Ms. Marvel – Season 1 Episode 2

Jun 15, 2022 | Posted by in TV
Ms. Marvel

“Crushed”

Ms. Marvel deals with the aftermath of Kamala manifesting powers as she continues to navigate her various responsibilities.

Going from ordinary to extraordinary is something that people can react to in a variety of ways and it’s a necessary part of the journey toward becoming a superhero or supervillain where powers are concerned. This show’s approach is along the wish fulfilment route with Kamala’s powers making her part of a world she only worshipped from afar.

Ms. Marvel

It’s a new day!

Kamala finding out she has superpowers provokes an immediate shift in the way she conducts herself. This is shown through the opposite version of her arriving at school found in the first episode. She makes a very confident entrance where she makes her presence felt, stands up to the couple standing in front of her locker, corrects a teacher who calls her the wrong name and generally seems more comfortable in her own skin. It’s all about self-perception and as someone with powers, she is part of a very exclusive club that changes everything for her, or at least that’s how she sees it. at first. The reality is that nothing has changed but the important thing is that she feels a shift and is able to use that confidence to make some sort of change in her life.

Very quickly, a link is drawn between control of her powers and control of her own life. An early attempt to practice results in a mess being made and a very clumsy save that only counts because she was the one who put Bruno in danger in the first place. She’s good-humoured about it and quickly recognises she will need to practice before mastery is achieved. The personality injected into the beginnings of her superhero journey adds texture to what is a familiar formula. Everything feels like a natural extension of the world that surrounds her.

One of the more striking details is that Kamala is lacking a mentor who can teach her how to master her abilities and understand where they came from. She has Bruno and a commitment to a trial and error approach. This means that progress is very slow as they are overwhelmed teenagers trying to wrap their heads around something they don’t understand. The lack of understanding doesn’t create fear in them as the fun of experimenting with what Kamala can do takes prominence in their minds. A fun montage shows Kamala experimenting in a really safe way. Her reluctance to trust stepping on the light constructs is realistic and the riff on Black Widow’s sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame was an amusing touch punctuated beautifully by the reveal of the very small drop. Genre-savvy viewers will be reminded of Kick-Ass with the slow burn practising and building of confidence.

Ms. Marvel

A tale of bravery

Small details are teased such as the bracelet not being the source of her power which could be a nod to her being an Inhuman in the comics. Other elements of the episode strongly point to there being a cosmic origin to her abilities but for now, the focus is on understanding how to use them and having fun along the way as teenagers would.

It’s clear at this point that the origin of her abilities will be tied to her great-grandmother in some way. There’s a significant barrier to her learning more about her great-grandmother as she is remembered as someone who brought shame to the family which means that if she is spoken about then it’s in less than flattering ways with hyperbolic statements implicating her in various less than desirable circumstances. It’s all gossip motivated by hate and fully sells the shame she represents to Kamala’s family.

The broader cultural context is supported in the excellent dinner scene. It’s a strong character-driven showcase of history with a familial spin. The history lesson around the Partition works brilliantly in context because the personal impact on Kamala’s parents is the example given. A lot is conveyed through the haunted performances as Kamala’s parents recount the events that led them to where they are now. There’s even an element of mysticism with the story of following a trail of stars; something that looks likely to be more than a fanciful story. This is an excellent use of Kamala’s background with the suggested connection between her powers and her great-grandmother creating a compelling mystery as well as a unique story for Kamala to be a part of.

Ms. Marvel

Is this a date?

One of her objectives is sifting through the gossip and getting to the truth. She talks to her grandmother to try and understand where the bracelet came from which is less than fruitful but it shows that she has a keen mind and is eager to make up her own mind about this part of her family that others don’t like to talk about. The encounters she has with someone when connected to the bracelet intensify the mystery and add to the suggested mysticism. It’s likely the person she sees will be her great-grandmother but the circumstances that led to her being considered the family shame are unknown.

