"Embiggen" Ms. Marvel Recaps: "Destined" & "Seeing Red"

 Ms. Marvel

We are introduced to the Clandestine's in this episode. They are extremely loosely based on the ClanDestine Marvel hero group. They were created by famous Marvel artist/writer, Alan Davis and are not extremely well known outside of Marvel geeks who know too much about stuff like that and not enough stuff about being a successful adult. Ahem. Anyways, here's how they appeared in the comics.

Not at all the same. But I am not made about the MCU repurposing unknown characters. Let's get to it.

"Destined"

Kamala Khan: "So, how does she convince everyone that she's good?"

Sheikh Abdullah: "Good is not a thing you are, Kamala. It is a thing you do."

After being rescued by Kamran and the woman from her vision, who turns out to be his mother,  Najma, Kamala is taken to their home. Najma tell Kamala that they are djinn who are stranded in our dimension from their own and that Kamala's great-grandmother, Aisha, was one of them. They tell Kamala that her bangle can send them home, but after doing some research, Bruno isn't convinced that is the right thing to do. And it turns out he's right. Najma's tune changes when she founds out Kamala is hesitant to help and she and the other Clandestine's attack Kamala at her brother's wedding.

They are just too cute.

We meet some of the villains in "Ms. Marvel" with this episode. There is a lot of exposition in this episode. The first fifteen minutes is Najma telling Kamala about who she is. According to Najma, the Clandestine's are exiles from the Noor dimension and are actually djinn. Najma claims that Kamala's abilities come from noor. And that the bangle that Kamala seemingly inherited from Aisha is the only thing that can get them home. 

I completely understand why Kamala trusts the Clandestine's. She's been thrown in to this world. She doesn't know what's going on. She feels like she can't trust or talk to her family. And here is this kindly woman who is telling Kamala that she is special and she can be helpful. These are things that Kamala has been yearning to hear from a long time from Muneeba and in this instance, Najma is the next best thing. It's super clear to to all of us watching that Najma is a villain and is fully lying to Kamala, but we've seen this story before. And even though Kamala is a fan of the Avengers, she hasn't been in something like this before. 

I talked a little about this in my "Loki" reviews but I think that it is fitting to re-examine it here. I don't think there is a problem with having shortened seasons, but maybe six episodes isn't enough. The problem with these short seasons is that I don't think there is enough room to tell the story that the writers want to tell here. And because of that something is going to get short shrift and in this instance it is the Clandestine's. I would have loved for there to be more backstory on them that we see. And to have their heel turn be more gradual instead of in the span of this forty something minute episode. They go from being seemingly good people who just need help to villains that are trying to kill Kamala and everyone she cares about so fast I got whiplash. 

Where "Ms. Marvel" continues to shine is in the interpersonal and family dynamics between the characters. There are so many great character moments in this episode. The mother/daughter relationship between Muneeba and Kamala is really well-done. Sometimes in shows aimed at teenagers, the parents can come off as completely unreasonable and the teen is a victim, but that's not the case here. You can clearly see where both women are coming from and you never lose sight of the genuine love and respect they have for each other. The scene between the two of them in the bathroom is beautiful. And Yusuf isn't left out of this. He gets his own heartfelt moment with Aamir prior to his wedding that Kamala eavesdrops on.

Nakia gets a bit of the short end of the stick here. She wins her spot on the mosque board, but Kamala is so stuck on what is happening in her own life that she barely notices when Nakia tells her. Plus, just as Kamala is going to tell Nakia about her powers, Nakia goes on a mini tirade about how this mysterious girl is causing the mosque and their community a lot of trouble, specifically bringing the Department of Damage Control down on them. This is a trope I don't love and it diminishes Nakia who is an interesting character I'd like to know more about. Speaking of DoDC, they and Deever continue to be a nebulous threat that is maybe a little too broad at this point.

The climax to the episode is pretty exciting. We get Aamir and Tyesha's wedding which is adorable. I'm a sucker for a dance sequence and I love the Bollywood inspired one that happens in this episode. Everyone is so cute and I love how they incorporate Bruno into it. It's clear that all the Khan's love Bruno and I love seeing him as part of the family. 

The acton sequence between Kamala and the Clandestine's is well done. They never make it seem like Kamala knows what she's doing. Everything is extremely reactionary and the only time she gets in any good licks is when she is angry or by accident. I may not love that they are pretty one dimensional, but I can't say that I don't think they are pretty cool. Each one has their own weapon that looks pretty devastating and they are pretty badass. 

The episode ends with Bruno hurt, Nakia angry about being left out of the loop and Kamala on the outs with her entire family after she admits to pulling the fire alarm but not telling them why. It seems like the Khans will be taking a trip to Pakistan after Kamala gets a call from her nani about the shared vision they had when Najma grabbed the bangle.

Grade: B

"Seeing Red"

Muneeba Khan: "Oh, she speaks. I thought my daughter had lost her voice, except for asking for more Canada Dry."

Kamala Khan: "I thought I wasn't allowed to speak. Unless laws of grounding are no longer applicable in international waters."

Muneeba Khan: "After you ruined your brother's wedding, really? You'll be serving out your sentence for years. However, because your Nani is very old, and she insisted on us coming to Pakistan, I think we need to call a temporary truce. I don't know. Perhaps she can figure out, you know, whatever it is that you've been up to lately."

