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‘Marvel’s Runaways’ S1. E1 – E3 Recap

Every teenager imagines that their parents are evil, but what happens when that actually becomes a reality? That’s the notion of Runaways, the latest endeavor in Marvel’s expansive live-action universe. Based on the comic book of the same name, the 2003 adventure was truly ahead of its time. It dived deeper than the cliché teen drama you might expect of it, featuring a diverse cast, thought-provoking narratives, and lesbian visibility that still empowers readers today.

Based on footage we’ve received of the Hulu show thus far, it looks as accurate as the comic itself, but through a modernized lens. Even though its faithful to the pages, there will definitely be changes and shocks along the way that we won’t see coming.

If you’ve read the comic, like me, then get ready to fall in love with these characters and their lives all over again. And if you’re totally new to it, be sure to anticipate the thrills, twists and emotions that await you. The best way I can describe Runaways, especially for newcomers, is a group of six kids who took on the weight of the world while trying to find their own place inside of it. It’s also a story of trust and acceptance, both towards others and within oneself. It couldn’t be a better time to bring this series to life, and without further ado, let’s recap the triple-episode premiere! Episode 1: ‘Reunion’ We begin with a girl named Destiny, traveling on a bus to a location she’s not familiar with. It’s dark, there’s nowhere to sleep, and an upset phone call indicates that she ran away from home. After she hangs up, two men harass her through the street, and she’s quickly rescued by two women. If you thought nothing else could go wrong at this hour, that “rescuing” involved luring her into a van for the Church of Gibborim. She recognizes that this is a cult-like organization, and reluctantly accepts.

Flash forward six months later and we’re introduced to our first lavish L.A. family, the Wilders: Geoffrey, Catherine, and their son Alex. While his parents are successful in the business world, Alex would rather close himself off from the world and play video games. His loneliness and lack of enthusiasm come from his longing to reconnect with his childhood friends, which Geoffrey encourages him to do.

Next, meet the Minorus: Tina, Robert, and their daughter Nico, whose angsty, goth appeal is badass rather than cringe-worthy. Tina is extremely over-protective, and the family is still grieving the loss of Nico’s sister, Amy. Then we have the Steins: Janet, Victor, and their son Chase. While Chase comes off as the stereotypical jock, he has an untapped brilliance and a sensitive side, which will be developed as we move further. His father, an engineering genius, is tough on Chase ÔöÇ even on the verge of abusive ÔöÇ which made me sympathize with him while reading the comics.

A change of location, we enter a bright auditorium where a church service is being held. This is none other than the Deans: Leslie, Frank, and our one and only baby gay Karolina. Together, they lead the Church of Gibborim, which Karolina is the face of. Her eagerness to break free and lead her own path is evident, but her mother continues to hold her back. And for the final family, the Yorkes: Dale, Stacey, their daughter Gert, and adoptive daughter Molly Hernandez. Their parents are much more quirky and laid-back compared to the rest of the teens’ rigid home life. We learn that Gert is a passionate feminist, while Molly is the youngest and most easy-going member of the group.

A component of the Runaways show is seeing the kids in high school, something we never got a glimpse of in the comics. In a quick scene, we’re introduced to the crush dynamics: Gert like Chase, Chase likes Karolina, Karolina likes Nico, and Alex likes Nico, too. As I’m already shipping Karolina and Nico (they’ve even got their own ship name, “Deanoru”), I’m glad that this crush is being depicted so naturally, and so early on.

Meanwhile, the parents are preparing for their meeting for PRIDE, a charity organization that has a lot hidden underneath it.

Back at school, Alex attempts to get the band back together, only leading to a giant disagreement among them. I love seeing the dynamics within the group, but this interaction felt forced. The hostility was unnatural, but there might be something from their past that caused it. Not to mention, Alex’s obsession with Nico is turning out to be creepy, rather than endearing. Out of the equation was Molly, who was experiencing extreme pain during a dance audition, which is linked to her super strength that she has not yet discovered.

