S01.E06: No Normal

[AnimeMania]

(Season Finale)    

Back in Jersey, Kamala fights to save her friends from the clutches of Damage Control.

Original Airdate: July 13, 2022

[ouinason]

Well, I was right about Zoe knowing about Kamala, yay!

this ended very much like a movie, and the credits scene was quite cute.

Also nice X Men music cue!

[AnimeMania]

I guess Kamala's parents let her leave the country while school was still in session.

I was surprised that the school was still open after they trashed the joint.

Bruno should be a bit more worried after his home and business was destroyed. Maybe he doesn't care since he is leaving town anyway. But, still, his poor Aunt, what will she do when she returns.

[phalange]

Using Home Alone style tactics to fight off the Damage Control agents at the high school was genius. Nice callback to the first episode with Kamala drawing up the plan on the chalkboard. 

I love that Kamala's superhero outfit is from her mom, and her dad helped her figure out her superhero name, and that her family totally supportive of her.

"Embiggen!" She said the thing! Also, "mutation." Hmm...

Actual lol at "Get in losers, we're getting shwarma." I guess Mean Girls exists in the MCU.

I figured there'd be a post-credit but I didn't think they'd actually have Carol show up. They switched places, so I hope Carol wasn't flying around in outer space when it happened. It's gonna be a long wait till The Marvels.

[ouinason]

1 hour ago, AnimeMania said:

I guess Kamala's parents let her leave the country while school was still in session.

I was surprised that the school was still open after they trashed the joint.

Bruno should be a bit more worried after his home and business was destroyed. Maybe he doesn't care since he is leaving town anyway. But, still, his poor Aunt, what will she do when she returns.

I'm gonna assume that with all the bad press DoDC paid out the ass for blowing up that building.

Although I like how that jackass Deever tried to play it off like it was Kamran's fault that it blew up.  No dude, y'all did that and everyone knows it.

[tkc]

Carol frickin’ Danvers!

Muneeba will be scandalized to see Carol coming down the stairs in that suit…

”Come on, what is it that you are wearing, beta? Let’s get you something more comfortable, and then we can feed you a little something.”

[arc]

Damage Control is going after supers with the zeal of anti-mutant groups in the X-books. (I've been writing this post mostly as live reactions, so now that I'm re-reading it I am extremely chuffed at how prescient I was back at the start of the episode!)

I like that Kamala's parents and Aamir are so on her side but it's a bit hard to reconcile with the parents who wouldn't even let her go to Avengercon. (I suppose it is in keeping with MCU Aunt May knowing and being totally on board with Peter Parker being Spider-Man.) And it's one thing for the Khans to even be on board with her doing superhero stuff, but merely sending Aamir to a literal siege situation is nuts.

that shot that barely missed Nakia in the stairwell didn't look non-lethal. That thing cracked the wall! (Which is a good reminder that real world weapons like bean bag shots and rubber bullets are much more accurately described as "less lethal".) … Holy shit, that cop busted Bruno in the face with the butt of his gun! I don't think I've ever seen a superhero thing be this … what's the opposite of copaganda*?

The cops in the gym that took each other out reminds me of that classic moment in Ronin.

And then the DODC cops set the guns to pretty-much-lethal, because the shot that blew out a corner of the wall definitely woulda killed a kid... and then they drew just regular bullet-shooting guns, not sci-fi guns, on Kamran! But then this reminds me of Wandavision, where the supers so outclass regular humans even with guns that it's just flat-out stupid to threaten them. Kamran's not in that weight class, but then again DODC doesn't really know that. Deever is just as viciously anti-supers as Hayward was in Wandavision, and stupid too. Why did Agent Clearly wait till everything had gone down before he followed up with Deever? (I wonder if Arian Moayed's scenes in this show were added in reshoots. It's a little weird that Deever's been out in the field as the only voice of authority in DODC actions.)

Wow, wow, I think I see why Disney Plus put a warning ahead of this episode; the scenes with the neighborhood watching the cops-vs-kids fight was upsetting. I was originally going to criticize some of the kids-vs-cops hijinks in the school as inappropriately light-hearted, but now I think it would have been way too grim to pull this kind of tone straight through the whole pair of sequences from indoors to outside the school.

Hmm, I could just barely buy Kamala smashing that truck as leveraging the enhanced mass of the Noor without super-strength, but catching that jeep definitely took super strength.

* well, except for the moment where the Jersey cops turn on DODC, anyways.

Aaah, a G Willow Wilson appearance in the show! (Sana Amanat was already in the show, as a wedding guest in ep 3 where the camera rather incongrously and conspicuously zoomed in on her.)

I actually really like Kamala in that stupidly goofy hat. And not just because it's from the comics, but because it is charming in the same way as it was in the comics: it's dumb and goofy and it says Kamala has her own very off-beat sensibilities.

