Ms. Marvel: No Normal (2022)

 

An excellent ending to this delightful mini-series. 

In this final episode, Kamala returns to Jersey. There her and friends do everything they can to protect Kamran from Damage Control. 

Many of this Disney+ Marvel series seem to have the same main problem. This is that the finale seems to be very disappointing. For instance, look at Wanda Vision, which was incredibly good build up that lead to a disappointing finale. However, with this show the final episode remains a very strong conclusion. What makes this episode work so well is that despite being an action-packed episode, the focus is on the characters not the action. The highlights come from Kamla telling her family that she is truly a superhero, Kamala having a heart-to-heart talk with Kamran over the death of his mother and Zoe (the school's popular girl) ending up being a much more likable character than we have seen previously. I especially love the interaction between Kamala and her family when she reveals that she is a superhero. I love that they are so loving and accepting, while still being very protective of her. This episode also has some of the best comedic moments in any episode of this show. Though the focus is on the characters, the action scenes are a lot of fun. While they obviously aren't the pure spectacles you would see in the theatrical movies, they still look great. The action scenes also find wonderfully creative ways to use Kamala's powers. The ending was also great as it felt like a real conclusion to this storyline while still alluding to the things to come for this character in the MCU. 

It took me a while to get around to watching this series. However, when I finally did, I was very impressed with what a fun ride it was. 

Ms. Marvel: Time and Again (2022)

 

With this episode, I continue to be in love with this show and wish I had watched it when it was new. 

In this episode, Kamala's bangle revels many secrets about her family legacy. 

This episode could have easily been nothing but pure exposition. Yet instead it is a very entertaining and heartfelt episode. Rather than simply focusing on Kamala, the start of the episode shifts much of the focus onto her great grandmother. We have heard so much about her and know how important she is to Kamala becoming a superhero. It is so wonderful to see her actual story and that story doesn't disappoint. It is truly heartfelt and moving and Mehwish Hayat's performance is truly moving. This portion of the episode also takes a very respectful and emotional look at a very tragic part of Indian history. It never simply uses this historical moment as a backdrop for a superhero story, but instead treats it with the respect and seriousness that it should be. When the story shifts to Kamala, we truly see what a wonderful young actress Iman Vellani truly is. While she does have some scenes where she can show her quirky loveable charm, this episode features some truly heartfelt scenes. These scenes give the young actress to really show her range and she plays each of these emotional scenes perfectly. Though there are less superhero action scenes here, the action scenes are a lot of fun (despite some weak special effects). 

Another great episode 

Ms. Marvel: Seeing Red (2022)

 

Another excellent episode.

In this episode Kamala and her family travel to Karachi, Pakistan to see her grandmother. Kamala hopes to learn more about her powers and her family history from her grandmother.

This episode does a wonderful job of exploring the lore behind how Kamala received her powers. At the same time as we discover this lore, we also even more deeply attached to Kamala. She discovers that her family history is much deeper than she thought. As we discover this at the same time she does, we feel like we are on this journey with her. The result is simply wonderful and completely engaging. The lore itself can be complex but never too complex to confuse or disengage the audience. Because of this we become completely engrossed as it makes the world of this show feel all the more real. The family drama is also excellent here. Not only are Kamala's relationships with her mother and her grandmother very well explored but the same can be said for the relationship that her mother and grandmother have with each other. This leads to some very touching scenes.  

While this episode digs further into the lore, there is also a lot of pure superhero fun to be had here. The action scenes are great. The episode finds delightfully clever ways to use Kamala's powers in these action scenes. The fight by the train station is especially well done. The scenes where Kamala is exploring all she can do with her powers are equally delightful.

The humor in this episode is fun but not really hilarious. The humor here will often make you smile more than it will make you really laugh. However, there is nothing really wrong with that. 

Again, I feel the villains of this show are rather weak and bland. However, since they are not the focus here that is hardly a problem. 

This show continues to be a pure delight for this Marvel fan. 

Ms. Marvel: Destined (2022)

 

Another delightful episode. 

