One of the things that Ms. Marvel has made work, even though it's walking a bit of a tight rope, is that the first two episodes of the series have had very little focus on superheroes. The premiere episode of the series could be excused for this simply because the Disney+ show needed to introduce all the new characters. It also needed to make sure that people really fell in love with the teen girl at the center of the new show by getting to know her personality and where she fits into the broader world of Ms. Marvel. While it seems as though that was accomplished with the first episode of this new Marvel series, the second episode worked to show what Kamala's day-to-day life is like as she starts to come to terms with the possibility of being a superhero.
With everything being set up and the characters already introduced, the second episode of Ms. Marvel not being anywhere near action-packed could have been a problem if it wasn't carried out exactly right. The good news is that much like the first episode, this second installment was indeed done pretty much perfectly. Even if it turns out that the series as a whole is going to have the superhero alter ego of Kamala Khan be mainly in the background, there's enough to like about the series as simply a look into the life and times of a young Pakistani-American teenager who is just trying to find her way in the world.
The second episode of Ms. Marvel picks up just a bit after the series premiere left off. Kamala is still dealing with the fallout of disobeying her parents, shown mainly by her mother's coldness even as Kamala tries to apologize for sneaking out. However, the show also does an excellent job of not dwelling on that particular plot point any more than it has to. The first episode already showed that her parents are both loving and strict, and it seems like reiterating it too much this week would have been overkill.
Instead, this story chapter shows Kamala and her friends moving on with their lives even as the school is abuzz about the new superhero in Jersey City. Perhaps because Kamala and Bruno know precisely who the new hero is, they're more interested in keeping things under wraps for now, while Nakia just wants to live her best life and maybe even find some ways to change what she sees as the things that are wrong with her day-to-day life. This is also where Ms. Marvel pulls from one particular storyline in the early comics when Kamala and Nakia head to a mosque that leaves quite a bit to be desired in their eyes.
Not long after the setting that will be familiar to any of the fans who picked up the Ms. Marvel comics from the very beginning, the show takes a hard turn into its own telling. It gives the viewers a better look at what Nakia really brings to the table. This is an excellent scene for a couple of different reasons, especially for those who might not be clued in to just what the Pakistani-American culture is really all about in this country. The scene allows Ms. Marvel viewers to see how these people interact with one another outside of some well-established stereotypes that have been done to death on one sitcom or another. It also allows the audience to see that Nakia is someone to be reckoned with when she sets her sights on something she wants.
In fact, while Nakia might have mostly been a kind of background character in the first episode of Ms. Marvel, this installment showed that she's a bit more critical to Kamala's life and story. The juxtaposition of how Kamala and Nakia deal with being middle-eastern teens in the middle of New Jersey and how they try to blend their culture with their peers is a pretty significant and exciting aspect of episode 2.
There is another part of the Pakistani-American culture that takes center stage when it comes to this episode of Ms. Marvel, and that is something known as The Partition. For those unfamiliar, The Partition was when Great Britain finally left the Indian subcontinent, and the area was divided into what is now India and Pakistan. The show talks about this particular part of real history without delving into it, mainly because it's made clear that all the characters involved know exactly what happened.
The dividing up of the land between people that had mostly been living together peacefully until power was handed over in 1947 was one of the bloodiest periods of human history, with millions estimated to be killed in skirmishes that popped up all over the region. It would appear that the Khans were one of the families that fled the region in the wake of this violence, or perhaps even the long-lasting after-effects of The Partition, and settled where Ms. Marvel now takes place.
The show handles blending real history into a show about a girl who has super powers marvelously in part because it doesn't beat the audience over the head with it. Instead, it's just vague enough that there will absolutely be viewers that want to know more about what exactly was at the center of this week's story. It also does an excellent job into allowing those who might not understand this culture all that well, a window in what makes Kamala Khan and her family tick.
To be clear, the first episodes work despite the fact that there isn't plenty of superhero antics precisely because the characters and the personalities are so fun. However, it does feel as though a third episode of this could see a legitimate backlash against Ms. Marvel by the comic book fans who really want to see her start to use her powers. On the other hand, so far it feels like the show is setting things up perfectly for a deeper dive into what makes Kamala and her family tick while also setting up against some powerful enemies. All while the series continues to be good clean fun.
Ms. Marvel is now streaming on Disney Plus.