MARVEL’S RUNAWAYS Season 2: As Bingeable As Ever

It would be an understatement to say that there are currently a lot of superhero themed shows available to viewers. From the CW, Netflix, ABC, and the recent DC Universe streaming service it is a crowded and competitive landscape. Hulu entered the ring in 2017 with Runaways, a teen drama best described as The OC meets the The Avengers based upon the successful Marvel comic book of the same name.

With its eclectic cast of teammates and perfect blend of family drama with superhero stakes, Runaways managed to stand out from its peers. Season two continues to capitalize on what makes the show so unique, making it a worthy successor that is as bingeable as ever.

To recap, season one introduced us to the “runaways,” a group of six privileged teens who quickly learn that their parents’ charity group, “Pride” is far more nefarious than it appears when they witness the ritualistic sacrifice of a young girl. Over time it is revealed that these sacrifices are performed every year or so in order to keep an alien entity known as Jonah (Julian McMahon) alive. In spite of the show’s name, season one operated primarily as a means of laying down the foundation, with the group only becoming runaways in the very last scene in order to evade their parents. While this decision to exercise patience may have frustrated fans of the source material, it effectively set the stage for the adventures to come in the future.

Runaways…Who Suck At Running Away

Season two quickly reacquaints us with our diverse group of “runaways” composed of nerdy, but genius hacker Alex (Rhenzy Feliz), goth Wiccan Nico (Lyrica Okano), perfect church girl and human-alien hybrid Karolina (Virginia Gardner), social justice warrior Gert (Ariela Barer) with her pet dinosaur, “dumb jock” who is actually a brilliant engineer, Chase (Gregg Sulkin), and Molly (Allegra Acosta), Gert’s adopted younger sister who happens to be endowed with super strength.

The team quickly finds themselves in over their heads as living on their own proves to be far more challenging than anticipated. The super-powered kids must learn to adapt fast, as their parents are in hot pursuit and will do anything to be reunited with their children.

“We Can Fix The World That They Broke”

Although the show has upped the action spectacle considerably from the far milder premiere season, Runaways hasn’t forgotten that the dynamic between the villainous parents and their idealistic progeny is the show’s greatest asset. This can largely be attributed to the show continuing to devote as much time to developing each parent as it does with their respective children. The result is a multi-faceted portrayal where despite performing blatantly immoral acts, the idea of the parents doing this to protect their children is compellingly persuasive, leading the audience to feel as conflicted about the parents as their children do.

The central metaphor of teenagers discovering their parents are in fact evil masterminds is perfect for the all too common adolescent struggle of wanting to forge one’s own identity. Throughout the season, each of the “runaways” primarily struggles with the fear that in their efforts to undo the damage caused by their parents they may in effect become like them. The metaphor is even more apt given today’s political climate in which millennials and their baby boomer parents are increasingly at odds over how the country should be governed, especially in regards to being open to people of all walks of life. This timeliness coupled with the fantastic acting from the ensemble of parents makes the central conflict all the more resonant.

There’s No “I” In Team

Also working in this season’s favor is the fact that, for the most part, the ensemble of “runaways” remain together. All too often ensemble dramas become overwhelmed with having so many characters interact with one another and decide to split them up for most of the season as a result. Thankfully, Runaways understands that the chemistry created from the diverse personalities is one of the show’s biggest draws. Season two instead introduces a number of new faces who are thrown into the group, each disrupting the team dynamic in novel ways that continue to test each member’s loyalty.

It’s also worth noting that the romantic pairings that were formed a bit too hurriedly in the final episodes of season one are given more time to breathe this time around. Nico and Karolina grapple with family loyalty after the shocking revelation that Karolina’s father, Jonah, was responsible for Nico’s sister’s death. Chase and Gert meanwhile are experiencing trust issues as Gert is considering enrolling in college without bothering to let her partner know about this. While there is understandably a lot of drama from each of these scenarios, it rarely feels contrived and allows the show to avoid the melodrama that is often a risk for teen dramas.

Not All Storylines Created Equal

While there is a ton to love about this latest season, it is in many ways far more ambitious than last season, which can make it a bit less concise at times. Some stories, such as the Church of Gibborim subplot with Frank (Kip Pardue) and Leslie Dean (Annie Wersching) vying for control, felt rushed and illogical compared to others. Additionally, the storytelling becomes a bit repetitive as almost every conflict revolved around one of the “runaways” being captured and the remaining team members time and again rescuing them.

This formulaic nature was offset, however, by some of the bold narrative risks season two took, chiefly the decision to end some arcs quicker than expected. By the end of episode seven, I was clueless as to where the story would go next, which is never an easy feat. However, without giving too much away, I will say that the second half is more reliant on having characters body swap, which I believe could be a potential misstep going forward. It is my hope that this story element is curbed next season as it only serves to dilute the already compelling drama between the parents and their children.

Many viewers may also take issue with the brash and impetuous decisions many of the “runaways” make all season long. While it can be frustrating, it is understandable given that we are witnessing a group of sheltered teenagers making decisions for themselves for the first time. Not always possessing the soundest judgment comes with the territory, and it would be unrealistic to depict anything otherwise.

Conclusion: Marvel’s Runaways Season 2

Overall Runaways season two mostly lives up to the promise that the first season set it up for. Some of its mild storytelling flaws are more than compensated for by the series continuing to focus on the relationships between the engagingly likeable characters and their evolving dynamics with their parents. For fans of the first season or viewers tired of the gloom and doom of most superhero TV series, Marvel’s Runaways is more than worth escaping to.

 What did you think of Runaways Season 2? How did it compare to the previous season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below! 

All 13 episodes of Marvel’s Runaways Season 2 can currently be streamed on Hulu.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Y2T3SOlbmg