Marvel Studios has really been trying to expand their TV reach outside of just Netflix, and one of their latest efforts, Runaways, flew relatively under the radar due to the network it’s on and the obscure nature of it’s source material but that didn’t stop it from being one of their best series yet. I consider myself to be fairly well versed in my comic book knowledge (especially in terms of Marvel), but even I knew next to nothing of Marvel’s misfit band of teenage heroes. Essentially they are a group of friends connected by their parent’s annual meetups and one year they stumble into one of their “meetings” which actually turns out to be a cult like sacrifice. Being highly shaken and disturbed by what they saw they team up to stop and fight against whatever evil plans their parents have set in motion. There are ‘mutants’ with super strength, strange glowing aliens, kid geniuses, witches, time travel, and even a pet velociraptor. It’s compelling stuff and in just 10 episodes they were able to satisfyingly explain all of this without overwhelming you with information, instead focusing more on each individual character and giving them meaningful stories and relationships with their parents. It’s what shapes them and it gets represented well here.
…‘mutants’ with super strength, strange glowing aliens, kid geniuses, witches, time travel, and even a pet velociraptor. It’s compelling stuff and in just 10 episodes they were able to satisfyingly explain all of this without overwhelming you…
Since this is a teen story there are dramatic elements a la DC and The CW’s offerings but it’s a lot less heavy handed and they play on high school tropes in interesting ways. The main draw of the show that kept me coming back was in it’s story and the compelling mystery behind what their parents were really up to. When it does come down to the action (there wasn’t a ton of it this season) it is well done and the effects are believable with even a few glimpses at some potentially cool team up of powers in the future. Season 1 was all about foundation building and they did a fantastic job of that and giving me a real reason to care about the characters and the story unfolding. I would like to see a bit more action in the next season but Season 1’s incredible balance, great character development, and compelling story make this one of TV’s most promising super hero shows yet.
* SPOILERS *
These aren’t your typical high school character tropes. Chase isn’t just a high school jock, he has a brain, and isn’t in love with the typical prettiest girl in school, but Gert. And Karolina isn’t just a pretty face. She’s actually in love with Nico, who Alex is also in love with and there’s an interesting love triangle there. Not completely expected character developments and they felt genuine to their characters and not just forced in for diversity or social reasons.
There weren’t any direct Gibborim in Season 1 but naming the church after them was a nice nod. We may get a more direct representation of them however once we find out what’s in the hole.
The parents were almost as compelling as their kids once they showed off more of their backstories and motivations. It’ll be interesting to see if they continue on this same path as many of them have serious reservations about what they’re doing.
It’ll be interesting to see where time travel comes into play as we catch a few glimpses that Vincent’s invention actually works and we see of unforetold destruction in the future.
Have you seen Season 1 of Marvel’s Runaways? What’d you think about it? Do you think they handled the teenage drama well? And are you invested in any of the characters? Let me know in the comments below and be sure to leave your own ratings and reactions to Season 1 of the show.