Karolina and Nico have had quite the rough day: Karolina was getting bullied by her peers, and the desperation to get out of her cage is weighing down on her. Nico is dealing with family issues of her own, especially her failure to cope with her sister not being there. But a light, heart-to-heart between the two of them almost make those feelings wash away, even through Nico’s cold exterior. While others judge Karolina right away, Nico acts genuine and kind towards her.

After, Karolina runs into Destiny, the girl from the opening scene, who is now a full-fledged worshiper of the organization. Destiny tells her how the church saved her from the rebellious life she lived, which Karolina immediately becomes inspired by.

Later than night, the PRIDE gathering gets underway, and the kids are off doing their own thing: Alex resorts to being his unenthused self. Gert agreed to tutor Chase, but he stood her up to attend a party instead. Nico is trying to conjure a spell on an empty beach, because that’s one way to blow off steam. Meanwhile, Karolina has snuck off to attend the same party that Chase is at, her very first attempt at rebellion. Basking in her newfound freedom, Karolina notices two girls kissing on the dance floor and is completely intrigued, further displaying that her gayness is never up for debate. Representing her independence, she decides to rip off her Gibborim bracelet for the first time, which makes her skin come alive in a glittery, rainbow-like light.

Though amazed, this causes her to pass out, and Chase’s friends decide to drag her up to a bedroom. They attempt to sexually assault her, but are quickly stopped when Chase follows them in and throws a few punches. The scene was not exploitative, but regardless, it’s disappointing that Karolina’s moment of liberation was interrupted by this. Chase puts Karolina’s bracelet back on, making her regain consciousness, and they both leave the party together.

Back at the Yorkes’ residence, Molly discovers an unusual house pet, who we know is Gert’s telepathic dinosaur and fan-favorite, Old Lace. All of the kids would rather be anywhere but home, and they choose Alex’s place as the last stop.

After awkward silence, it’s time for the group to let their feelings out. They reveal that the death of Nico’s sister was the catalyst of them growing apart, as well as Alex not attending her funeral. Instead of pretending that everything is fine and that they’ve all moved on, Karolina encourages them all to talk it through.

They relocate to Alex’s dad’s study, which they’re not even allowed to be in. Alex accidentally unlocks a secret passage, which has raised everyone’s curiosity. The passage leads to a dark, basement-like area, which overlooks a ritual that their parents are performing. Karolina notices Destiny in the middle of the charity-meeting-gone-wrong, and she ends up being sacrificed and disappearing. Even though an invisible wall kept the kids from being seen or heard from above, the parents definitely suspect they were being spied on after Molly tried to snap a photo of the event.

For a debut episode, that was one wild ride. With lots of characters and expositions to explore, Runaways did an exceptional job of balancing it out. Each of the teens bring unique, unmatched characteristics to the table, making for a well-rounded ensemble. Not to mention, many of them are easy to relate to. The music, cinematography and gorgeous L.A. landscapes were so alluring that it even gave me chills. I’m also impressed with the way Karolina’s sexuality is being treated thus far. Her being gay is obvious, but it’s not her only defining characteristic. The group has a lot ahead of them, and I can’t wait to continue the adventure.

Episode 2 Recap on Next Page

Episode 2: ‘Rewind’ ‘Rewind’ is the events of Episode 1, but from the parents’ perspective. Just like the teens, the parents have conflicts of their own. Victor Stein is responsible for creating the transporter that Destiny disappeared in. He is unable to configure it, and verbally takes his frustration out on Janet. Like Chase, she sees him as a monster but is afraid to accept it. She might even be cheating on him, perhaps with another member of PRIDE. Frank Dean was once a teen actor, but his days in the limelight as a TV celeb are over. Even though he brought recognition to the Church of Gibborim, Leslie is the one taking the reins.

