Runaways: Tsunami
December 28, 2017 11:17 AM - Season 1, Episode 8 - Subscribe
The Pride has a get-together at the Stein house. Robert Minoru shows off his dad bod. Molly finds a piece of ancient technology.
I'm mostly liking the show, and I mostly liked this episode. As much as I wish that the Pride was portrayed as the ruthlessly efficient masterminds that they are in the comics, it was fun watching them try to Ferris Bueller’s Day Off their way out of having Jonah find out about Victor.
Having said that, I think it's time that we started asking (to paraphrase the great Dr. Ian Malcolm) "Ah, now eventually you do plan to have [superheroics] on your, on your [superhero show], right?" We're most of the way through the first season and so far the Runaways have successfully managed to win a fight against a single dude with a handgun.
The reason that Daredevil, Jessica Jones and Luke Cage work to the degree that they work is because their power levels are such that you can conceivably tell interesting stories about those guys fighting street crime and ninjas. Runaways was a comic about a group of kids who wind up fighting existential threats to the fucking planet. Carolina has a cosmic-level story. Nico is on the radar of the Sorcerer Supreme. They took down guys who went toe-to-toe with Asgard's best. There's time travel and dimension hopping! I don’t expect that the show is ever likely to have the budget to portray those particular stories, particularly as the visuals for Old Lace suggest that their effects capabilities are about mid-range-Doctor-Who, but I would like to see them aim for something bigger than the story they're telling now.
Also, I am warning the show creators now that if they want me to continue to give their show the benefit of the doubt Nico can never wear that outfit again. Ever.
posted by Parasite Unseen at 4:43 PM on December 28, 2017 [1 favorite]
Having said that, I think it's time that we started asking (to paraphrase the great Dr. Ian Malcolm) "Ah, now eventually you do plan to have [superheroics] on your, on your [superhero show], right?" We're most of the way through the first season and so far the Runaways have successfully managed to win a fight against a single dude with a handgun.
The reason that Daredevil, Jessica Jones and Luke Cage work to the degree that they work is because their power levels are such that you can conceivably tell interesting stories about those guys fighting street crime and ninjas. Runaways was a comic about a group of kids who wind up fighting existential threats to the fucking planet. Carolina has a cosmic-level story. Nico is on the radar of the Sorcerer Supreme. They took down guys who went toe-to-toe with Asgard's best. There's time travel and dimension hopping! I don’t expect that the show is ever likely to have the budget to portray those particular stories, particularly as the visuals for Old Lace suggest that their effects capabilities are about mid-range-Doctor-Who, but I would like to see them aim for something bigger than the story they're telling now.
Also, I am warning the show creators now that if they want me to continue to give their show the benefit of the doubt Nico can never wear that outfit again. Ever.
posted by Parasite Unseen at 4:43 PM on December 28, 2017 [1 favorite]
Parasite Unseen, I was also very distracted by Nico's Lady Babadook look.
My husband and I decided there was no real benefit to Alex sharing secret Amy intel with Nico prior to this episode. We couldn't imagine a scenario where that convo strengthened Nico and Alex's friendship (or the group's) or better prepared them for everything that's happened since then. Especially if they'd talked right after Amy's supposed suicide, long before the kids realized their parents were in a Supervillain Squad together.
Amy was already dead. Telling secrets can't change that, so I totally get why Alex said nothing.
Then again, I haven't read the source material. So I have no idea what Amy's role is in the overall plot arc is, besides triggering Nico's extreme goth makeover. But watching Nico's family discover Amy's body and how Tina reacted was pretty fucking traumatic. Yeah, Victor Stein abuses his wife and son. We all know this, everyone sees it happen. I think Tina's massively abusive, but only in private and with immediate family (or Pride members). My spidey senses went off when she was bonding with Nico over the Staff of One. Trust NO bitch, but especially not Tina's manipulating, codependent ass.
As a kid whose parents had secrets and hid things all the time, there's no way in hell I believe that backpack with Amy's phone inside would still be in her room. If Tina didn't scour that place inside out, including removing switchplates, moving the mattress, unscrewing air vents, etc., then she has no right running a giant evil corporation and having a leadership role in Pride. Surely someone planted that to be found later? I mean, wasn't it just wedged between Amy's bed and the wall?!
Also, why the hell would you charge it in Amy's room? I'd have that thing with me and check it offsite. Mom has a witch stick that changes reality, no way I'd assume every room in the house wasn't bugged and fitted with infrared cameras.
