'Ms. Marvel' episode 2 review: Deep-dive into culture, cosmic superpowers
What's the story
We are two episodes into Ms. Marvel, the all-new superhero series from Marvel. After a rather slow start, the series seems to have picked up the pace with the second episode that premiered on Wednesday on Disney+ Hotstar. We are introduced to many new characters and also get to know more about our protagonist and her background. Here's our detailed review.
Twitter Post
Here's a recap of episode 1, directly from the makers
Relive Episode One before a brand new episode of Ms. Marvel, an Original series from Marvel Studios, starts streaming tomorrow on @DisneyPlus. #MsMarvel pic.twitter.com/ZuMwPzRpdI
— Ms. Marvel (@msmarvel) June 14, 2022
Story
Khan explores her powers, bad guys aren't far behind
Kamala Khan (Imam Vellani) tries to learn more about her recently-discovered superpowers with the help of her friend Bruno (Matt Lintz). After the incident at AvengerCon, people start talking about "Night Light" and her bravery. But, it also gets her noticed by the bad guys. Further, Kamran (Rish Shah), a dreamy new guy shows up at school and takes a sudden interest in Khan.
Characters
Dreamy boy Kamran may not have the best intentions
We get a better understanding of Khan's family as they disclose bits of their history and how their ancestors survived the India-Pakistan partition. Khan's mother Muneeba (Zenobia Shroff) has something she doesn't want Khan to find out. We also get to see more of Khan's friends Nakia (Yasmeen Fletcher) and Bruno. Moreover, Khan is oblivious to Kamran's mysterious appearance and his sudden interest.
Review
Refreshing music, culturally fulfilling but plot gets predictable
We like that the characters are being fleshed out properly now and that the story too has taken an interesting turn, but it does get a little too predictable. The choice of music, playing Sage by Ritviz, Goddess by Krewella, NERVO and Raja Kumari, and Jalebi Baby by Jason Derulo, among others is a refreshing take on a Marvel series.
Verdict
Dialog delivery feels awkward, South-Asian setup grows on you
Last week's episode wasn't as impressive but we are surely happy with the second one. The rebellious, head-in-the-clouds Khan starts to grow on you and while there are a few places where the dialog delivery feels uncomfortable, we think it will get refined with the coming episodes. So far, we're loving the Shah Rukh Khan mentions, the music, and the build-up. Verdict: 3/5 stars.