At the Minorus, Tina and Robert are figuring a way to cope without Amy, as well as not letting Nico distance herself from the family even more. We also see Tina using the Staff of One, which in the comics, was used to conjure magic and spells. Nico will eventually gain control of it, and I can’t wait to find out how.

Geoffrey Wilder was in a gang before he became a thriving businessman, and his past is coming back to haunt him.

Two women who run the Gibborim tell Leslie that Destiny has ran away. She finds her, and learns her reason for running away from the church. Destiny reveals that she has a daughter whose life she’s been missing out on, and wants to fix that. But there’s one problem: the PRIDE gathering is tonight, and they need Destiny as a sacrifice. As a result, Leslie lures her back in, assuring her that she’ll be move higher up in the church if she stays.

Later at the PRIDE meeting, the parents discuss Destiny, their latest – and maybe final – sacrifice. Geoffrey is the only one who becomes apprehensive, due to the fact that Destiny is the same age as all of their children. The rest of the parents disregard and deny his feelings, especially since they know PRIDE is something they’re bound to.

Inevitably, they go ahead with the sacrifice, donning red robes for the ceremonious act. Destiny realizes that something is wrong and feels frightened, but it’s too late. This clearly makes the parents uncomfortable, but their icy front doesn’t break. Destiny disappears inside the teleporter, and the flashing light from above (which we know is from Molly’s phone) makes them realize they might have been watched from above.

As the night continues, we meet back up with the kids in the game room, who are frantic and wondering their next move. In an attempt to act natural, they start a game of Twister, as Geoffrey and Catherine Wilder come to check on them. This scene was recreated right from the comic, reminding us that the fun aspects of the source material won’t be forgotten.

The parents meet back up, concluding that the kids had no idea about the sacrifice. Back in the game room, the kids try to devise a plan on how to deal with their evil parents. As Karolina was going to befriend Destiny, she refuses to accept the fact that she’s dead – or is she? Earlier in the episode, Victor was having problems with the teleporter, which caused the sacrifice to not work at all.

At the end of the night, everyone bonds with each other as if nothing happened. Before they leave, you can tell that the kids’ unity is beginning to grow. This experience and revelation of their parents’ evildoings might have the most effect on Nico, who confided in Alex about her loneliness.

A lingering mystery throughout the episode is Leslie’s meditation room at the church, where “Gross Flaky Guy” — dubbed by Leslie’s actress Annie Wersching — is being kept. Frank tries to uncover the mystery himself, but is not allowed access into the room. It’s clear that Leslie is the ringleader of PRIDE, and knows more information than the rest of the group. Alex texts his regained friends, telling them to meet up the next day to discuss the scary situation.

The final scene shows Geoffrey in his study, where he finds Molly’s hair clip left behind. He’s now aware that the kids have discovered PRIDE, and even bigger problems lie ahead than the organization’s acts themselves.

As the parents were never fleshed out in the comics, I initially thought that this direction in the show would be meaningless. Instead, it added more depth and layers that I ended up appreciating. At the moment, we have a few unanswered questions: What is Destiny’s fate? Why are the parents tied to PRIDE? And as we’ll find out later on, how will the teens deal with this mess while discovering their unique abilities?

Episode 3 Recap on Next Page

Episode 3: ‘Destiny’ Up to now in Marvel’s Runaways, the six teens discovered that their parents are actually evil. After watching them sacrifice an innocent girl, it’s time to decide how to deal with the madness as a team.

Episode 3 begins with a flashback to the funeral of Molly’s parents, who died in a fire. Conversations among the parents indicate that the Hernandez’s deaths might not have been an accident, and are connected to PRIDE. To give Molly a normal life, the Yorkes take her in as their adoptive daughter.

Back to present day, Molly is rummaging through her room to find the hair clip that her mom gave her – the same clip that was left in the Wilder’s study. Molly is also dealing with her newfound super strength, and is unsure what’s causing it. At the Deans, Karolina is listening to a meditation guide in her room and gets an exciting text — it’s time for the Runaways to meet up.