Kamala being a mutant is extremely fitting in a behind-the-scenes sense. She was mainly an Inhuman in the comics because of corporate strife (Fox had the X-Men movie license, blah blah blah so there was a corporate edict to try to shove the Inhumans square peg into a mutant-shaped round hole.) And now Disney/Marvel can just have mutants, so why not just make Kamala a mutant? I guess her not being an Inhuman makes her connection to Lockjaw less solid, so that's the one downside of this move.

The post-credits scene was S-tier. Or maybe I'm just giddy after enjoying the season finale so much.

I do love her friends being such a big part of the season finale. And now that they all know, which they didn't in the comics, they can be her Scoobies! I feel like we haven't had that kind of dynamic in the MCU much. There's SHIELD, which has always been very different, and Ned and MJ in the Spider-Man movies, but not a full-on group of teen non-powered friends backing up their superhero friend.

Edited July 13, 2022 by arc

[Tuggy]

3 hours ago, arc said:

that shot that barely missed Nakia in the stairwell didn't look non-lethal. That thing cracked the wall! (Which is a good reminder that real world weapons like bean bag shots and rubber bullets are much more accurately described as "less lethal".) … Holy shit, that cop busted Bruno in the face with the butt of his gun! I don't think I've ever seen a superhero thing be this … what's the opposite of copaganda*?

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing about "non-lethal" and it made me think of flashballs and their increasing use by the police (at least in France where I live). 

In the context of the show, I think that the effects such as pieces of walls being ripped off by these weapons are just there because it is visually striking. When they do hit the kids with the shots, they have less brutal an effect. I agree that Bruno's kicking in the face was pretty harsh, though...

[angora]

There was a lot to love about the finale. Khan family supremacy once again. Loved that the whole family was supportive, loved that everybody already knew (because Muneeba told Yusuf and he had his phone on speaker, hee!), LOVED that the suit came from Muneeba and the name came from Yusuf. The suit looks fantastic, BTW.

Everyone pulling together to get Kamran out was good. Nice detail of Nakia immediately knowing they wouldn't be safe hiding at the mosque, along with everyone being ready with their IDs (and chocolate chip cookies!) when Damage Control rolled up. At the school, I liked that the kids' tactic was distract-and-confuse rather than fight. It feels like something Kamala would come up with, and since they also had the social-media angle with Zoe's livestream, it emphasizes that Damage Control is a threat to the kids but NOT the other way around. Reminds me of a post from the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 when a police department posted a picture of all the "weapons" they'd confiscated from protesters, and it was all umbrellas, trash can lids, and goggles, i.e. things that could be used as SHIELDS against police projectiles/tear gas. I liked seeing the whole community rally outside the school, and even if it was an obvious moment, I got a little choked up with everyone surrounded Kamala to shield her from Damage Control.

Some of what they did with Kamran's powers was uncomfortable to me. I get that 1) he was upset and under attack and 2) he was struggling to control his powers, but it wasn't a great look for a character who's a young brown Muslim man. Those scenes where he was losing control and waves of cosmic energy were radiating out from him gave off suicide-bomb vibes, and I don't think the show did enough to counteract that.

Really enjoyed the one-on-one scene with Nakia and Zoe. Excited to see more of both characters.

I love that at least half the episodes feature a Riz Ahmed song (episodes 1, 2, and 6 for sure, and I might've missed others.)

On the whole, this was a great addition to the MCU. Psyched for The Marvels, I really want Kamala to meet Peter Parker, and I'm totally ready for any and all Khan content Marvel wants to give me.

[Lassus]

I think this was a great finale, and I think there was no real better place to introduce the mutants.  I do think that it will possibly be traced back to Endgame or No Way Home, but maybe not.  I'm sad for no Inhumans and I do wonder how they can somehow ever AVOID using Lockjaw in season 2, and I'm sure there will be a season 2.

There were definitely things about the season I didn't love.  It was overstuffed by the entire Clandestine storyline, which was wholly forgettable.  I REALLY don't like Kamran somehow having mirror powers to Kamala.  As someone who grew up on the lonesome Spider-Man, I've never liked the entire WB "one lone superhero requires a massive team" that this show ended up adopting for the finale.  I'm a big fan of secret identities, so I do at least wish there were a few less people aware, even if I really really like all the characters.  (The one they did the worst with, IMO, is Zoey.) 

I did find Stewy's (Oh yes, it's Stewy, I will hear no other option.) "I'm the responsible and possibly less evil but probably just more efficient one" expansion here pretty interesting, and I really look forward to him as a recurring norm character in Secret Invasion and other shows.

Are we like REALLY 100% sure that Danvers and Khan switched places, or - based on the comics - isn't it possible Kamala actually morphed?    It is the former that's being reported, but re-watching, I'm not sure it's a given that's Carol Danvers.  I mean, maybe I'm 100% wrong, which is fine, as I would have no issues with it being Captain Marvel.  I absolutely loved the scene, and this is the first post-credits bit I haven't thought was irritating and bad in quite awhile.  

Lastly, Iman Vellani is a treasure.  All of my problems with the series and its too-predictable beats are dwarfed by her in the character.  Her casting was a real victory.  (Maybe next appearance just a LITTLE more confident, closer to the comic.)

