Cloak & Dagger: Season 2, Ep. 4

Rabbit Hold Review

Cast:

Aubrey Joseph … Tyrone Johnson / Cloak

Olivia Holt … Tandy Bowen / Dagger

Gloria Reuben … Adina Johnson

Andrea Roth … Melissa Bowen

Emma Lahana … Detective Brigid O’Reilly

Miles Mussenden … Otis Johnson

Dilshad Vadsaria … Lia

Noëlle Renée Bercy … Evita Fusilier

At this particular junction, Cloak & Dagger does not seem to be resting on its laurels from its freshman run. This week’s episode picks up right away from last week’s very engaging episode where Tyrone’s dark cloud sucks in Mayhem much to the surprise for Tandy. Of course, the first reaction from Tandy is no surprise as Tyrone has no logical answers for her. He knows nothing of this new power. Much like the smoke monster from Lost, this smoke entity has a mind of its own and seems to engage Tyrone whenever he finds himself in peril. Tyrone, through Tandy’s prodding, discovers that the smoke entity is activated through the things that scare him the most as well as the danger element. At some point, you begin to wonder if the smoke entity is a separate being from Tyrone. Is it sentient? As Tandy gets Tyrone to activate the smoke entity, she has decided to go in and retrieve Mayhem. Before she goes in, something curious happens.

It’s Tyrone’s concern for her, not so much as what he says but how he says it. He says it in a way that has layers of interpretation. Are his feelings starting to reveal some sort of feelings towards Tandy that even he doesn’t realize as yet? Tandy, on the other hand, seems to take an instinctive part in wanting to go in the cloud while quieting the guilt she feels got one of the sex trafficking victim’s life in peril. She appears to be relatively calm going in as if there is no danger for her. We go along with her in this calm atmosphere as she virtually holds our hand walking into the unknown.

Once inside this dark world, Tandy finds a mound of pennies. What does this mean? Is this an Easter Egg? She looks up and spots the Roxxon gas station with a body lying in the front. It’s the “fun-sized” version of a younger Tyrone. After a brief conversation with Tandy, “fun-sized” Tyrone explains to her that she must go through the gauntlet of transition in order to leave the dark world. Now is this another Easter Egg? Will going through this alleged gauntlet means that Tandy can come and go through the dark world as she will be immured to certain criteria because of her powers?

Meanwhile, Tyrone’s powers are put on hold while Tandy is inside him. He finds out from Brigid that the bad guys have found out who he is and where he lives. He goes home to find his mother doing what looks like her own investigation. Time is not on his side as the bad guys make it to his house putting their lives in danger. We get nothing on his mother and father’s separation as this is not brought up mainly because of the life in jeopardy situation. They escape by running, stealing a car, running again, catching a trolley, and running to a vacant building while the bad guys are still in pursuit. In a human moment, Adina talks with Tyrone in an attempt to catch up on his life as he has told her three times that he’s not a kid anymore. But the topic of separation with his parents is still not addressed.

Back in the dark world, Tandy has found Mayhem. Because Mayhem is half of a person, Tandy tells her that Mayhem cannot escape the passage without her help. Mayhem doesn’t believe her until they come to a wall of mirrors where Mayhem doesn’t see her reflection but Tandy sees her reflection five times overdressed in different outfits. Is this an Easter egg, too? One Tandy is dressed in a lab coat. One Tandy is dressed as a student, another is a dancer, the other as a fighter sporting her dagger, and the last as a party girl. We get no answer to this hall of Tandys.

Tandy and Mayhem find themselves at a record store that lists the names of the sex trafficking victims linked to the record album cover art. As they peruse the albums, Tandy comes across a collection with her name on it. She’s not a victim, what does it mean? Is this yet another Easter Egg? As she plays each album, it brings her back to the days when she was little as each album reflects back on the abusive nature her father was to her mother. Apparently, the past is not reconciled between her and her mother. Tandy has no time to process this new revelation because Mayhem has found Connors and literally has him strung up hanging him. Tandy gets in a battle with Mayhem for Connors’ life, As she does this, the dark cloud returns freeing Tandy and Connors but no Mayhem.

So, what was this episode about, redemption? Or was there another message, bargaining for the truth? Whatever the answers may be, Cloak & Dagger is running this marathon in a healthy click. It has you running along with them as well. Keep going, the finish line is not yet in sight as yet.

Rating: B+