They get together at a beach, and Karolina receives a text from Destiny that she’s currently on a church trip. This shocks the rest of the group, who initially believed she was dead. To get to the bottom of it, they come up with a plan: Karolina will check in with the youth group office to make sure Destiny is actually on the trip. Gert and Chase will team up to go through Victor’s engineering equipment and get more information on the teleport box. Alex will look for clues in the ceremonial room, and Nico will try to decipher what her mom’s Staff really is. As no one would believe Molly about the telepathic dinosaur in the Yorkes’ basement, she storms off without the group.

After a glimpse at the Steins and Minorus ongoing struggles, the Runaways’ mission begins. Chase and Gert discover that no one was left in the box, and decide to go to Gert’s place to see if Molly was right about the basement. In the comics, Gert and Chase were the first romantic couple of the group. I always found them adorable, and I’m glad the show is leading up to it. (Let’s hope they eventually make Nico and Karolina canon too!).

 

Over at the Minoru’s, Nico is determined to uncover the mysteries of the magical staff. When she’s finally able to activate it, she unintentionally casts a spell which makes snow fall from the ceiling.

Catherine Wilder runs into Molly, and attempts to get information out of her about the PRIDE meeting. Molly might be the youngest out of the group, but that doesn’t mean she’s easily convinced. She senses Catherine’s manipulation, and literally runs away from it. Gaining more control over her super strength, she breaks down the walls of a bathroom to escape. Not only do Molly’s eyes glow when she gets her powers, but they cause her extreme fatigue. Catherine finds her later on and tries to gain information once more, but Molly decides to cover for her friends. Meanwhile, Alex’s plan to scope out the ritual room is interrupted by his dad being in the house, but he doesn’t get caught.

At the church, Karolina couldn’t find information about Destiny, but is still questioning what removing the Gibborim bracelet means for her. It’s normal when someone else removes it, but for her, she turns into a rainbow light show. On the wall, she notices a painting by her grandfather, which resembles what she looks like without the bracelet. Since Karolina won’t be an alien like the comics, is it possible that she’s actually a goddess or an angel in this adaptation?

Meanwhile, Nico gets Alex to help her fix the snowy situation, and return the Staff back to normal. After a terrible date night with Robert, Tina gets back home early which puts Nico and Alex in panic mode. With no clue how to explain that all to her mom, Nico gets on top of Alex as Tina walks in. Awkwardness aside, Alex still got the courage to kiss Nico before he left.

Back in Episode 2, it was hinted at that Janet Stein was cheating on Victor with another PRIDE member, who turns out to be Robert Minoru. Robert is ready to leave Tina and begin a life with Janet, but she’s too afraid of the consequences with PRIDE and her home life. The last revelation of the night, Chase and Gert are ready to investigate what lurks in the Yorkes’. Chase’s x-ray goggles can’t see behind the door where they think Destiny might be. He decides to open the door, and Gert’s pet dinosaur rushes out. They realize that the dinosaur is harmless, as her telepathic connection to Gert is able to calm her down.

Episode 3 ends with Leslie getting a phone call from Tina, asking her to turn on the local news. The news reveal that Destiny’s body was washed up on shore, which comes as a surprise since they thought the sacrifice went accordingly. This means that their time with PRIDE is not over, and the parents need to look for another sacrifice.

Season 1 of Runaways is still off to a captivating start, and continues to balance its complex narratives effectively. On next Tuesday’s fourth episode, Nico contemplates going to the police, while Chase encourages his friends to do anything to prevent their parents from harming them. We’ll also get another look at Karolina’s glow, and hopefully, the mysterious answers behind it. It feels like it’s taking a while for the kids to tap into their unique abilities, but once they do, they’ll finally become the badass superheroes we’ve been waiting for.

What are your thoughts on the action-packed premiere of Runaways?

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