Cloak and Dagger Season 2 Episode 4 Review: Rabbit Hold
Justin Carreiro
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There's plenty of horrors waiting in the Darkforce, but it wasn't as scary as you would imagine. Think of it more as a mental fear than your typical spooky house.
Tandy faced this reality firsthand in her rescue mission of Mayhem on Cloak and Dagger Season 2 Episode 4.
Her inner demons and memories proved to be scarier than anything she could've ever found. But, as with any risk going into a dangerous territory, she brought back something more dangerous than her repressed memories.
The journey through the Darkforce created a surreal and eerie vibe throughout "Rabbit Hold."
Every step that Tandy and Mayhem took through this alternate reality, you couldn't help but feel that something was amiss. Particularly, the world seemed hollow and that the locations were shells of their former selves.
The best description I could give of the Darkforce comes from Mrs. Figg in the Harry Potter world: "Then everything went cold, as though all the happiness had gone from the world." That summed up the vibe of the Darkforce. Empty, hollow, dark, and cold.
As a horror and sci-fi/fantasy fan, I loved Tandy and Mayhem's adventure through this darkness.
Their new reality had many layers to it for the purpose of exploring their character development. We learned so much because they were faced with their fears in a complex, mind-tripping way. And, they interacted with each other in a setting that forced them to discuss their histories.
Marvel's Cloak & Dagger needs to explore more techniques like this in the future. The plot satisfied both the visual aspect of the episode and the characters' motivation.
For any doubts about the voodoo connection, Papa Legba basically confirmed his involvement in Tandy and Tyrone's world. It's no coincidence that Tyrone channeled Papa Legba on Cloak and Dagger Season 2 Episode 3, and then he just showed up in the Darkforce to lead Tandy's/Mayhem's path.
Papa Legba had the power, and he knew more than he was letting on.
Even in the Marvel universe, he loved toying with the people he interacted with. Making Tandy's sacrifice of her white dagger affect Tyrone's power provided a clever twist on their unexplained connection.
Tandy: Are you alright?
Papa Legba: I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. What about you?
Tandy: I don’t know. I walked through this door that my friend made.
Papa Legba: Tyrone. Your divine pairing.
Tandy: So, you get that channel?
Papa Legba: We get all the channels.
Tandy: So that means you’re not fun-size Tyrone?
Papa Legba: Nope.
Tandy: So, what’s your name?
Papa Legba: I have too many. I am that which stands at the crossroads. St. Peter. Faterbon. Papa Legba.
The symbolism of the two-sided coin wasn't lost on anyone.
Tandy and Tyrone have a strong connection together, so their powers and lives are an all-or-nothing deal. Papa Legba made Tandy pay a big price for the right to go on this quest to find Mayhem.
Hopefully, he returns to cause more chaos. I don't think he's a villain, but he's an unpredictable entity who could change the balance of power to either good or evil.
Tandy experienced two visually stunning illusions during her time in the Darkforce. These moments showcased why it was beneficial for her to venture into this nightmarish world.
First, the riddle with the mirrors provided plenty of clarity to both Tandy and Mayhem,
Whereas Tandy was a complex person with multiple layers to her, Mayhem was deemed only "half a person" in this reality. The mirrors confirmed that Mayhem can't be her own fully-fledged person because she's missing the good that came from Brigid. They're two halves of the same coin.
Mayhem: What?
Tandy: You look exactly like her.
Mayhem: Why not that she looks exactly like you?
Tandy: Because she’s Brigid.
Mayhem: And what does that make me?
Tandy: You’re the toxic side. The pain, the anger, the…
Mayhem: The what?
Tandy: The mayhem.
Mayhem: Hey, well, with a little mayhem, it’s one way to shake up the status quo.
Tandy: Sometimes the status quo is okay.
Tandy, on the other hand, had many versions to her.
There's Ballet Tandy, Rebel Tandy, Scientist Tandy, Superhero Tandy, and many other sides that could've been shown on the mirrors. She needed to determine which Tandy she truly was for them to be able to move closer to their exit.
Deep down, Tandy is a hero. She has the power inside of her to do good for all.
Secondly, the record store revealed many deep-seated nightmares that Tandy had buried deep inside of her.
It's no wonder that she couldn't remember how evil her father had been during his life. She internalized those terrible moments and repressed them until they disappeared. But the Darkforce found them ... it always does.
Having the scene play out as the record went on provided a creative way to go beneath the lyrics. I liked that it felt like we were pulled into a snapshot of a moment in time.
Nothing Tandy could do would ever change that scene. Those moments would forever be manifested a record in the darkness.