Edited July 13, 2022 by Lassus

[thuganomics85]

What the hell, Damage Control?!  I guess for them, "non-lethal" means that as long as you don't actually kill someone, everything else is fair game here.  Because there was certainly some moments where if it their shots landed, it would have at least crippled these, you know, teenagers they were chasing.  Who didn't all have superpowers.  Even socking Bruno in the jaw because he was such a threat with his... goofy dancing.  At least Agent Cleary/Arian Moayad knows when they take it too far and shit needs to be shutdown: even if it's mainly due to the optics of it.  But if nothing else, this show certainly established that Damage Control might be the worst now.

Liked that the endgame battle wasn't just Kamala & Friends vs. Damage Control, but also having deal with a newly powered Kamran accidentally causing more damage than needed or letting his temper get the better of him when he had to deal with those soldiers.  I also liked how they incorporated all of her friends in it: including Zoe who knew all along and Aamir out of nowhere!  Also love that the family already knows the truth and supportive of her.  Of course, she didn't even get to do a grand reveal since Muneeba couldn't help but to tell Yusef and everyone else heard thanks to being on speaker phone (it's so convenient!)

Looks like Bruno is off to college after-all, but hopefully this isn't the last we will see of him in the MCU.  Same for the rest of the cast like Nakia and Zoe (and if their friendship will continue to grow.)

After being absent for the past few episodes, I'm glad we got another big Kamala/Yusef scene since I think their relationship really is special and important.  Yusef is certainly already a contender as the best MCU father of all time (again, maybe not a hard list to top.)  And he even helped create her name!

Loved the suit: helped that the build up to it was really well done.

Kamran might be joining the Red Daggers?

So, I'm guessing they're dropping the whole Inhuman origins thing and making Kamala a mutant instead.  Probably will be a way to eventually re-introduce the X-Men as well.

Did not see that end credits scene coming.  Either the bangle somehow switched Kamala with Carol or did it possibly morph Kamala into Carol?  Curious to see what is going on with that.  Either way, I hope we get to see Brie Larson play off the other family members.  And when both Kamala and Carol finally meet.

Again, I do think this show could have used a few more episodes to really establish the supporting cast and maybe it would have helped with some of the subplots that didn't fully work (mainly the Djinn/Clandestine stuff), but I still thought it was a really good first season.  Loved the aesthetics, music, and how they embraced the Muslim culture, and the family dynamics and character interactions were at the top of their game.  And then there was Kamala herself.  A great character that Iman Vellani played perfectly.  Hopefully we will be seeing a lot more of her as Kamala for years to come, but either way, she really has some star-making potential here.

[Megras]

22 minutes ago, Lassus said:

Are we like REALLY 100% sure that Danvers and Khan switched places, or - based on the comics - isn't it possible Kamala actually morphed?    It is the former that's being reported, but re-watching, I'm not sure it's a given that's Carol Danvers.  I mean, maybe I'm 100% wrong, which is fine, as I would have no issues with it being Captain Marvel.  I absolutely loved the scene, and this is the first post-credits bit I haven't thought was irritating and bad in quite awhile.

I initially thought like you that perhaps it was her shapeshifting coming in the "No no no no" struck me as more of a Kamala reaction than Carol but would Kamala look around her room at all the Capt Marvel pictures like that. And that decided me for swapping places.

[Lassus]

7 minutes ago, Megras said:

I initially thought like you that perhaps it was her shapeshifting coming in the "No no no no" struck me as more of a Kamala reaction than Carol but would Kamala look around her room at all the Capt Marvel pictures like that. And that decided me for swapping places.

Yeah, I thought that too; but I did wonder about a misdirect with those looks - that she was contemplating what affected an unconscious shape-shift.  I would imagine I'm just overthinking, however. 

That's also why I loved this post-credits, however.  There was a great tease of real mystery rather than an awkward, badly-written, clumsy introduction of some random future character.  (Looking at you, Love and Thunder.  And Multiverse of Madness.  And Eternals.)

Edited July 13, 2022 by Lassus

[Capricasix]

The Halal/Haram baseball caps that Kamran and Bruno put on really made me laugh 😄

I enjoyed the episode. Love Iman Vellani - I often feel motherly when a character/actor is of a similar age to my own children 😄 And I just love her parents; the reveal scene was funny, especially when she sussed out that the family already knew.

I do think that many of the Marvel Disney+ shows could benefit from a couple more episodes each. I felt the same way about Hawkeye and Moon Knight…it’s one thing to unnecessarily pad episodes, like the Netflix Marvel shows, but another thing altogether to have so few episodes that things can feel a little rushed. I’m glad that the Disney+ Star Wars seasons are a little longer (well, Mandalorian at least - I didn’t watch Obi-Wan and was underwhelmed by the Mando-free Boba Fett eps 😄).