For the moment, the mystery and information gathering is a background element. Kamala’s debut as a hero is what this episode is building to through its training montage and Kamala’s musings about what these powers mean for her. She has already made waves following her unexpected unveiling at AvengerCon and has become a talking point both in positive and negative lights. Some are excited that Jersey City has its own hero and others call her a budget Captain Marvel. This is something Kamala takes as a compliment because Captain Marvel is her idol but she considers herself inferior though it’s not an insult as to be considered in the same breath is a privilege for her.

Kamala gets the opportunity to prove that she’s capable of helping others when an accident results in a kid hanging on for dear life. She pushes aside her uncertainty about her powers and concentrates on the life she needs to save. Notably, she tries to be a comforting presence by asking what his favourite food is and doing everything she can to keep his mind off the fact he’s in imminent danger. It doubles up as a distraction for her to mitigate her own terror. This could be a reference to Spider-Man who used humour as a coping mechanism to distract himself from the life-threatening terror of fighting crime or supervillains. Kamala is taking a big risk because she doesn’t have enough experience in her powers to be able to trust them so every step she takes could result in a fall to her death. Despite that, she is committed to saving a life because she knows she can and it’s the right thing to do. The save is far from perfect as she makes a number of mistakes and the mystery associated with the person reaching out to her impacts it but it’s a solid start that proves she still has a lot to learn. Her awkward celebration with her doing the superhero poses and waving to the crowd is endlessly endearing and a great example of Kamala being a fan who doesn’t have the natural charisma when it comes to dealing with crowds that other heroes have.

Ms. Marvel

Dinner and history

The reaction from the street is equally as important as how Kamala feels about what she’s doing. Onlookers on the ground help create a sense of community and establishes a world that reacts to the appearance of a new wannabe hero. There is a quick yet effective showcase of the social media reaction ranging from questions about the new hero on the scene to disbelief about the love of ice cream on pizza. It’s a very believable and realistic portrayal of the public reacting to something like this and fits in with the sense of humour the show has so far presented. It’s a relatively low-key situation but on the right level for Kamala who has no direct connection to those she idolises and no idea of how best to use her abilities. Her first save is a modest one but makes a significant difference to the person she saves as well as everyone who knows him. The sequence is tense and well-paced with clear stakes and manages to be consistently gripping.

Kamala’s emerging powers catch attention in other ways. The Department of Damage Control get wind of a new enhanced individual and begin to investigate. First, they bring in Zoe who is all too willing to tell her story because doing so has massively boosted her internet popularity. Agent Cleary (Arian Moayed) -last seen in Spider-Man: No Way Home interrogates Zoe similar to the way he interrogated Ned in that film. He has a talent for appealing to people’s egos and getting them to reveal information by either correcting him to bolster their own importance or simply brag about what they have done. It’s a strong interaction and sets Cleary’s people on the path to finding Kamala. In a lesser show, Zoe would be a one-dimensional antagonist who opposes Kamala by being the popular girl against Kamala’s less high-profile social standing. Instead, she doesn’t have a lot of awareness of Kamala’s existence and is more fixated on making sure she’s the centre of attention. Turning being saved into an opportunity to gain more notoriety makes sense as a reaction and it feeds naturally into her interaction with Cleary.

The episode spends a lot of time on Kamala’s personal life, specifically around the quick connection she makes with Kamran (Rish Shah); an older boy she has a crush on. Fortunately for her, he takes particular interest in her and they start to get to know one another. Their interactions are brilliantly played with the right mix of awkwardness and familiarity as they find common ground. The episode successfully avoids falling into the trope of Kamala ignoring her friends when she has a love interest though there is a hint of jealousy on Bruno’s part particularly when he feels her priorities have shifted after she is too distracted to listen to his conflicted feelings about the offer he has to attend CalTech. The episode leaves it as a detail that can be expanded at a later time without drawing overt attention to the slight shift in Kamala’s focus. It’s subtle and adds to the overall realism that makes this show so wonderful.

