'Ms. Marvel' Episode 3: "Destined" Recap and Review
WARNING: THIS RECAP CONTAINS SPOILERS
When we last left Kamala Khan in episode two of Ms. Marvel, she was being chased by a determined Department of Damage Control. In what was arguably one of the best cliffhangers in a Marvel/Disney+ series to date, she was rescued by her crush Kamran, as well as his mother, who turned out to be the mysterious woman Kamala saw in a vision.
Now, episode three does not miss a beat, but it doesn’t immediately pick up right after Kamala is saved either. Instead, it begins with a flashback. We start off following a group of people searching for something in the rubble of a collapsed cavern. Within a few minutes of searching, one of the women - Najma, who is revealed to be Kamran’s mom - discovers the magical bangle Kamala now wears. In a brief bit of dialogue between her and the rest of the people in the cavern, it’s revealed that the bangle is their salvation: a means for protecting them and helping them find their way home. As British soldiers approach the cavern and to finish blowing it up, the group is forced to separate. But not before another woman named Aisha puts on the bangle and is infused with its power.
Najma tasks Aisha with protecting the bangle and tells her to split up from the group to keep it safe. The two go their separate ways, and the episode jumps into the present where it’s revealed that Aisha never got to reunite with her “family”. In fact, they had grown to believe she died alongside their hope of going home. After bringing Kamala to her home, Najma introduces her to the others and explains that they are the ClanDestine, a group of super-powered beings from a different dimension. In the comics, they are traditionally villains; however, they don’t seem all that bad at first. They explain that Aisha was Kamala’s great-grandmother and they they need Kamala’s help to return home. Kamala agrees.
Now, in addition to still trying to control her new powers, dodge the Department of Damage Control, and trying to figure out a way to save the ClanDestine, Kamala also has to prepare for her brother’s upcoming wedding. While you would think the episode would struggle to juggle all those plot points, it balances them effortlessly. A majority of the episode winds up focusing on the wedding though, and for good reason. What’s meant to be a break and a brief bit of normalcy for Kamala winds up becoming the place where she once again has to put her powers to the test.
Shortly after meeting the ClanDestine, Kamala enlists the help of her genius bestie Bruno. If anyone can figure out a way to make interdimensional travel happen, he can right? After brushing up on the subject thanks to a paper written by (smooth Easter egg) Dr. Erik Selvig, he comes to the conclusion that while possible, interdimensional travel is dangerous. He says he needs more time. Kamala relays the message to Kamran to tell Najma. But Najma’s impatience gets the best of her. She gathers the others to find Kamala and force her to get them home. That is when they align with their comic book counterparts. Najma and the others appear at the wedding, and in a bid to keep her family safe and her powers a secret, she pulls the fire alarm so she can deal with the ClanDestine one on one.
She almost succeeds, but while fighting Najma the bangle forces the two to share a vision. Shortly after, the Department of Damage Control conveniently busts in and arrests the ClanDestine. Kamala emerges physically unscathed, but is later questioned by her parents. They suspect she pulled the fire alarm and is hiding something. Wanting to keep her family safe, Kamala refuses to come clean. Visibly disappointed, her parents send her to bed. But right before she can close her eyes, Kamala receives a call from her grandmother. She reveals that she also shared the vision with Kamala and Najma.
While not as strong as the first two episodes, episode three is still effective and enjoyable. Admittedly, there are some plot points that keep on popping up and that may not ultimately matter. For example, there’s a big emphasis on a local election at the mosque Kamala goes to, as well as Bruno’s struggle to tell Kamala that he got accepted into his dream college. Although it’s still too early to tell if those subplots will have any major implications, they still feel like filler.
The best thing about the episode, however, was how succinct its exposition was. Within the first five minutes, we know the story of the ClanDestine. Rather than hear what their motives are, the viewer gets to see firsthand as the episode goes on. That being said, as bad as the ClanDestine seem, they don’t feel like the biggest threat though. That worries me. As mentioned earlier, the writers do one hell of a job balancing out the show. Episode three delivers so much in terms of plot, character development, and action while still leaving you wanting more. At the same time, with three episodes left - despite the implications of this week’s cliffhanger - it’s becoming a bit unclear as to where the series will go.