'Marvel's Runaways' Season 3 Episode 1: Alex and Nico set out to rescue Chase, Karolina and Janet from Jonah's clutches
There's a certain eccentricity about 'Marvel's Runaways' that works in its favour. It tells the story about a band of teenagers with a set of unique gifts. Be it aliens or angsty witches to dinosaurs, the show has always pushed the envelop with regard to superheroes in the Marvel universe. Most of the storylines have had depth and discuss complicated topics like suicide, abuse and adoption. It also featured LGBT leads and took on their stories with much sensitivity. In short, the show is weird, messy, but enjoyable. It's a shame that the third season will be its last.
The third season dropped on December 13, and the first episode itself packed a couple of punches. At the end of season 2, we discovered that Jonah was the leader of a royal family of Aliens who had crashed into Earth, after adopting a stray shape-shifter Xavin. Jonah's ambition from the beginning has been to recover his ship from the construction site and leave the planet. However, the Runaways had destroyed the vessel and Nico had impaled him. Yet, that nightmare was far from over. Jonah's body was only the vessel, and he possessed Victor Chase. His wife who escaped the ship, possessed Gert's mother Stacey, while his daughter took over Nico's mom, Tina. Following another unfortunate turn of events, Chase, Karolina and Janet are kidnapped as well, and are put in pods. However, they realise the workings of the Algorithm, and are determined to break free.
In the first episode, Chase, Karolina and Janet are trapped in an 'algorithm', which seems to be a strange fantasy, guilt or desire that they had secretly possessed. Karolina is at her fantasy wedding with Nico, while Chase feels guilty about Alex and somewhere hopes that Gert would forgive him again. Janet is trapped at home where Victor just keeps making pancakes. Meanwhile, Alex, Nico, Molly and Xavin devise strategies on how to set them free. The way they can reach out to the host, is by using the oldest trick in the book -- emotion. Sure enough, Molly has an emotional conversation with Stacey, and the alien in her, retreats for a while. Alex and Nico have a much-needed conversation that leaves a bittersweet taste. Alex simply tells Nico, "I just want you to be happy." On the other hand, Xavin has the time of her life tricking the aliens with her shape-shifting form. This was actually good fun to watch. Xavin should have her own spinoff, really.
Meanwhile, Gert has been kidnapped by her father Dale, who is trying to fix things with her, in his strange way. He tells her that he has made mistakes and apologizes for them. They seem to slowly put aside differences as he makes Gert get back to telepathically controlling her dinosaur.
Catherine and Geoffrey are at the police station, and much to Geoffrey's surprise, Catherine takes the blame of killing Darius on herself and tearfully tells Geoffrey that she has lost more than enough. The dislike for Catherine is mixed with a little pity, after this episode.
The first episode of the third season was quite enjoyable, even if it felt a bit all over the place.
'Marvel's Runaways' is now streaming on Hulu.