In this episode, the Department of Damage Control is trying to find Kamala. Meanwhile, Kamala may have a clue to how she got her superpowers. 

This episode continues the charm of the previous two episodes. Kamala continues to be a wonderful and likable character. This only becomes even truer with this episode. Here we take a deeper dive into who exactly Kamala is and the deeper we dive in the more we like her. Even as she is going through moral dilemmas and is not sure which way to turn, we still see her wonderfully beautiful heart shine through. We also fully find ourselves invested in her moral dilemmas as she wonders whether or not she is cut out to be a superhero. Though we may not have superpowers we can fully see ourselves in her self-doubt and uncertainty. We have all felt exactly like how she does before. As well as this character exploration, we also have some old-fashioned superhero fun here. This episode provides us with our first real fight scene, and it is very well done. It is well-choregraphed, shot and quite exciting. It also makes good use out of Kamala being new to the whole superhero thing, while those she is fighting our much more experienced. This touch makes the whole fight scene seem all the more believable and adds some great suspense. 

The only problem I have with this episode is that villains are very bland so far. However hopefully they will grow on me in future episodes. 

Ms. Marvel: Crushed (2022)

 

A delightful second episode.


In this second episode, Khamla and Bruno try to explore Khamla's newfound superpowers. Meanwhile, he meets she meets a boy that she has a huge crush on. 

This episode centers around probably my favorite part of superhero origin stories. This is superheroes trying to get used to and understand their new powers. The truth is if any of us got superpowers, we wouldn't immediately know how to use them but would need to take some time to get used to them. This gives these stories and characters a great deal of relatability and believability. It also helps that Khamla is still such an incredibly likable character and Iman Vellani still brings the same delightfully quirky charm to the role. As she spends time with her crush in this episode, this quirky charm shines even more. In fact, this episode has probably the most adorable conversation about Bollywood ever. 

This episode has some surprisingly intelligent dialogue about Khamla finding out who she is especially as she looks at her own Pakistani heritage, while living in the U.S. This especially seen in the scenes where she talks to her friend Nakia Bahadir (played by Yasmeen Fletcher). These scenes are easy the highlight of this episode and the relationship between the two is very sweet.

The climatic scene, where we first get to see her being a real superhero is fantastic. It is both very exciting and well written. This is especially true of how well it captures that she is trying to find her footing as a superhero while also being a very fun action scene. 

Really my biggest problem with this episode the awful humor during the scene where Bruno is talking to the school counselor. It is a very brief scene, but it is painfully unfunny. Still if a brief scene is my biggest problem than this is obviously an excellent episode. 

This show continues to be a real delight for this Marvel fan. 

Ms. Marvel: Generation Why (2022)

 

An excellent start to this Marvel streaming series. 

Kamala Khan is a teenager who is a superfan of the Avengers. While she is looking forward to going to Avenger-con dressed as her favorite Avenger Captain Marvel, her family and her school are trying to make her stop daydreaming and focus more on what she wants to be when she grows up. 

I love that this show does not rush into the super-heroics but instead focuses on us getting to know these characters before getting into the typical superhero stuff. Instead, this first episode plays as a teen dramedy and a really good one. Kamala is an instantly likable and relatable character. Young actress Iman Vellani brings such a charm and energy to this character. There is a real quirky charm to her performance that is simply irresistible. Her situation is also incredibly relatable. She is very much like me in high school spending much of her time daydreaming and feeling like one of the few teenagers in the world that does not have her own big plan for after high school. However, many more teenagers than just me felt like this and this episode captures what it feels like. Because of this anyone who has been in this situation can see a lot of themselves in her. Her relationship with her best friend and her family are also very well realized and help make her feel like a real character. The scenes between her and her family are quite heartfelt. Though we relate to our main character, we also understand her family and feel from them as well. The banter between her and her best friend is a lot of fun, and it is hard not to get caught up in it. The humor in this episode is also pretty funny at times. Though does not rank among the funniest entries in the MCU, it still made me laugh a few times.

A delightful start to this MCU show.