REVIEW: Marvel's Runaways, Season 3 Episode One 'Smoke And Mirrors'

 REVIEW: Marvel's Runaways, Season 3 Episode One 'Smoke And Mirrors'

Originally published in May 2021, here are my thoughts on the first episode of Runaways' third season, 'Smoke And Mirrors'. 

Ever since I finished Season Two of Marvel's Runaways on Disney Plus, I've been eagerly anticipating the third season. It took  a while for this season to be uploaded on this streaming service, and even longer for me to find room to fit it in alongside the other shows which I watch, but now I've finally watched the opener to the show's third season. And it didn't disappoint. 

This episode introduces us to an interesting premise, with Karolina (Virginia Gardner), Janet (Ever Carradine) and Chase (Gregg Sulkin) all placed inside the algorithm which Victor (James Marsters) was trapped inside by Jonah in the previous seasons. The algorithm gives them their version of the perfect world, and whilst it has been explored a great deal in fantasy shows it still remains a fascinating idea. As I said in my review of Agents Of SHIELD Season Four, simulations essentially give writers free reign to do anything they like, and that sort of creative freedom is always something that I admire in a screenplay.

Karolina's does take something of a devastating turn however. It starts off innocently enough, with her getting married to the love of her life Nico (Lyrica Okano). But then Stacey (Brigid Brannagh), possessed by one of Jonah's alien family, interferes and 'cuts her honeymoon short'. Suddenly everybody - Niko, wedding guests and all - fade from existence. Just thinking about it brings to mind just how heartbreaking this would be in real life. The utter devastation of it all would be on a tremendous scale, especially when you consider what it would do to your mental well-being to see all those who you care about disappear. I'm glad that they went there. Storytelling is at its best when its harsh and brutal, as it only makes us root for the protagonists more. 

Chase's feels a little more tongue-in-cheek. It plays like a send-up of generic 'Good Versus Evil' storylines - which comic-books are rooted in - with a defined antagonist, and a damsel in distress. In this case, it's Chase versus Pride, who have taken over the Runaway gang's hideout, as he tries to rescue his friends, and most importantly his 'damsel' Gert (Ariela Barer). It's essentially Chase's ultimate romantic desires come true in this simulated world, as Gert tells him he's 'her hero'.

Janet's dream is perhaps the one that every single one of us has had at some point. It's her ultimate perfect home life. In my case, when I have had this dream, I've made it big working behind the scenes in film and television, having either written a film or TV screenplay, but in Janet's case - given that she has devoted her life to science - she has become an AI pioneer. Not only that, but she's living with her husband Victor and son Chase in the ideal suburban life. The screenplay does a really good job at establishing how normal this all seems, compared to previous events in the series. There's no rituals, or aliens, or any heightened elements. It's just a family, living together in a mundane everyday setting, and the mother of the family just happens to have become a famous robotics scientist. In a way it feels like what could have happened had Janet and Victor not been a part of the Jonah deal, a life that could have come very close to fruition but is now not to be, and it makes Janet seem like something of a tragic figure. 

It's not just the characters trapped in these simulations experiencing these flights of fantasy however. For Niko finds herself having a very strange dream. One where she's in this odd field, where she encounters corrupt police officer Awol (Myles Bullock), who changes into a mysterious woman, who tells Niko that Karolina is alive and trapped.  It's quite a striking sequence, with an intriguing hint of mystery. There's something odd about the woman who tells Niko about Karolina being trapped, and I can't wait to find out who she is. 

Somebody not involved in any of these surreal happenings is Gert, who is still where we left her at the end of Season Two, captured and handcuffed to a chair by Dale (Kevin Weisman). Although he does eventually release the handcuffs, I'm still not sure how I feel about this character anymore. It's still a cruel and unjust way to treat your own daughter. He does help train her to fully realise her potential with the control she holds over her dinosaur Old Lace, and these are perhaps some of my favourite scenes in this episode. It's quite heartwarming seeing Gert learn and make mistakes in trying to steer Old Lace, and the comparisons to it being like learning to drive help to ground this otherwise unusual circumstance within a real situation. It means we can understand and relate to what this learning process is like for Gert, and that we understand that it's a hard skill to master.

Equally as compelling is Molly's (Allegra Acosta) heart-to-heart with Xavin (Clarissa Thibeaux). These are two great characters to put together, as they both feel like outcasts who struggle to fit in with the group. Xavin's talk of being forced to suppress her emotions in particular brings a lot of heart to proceedings, as the importance of opening up about our emotions in light of increasing problems with mental health within the worldwide population is something that has only become more relevant as time has gone by. I could imagine this being something that many who have suffered in any way with their mental health would find instantly relatable, as it carries many of the same themes of being unable to express how you truly feel inside. 

Easily one of the best parts of this episode is Brittany Ishibashi as the daughter of Jonah's family stuck inside the body of Tina.  Brittany Ishibashi is absolutely hilarious as playing this teenage alien girl stuck in a forty year old woman's body, pouting for selfies and giving 'peace-out' signs. She's not very self aware in the slightest, and Brittany Ishibashi really plays it up for laughs here. It's truly body swapping (or perhaps, more accurately, 'body snatching') antics at its finest. 

Overall, 'Smoke And Mirrors' is an impressive opening to Runaway's third season. It's a wildly creative way to kickstart this third and final run, playing with the compelling computer simulation angle that has been explored so many times within the realms of fantasy storytelling. Featuring a mix of great comedy and wonderful heartfelt moments, Smoke And Mirrors is an episode of Marvel's Runaways that you should definitely seek out.  

What are your thoughts on the first episode of Marvel's Runaways Season Three? Let me know in the comments.