Kamala’s reaction to the reciprocated crush is shown in a brilliantly creative way. Her imagined gleeful dance routine perfectly encapsulates the excitement she feels and an excellent visual contrast is created between the expressive freedom that exists in her imagination and her rigid home life. Texting is depicted in inventive ways that add energy to that sort of interaction. The ingenious approach brings the viewer into Kamala’s mind and encourages a tangible emotional connection to what Kamala is dealing with.

Ms. Marvel

We need their vote!

It doesn’t take long for Kamran’s interest to be at least partially down to an ulterior motive. He quickly reveals himself to know more than he initially lets on when he and his mother rescue Kamala from Damage Control’s attempt to capture her, ending the episode with the suggestion that his mother will take on the role of a mentor figure for her. In the context of the episode, this development is rushed as Kamran was introduced in this episode so there wasn’t quite enough time to suggest that he’s a normal part of Kamala’s life before starting to reveal the truth. Such problems appear in short seasons such as this and it’s very much a minor issue but it does stand out.

Outside of the slight development Bruno receives in being offered an opportunity that will be great for his future, Nakia (Yasmeen Fletcher) receives a lot of attention. It begins with the spotlight on the inequality between men and women in the Mosque. Kamala pushes her to run for Mosque Council to make things better. She recognises Nakia as having the tenacity and thick skin required to rise above the dismissive attitudes that would dissuade others from putting themselves forward for the position.

Nakia is a strong voice for frustrations that women will encounter in her culture. She talks openly about female biology when offering Kamala a tampon and acknowledges that it’s an unspoken, almost taboo subject. This is one of the many things she seeks to address by taking on a position where he voice would be heard.

The obvious barrier is that there will be strong resistance to letting a woman into that role but Nakia sees that as a challenge and works to gain support. She is shown to be skilled at pushing people’s buttons to steer them towards voting for her even though it’s against their preconceived ideas. She’s very skilled at identifying what is important to people and delivering a convincing argument as to why she is the one who can achieve that for them.

Ms. Marvel

Very persuasive

Her methodical approach to her campaign is brilliantly illustrated by more animated interludes, a particularly noteworthy example is summing up the groups that need to be convinced Nakia is the better option. It’s a creative way of delivering what might otherwise be mundane information and further shows Kamala’s active imagination while characterising her as a supportive friend ready to come up with creative solutions to ensure Nakia’s success.

So far, this show excels in making plots that have nothing to do with superpowers or heroics feel important. This is because of the excellent command of characterisation. Nakia’s campaign has a clear goal associated with it and obstacles that threaten to render it unsuccessful. All the while information is being organically delivered about her culture, background, personality and friendship with Kamala. Nakia is far more confident than Kamala is which leads her to conclude that Nakia finds life easy because she seems to go through it effortlessly while Kamala constantly struggles. The reality is vastly different to the perception and Nakia doesn’t mind admitting that she finds life challenging but her mindset means that she faces those challenges head-on. She explains that her sense of identity comes from hating how she is perceived by others. Wearing a hijab is a personal choice that is her way of taking control of her own identity in a way that enables her to feel secure within herself. It’s her way of making a statement about who she is and how proud she is of where she came from. The views she has that are less than traditional indicate that she believes there is progress to be made and the only way to encourage that progress is to highlight what she feels needs to change. Nakia’s outlook will ring in Kamala’s ears to encourage her to take control of her own identity which will inform her development towards being a hero.