[Raja]

5 hours ago, Lassus said:

I think this was a great finale, and I think there was no real better place to introduce the mutants.  I do think that it will possibly be traced back to Endgame or No Way Home, but maybe not.  I'm sad for no Inhumans and I do wonder how they can somehow ever AVOID using Lockjaw in season 2, and I'm sure there will be a season 2.

There were definitely things about the season I didn't love.  It was overstuffed by the entire Clandestine storyline, which was wholly forgettable.  I REALLY don't like Kamran somehow having mirror powers to Kamala.  As someone who grew up on the lonesome Spider-Man, I've never liked the entire WB "one lone superhero requires a massive team" that this show ended up adopting for the finale.  I'm a big fan of secret identities, so I do at least wish there were a few less people aware, even if I really really like all the characters.  (The one they did the worst with, IMO, is Zoey.) 

I did find Stewy's (Oh yes, it's Stewy, I will hear no other option.) "I'm the responsible and possibly less evil but probably just more efficient one" expansion here pretty interesting, and I really look forward to him as a recurring norm character in Secret Invasion and other shows.

Are we like REALLY 100% sure that Danvers and Khan switched places, or - based on the comics - isn't it possible Kamala actually morphed?    It is the former that's being reported, but re-watching, I'm not sure it's a given that's Carol Danvers.  I mean, maybe I'm 100% wrong, which is fine, as I would have no issues with it being Captain Marvel.  I absolutely loved the scene, and this is the first post-credits bit I haven't thought was irritating and bad in quite awhile.  

Lastly, Iman Vellani is a treasure.  All of my problems with the series and its too-predictable beats are dwarfed by her in the character.  Her casting was a real victory.  (Maybe next appearance just a LITTLE more confident, closer to the comic.)

The last hope would be that Inhumans are a specific type of mutation. However for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D fans Bruno should have known the significance of a mutation with powers of the MCU that knew about the fish oil Nuhumans.

I am almost positive we have Carol Danvers on 616 earth now.

Edited July 14, 2022 by Raja

[Keywestclubkid]

mutations and her throwaway line at kids getting powers .... Is she the first Mutant in universe to be seen is that what they are hinting at with her now? Just give us Mutants already damn it 

Edited July 13, 2022 by Keywestclubkid

[Sakura12]

I really liked this one. Like the others it's more street level (street level for this universe) I liked Kamala's origin and learning about her culture. I also loved the family aspect. 

I hope people give this show a chance now that they can binge it. I think people were turned off by the high school part, when that was a small piece. 

The only downside was the villains, both the Clandestines and Kamran. Even damage control was one dimensional. Also what damage are they controlling? They caused more damage. 

I do wonder what Kamala's 2 boyfriends will get up to. 

Hearing the X-Men theme when Bruno said mutation was great and surprising. I didn't think this show would introduce the mutants. 

And Carol and Kamala switched places at the end. We'll have to wait quite awhile to see what happens with that. 

[Dandesun]

There seemed to be that little bit of Animated X-Men theme music when Bruno said 'mutation.' I am 100% down with this because Kamala should have been a mutant all along, that's something so many seemed to agree on when she debuted, but because of Perlmutter and his push to make Inhumans the new mutants... she wound up a result of Black Bolt's Terrigen bomb. Ugh. Whatever.

Comparing and contrasting to the comics is always a bit of a slippery slope but I really liked the nods to the source material. The action taking place at the school because, yes, when shit went down during the Incursion Event (don't worry about it) Kamala, who had already established herself as the local hero, steered everyone to the school as the emergency community center. I also liked that Kamala's mother found out first because that's how it was established in the comics and she was understanding and even thankful because 'if you're sneaking out to help people who are suffering, then I thank God that I have raised a righteous child.' However, I really really love that Kamala's parents were so integral to her superhero name and identity here where they weren't quite in comics. The story about Kamala's name does come from the comics -- although it focused more on the "perfect" definition and was part of her father telling her she was perfect the way she was and didn't need to change herself for anyone or anything.

Zoe stepping up took a little longer in comics but Kamala's friend group did catch on as to what she was up to so when she finally confessed to them in what was supposed to be a dramatic sleep over party reveal they were all like 'yeah DUH we figured it out months ago... we were just waiting for you to tell us.' Bruno she told almost immediately so he wasn't part of that particular reveal.

Anyway, I really did love the nods but this was it's own thing and I think it was great. I also think that Carol at the end was Carol having been transported/traded places with Kamala and, look, I was already excited about The Marvels -- Carol!! Monica!! Kamala!! so this just fed that excitement.

I found it emotional on a lot of levels. I loved Kamala proving herself, caring so much about protecting that she does so even to people who are after her. I loved that she dropped trying to make excuses and just told Nakia that she messed up and she was sorry. I love her ridiculous hat. And I love that Jersey City loves her. It's as it should be.

I really did enjoy this series so much.

