Marvel Television has died. Long live Marvel Television. All of the signs were there after Marvel Entertainment mastermind Kevin Feige got a promotion in October taking over Jeff Loeb, who oversaw all the decade’s shows. Feige announced an ambitious slate of shows that would directly affect the MCU coming to Disney+. Then all the Loeb shows started to fall like flies. Agents Of SHIELD had already been announced for its final season coming next summer. Then Ghost Rider, which Hulu announced earlier that year, ended up not going forward. Then Cloak and Dagger was canceled, and finally, it announced Runaways would be airing its final season. Ironically, SHIELD, the first show set in the MCU may end up being the last to air too depending on when (or if) the other show Hulu ordered this year, Helstrom, gets released or is renewed for future seasons.
So the third season of Runaways will be its swan song. But at least it will go out with some fan service with something Marvel Television watchers hope for all the shows, a full-fledged crossover when Cloak and Dagger pop up in Southern California. Since SHIELD was last seen jumping back to the time of Peggy Carter, it will likely end with one last crossover too.
But before the Divine paring cross path with the Runaways, the group of teenaged heroes has to deal with some body snatching aliens. After their spaceship blew up, members of Jonah jumped into the bodies of people nearby. Jonah himself snatched Victor’s body. His wife snatched up Stacy’s body, while their daughter took up residence in Tina’s body. The end of the season left us wondering when the son ended up although it is pretty heavily implied it was Nico.
So the new season starts right where the last ended with the Runaways and Pride split up in various factions. Jonah and his family have captured Karolina, Chase, and Janet, keeping them in Victor’s simulator. Gert with Old Lace was captured by Dale after he realized something was wrong with his wife and takes them off the grid. A very pregnant Leslie is with the remaining Runaways Nico, Molly, and Alex as well as Xavin, a stowaway on Jonah’s ship who thinks she is betrothed to Karolina. The adult Wilders are in jail after their son set them up for murder while Robert is in the hospital after a confrontation from his daughter.
Cloak and Dagger are not the only new faces the Runaways run into this season. This season also sees the introduction of Morgan le Fay portrayed by Elizabeth Hurley (Bedazzled) who is a powerful sorcerer from the Dark Dimension. So a witch like the Minoru’s and from the place where Cloak can send people. So it is easy to see how everyone comes together.
This season is mostly split up into two parts, dealing with the aliens than with le Fay although the first part just seems too abruptly. There are actually a couple of surprising deaths along the way; someone actually kind of dies twice. They also up the comedy this season; Tina is much more entertaining as a bratty teenager than the button-uped CEO. Dale seems to have a break from reality. Pride never seemed too evil to be antagonist, but they made a much better comic relief this season.
But the highlight of the season, and probably the series, was when Cloak and Dagger show up. It does show just how much better the Freeform show did at casting because I was left hoping the duo shows up later in the MCU but am pretty ambivalent if we ever see the Runaways ever again. Each group up with two of the Runaways to rescue someone which leads to some interesting revelations like Dagger sees a pretty dark hope of one of the Runaways. Sadly the episode ends with the two groups saying it is likely they will cross paths again but unfortunately we the viewers know that is highly unlikely.
All episodes of Marvel’s Runaways are released on Hulu tomorrow.
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