Writing these recaps has afforded me the ability to really sit with the content. Typically, I get some snacks, a cup of tea and binge three episodes in a single sitting. But Marvel’s Runaways deserves a little more attention. This show, which has an indisputably dark plot, is lightened through witty comments and relatable themes (loss, disappointing your family, rebellion.)
The second installation of Marvel’s Runaways, titled “Rewind”, begins immediately after Molly’s cellphone light disturbed the end of PRIDE’s meeting. The kids are fleeing the basement cathedral and despite just having witnessed their parents performing some weird ritualistic magic, still manage to crack jokes. (If I saw my parents in blood red robes sacrificing an innocent girl, I definitely think I’d just be crying in a corner but hey everyone copes differently.)
Luckily, the kids manage to escape before their parents notice (thanks to Molly’s superhuman strength) and are able to hoodwink them into believing they were just playing an innocent game of Twister.
As the title of the episode implies, the clock “rewinds” to the prior day. This time, instead of following the movement of the teens, we see the parents’ storyline.
Victor Stein, who has been physically abusive to his son, Chase, is suffering from severe headaches while trying to perfect the pod featured in the ritual. He’s conducting experiments on a mouse but it seems it’s having trouble “dematerializing.” His wife, Janet, has clearly been severely emotionally abused by Victor. This has led her to have an affair most likely with Robert Minoru. (I mean if this look doesn’t scream “I’m secretly in love with you” then I have no idea what does.)
Speaking of the Minoru family, it’s evident that Tina and Robert don’t have the best marriage. Tina, who keeps the ceremonial staff inside her personal office, seems to have difficulty connecting to her husband. It’s obvious that losing their daughter has created too much distance and irreconcilable damage. At one point Tina literally constructs a magical barrier between the two of them. Could anything be more symbolic?!
Frank Dean, Karolina’s father and Leslie’s husband, is the only spouse not a member of PRIDE. (I actually felt like his character was massively insignificant in the first episode because I couldn’t even remember his name but turns out I’m wrong!) Apparently Frank played a vital role in popularizing the Church of Gibborim! He was a Hollywood heartthrob and his celebrity is what attracted so many people to Leslie’s father’s teachings.
Unfortunately, his affiliation with the Church has made Frank largely un-castable and he loses his agent. We then learn that Leslie is the sole leader of the Church of Gibborim and Frank has no intimate knowledge of PRIDE. After being fired by his agent, Frank goes on a quest to earn a more prominent role in the institution. Leslie, whose still secretly caring for the old, chapped and decaying body of who I assume is her father, vehemently dismisses the idea.
Geoffery Wilder, Alex’s father, is revealed to have come from a very difficult neighborhood. This proves important when his old friend, Darius Davis, shows up at a PRIDE construction site.
Apparently the organization is funding a school. Terrified of losing everything, Geoffrey threatens to kill Darius’s grandmother. Geoffrey believes he’s managed to scare off his old friend. However, Darius’s accomplice (who apparently is some amazing tech genius) manages to download all the data from Geoffrey’s phone. Also, from what I can gather, it seems that his wife, Catherine, was the lawyer that ultimately freed him from prison.
Dale and Stacey Yorkes don’t do anything nefarious or dangerous during their brief screen time. It’s confirmed that some weird lizard type animal does live in their basement but I don’t think it’s for any evil reasons. In fact, their dialogue just furthers the lovable hippie shtick! (Just look at how cute they are here! We’re all Dale and Stacey Yorkes when some jerk is tailgating us!)
By far the saddest part of the day is when Leslie Dean realizes that Destiny has fled her room at the Church. Leslies pursues her and discovers Destiny decide to return home because it’s her daughters third birthday. We see the immense internal turmoil Leslie struggles with when she realizes that Destiny has a life. People care about her, she’s not isolated or alone. (Awwww, Leslie feels guilty about killing someone with a family…how sweet is she? ;))
After witnessing the parents’ day, it’s obvious that none of them are cold bolded killers (actually Victor Stein definitely is). Most of the parents struggle with the idea of sacrificing a person the same age as their children. Geoffrey Wilder is particularly disturbed by the events while the Yorkes use denial as an effective coping mechanism. Their reluctance begs the question, why is it so important? Clearly they’re being forced to partake in this but what is driving them? Is it scientific gain for the Yorkes? Power and presitige for the Wilders? For the church of Gibborim?
Whatever the reason, they complete the ceremony. However, when Victor Stein is packing up the pod, he realizes that something went wrong. Destiny did not dematerialize. She’s still alive and begging him for help.
Then time shifts back to the present and, after successfully convincing the parents that nothing weird happened, Nico confesses to Alex that she misses Amy. Nico admits that it’s so difficult her for to be at home without her sister. She says, “I had someone and now I’m alone” but Alex promptly informs her that she’ll never be alone. (Romantic vibes, am I right?)
The episode closes with Geoffrey Wilder in his study when he notices something on the ground. He kneels down and a small cat pin is revealed to camera. He knows that Molly was in his study.
Takeaways:
- Destiny did not dematerialize in the pod
- Geoffrey Wilder was once in prison and had data cloned from his phone by Darius Davis
- Victor Stein suffers from headaches and has been physically abusive to his son, Chase
- Robert and Janet are most likely sleeping together
- The Yorkes are adorable but are harboring a lizard animal in their basement
- Geoffrey knows that Molly was in his study
- Frank Dean knows nothing about PRIDE but his celebrity put the Church of Gibborim on the map.
Rating: 1 out of 5 rainbows
I’m going to give this episode a 5 out of 5 rating but only 1 out of 5 rainbows. There was nothing even slightly gay in this episode. It was solely focused on the plot, which is graet, but I want to see more gayness! I have hope for some soon.
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