'Cloak & Dagger' Recap: 'Call/Response'

Written by John Edward Betancourt

THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...

​In any superhero story, the moment said hero discovers that their powers can be used for good is an important one to say the least. Because this is the moment when they become someone more, when they become a champion of the people, ready to do whatever it takes to protect all of mankind from the forces of evil and let’s be honest, while this moment is satisfying to say the least, it’s also extremely cliché. After all, we’ve seen it time and time again, to the point where there’s nothing special about it anymore and that’s why I’m so happy that Cloak & Dagger found a way to make this all-important moment different for a change.
 
Because last night’s episode, ‘Call/Response’, saw our dynamic duo meet face to face in proper fashion at last. Wherein they could discuss their powers and how they attained them in private and explore how they work for that matter as well and while that seems relatively by the numbers in a story that I claimed changed things up, have no fear. Because the devil in this tale was truly in the details and the conversations and discovery that Tandy and Tyrone went through is what truly brought out the magic in this episode.
 
Because rather than instantly decide they need to do what’s right for the world, they instead took a moment to acknowledge their respective pain, and how hard life has been for both of them and how much they’ve wanted to give up and I truly loved how Tandy and Tyrone viewed one another and how they took the time to build one another up. And while the conversation didn’t exactly end in flawless fashion since they fought when all is said and done, that kind of disdain was clearly grounded in respect and fear and I’m glad that despite being lifted up, they acknowledged that they are still scared because that’s a fine reminder of how hard it is to let go of our fears, and that made this segment of the story, supremely relatable.
 
However, I made mention of heroism in this tale, and it took the entire hour for Tandy and Tyrone to reach that point and well, while they didn’t exactly don their costumes and enjoy a first night out fighting crime, the progress they made in this tale was satisfying in its own right. Because both of them worked to lower their guard when it comes to their families and they eventually took the time to face their fears and do some good in their lives and while some may not consider such acts to be heroic, anyone that can face the darkness within and their fears is a hero in my book. 
 
Either way, this series continues to impress. Week in and week out, it gives us something new to work with and I’m loving every single second of it, and really, what makes this series so impressive in my eyes, is the slow burn approach that it is taking to the overall story. We kind of, sort of, have an idea of who the baddies are in the show, and I honestly don’t care that the series is taking its sweet time in revealing all of that because I’m entranced by the character development on the screen and truly, I cannot wait to see what other fascinating twists and turns will drop into our laps come next week as we continue along with Tandy and Tyrone’s magnificent journey. Until then.  

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