[Raja]

52 minutes ago, Keywestclubkid said:

mutations and her throwaway line at kids getting powers .... Is she the first Mutant in universe to be seen is that what they are hinting at with her now? Just give us Mutants already damn it 

Bruno is the first to mention of mutation in their DNA. No explanation was given for why Hydra choose Wanda and Pietro, who's powers came from a different triggering artifact 

Edited July 13, 2022 by Raja

[arc]

2 hours ago, Lassus said:

Are we like REALLY 100% sure that Danvers and Khan switched places, or - based on the comics - isn't it possible Kamala actually morphed?

Besides the way Danvers looked at Kamala’s room, there’s no way that was Kamala. But also, it wasn’t a Skrulls-ish morph, it was a swap-out. Very Nega Bands style, which also makes sense since Kamala’s bangle did something weird right before they switched.

[Sakura12]

Carol was looking around at all the pictures and posters of her. Kamala wouldn't be doing that. Carol looked worried and ran out, like she kind of new what happened. 

[Tuggy]

3 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

Same for the rest of the cast like Nakia and Zoe (and if their friendship will continue to grow.)

I actually had a feeling that maybe it was more than friendship? The way Zoe said that one should be free to reveal herself for what she really is at her own time had a strong "coming-out" vibe, to me...

[johntfs]

21 minutes ago, Sakura12 said:

Carol was looking around at all the pictures and posters of her. Kamala wouldn't be doing that. Carol looked worried and ran out, like she kind of knew what happened. 

Also, figure that even if Kamala had somehow shape-shifted into Carol she'd likely still be wearing her Ms. Marvel costume and at the very least, she'd be wearing the bangle.  Note that Carol was not wearing a bangle.  Figure that while it likely won't actually be shown in The Marvels

Spoiler

what happens next is that Carol goes downstairs to try to find out why she was teleport-yanked into some kid's room.  Kamala's family will rapidly establish that Kamala is missing and not picking up her cell-phone (galactic roaming chargers are a stone bitch).  Eventually, they'll show Carol a photo/video of Kamala wearing the bangle and Carol will haul ass for where she last was. 

She'll probably see Kamala about to get arrested/murdered/eaten and that Kamala does have powers but

before Carol can take Kamala home, Shit Will Ensue per the movie.

[Sakura12]

I'm wondering when this took place and if Wong and Shang-chi activating the rings at the Shang-chi post credit scene has anything to do with Kamala and Carol switching? We saw the 10 rings when they got the bangle. 

[Capricasix]

39 minutes ago, Sakura12 said:

I'm wondering when this took place and if Wong and Shang-chi activating the rings at the Shang-chi post credit scene has anything to do with Kamala and Carol switching? We saw the 10 rings when they got the bangle. 

Innnnnteresting!

[starri]

3 hours ago, Capricasix said:

The Halal/Haram baseball caps that Kamran and Bruno put on really made me laugh 😄

It made them look like an interfaith couple, and I think I kind of ship them now.

I really adored this episode.  Totally stuck the landing.

[arc]

Kudos to the cast and crew for never even hinting that the show would start the rollout of mutants in the MCU.

[bettername2come]

I love that Mrs. Khan went all Martha Kent and made Kamala a costume. The casual family reveal was fun. 

Yay, Zoe knew and wouldn't betray her! "Superheroes don't need chaperones."

"Guess I was the beta test." Well, the kid's not wrong.

"Get in losers, we;re getting shawarma." What a perfect mashup of 2 modern classics. 

So I knew there was a Carol Danvers cameo coming, but that was not what I expected. 

[Guest]

18 hours ago, arc said:

I like that Kamala's parents and Aamir are so on her side but it's a bit hard to reconcile with the parents who wouldn't even let her go to Avengercon.

I liked that part because it showed that her parents weren’t overprotective for the sake of being overprotective. There a plenty of reasons for parents to be nervous about a 16 year old Pakistani girl going to a big convention at night. As parents they focused of her vulnerabilities and many of those are less of an issue when she has powers. 

19 hours ago, phalange said:

It's gonna be a long wait till The Marvels.

It is. I can’t wait. Carol, Monica and Kamala together is going to be amazing. 

[SnarkShark]

Holy S.  They actually went "there".

On TWO things I didn't think they would.

Edited July 14, 2022 by SnarkShark

[SnarkShark]

19 hours ago, phalange said:

Also, "mutation." Hmm...

Music cue.  No hmm. That's a confirmation.  She's the first official MCU 616 mutant, at least introduced, even if probably eventually not chronologically.

5 hours ago, arc said:

Kudos to the cast and crew for never even hinting that the show would start the rollout of mutants in the MCU.

Only three of the cast probably knew. And only the crew that shot this scene.   But yeah.  Good secrecy.  This was a HUGE reveal.

Edited July 14, 2022 by SnarkShark

[Raja]

On 7/13/2022 at 2:22 AM, phalange said:

I figured there'd be a post-credit but I didn't think they'd actually have Carol show up. They switched places, so I hope Carol wasn't flying around in outer space when it happened. It's gonna be a long wait till The Marvels.

