I watched the second episode of Ms. Marvel along with the Wife and Number Two Son, and I liked it even better than the first! The Wife and Number Two Son were initially skeptical whether they should watch it, but now, the Wife is anxious to see the next episode and Number Two son, while still skeptical, is definitely intrigued. In the next section, I’ll talk about the things I liked and thought were notable (some spoilers below).
One of more interesting aspects of the show was, for me, was the portrayal of Pakistani American life, particularly the interactions with their Muslim faith. So often you see Muslims portrayed as terrorists and as fundamentally un-American, but in Ms. Marvel, they are just regular people. The Eid festival at the Mosque, with its food and cliques (I particularly loved the Illumin-Aunties), reminded me of many church and local community festivals that I have attended. It struck me that people are often more alike than they are different.
I also didn’t know that much about the Partition. Hearing those stories about that and how it affected so many, was absorbing and educational to me. This episode presents it as an event fundamental to the Kamala’s origin story and more is promised.
Rather than being a straight up action show, Ms. Marvel Episode 2 continues to be very teen oriented. The title Crushed refers to the crush that the main character, Kamala, has on a new character, Kamran. Kamran is also of Pakistani origins, and it struck me as one of the increasingly common portrayals of where Asian American females are attracted to an Asian American male. It also sets of a love triangle, which is a common trope in teen oriented shows.
I personally found that the teen drama parts to be offputting (bringing back flashbacks from years of parenting teens), but the show in its totality remains appealing to me. Kamala is learning that the superhero life for which she has been such a fan girl is not all fame and glory (not unlike Spiderman, a comparison made by some and which was intentional). That is an aspect of the storyline I want to follow. I also like the humor in the show, particularly the New Jersey musical references.
Episode 3 will be available on June 22 on Disney+.
