'Ms. Marvel' Episode 4: "Seeing Red" Recap and Review
WARNING: THIS RECAP CONTAINS SPOILERS
When we last left Kamala Khan in episode three of Ms. Marvel, she had just received a shocking phone call from her grandmother, Sana. Earlier in the same episode, you might recall that Kamala and the ClanDestine leader Najma shared a vision, projected by her mysterious bangle during a brief battle. In that cliffhanger phone call, Sana revealed that she also experienced the same vision.
Episode four picks up a little while after the phone call. At the behest of Sana, Kamala and her mother hop on a plane to Pakistan. While her mother thinks this is just a routine family visit, Kamala knows that she’s going to have to learn more about her family’s history and the bangle on the trip - especially if she wants to learn how to stop Najma.
Admittedly, the episode does take a while to pick up. For the first half, we see Kamala touching base with her cousins and being a real tourist. Even in the inevitable exchange she has with Sana about the vision, the only major revelation is that Sana always knew Kamala had special abilities. That’s why she sent her the bangle in the first place. But Sana sadly can’t explain to Kamala the purpose of her powers. What feels like a dead end is only a temporary pause in Kamala’s journey. As she continues to search the city for answers, she runs into another person with superhuman abilities.
Don’t get too excited though. It’s not Captain Marvel with or even another established hero in the MCU. Instead, it’s a young man by the name of Kareem. At first, he mistakes Kamala for a threat due to the Noor energy she exudes. That is the same energy that runs through the ClanDestine. The two engage in brief hand-to-hand combat, before realizing they are not enemies. Kareem eventually takes Kareem back to his temple and to his leader, Waleed. It’s revealed that both Kareem and Waleed are a part of a secret order known as the Red Daggers. While they don’t possess any real superpowers, they are vigilantes who have mastered the art of fighting and marksmanship (using daggers) to protect the innocent.
Fortunately for Kamala, Waleed knows all about the ClanDestine and tells her all about how Najma will do whatever it takes to return to her home dimension - even if it means destroying the Earth in the process. With this alarming new information, Kamala takes comfort in the fact that the family is no longer free since they were previously captured by the Department of Damage Control. And for a brief moment it seems as if they won’t be a problem anymore. But then we see the ClanDestine escape from captivity. Each of them, with the exception of a rebellious Kamran, leaves to track down Kamala and finally return home.
The episode ends with one of the most exciting action sequences in the series and Phase Four so far. Shortly after their escape, the ClanDestine arrive at the temple of the Red Daggers and engage in a fight with Waleed, Kareem, and Kamala. The fight moves from within the temple to the city’s streets. All three get separated. Although Waleed puts up one hell of a fight, he is eventually killed. Despite two different car chases, and some clever retaliatory moves, Kamala and Kareem end up cornered. The two team up and wound several of the ClanDestined, but not before Najma arrives. She begins to fight Kamala, but in the midst of the fight she strikes her bangle.
Her bangle lights up in reaction to the strike and transports Kamala to what appears to be the past. More specifically, it appears to be the night the bangle saved her grandmother’s life - a moment which she refers to earlier on the episode. But why that night? And is Kamala stranded in the past, or is this all just some vivid flashback? We’ll just have to wait until next week to find out.
Although this episode isn’t the most exciting, it illustrates a lot of the series’ core themes better than most previous episodes. Originally, I was mixed about the show changing the origin of Kamala’s powers, but with each episode the reasoning becomes clearer. This is a story about family and how sins of a family’s past can have generational consequences. Despite its power, that’s what the bangle truly represents. After being stolen for the ClanDestine’s selfish reasons, it now must be used to protect the world. Literally taking us to Kamala’s roots doubles as both a way for Kamala to learn about her family history and a way to continue to celebrate the culture in the first series featuring a Pakistani superhero.
One aspect I really missed in this episode was the chemistry and banter between Kamala and Bruno. While we got a worthy substitute in the form of Kareem, I worry the series probably has too many characters and storylines to follow. With only two episodes left to go - and next week’s episode looking like it may mostly be a flashback - I am even more concerned about how the series will end. The only thing worse than a good series with a bad ending is a good series with an unsatisfying ending. No amount of magic can redeem the latter.