I was expecting Monica Rambeau and S.W.O.R.D. to take over from Damage Control in the end. But it seems more like the early Captain Mar-vell and Rick Jones switching places. Looking at the Captain's hand when she appeared it was like she was holding something, perhaps the other bangle

14 hours ago, Sakura12 said:

I'm wondering when this took place and if Wong and Shang-chi activating the rings at the Shang-chi post credit scene has anything to do with Kamala and Carol switching? We saw the 10 rings when they got the bangle.

I was working with the theory that the 10 rings were a broken up bangle but now I think from a third dimension other than 616 or the Clandestine's home.

23 hours ago, Tuggy said:

In the context of the show, I think that the effects such as pieces of walls being ripped off by these weapons are just there because it is visually striking. When they do hit the kids with the shots, they have less brutal an effect. I agree that Bruno's kicking in the face was pretty harsh, though...

By showing the effect on plaster  is strange to do it that way though. I guess Tony Stark had more control over his repulser settings than a scared Damage Control agent. It is like from sheer blunt force trauma Captain America might not use a gun much but just his slamming into people would be lethal. We are just shown folks shaking it off. I guess it comes off the long cinematic history of hitting people in the skull with weapons but it only kills when the plot calls for a murder.

[SnarkShark]

10 hours ago, SnarkShark said:

Music cue.  No hmm. That's a confirmation.  She's the first official MCU 616 mutant, at least introduced, even if probably eventually not chronologically.

Only three of the cast probably knew. And only the crew that shot this scene.   But yeah.  Good secrecy.  This was a HUGE reveal.

This article confirms all of this, including who actually knew, and that yes, this was as big a deal to them as we could possibly imagine:

https://www.marvel.com/articles/tv-shows/ms-marvel-kamala-khan-genetics-interview

[johntfs]

15 hours ago, Sakura12 said:

I'm wondering when this took place and if Wong and Shang-chi activating the rings at the Shang-chi post credit scene has anything to do with Kamala and Carol switching? We saw the 10 rings when they got the bangle. 

Probably not.  I think the events of Shang-chi took place weeks/months before the events here.  Most likely what happened is that Carol picked up the bangle that was the twin of Kamala's and somehow activated it, causing her and Kamala to switch places in space.  It's possible that Carol doesn't fully realize what's happened.  All she knows is that she's been teleported to the room of somebody who's really, really into her.

Figure Kamala's family will help Carol understand what happened once they get past the "Where is Kamala and who is this strange, costumed white woman coming out of her room?" bits.

[Sakura12]

5 minutes ago, johntfs said:

Figure Kamala's family will help Carol understand what happened once they get past the "Where is Kamala and who is this strange, costumed white woman coming out of her room?" bits.

I would think they'd know who she is since pictures of her are all over Kamala's room.

[tennisgurl]

That was so sweet, they really managed to stick the landing! I still wish we had a few more episodes to really flesh out some aspects of the story, but for the most part they did a great job at wrapping a lot up while also setting up Kamala's next adventures. I am happy that Kamala already told her family who she really is...or the Khan family gossip tree told them at least, and that they support her. Muneeba giving her the last part of her costume was just perfect, I love how her costume is made up of so many aspects of her life. Her family, her friends, her culture, her history, her passion, it was just right. 

The return of the classic MCU disguise, the baseball cap! In the words of Scot Lang, Bruno and Kamran just look like themselves at a baseball game, I laughed way too hard at those hats and them just tossing them off. I came to unexpectable really like their scenes together, I hope that they both come back to Jersey soon for more odd couple hijinks in between the love triangle. I am so happy that Kamala's friends and community were such a big part of the ending, even Zoey ended up coming through by alerting the community about what was happening. 

Yeah, Damage Control attacking a bunch of teens in the middle of a residential area with high damage weapons is really not a great look. Even the Jersey cops were clearly pissed at them, no wonder Deever got fired after creating a massive level clusterfuck. All of her whining about how much damage the kids were making is rich considering Damage Control is basically creating all of the damage themselves. I really enjoyed watching the public stand up to them and their agents getting pushed back by Home Alone style shenanigan's, it felt so very good.

I know that its basically pointless to play compare and contrast with comics, and while this show is very different from the comic its based on, I do like that they kept some things, like the climax being at the high school and Kamala rallying the community to help her save the day. They also added in quite a few of the most iconic Ms. Marvel images, like her sitting on a streetlight overlooking the city, and we got the big "she said the thing!" moment when she dropped her embiggen catch phrase. 

Two big post credit scenes! I suspected that we might see Carol by the end of the show, but I did not expect her to get swapped with Kamala! Then of course, the big huge moment we have all been waiting for...mutants are finally here! I heard that X-Men musical sting, I see what you did there, I admit I cheered like a big idiot. Kamala being a mutant in the MCU works for me, she might be an Inhuman in the comics but she probably would have been a mutant anyway if it wasn't for Ike Pearlmutter and his obsession with Inhumans. I respect that the MCU introduced mutants not in one of their giant blockbuster movies, but in their adorable mostly street level show about a cute teenager. Kudos to the cast for not dropping this huge spoiler, I bet the Marvel snipers were on high alert!