Tyrone: What if I’m not afraid of you?
[Tandy raises her white dagger]
Tandy: You always have been at some level.
[She throws the dagger at Tyrone]
Tyrone: Nah, I’m probably the only person on this earth who knows the real you.
Tandy: You know what I’ve been through, what I’m capable of, but it goes both ways. I see your darkness too.
And just think about all those vinyl records that sat in the store. Each one could expose a specific memory from the person they were about. That store was littered with dozens of records, including others from Tandy herself.
Since many of them were from the missing girls, maybe it could provide a clue to help save them?
Mayhem will need to put in some effort to explore her good side.
When she got the chance to go after Connors, she went for it without a second thought. Sure, Connors deserved every bad thing that headed his way, but Mayhem knew that Tyrone needed Connors to clear his name. Trying to kill him seemed very thoughtless.
Whether she's still in the Darkforce or not, Mayhem should use that time to reflect on what she did.
Tandy went out of her way to try to save Mayhem, but she went behind her back to attack an enemy. There's still trust that needs to be built there.
Regarding Tyrone's storyline, he should've told Tandy sooner about absorbing Connors into the Darkforce. Out of everyone in New Orleans, he could've trusted her the most with the secret.
Who else was going to believe him?
Related: Cloak and Dagger Season 2 Episode 3 Review: Shadow Selves
Still, Tandy's anger at Tyrone wasn't justified. Tyrone was still a wanted criminal who was framed for killing a cop; the police were going to go after him regardless. Unless Connors was around to tell the truth, there was no to clear Tyrone's name.
Tyrone didn't even know if he could travel into the Darkforce, so his options were pretty slim. Both were right about their feelings, but they were wrong in how they approached the situation.
Much of "Rabbit Hold" focused on Tyrone and Adina playing a cat-and-mouse game with the drug dealers and cops of New Orleans.
Wherever they went in the city, someone would casually pop up to send them in the opposite direction. Everyone wanted a piece of Tyrone Johnson. This plot device added plenty of tension to the scenes because you never knew if they would eventually be caught.
Reuniting Tyrone and Adina made me smile because Adina looked so lost and sad without her son. She truly loved him and wanted the best for him. Their time together in the haunted house gave them time to catch up on all the long overdue mother/son moments.
Adina: So, this Evita, how does she know so much about vampires?
Tyrone: Her father owns one of those voodoo shops in the Quarter. She does those tours, you know.
Adina: Yeah, I know. I’ve never been on one. How many have you been on?
[Tyrone laughs]
Tyrone: Hey, don’t worry about that.
Adina: A mother needs to worry about that.
(Raise your hand if you loved that Tyrone defended Tandy to his mother too!)
What stood out from Adina's return was her table full of files and folders. She's on the verge of a bid discovery with these pieces of evidence. But, the papers could mean anything at this point.
Let's cross our fingers that one of those papers holds the key to clearing Tyrone's name.
Related: Shadowhunters Season 3 Episode 18 Review: The Beast Within
With Connors back in town, Tyrone's odds of being proven innocent just got a whole lot better.
Connors is traumatized from his time in the Darkforce, and he's petrified of the "Cloak." The store covered in Cloak figures had a very serial killer vibe to it. Connors might be a changed man after his time in isolation.
Tyrone can use this fear to his advantage. That is if he can find Connors before he does any harm during his return to the city.
Last Thoughts From The Dream World:
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When Tyrone saved Solomon's life, I knew he would be making a return sometime in the future. You don't learn the name of a minor character unless they play a bigger role later on.
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Tyrone and Adina's race through the Quarter brought back all the memories of American Horror Story Season 3. Just imagine if they stumbled upon the school!
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The scene of Mayhem and Tyrone explaining the stories of the Casket Girls was a powerful and well-edited scene. Both approached the history in a different way, but they eloquently connected it to modern life and expressed the underlining terror that came from true history.
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Seriously, the cops on Marvel's Cloak & Dagger are the worst! When you think they can't go any lower, they arrest the victim of a kidnapping. Where is Mayhem when you need her?
- Someone needs to create artwork of Connors' cloak memorial to Tyrone. The visual looked surreal and marvelous.
Now, over to you, Marvel's Cloak & Dagger fans!
What did you think of "Rabbit Hold"?
Is Mayhem still trapped in the Darkforce?
Will Tandy's journey through the dark mall have a negative effect on her?
What will Connors do now that he's back in the real world?
If you missed the latest episode of Cloak and Dagger, you can watch Cloak and Dagger online via TV Fanatic.
Come back here and share your thoughts in the comments below.
Justin Carreiro was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on X.
