Cloak & Dagger: Level Up

"My whole life has been about harnessing this special energy. Maybe I should have been less driven."

Cloak & Dagger ends its second season with...

Oh God, I don't even have the energy for a clever pre-credits bit. Let's just jump past the break and talk a little.

Cloak & Dagger: Blue Note

"Make them ride the highs and lows with us until we all come out the other side, changed."

Dangit show, please don't make me feel bad for Lia. I refuse to feel bad for Lia.

OK, I feel a little bad for Lia.

Cloak & Dagger: Two Player

"But every action has its own reaction, as much as we’d like to avoid it. Isn’t that right, Miss Bowen?"

Cloak & Dagger puts the villain on pause for a moment so that it can clear up a little character development before the end of season fireworks.

Cloak & Dagger: Vikingtown Sound

"You have the face of a system that has done nothing but hold me and mine down."

Cloak & Dagger starts laying out some answers as season two heads into the home stretch.

But Ty's mom, though...

Cloak & Dagger: B-Sides

"To Tyrone. My best friend. My port in the storm. My hero."

Oh, Cloak and Dagger, I apologize for ever criticizing your love of the theatrical framing device. It paid off with interest this week.

Cloak & Dagger: Alignment Chart

"The next time you get mad at me for going out and doing something on my own? Remember this moment."

Cloak and Dagger's second season really starts to gel, in an episode that subverts our expectations in the best possible ways.

Pity about the framing device, though.

Cloak & Dagger: Rabbit Hold

Ty: "How do you know how to do that?"
Adina: "Some things you never forget."

Ty finally begins exploring his coolest power, thanks to Tandy's decision to enter him and have a look around.

Look, it's not as creepy as it sounds.

Cloak & Dagger: Shadow Selves

"What if I just want to hurt people?"

Well, this one certain gives us a few things to unpack.

Cloak and Dagger catches up with some supporting characters, while bringing us up to speed on what Mayhem has been up to since last season's finale. Oh, and gives us a mediation on the essential nature of self, as you do.

Cloak & Dagger: White Lines

"Well, I guess the cat’s out of the bag."

Have I ever mentioned before how much this show enjoys subverting our expectations?

Cloak & Dagger: Restless Energy

"I like this. You and me. Going out. Doing good. Best we can."

Cloak and Dagger are back, and as you might have heard, season two is going to be Mayhem. But not quite yet.

Cloak & Dagger: Colony Collapse

"And with great power comes even more power. In this day and age you need to keep up with the Jones'. As well as the Starks and the Rands."

Cloak and Dagger finish out their first season, and mostly stick the landing, despite a couple minor quibbles.

Cloak & Dagger: Back Breaker

"You had a white cop on tape confessing to killing a black kid. Have you been paying attention, Tyrone? Because in the world that we live in that means absolutely nothing."

Cloak & Dagger walks us through Joseph Campbell 101, while Ty and Tandy spiral to their lowest points due to the events of last episode.

Plus a helpful commentary track explaining the thematic significance of events as they happen is thoughtfully provided as part of the events shown.

You know, it is possible to take metatextuality too far...

Cloak & Dagger: Ghost Stories

Ty: "Will I be just like you?"
Billy: "Nah, You'll be better."

No spoilers above the break.

Let's start with the celebration – Cloak & Dagger has been renewed for a second season! And apparently fast tracked for it, as it's scheduled for spring of 2019 instead of waiting for summer. I'm a little saddened by the timing, as C&D has felt like a really great fit for a summer show, and I'd hate for it to get lost in the broadcast season, but then I suppose 'getting good stuff too early' is hardly the worst thing that can happen to anyone, so I won't complain too much.

Speaking of the worst thing that can happen to anyone...

Cloak & Dagger: Lotus Eaters

Ty: "Hey. Is it too late to call?"
Tandy: "Totally. Lenny the alter rat has a big meeting in the morning."

One of the top ten best hourlongs of anything that I've ever seen.

If you're not watching Cloak & Dagger, and the ratings tell me you're probably not watching Cloak & Dagger, please, please, please watch Cloak & Dagger. It hasn't been renewed for a second season yet, and you owe it to yourself to check this out.

Cloak & Dagger: Funhouse Mirrors

"What's wrong with the city?"
"S**t goes down from time to time."

Ty, Tandy, and Detective O'Reilly each play their own separate undercover sting operations in an episode that manages to explore the cliched 'Dark mirror of the main character' trope without becoming irritating or dragging the masquerades out too long.

All this, plus we finally get some information about Roxxon's big, evil plan.

Nicely played, show. Now please have Ty put that Cloak on.

Cloak & Dagger: Princeton Offense

"What are you doing here?"

Cloak & Dagger comes down with a mild case of 'middle of the season' in an episode in which we find out a few things and a few pieces get moved into place.

The plot development is good, and the answers are interesting, but ultimately it all feels a little bit like a housekeeping exercise.

Cloak & Dagger: Call/Response

"I think we need to talk."
"You think?"

You know that thing in genre television shows where something inexplicable is happening to the characters, so they sit down calmly and have a rational, adult discussion about the situation?

Yeah, I'd never seen that before this either.

Cloak & Dagger: Stained Glass

"You have to try something else."

Cloak & Dagger pulls off the impressive feat of having its title characters really bond over some deeply personal issues, despite not really having met yet in any meaningful way.

Oh, and without interacting with each other, since they're on opposite ends of the city.

I did not see that coming.

Cloak & Dagger: Suicide Sprints

“Just control what we can control, OK?”

Cloak & Dagger continues it's slow burn toward revealing the exact nature of both our heroes' powers and how all of this ties together.

It's fascinating to watch how they're pacing this show, actually, since it seems to be deliberately paced like a Netflix show, despite the fact that the episodes are being released weekly. It's a brave decision, but it runs the risk of alienating viewers by keeping things too opaque for too long.

Good thing the episode is fascinating and gorgeously shot, then.

Cloak & Dagger: First Light

"First positions..."

Marvel's Cloak & Dagger hits all the right beats in an elegantly structured and visually gorgeous first episode.