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 2:13 PM on December 29, 2017 [3 favorites]
My husband and I decided there was no real benefit to Alex sharing secret Amy intel with Nico prior to this episode. We couldn't imagine a scenario where that convo strengthened Nico and Alex's friendship (or the group's) or better prepared them for everything that's happened since then. Especially if they'd talked right after Amy's supposed suicide, long before the kids realized their parents were in a Supervillain Squad together.
Amy was already dead. Telling secrets can't change that, so I totally get why Alex said nothing.
Then again, I haven't read the source material. So I have no idea what Amy's role is in the overall plot arc is, besides triggering Nico's extreme goth makeover. But watching Nico's family discover Amy's body and how Tina reacted was pretty fucking traumatic. Yeah, Victor Stein abuses his wife and son. We all know this, everyone sees it happen. I think Tina's massively abusive, but only in private and with immediate family (or Pride members). My spidey senses went off when she was bonding with Nico over the Staff of One. Trust NO bitch, but especially not Tina's manipulating, codependent ass.
As a kid whose parents had secrets and hid things all the time, there's no way in hell I believe that backpack with Amy's phone inside would still be in her room. If Tina didn't scour that place inside out, including removing switchplates, moving the mattress, unscrewing air vents, etc., then she has no right running a giant evil corporation and having a leadership role in Pride. Surely someone planted that to be found later? I mean, wasn't it just wedged between Amy's bed and the wall?!
Also, why the hell would you charge it in Amy's room? I'd have that thing with me and check it offsite. Mom has a witch stick that changes reality, no way I'd assume every room in the house wasn't bugged and fitted with infrared cameras.
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 2:13 PM on December 29, 2017 [3 favorites]
Oh no! James Marsters has just been shot! Let’s just stand around and talk about it for an entire episode!!
posted by 1970s Antihero at 4:39 PM on December 29, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by 1970s Antihero at 4:39 PM on December 29, 2017 [2 favorites]
Oh no! James Marsters has just been shot! Let’s just stand around and talk about it for an entire episode!!
Exactly. I’m so bored with these parents that make worse decisions than their kids. I mean, how on earth would they ever have explained to Chase that his father was fine, but now his mother was inexplicably dead?
Somebody breaking the laptop was inevitable. You just knew they couldn’t have actual evidence on the murders. That would give the kids way too much leverage.
I’m obviously really late in thinking of this, but it only now occurs to me that Chase’s dad is named Victor, Which is the name of a pretty important later character from the comics. Seems odd they would give him the same name. Are we discussing the comics here? If not, I’ll shut up. I don’t want to create spoilers for those who haven’t read the comics. But I will be sad if they decide not to introduce the other Victor. He’s one of my favs.
posted by greermahoney at 9:09 PM on December 29, 2017
Exactly. I’m so bored with these parents that make worse decisions than their kids. I mean, how on earth would they ever have explained to Chase that his father was fine, but now his mother was inexplicably dead?
Somebody breaking the laptop was inevitable. You just knew they couldn’t have actual evidence on the murders. That would give the kids way too much leverage.
I’m obviously really late in thinking of this, but it only now occurs to me that Chase’s dad is named Victor, Which is the name of a pretty important later character from the comics. Seems odd they would give him the same name. Are we discussing the comics here? If not, I’ll shut up. I don’t want to create spoilers for those who haven’t read the comics. But I will be sad if they decide not to introduce the other Victor. He’s one of my favs.
posted by greermahoney at 9:09 PM on December 29, 2017
Chases’s father was also named Victor in the comics, so I doubt that it will have much of an impact on whether later-Victor is introduced on the show. They might change his name to cut down on confusion, though (as does Game of Thrones).
posted by Parasite Unseen at 9:16 PM on December 29, 2017
posted by Parasite Unseen at 9:16 PM on December 29, 2017
I really can't believe how inept the parents are and how this L.A., unlike all other fictional L.A.s ever written, seems to exist without a single Hollywood madame or flesh-peddler who could provide them a steady stream of young people to vaporize, for a price.
I mean, you gotta be trying to kidnap a homeless guy in broad daylight, or talk Janet into getting into the box, when you should have four procurers on speed dial?
posted by Squeak Attack at 7:40 AM on December 30, 2017
I mean, you gotta be trying to kidnap a homeless guy in broad daylight, or talk Janet into getting into the box, when you should have four procurers on speed dial?
posted by Squeak Attack at 7:40 AM on December 30, 2017
Hm, yeah, this episode felt like wheel spinning.
posted by jenfullmoon at 8:30 PM on December 30, 2017
posted by jenfullmoon at 8:30 PM on December 30, 2017
Thanks, Parasite Unseen. I don't think I remember one parental name from the comics. I'll blame my advancing years.
posted by greermahoney at 10:09 PM on December 30, 2017
posted by greermahoney at 10:09 PM on December 30, 2017
I really can't believe how inept the parents are and how this L.A., unlike all other fictional L.A.s ever written, seems to exist without a single Hollywood madame or flesh-peddler who could provide them a steady stream of young people to vaporize, for a price.
