TV Show of the Week: Marvel’s Runaways

Marvel’s Runaways is a fresh take on what we’ve seen over the past decade. It has been confirmed it is part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but not one reference is made to the films or other TV shows. It’s made as if it’s completely separate from it all, almost in a different world altogether.

Well, in a way it is, because whilst the movies and TV shows centre around New York City or just around the vicinity, Runaways is based in a different part of America, and each state is as if you’re entering a completely different world. There’s no need to make any references, because the world has been established so the audience just knows it’s set in the same continuity, we don’t need constant reminders of that. By making no references, Runaways can focus every minute and every bit of dialogue and setting to be exclusive to their show, to make it much more fleshed out.

There may only be 10 episodes (3 less than the Netflix series and 12-13 less than the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) but they managed to make an incredible series – developed their characters, explained only what needed to be said, build up their world their way. Not necessarily slowly but surely, but at a steady pace; to keep the audience entertained, and not rushing. I was a bit surprised when it got to the season finale, and there wasn’t a climatic fight, or indeed the end of the storyline they had set up. If they had, it would definitely be a rushed job. The creators of that show must have been confident the show would continue passed season 1. It’s set up the right amount of questions, they’ve set up relationships between the characters, they’ve explored every family’s dynamic and how each family is affected by the show’s main storyline. They done so much in only but 10 episodes, but they done it so well, it most certainly wasn’t rushed.

Overall, the series was light-hearted, funny at times, subtly intense at times where you weren’t on the edge of your seat, but you really wanted to know how things would plan out the way the characters wanted them to, and they had a few emotional scenes as well. My conclusion is: it’s nice and different, whilst subtly maintaining and building upon the world we’ve been following for ten years, but if you haven’t been interested in the cinematic universe I do still recommend this show simply because it’s a superhero show that does its own thing. It allows those who are interested in the universe take away what they want, and those who aren’t interested take away what they want, and everyone’s happy.

Thanks for reading

Antony Hudson

(TonyHadNouns)