REVIEW

Superheroes in the making

147392_7360 Cloak and Dagger

Series: Cloak and Dagger

Season 1

Available on Amazon Prime Video

Rating: 3.5/5

The most refreshing thing about Cloak and Dagger, the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s latest series (its eleventh), is that the superheroes are not fighting supervillains. At least in the first season, the focus is more on character development while highlighting real-world issues such as racism, environmental abuse and the war against drugs.

The protagonists, Tandy Bowen aka Dagger and Tyrone Johnson aka Cloak, are teenagers, from different walks of life. They are both haunted by the memory of the fateful night, eight years ago, that cost them loved ones while also giving them their superpowers.

Tandy (Olivia Holt), once rich, is now a con artist who steals from rich kids and lives in the attic of a church, apparently to be away from her unstable alcoholic mother. Tyrone (Aubrey Joseph) is a basketball player/ choir boy who is close to the school priest and is trying to be the perfect son to his parents, while suppressing his anger. As the two heroes meet and their powers become active, their already burdened minds are pushed to the limit.

Those who are familiar with the comics would know that Tandy and Tyrone are meant to be a couple. But the writers of the show are in no hurry to push them together. They help each other control their lives and team up to avert a crisis in the finale, but are still just friends at the end of season one.

Cloak and Dagger is a mature and dark show that stands out from the crowd of superhero stories with its depth and clarity. The pace is slow in the first few episodes and the finale is a bit of a let-down after the build-up. But it is definitely worth watching just for its raw potential. The peppy sound tracks, woven in at regular intervals, also deserve a mention.