Ms. Marvel: A New Normal

Episode six of Ms. Marvel is the season finale and I am going to miss this little show. As it opens, Bruno (Matt Lintz) and Kamran (Rish Shah) are on the run from Damage Control after Kamran receives powers.  He is unhurt, but his powers are causing him pain.  Kamala (Iman Vellani) returns home from her trip to Pakistan and learns of the trouble that Bruno and Kamran are in.  With a new costume, given to her has a gift, she embarks on finding her friends and protecting them.  With the aid of Nakia (Yasmeen Fletcher), Zoe (Laurel Marsden) and Aamir (Saagar Shaikh), the team make it to the high school where they attempt to distract Damage Control long enough allow Kamran to escape.  Agent Deever (Alysia Reiner), against orders, orders the attack on the high school.  Does the group succeed? Is Kamran good or evil? Will Kamala and Kamran ever kiss?  Tune in to find out!

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), so many of the stories have huge global ramifications and often involve the hero saving the world, or at least a large portion of it.  Ms. Marvel is different, although there is a tiny bit of saving the world in it, but the main focus really seems to be on the character of Kamala and her journey to learning what truly makes a hero.  There is no real “big bad” for her to fight.  The Clandestine just wanted to get home, Damage Control is just trying to do its job (albeit with unnecessary force), and Kamran is stuck between two worlds.  I like the fact that this series depended on both the character building it was doing and the historical and cultural significance of the hero.  There was still plenty of action throughout the series, culminating in the big battle with Damage Control.

The production value was high, as it tends to be with Marvel Studio productions, the scripts were well written and the storyline engaging.  The episodes flowed well and had a great rhythm, but often felt a short, probably because I wanted more. The music was interesting and modern with a middle eastern flare. The acting was great, with Iman doing a fantastic job personifying Ms. Marvel. It is hard to believe that a girl who had no real professional experience before this series, could carry the show so well.  I enjoyed how the family reacted to her being a superhero, and instead of the normal drama around it, they all seemed thrilled and proud.  In fact, “pride in who you are”, is a big theme of the series, which I think was cleverly and aptly explored.

An Opinion: If this show wasn’t your cup of tea, that’s cool.  But I think that there are some haters out there, that are going to dislike the production just because it isn’t about a white Christian straight male. It is disappointing that people don’t open their hearts to let a show like this. You don’t have to be exactly like a character to related to them, and I related to all the characters in this series at some point in time, and the things I couldn’t relate to, I found fascinating, giving me a larger world view, expanding my knowledge and my understanding of a people I knew little about.  It is sad, that others, especially in the United States, have such a hard time with this. So, again, my creed is that no one should be made to feel bad for liking or disliking something, and I will stick to that, but if you didn’t like this show, maybe ask yourself, “was it because of some technical aspect, acting, directing, story, writing, or was it because of who the story was about”.