Kamala and Muneeba Khan head to Karachi, Paistan at the insistence of Muneeba's mother, Sana. While there, Sana casually drops that she knew she was a djinn and that she brought Kamala here to help her find herself. It turns out that Sana's stories about djinn and magic are what drove Muneeba away and their relationship mirrors the relationship of Muneeba and Kamala. While investigating the train station, Kamala meets Waleed and Kareem, members of the Red Dagger. Kamala learns that if the Clandestine are successful in opening up a portal to their world it will destroy ours. The Clandestine's escape Damage Control custody and head to Karachi to finish what they started with Kamala.

Time to fight.

One of the common criticisms leveled at the MCU is that it all feels very samey same. It feels pretty homogenized at this point. You can go in to most Marvel projects having a good idea what is going on. They all have a similar visual language about them. I don't necessarily disagree with that. Clearly, I enjoy the MCU, but I can accept that it doesn't always feel like you are getting something new, at least until Phase Four. I definitely feel like Phase Four has had it's own visual language and has felt more distinct than a lot of the other recent Marvel movies and I think "Ms. Marvel" continues that.

This episode takes place in Karachi, Pakistan and it injects something special in to the proceedings. We experience Pakistan through Kamala's eyes. Kamala was born in America and I don't think they ever say for sure, but it feels like this is her first visit to Pakistan. Kamala seems to always be doing the wrong thing. She wears jeans to dinner and so her and her family are forced to eat outside in the heat. She can't handle the spice of her native Pakistan. Her cousins playfully mock her for being ABCD aka American Born Confused Desi. Kamala is consistently reminded that she is walking in two worlds and doesn't fully belong in either. That's probably why the quiet scene between Kamala, Kareem and Kareem's friends on the beach is so lovely. You could argue that it's unnecessary but you'd be wrong. It is integral. It's a joy to watch Kamala connecting with these people and enjoying food that she's only had in America.

Muneeba's mother and Kamala's grandmother, Sana, is a delight and she must be protected at all costs. She's a breath of fresh air. And it's refreshing for Kamala to have a family member that she can be open and honest with. Their scenes together are some of my favorites of the episode. I love how matter-of-fact Sana is when she talks to Kamala about being a djinn. The story of how a trail of stars led her to her father when they got separated trying to flee during Partition. I think episode writers, Sabir Pirzada, A.C. Bradley & Matthew Chauncey, are telling a great story here about how sometimes elderly folks are dismissed and they aren't that different from younger people. As someone who just turned 40 this year, it hit me kind of hard when Sana talked about still not knowing who she is.

"Ms. Marvel" is a story about multi generational trauma and that becomes even clearer in this episode as we see Sana and Muneeba interact. Much like Muneeba and Kamala, these are two women who love each other very much but just don't understand each other which makes their interactions with each other fundamentally dysfunctional. Muneeba wanted a mother like everyone else but instead she got one that told stories and ignored her and it's clear that she fears that Kamala is too similar to Sana. I will say the interaction between Sana and Muneeba leads to another great scene between Kamala and Muneeba in the kitchen with the toffees. I don't think I've said it enough but Zenobia Shroff, the actress who plays Muneeba, is so great in this series. This theme is also explored briefly between Najma and Kamran when the former leaves the latter to fend for himself after escaping the Department of Damage Control.

The scenes with the Red Dagger are not my favorites, but they aren't awful and they are integral to the plot. Waleed explains to Kamala the intricacies of the Noor dimension and how the Clandestine's are actually exiles. This definitely fits in with the Multiverse theme that has been the thread that ties Phase Four together. It turns out Bruno is right on with his theory that helping the Clandestine's escape would be damaging to their world. If they succeed, the Noor dimension would overtake our world. We get some training for Kamala. Waleed determines that Kamala's genetics are what allow her body to manipulate noor. I do love that they are using Kamala's culture to inform her powers and her costume, which we see the beginnings of in this episode. She's given the red and blue portions that she pairs with the domino mask Bruno gifted her in the last episode.

The final battle between the Clandestine's, Kamala, Waleed and Kareem is the best action sequence of the series so far. I'm a sucker for chases and this one through the crowded streets of Karachi is pretty dope and thrilling. We get to see Kamala come into her own more with her powers and use them in newer and more interesting ways. Even though I don't love the lack of backstory and development with the Clandestine's and Najma in particular, I have to give it up to Nimra Bucha, who plays Najma. She is cold and unhinged and really scary and that is a feat. Up until this point, "Ms. Marvel's" stakes have seemed kind of low but that changes here with Waleed dying along with several of the Clandestine's. This is serious and it's clear that Kamala is going to have to start taking things a little more seriously than she has so far.

The episode ends on a great cliffhanger. Najma's staff pierces the bangle which flings Kamala back in time. Where does she end up? Well, at the train station as people are fleeing Partition.

Grade: A-

Next up, we wrap up "Ms. Marvel," as we learn more about the pasts of Kamala's ancestors and Kamala has a final showdown with Damage Control and an unexpected enemy.

What are you all thinking of "Ms. Marvel" so far? Do you thin it has a unique visual language? Do you think it's unique to the MCU so far? Let me know in the comments.