Marvel’s Cloak & Dagger - S1E6/S1E7 - Funhouse Mirrors/Lotus Eaters

Previously on Marvel’s Cloak and Dagger, “Princeton Offense”

In the past two episodes of Marvel’s Cloak and Dagger, Tyrone and Tandy’s maturity has progressed to the point of not only an improved worldview but a keener grasp on their unique powers. There had been a number of setbacks because they are kids after all, but as seen in “Funhouse Mirrors” and “Lotus Eaters”, the pair had endured their growing pains and tumultuous first impressions, emerging as a formidable partnership. Yet greater, far more deadly challenges are ahead.

“We stop looking for something, that when we let it disappear”

It’s pleasantly uplifting and welcome to see Tandy let down her guard a bit during her “internship” with Mina Hess (Ally Maki). What initially began as a simple ruse to know her enemy proved the two had more in common than tragic circumstances. The apple didn’t fall far from the Hess family tree as Mina has taken over her father’s project and improved upon his and Nathan Bowen’s designs and mechanism, ensuring an accident like theirs wouldn’t happen again. That is if Roxxon will stop cutting corners to come under budget.

Everything about Mina is perhaps a more authentic reversal to Tandy than Tyrone, in regards to their response towards crippling trauma. Granted, Mina was older, confident, and had a more familiar relationship with her dad than Tandy when the rig exploded. Nevertheless they share an unyielding desire to clear their fathers’ names and learn why their project ended in disaster. And it’s apparent the women have plenty of work ahead of them, from the gross incompetence of Roxxon underling Stan (Preston Vanderslice) to the cutthroat shrewdness of Peter Scarborough. It’s bad times all around.

Despite this, and Tandy failing to impress Mina with her intern act, the two formed a tenuous partnership out of their persistent need to uncover the truth. Hopefully for the remaining episodes of the season, the ladies will continue to develop their rapport and turn their long-standing grief into the strength needed to face a conglomerate that doesn’t hesitate in silencing its detractors.

“Whatever you put out it comes back. It always comes back.”

Although Ty openly objects to Tandy’s questionable tactics, what little sophistry he employed was effective enough to get under the skin of Duane (Dalon J. Holland), Billy’s childhood friend. While the endgame is to shut Connors’ operation down and have him charged with his brother’s murder, Tyrone can’t help to know why Duane is in business with the man responsible for so much misery across the ward. Nothing is ever black and white and Duane affirmed this in sharing his reluctance in working for Connors. The dream he and Billy had so long ago has now been twisted for the benefit of one man, a cop Duane saw kill his best friend.

It’s a bit hard to suspend disbelief that none of the people that either associate with or aim to take down Connors, do not believe the man is a step ahead of them due to their grossly pedestrian efforts to cross him. It’s obvious a cop that doesn’t want to leave vice and loves collecting scars on his face while working the streets for well over a decade has a few tricks up his sleeve. Detective O’Reilly will have to do more than bump a line and work herself into his good graces, especially now she’s becoming an unwitting pawn in Connor’s impromptu scheme to take out one of his top boys.

Regrettably, Ty made his presence known yet again but Connors knows what he imagined in “Suicide Sprints” was very real. This ‘phantom’ that’s stalked him for weeks is an actual person with abilities. If Connors is half the cop his department makes him out to be, it won’t be long before he starts kicking down the right doors and gets the full story on Tyrone.

The following episode, “Lotus Eaters”, was a more intimate and vulnerable outing expressly featuring Tim Kang as the brilliant yet addled Ivan Hess. Now that Tandy acquired greater insight from Mina about her father and his relationship with Nathan Bowen - also how the Hess family shares in her grief - she enlisted Ty to help her access Ivan’s mind in the hopes of breaking his catatonic state.

“Failures are the steps we climb.”

Bowen’s formerly narrow search for answers from Roxxon had quickly fragmented into a quest with various motivations; while communicating with Ivan would help in clearing Dr. Bowen’s name and finally put the screws on Roxxon, Hess may also shed light on the mysterious substance he and Nathan were attempting to siphon from the depths of the Gulf, as well as reunite one family that’s been equally traumatized the past eight years.

Naturally, being it’s Tandy and Ty, the crudely devised plan to use their powers in a way they hadn’t before to reach into Ivan’s mind and pull him out wasn’t going to be a cake walk. For nearly a decade, Hess was trapped within his own unconscious, repeating the last minute and forty-seven seconds on the rig. Though elated to see “special” people with names of their own walking around, Ivan is a shell of his former self. After years of experiencing the accident over and over and over again, Hess was certain there was no way out - a mirroring of sorts to the kids’ once pensive sentiment.

Unfortunately Tandy was swept up in the fantasy realm knowing Ivan would receive a phone call from her dad every time, a loop which may have been enhanced by her powers that focuses on the hopes of others. While walking through the recesses of Hess’ mind with powers fully activated and used in a new, untested way, Tandy was easily drawn in - and coldly torn from it thanks to Tyrone’s real talk and “fearful” perspective.

Ultimately the duo were able to embolden Ivan to escape his personal hell and return to the real world. Though he may not have remembered them once conscious, Ty and Tandy finally have a W on their record. Whether they can keep this streak alive is a whole other story.