Runaways: Season 1/ Episode 5 “Kingdom” – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)
Despite knowing what they know, one child after the next starts to question whether their parents are as evil as they seem. Previous Recap: Episode 4 “Fifteen” Network Hulu Director(s) Jeffrey W. Byrd Writer(s) Rodney Barnes and Michael Vukadinovich Characters Introduced Andre Nathan Davis Jr. Jonah Julian McMahon The Truth About Geoffrey: Geoffrey, Darius, Alex,…
Despite knowing what they know, one child after the next starts to question whether their parents are as evil as they seem.
Previous Recap: Episode 4 “Fifteen”
| Network | |
| Hulu | |
| Director(s) | Jeffrey W. Byrd |
| Writer(s) | Rodney Barnes and Michael Vukadinovich |
| Characters Introduced | |
| Andre | Nathan Davis Jr. |
| Jonah | Julian McMahon |
The Truth About Geoffrey: Geoffrey, Darius, Alex, Catherine, Jonah
18 years ago, before Alex was born and when Catherine was just Geoffrey’s lawyer, not wife, he was going to go down for murder – plain and simple. However, then Jonah walks into his life. For $5 million he asks to buy out this old strip mall in Geoffrey’s name. A gift from an uncle. Thing is, Geoffrey is a hustler and if this white man in a suit wants a dingy old strip mall in the hood, that raises a flag. One which both Catherine and Geoffrey rather be part of than bought out of.
Thing is, Geoffrey got a bid coming and Jonah isn’t trying to work with a convict who remains on the inside. Enter Darius. Darius was an accessory but he wasn’t going to spend nowhere near as long as Geoffrey. So, an arrangement was made that was never held up. Darius confesses to the crime and it would mean Darius’ grandma, who took good care of Geoffrey while his mom was working multiple jobs, and this woman named Tamar, plus her two kids, would be taken care of.
Yet, as we know, Geoffrey didn’t keep up his end of the deal and Catherine played a part in that. So, to get Geoffrey’s attention again, Darius is the one who took Alex and also exposed to Alex who his dad is.
All Powers Revealed: Chase, Darius, Victor, Nico, Gert, Molly, Alex, Geoffrey, Karolina
As Darius is having some bonding time with his would-be nephew, Nico is freaking out and calling on all parties to assist her in getting Alex. She even takes Tina’s staff to help and while she struggles, at first, to get it to work, she gets a hang of it quick and thankfully, Karolina drives like she recognizes the time sensitivity of the situation.
But it doesn’t end there. At the meet up Darius arranges, Geoffrey comes guns blazing and Alex, to protect his dad, shoots Andre. You remember Andre right? He is the dude who hacked Geoffrey’s phone. Just a foot soldier who seems to rely on Darius so that maybe, in the future, he might support his pursuit of a higher education. However, with Alex shooting him, his life is over – even though he just shot him in the shoulder.
Yet, despite Geoffrey having a gangster movie moment, and Alex joining in, Darius still ends up with the kid and they drive away. Unbeknowst to him however, Nico and the crew are right behind them and this leads to them all revealing their powers or talents. Molly lifts the truck, Nico uses the staff only she and Tina can use to block all the bullets Darius shoots at them, and Karolina uses her light magic to distract Darius and his remaining crew. Oh! Also, Chase brings out his new weaponized gloves, that he worked on with Victor of all people – leading to many a cute bonding moment – and he takes out who remains of Darius’ group.
Thus leading to everyone revealing their powers, talents, and dispelling the majority of the secrets they have.
The Rebirth of Jonah: Alex, Leslie, Jonah
Yet, while they relish in getting their friend back, guilt is beginning to drown Alex. Because of him shooting Andre, and leaving his dad to handle it, he thinks the worse. Leading him to, after much convincing, getting the group to head out on another rescue mission. One in which they end up too late. Andre gets sacrificed to bring Jonah back to full force and after that is done? Well, we learn Jonah and Leslie likely have something going on and he maybe Karolina’s true father.
Other Noteworthy Facts & Moments
- Frank failed the test to go Ultra which seemingly happens in a tent who knows where.
- Victor has invented some kind of machine which allows you to see into the future and buildings within Los Angeles come tumbling down like an action movie. Hard to say why.
Highlights
Making the Parents Complex
With the goals of PRIDE still being very mysterious, except that likely everything points toward Jonah, it makes all we have seen now with Geoffrey, Tina, and now Victor so important for the show. Reason being, outside of Alex and Nico, and the adorableness of Molly, the kids don’t bring much of a hook. The parents however, the would-be villains, they give us what Marvel often doesn’t in their properties – villains you could feel something for.
Which, outside of Thor: Ragnarok, doesn’t really exist – at least in the MCU as it stands. With the aforementioned parents however, as the episodes go on, it is hard to not gain complicated feelings. Breaking it down, Geoffrey, for example, was presented as a wonderful father, good husband, a provider, and perhaps in PRIDE purely due to obligation. Probably not running away like Stacey and Dale solely because his money is too tied up with the other members. Yet, at the same time, he is this former gangster. A guy who asked his friend to do his bid and didn’t keep his word. Hell, when his friend just wanted what was owed after years shaved off of his life, he threatened the one woman who showed them both love.
And yet, like we see with Tina and Victor, despite all the negative aspects of Geoffrey, his relationship with his kid keeps pushing there is more than his past or the obligations of his present. Something that especially gets seen with Victor this episode. For once, he and Chase get along! They build something together and Victor reveals he has brain cancer to Chase first. That moment of vulnerability, honestly, got me a little teary eyed. Mostly because it explains why Victor is so erratic. It isn’t because he is an outright butt hole but because facing his mortality is scary.
Now, don’t get me wrong, that doesn’t make up for him likely being abusive to his wife and kid, but I think there is always this desire to see people redeem themselves. And with what little we saw in this episode, Victor not only redeemed his person but made Chase actually have some sort of value on this show besides being attractive.
Oh, and let us not forget Tina. While she seems as hardline about PRIDE goals as Catherine and Leslie, may have even killed Molly’s parents, it is hard not to feel something for her. Her marriage is basically at its wits end, despite her wanting to save it; one daughter committed suicide and the other has pulled away from her to the point she can’t even fathom what she may do; and yet, she tries to show there can be trust by letting Nico hold onto the staff. Something that could kill her, if not them both, she is letting her teenaged daughter hold onto as a final grasp to keep some bit of normalcy in her life.
Well, not in terms of what the staff can do, but normalcy in the form of having a family. One, with the way she talks, isn’t like the one her mother imposed onto her but something more ideal. An ideal which may have burned at the edges, but Tina trying to salvage what remains hits ya right in the heart.
On The Fence
Jonah
Honestly, I kind of question what Jonah could bring to this. Do we need a head, an absolute head of PRIDE? Kind of. Yet, at the same time, even with him lurking about in some private room in Leslie’s complex, it is hard to be that excited about this dude. Especially since, arguably, this show still seems to be finding its footing and developing its core characters. So unless Jonah is really going to be pushed to the forefront, and somehow boosts both Leslie and Karolina, he may end up another Robert or worse, a Frank.
Just instead of him rightfully being rarely seen, he’ll be coerced onto us and make us only hope he can evolve like Victor did. But who knows if lightning can strike twice.
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