Ms. Marvel

Getting the first save under her belt


Verdict

An excellent episode that expertly juggles Kamala’s fledgling superhero career with her personal life and continues to dazzle with wonderfully inventive visual flair combined with strong storytelling. Kamala finding out she has superpowers provokes an immediate shift in the way she conducts herself. This is shown through a very different arrival at school. This establishes that she feels a shift and is able to use that confidence to make some sort of change in her life. A link is quickly drawn between control of her powers and control of her own life. The personality injected into the beginnings of her superhero journey adds texture to what is a familiar formula. Everything feels like a natural extension of the world that surrounds her. One of the more striking details is that Kamala is lacking a mentor who can teach her how to master her abilities and understand where they came from. This means a trial and error approach and slow progress since she and Bruno are overwhelmed teenagers trying to wrap their heads around something they don’t understand. The montage of Kamala experimenting with her powers is really fun and the reluctance slowly growing into confidence and trust is realistic. It’s clear that the origin of her abilities will be tied to her great-grandmother in some way. There is a significant barrier to her learning more about her great-grandmother as she is remembered as someone who brought shame to the family. The broader cultural context is supported in the excellent dinner scene. It’s a strong character-driven showcase of history with a familial spin. The encounters she has with someone when connected to the bracelet intensify the mystery and add to the suggested mysticism.

For the moment, the mystery and information gathering is a background element and the episode builds to her debut as a hero. She gets the opportunity to prove she’s capable of others when an accident results in a kid hanging on for dear life. She pushes aside her uncertainty about her powers and concentrates on the life she needs to save. Notably, she tries to be a comforting presence by asking what his favourite food is and doing everything she can to keep his mind off the fact he’s in imminent danger. It doubles up as a distraction for her to mitigate her own terror. Despite the risk due to her inexperience, she is committed to saving a life because she knows she can and it’s the right thing to do. The save is far from perfect as she makes a number of mistakes and the mystery associated with the person reaching out to her impacts it but it’s a solid start that proves she still has a lot to learn. Her awkward celebration with her doing the superhero poses and waving to the crowd is endlessly endearing. The reaction from the street is equally as important as how Kamala feels about what she’s doing. Onlookers on the ground help create a sense of community and establishes a world that reacts to the appearance of a new wannabe hero. It’s a relatively low-key situation but on the right level for Kamala who has no direct connection to those she idolises and no idea of how best to use her abilities. Her first save is a modest one but makes a significant difference to the person she saves as well as everyone who knows him. The sequence is tense and well-paced with clear stakes and manages to be consistently gripping. The involvement of the Department of Damage Control further develops Zoe as far more than a stereotypical high school antagonist. The episode spends a lot of time on Kamala’s personal life. Her interactions with Kamran are brilliantly played and the hint of jealousy on Bruno’s part is present but not overwhelming. Kamala’s reaction to the reciprocated crush is shown in a brilliantly creative way along with the texting. The reveal that Kamran knows more than he lets on does feel as if it comes along too early. It’s a minor issue but stands out. Nakia’s plot is an excellent way to deliver key information about her character as well as the culture she is hoping to change. She also acts as inspiration for Kamala to take control of her own identity through the examples she gives of how she has become comfortable with herself.

Overall
  • 9/10
    Crushed - 9/10
9/10

Summary

Kneel Before…

  • the portrayal of Kamala’s newfound confidence upon learning she has powers
  • the realistic power testing montage
  • family and cultural history being outlined in the excellent dinner scene
  • the tense rescue sequence
  • Kamala’s terror and lack of trust in her abilities
  • Onlookers providing a natural sense of community
  • Kamala and Kamran’s endearing interactions
  • the wonderfully creative showcase of her excited reaction to the reciprocated crush
  • Zoe rising above the stereotypical high school antagonist
  • an excellent showcase for Nakia’s confidence and resourcefulness
  • the inventive outlining of her main obstacles
  • Nakia’s approach to life acting as an inspiration for Kamala to take control of her own identity

 

Rise Against…

  • the Kamran reveal feeling as if it comes too early

 

What did you think? Select your rating in the “User Review” box below

Sending
User Review
6.17/10 (3 votes)

We’d love to know your thoughts on this and anything else you might want to talk about. You can find us on Facebook and Twitter or just leave a comment in the comment section below. You’ll need an account for Disqus but it’s easy to set up. Don’t forget to share your rating in the “User Review” box

If you want to chat to me directly then I’m on Twitter as well.