to the room, as she knows he is the only one capable of reviving him. After making Chase leave, Jonah injects medicine into him that will not only heighten his immune system, but also override the cancer symptoms.

Meanwhile, Alex and Nico are still downloading the files they need, when Nico gets a text from Gert, saying that Tina is heading towards the office. After knowing that Robert cheated, she just needed a moment alone. Nico hears her mother crying her eyes out, which makes Nico cry, too. She’s starting to see Tina as more than just overbearing and secretive, but someone with feelings that she could even begin to trust.

That might be the first time Nico saw any human quality in Tina, which is making her have second thoughts on turning in their parents. Nico is also getting wary of Alex, due to the fact that he was able to guess her mom’s password – what else could he know?

Before Karolina leaves the party, she runs into Jonah. He says that he’s been looking forward to meeting her all night, confusing Karolina because she has no prior knowledge of him. Frank – who is also suspicious about Jonah – interrupts the conversation, and she walks off to the car to leave.

Just before Frank can do the same, Jonah brings up his trial at going ultra. Frank acknowledged that he failed the attempt, but Jonah tells him that he already went ultra, but he just didn’t know it yet. Leslie and Dale notice them talking and are both concerned by it. Dale reveals that he wiped Frank’s memory of the cheating incident, and Leslie knows that nothing good could come out of him talking to Jonah.

As the gala draws to close, Gert runs into Molly and asks where Chase is. Molly tells her that she shouldn’t bother looking for him, and reveals what she saw on the roof with him and Karolina. In the final scene, Molly finally gets a chance to talk to Catherine about her parents. Catherine wonders what she meant by saying that time was running out, and Molly accidentally reveals that she witnessed one of the sacrifices.

This was by far the most personal episode for each character, and it dived even deeper into the romance dynamics. We’re also moving more towards the teens versus parents element, which is often regarded as the core of Runaways. The growth of Karolina and Nico – both together and as individuals – is exciting to watch. It’s obvious that Runaways is going into territory that most Marvel shows have not yet explored, and I believe something beautiful will eventually come out of it as Season 1 continues.

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