This show has been great, its right up there among my favorites of the MCU Disney shows, I love the cast, the characters, and I love how much they have explored Kamala's Muslim Pakistani heritage. I know so many people who heard about Partitian for the first time watching this show, and its been great getting to see so much of a culture and community that does not get represented much on television. I cant wait for The Marvels.

[Raja]

51 minutes ago, tennisgurl said:

Then of course, the big huge moment we have all been waiting for...mutants are finally here! I heard that X-Men musical sting, I see what you did there, I admit I cheered like a big idiot. Kamala being a mutant in the MCU works for me, she might be an Inhuman in the comics but she probably would have been a mutant anyway if it wasn't for Ike Pearlmutter and his obsession with Inhumans. I respect that the MCU introduced mutants not in one of their giant blockbuster movies, but in their adorable mostly street level show about a cute teenager. Kudos to the cast for not dropping this huge spoiler, I bet the Marvel snipers were on high alert!

This show has been great, its right up there among my favorites of the MCU Disney shows, I love the cast, the characters, and I love how much they have explored Kamala's Muslim Pakistani heritage. I know so many people who heard about Partitian for the first time watching this show, and its been great getting to see so much of a culture and community that does not get represented much on television. I cant wait for The Marvels.

For what its worth without Perlmutter pushing that the movies superseded the books, thus his attempt to keep new characters in Disney instead of creating them for FOX, Sony or Universal we wouldn't have a MCU. Has any other character  beyond the next Ms Marvel pop and get a lottery pick we must have her on screen treatment?

The show itself is up there just below the more intense Daredevil season 3, but with Cloak and Dagger season 2, the first half of Luke Cage and the AoS Ghost Rider pod as among my favorites of "MCU variants" TV. Certainly it was the only Disney + show that I was impatiently  waiting for Wednesday for the next episode to drop

Edited July 14, 2022 by Raja

[kay1864]

On 7/13/2022 at 11:31 AM, angora said:

along with everyone being ready with their IDs (and chocolate chip cookies!) when Damage Control rolled up.

Rolled up again without a search warrant. Do the writers think our memories are that short?

Also, Deaver really needed to die.

Edited July 15, 2022 by kay1864

[arc]

Couldn’t help myself 

[ProudMary]

On 7/13/2022 at 2:55 PM, Lassus said:

I did find Stewy's (Oh yes, it's Stewy, I will hear no other option.) "I'm the responsible and possibly less evil but probably just more efficient one" expansion here pretty interesting, and I really look forward to him as a recurring norm character in Secret Invasion and other shows.

I thought I was the only one! I mean, you've got to figure that the Venn diagram overlap for the two shows is pretty small! 😄

[moonshine71]

22 hours ago, Raja said:

I was expecting Monica Rambeau and S.W.O.R.D. to take over from Damage Control in the end. But it seems more like the early Captain Mar-vell and Rick Jones switching places. Looking at the Captain's hand when she appeared it was like she was holding something, perhaps the other bangle

I was working with the theory that the 10 rings were a broken up bangle but now I think from a third dimension other than 616 or the Clandestine's home.

By showing the effect on plaster  is strange to do it that way though. I guess Tony Stark had more control over his repulser settings than a scared Damage Control agent. It is like from sheer blunt force trauma Captain America might not use a gun much but just his slamming into people would be lethal. We are just shown folks shaking it off. I guess it comes off the long cinematic history of hitting people in the skull with weapons but it only kills when the plot calls for a murder.

Lol, I always had a small issue w/  Claire and Foggy, both who were worried about Daredevil crossing the line and killing someone and insistent that he shouldn't, both clocking people in the head with baseball bats(defeated people on their knees both times, iirc), which would have a fairly significant chance of killing a person.

[benteen]

First off...Kamala as a mutant in the MCU is awesome. She should have been one in the first place and I'm glad to see Marvel is heading in that direction. I'm not a fan of retcons but this is one I can totally get behind. X-Men is my favorite comic book of all-time and I have no problem with Kamala being inserted into the early days of their MCU storyline. She's a great character and will be an awesome addition to their story.

Great finale. It was a great deal of fun to see Kamala's "Scooby gang" come together. The show has done a great job with the characters friends, family and history. It was great to see her use more of her comic powers as well. I thought that was what she was using when Carol appeared at the end but I guess not. Carol's appearance was a great kicker at the end and made look forward to The Marvel's even more.

The weak villains and not enough episodes were what kept Ms. Marvel from being a perfect comic book show. 10 episodes would have been ideal and would have fleshed things out nicely and given the story all the time it needed. Also not a fan of Kamran having identical powers to Kamala. That being said, this series was pretty damn good and I feel it was the best of Marvel Disney Plus. While I look forward to Kamala on the big screen, I hope that there will be a Season 2. Because this could be a GREAT TV series.

[johntfs]

On 7/14/2022 at 8:58 AM, Sakura12 said:

I would think they'd know who she is since pictures of her are all over Kamala's room.