Yeah, that's been sort of bugging me too - I've brushed it off that they need pure, clean, wholesome sacrifices, and sacrificing a methhead they scraped off the street won't be very useful.
posted by Kyol at 1:38 PM on December 31, 2017
Yeah, that's been sort of bugging me too - I've brushed it off that they need pure, clean, wholesome sacrifices, and sacrificing a methhead they scraped off the street won't be very useful.
posted by Kyol at 1:38 PM on December 31, 2017
that's was my one gripe, that they couldn't find somebody last minute, whereas Victor and Robert found a homeless guy easily. Perhaps Victor had the stomach for that work and the rest didn't, although Geoffrey probably could.
posted by numaner at 10:59 PM on January 3, 2018
posted by numaner at 10:59 PM on January 3, 2018
> "I’m so bored with these parents that make worse decisions than their kids."
That may be my favorite part of the show.
> "I really can't believe how inept the parents are"
I can. I love how they're flailing around. They don't trust each other, don't trust Jonah, don't like what they're doing, all know they're in way over their heads, and have basically been panicking for years. I never read the comics, so didn't expect them to be calculating, on-the-ball supervillains, and the constant holy-crap-what-do-we-do-now improvising to keep themselves alive after metaphorically selling their souls to the devil works great for me.
> "that's was my one gripe, that they couldn't find somebody last minute"
Eh ... I see your point, but they had an easy pipeline to get the one sacrifice a year they thought they'd need through the Church of Gibborim, and so they never bothered to set up anything else. Why take the risk of doing so? Which means that when they had to get someone in just a few minutes without any preparation, they had to scramble. No matter how rich you are, "Get me a homeless kid that no one will ask questions about in ten minutes!" can't be an easy ask if you haven't prepared for the eventuality well in advance.
> "Victor and Robert found a homeless guy easily"
Here, I disagree. No, they didn't. That was a dumb, insane plan that didn't work. Abducting some rando in broad daylight in front of witnesses? A million things could have gone wrong with that, and did. That was a Victor Has A Brain Tumor plan, not an actual good idea.
posted by kyrademon at 10:52 AM on May 26, 2021
That may be my favorite part of the show.
> "I really can't believe how inept the parents are"
I can. I love how they're flailing around. They don't trust each other, don't trust Jonah, don't like what they're doing, all know they're in way over their heads, and have basically been panicking for years. I never read the comics, so didn't expect them to be calculating, on-the-ball supervillains, and the constant holy-crap-what-do-we-do-now improvising to keep themselves alive after metaphorically selling their souls to the devil works great for me.
> "that's was my one gripe, that they couldn't find somebody last minute"
Eh ... I see your point, but they had an easy pipeline to get the one sacrifice a year they thought they'd need through the Church of Gibborim, and so they never bothered to set up anything else. Why take the risk of doing so? Which means that when they had to get someone in just a few minutes without any preparation, they had to scramble. No matter how rich you are, "Get me a homeless kid that no one will ask questions about in ten minutes!" can't be an easy ask if you haven't prepared for the eventuality well in advance.
> "Victor and Robert found a homeless guy easily"
Here, I disagree. No, they didn't. That was a dumb, insane plan that didn't work. Abducting some rando in broad daylight in front of witnesses? A million things could have gone wrong with that, and did. That was a Victor Has A Brain Tumor plan, not an actual good idea.
posted by kyrademon at 10:52 AM on May 26, 2021
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The kids' plotline seemed to be treading water a bit and most of them didn't have that much to do. I really hated Chase smashing the laptop because it seemed like it was a needless move just to keep the plot moving. I know Amy's death has been the major mystery of this season so far, and I hope the payoff is ... something. (Also, yeah, Alex shouldn't have kept that stuff from Nico.)
I liked Molly finding the video tape (and not knowing what it was!).
As much as I'm enjoying this show (even when it doesn't quite work), I do hope they wrap some things up in the next two episodes. It doesn't look like it's been renewed for a second season yet. I'd be sad if it's not -- I like the cast and the overall production aesthetic.
Bonus comic nerd points for the title of this episode being "Tsunami" since that was the line from Marvel that Runaways was a part of.
posted by darksong at 2:30 PM on December 28, 2017