Even in the MCU if some weirdo stranger breaks into your house (or at least enters without your permission) and they're dressed in a Spider-Man costume, are you really going to immediately assume that this is the real Spider-Man?

It's not going to be a big thing, but figure in the initial moment Kamala's family is going to be "Who the hell are you and where's Kamala?"  After that figure that

Spoiler

Carol will introduce herself, glow a little to established that "Yep, she's the real Captain Marvel" and eventually get to see pictures/video and Kamala and specifically the bangle.  At which Carol will do some version "Oh shit!  I was examining something that looked exactly in an old temple in the Voidbeast Swamp on Orion 4 (or whatever).  If I'm here and she's there... uh, I need to go get her right now!"

[Llywela]

Well, this was a fun little show. I really enjoyed it.

Our 6 year old is obsessed with superheroes and has loved Kamala Khan ever since she first saw a single page written about her in a Captain Marvel early reader a couple of years ago, she looks out for any mention of her in any other books, enjoyed watching her in the Marvel Rising cartoon series, and has a Kamala doll from the Marvel Rising range, so I knew she'd be all over the idea of a Ms Marvel live action show. Still, she is only 6, so I watched all the episodes through first to make sure it would be okay for her to watch, satisfied myself that there is nothing unsuitable in it, certainly nothing scarier than she's already seen in Doctor Who, and then let her watch it.

Folks, she adored it. She didn't understand everything, found the plot hard going in places and can't read many of the sub-titles when those are used (not to mention that the changes made to Kamala's power set were a big confusing to her, since she is already familiar with comic Kamala), but none of that mattered to her as much as getting to follow her beloved Kamala on this journey. I think Kamala might even have supplanted Miles Morales as her all-time favourite superhero now (Into The Spiderverse made a big impression). So I really hope they make another season, because she won't be able to watch Kamala's adventures with Carol Danvers in The Marvels for a few years yet, all the films are rated 12!

Speaking of Carol, the 6yo doesn't know that there is a film coming up, so when she saw the mid-credits scene she got very excited because she automatically assumed it meant Kamala had developed her shapeshifter powers from the comics, because that's the power-set she associates with Kamala. She can carry on thinking that for now, I guess. (I wonder how many times we will have to re-watch the series...)

[AnimeMania]

12 minutes ago, Llywela said:

Our 6 year old is obsessed with superheroes and has loved Kamala Khan ever since she first saw a single page written about her in a Captain Marvel early reader a couple of years ago, she looks out for any mention of her in any other books, enjoyed watching her in the Marvel Rising cartoon series, and has a Kamala doll from the Marvel Rising range, so I knew she'd be all over the idea of a Ms Marvel live action show.

I you probably be better off watching "Marvel's Spidey and His Amazing Friends" on Disney+. Ms. Marvel is on there and she has her standard comic book powers. The show is aimed at very young kids.

[Llywela]

36 minutes ago, AnimeMania said:

I you probably be better off watching "Marvel's Spidey and His Amazing Friends" on Disney+. Ms. Marvel is on there and she has her standard comic book powers. The show is aimed at very young kids.

Oh, believe me, she has watched and loved all of those. We have been on a very deep dive of all superhero media for children over the last few years. Ms Marvel is rated PG. I pre-watched all the episodes before allowing her to watch. There is nothing unsuitable in the show, it was made with younger viewers in mind as well as adults (which makes it unique for the MCU so far, I believe).

Edited July 17, 2022 by Llywela

[AnimeMania]

Just now, Llywela said:

Oh, believe me, she has watched and loved all of those. We have been on a very deep dive of all superhero media for children over the last few years.

New Marvel's Spidey and His Amazing Friends Season 2 episodes start Aug. 19 on Disney+.

[Guest]

11 hours ago, johntfs said:

Even in the MCU if some weirdo stranger breaks into your house (or at least enters without your permission) and they're dressed in a Spider-Man costume, are you really going to immediately assume that this is the real Spider-Man?

No but that’s not the same since no one knows when Peter looks like and it is literally Carol’s face on Kamala’s walls. 

Maybe I’m weird but I just thought Carol was going to fly out the window to wherever she was before the switch rather than talking to Kamala’s family. 

[Raja]

29 minutes ago, Dani said:

No but that’s not the same since no one knows when Peter looks like and it is literally Carol’s face on Kamala’s walls. 

Maybe I’m weird but I just thought Carol was going to fly out the window to wherever she was before the switch rather than talking to Kamala’s family. 

Carol Danvers had that look that I touched something and opps. Assuming she doesn't know about a switch I still don't take her as the type to slink out without accepting responsibility.

[johntfs]

On 7/17/2022 at 8:57 PM, Dani said:

No but that’s not the same since no one knows when Peter looks like and it is literally Carol’s face on Kamala’s walls. 

Maybe I’m weird but I just thought Carol was going to fly out the window to wherever she was before the switch rather than talking to Kamala’s family. 

People generally aren't coldly logical perception/deduction machines - especially when their kids are missing.