Cloak and Dagger Season 2 Episode 8 Review: Two Player
Justin Carreiro
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Who wouldn't want to play an arcade game of Marvel's Cloak & Dagger? Freeform and Marvel need to get on this project ASAP!
Tandy and Tyrone ventured into the digital world on Cloak and Dagger Season 2 Episode 8 to face their demons in a new form.
The pair punched and kicked their way through the levels, but the reality of the dark side became too much for one of them. No quarters required for an extra life; all they really needed was change.
"Two Player" showcased another reason why Marvel's Cloak & Dagger is one of the best cinematic shows on TV right now. As mentioned above, Tandy and Tyrone's journey transferred from the real world to the 8-bit screen in arcade form.
The decision to turn part of the hour into a video game suited the TV show's adventurous side with its past use of special effects and design styles.
Elements like soundtracks defining scenes, captivating camera angles, and the use of special effects have helped shape the tone and impact of scenes. During "Two Player" alone, Tyrone's overflowing shadows increased the urgency for help based on how much it moved on its own and how it reacted to Evita's sigils.
This choice showed that Tyrone's powers were out of control.
Tyrone: You’re really good at this.
Tandy: Damn right! You know, I was never much of a gamer, but I’m starting to think that I missed my calling.
In the case of the video game, the arcade provided a fun and retro outlet to present the pair's struggle over their demons. They fought continuous generic baddies, but the use behind it had a lot more importance for Baron Samedi playing them like puppets.
Plus, anything can happen in the Darkforce. Once minute Andre is playing a mind-altering vinyl in a record store in a dark mall, but the next Tandy and Tyrone are playing games in an eerie arcade run by Baron Samedi. Realism gets suspended.
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It all makes sense in the dream/dark world.
As a gamer, I loved the inclusion of the 8-bit arcade game. The game felt like a perfect mix of comic book and TV show lore.
The "Beat 'em up" style games ruled arcades in the 80s/90s, and Tandy's jokes when she got pulled into the game were all spot on. Anyone who grew up playing these retro games can pick up on the campy nods to gaming past.
The symbolism of the arcade game had a big impact on both Tandy's and Tyrone's journeys.
Tandy: Why did you come to that motel to try and save me?
Tyrone: Because I couldn’t imagine my life without you.
Tandy: I did. Andre ... he made me see you dying in front of me. And the one person in the whole world who understood me was gone and it was my fault.
Tyrone: He messed with my head too. He made me feel like you never cared about me, like it was all just an act.
Tandy: Maybe you’re right. Maybe it is better to ignore everything? All I know is I’d rather fight a hundred times with you than without you. So if you’re staying here, so am I.
Even though Tyrone was the one initially trapped in the Darkforce, Tandy had trauma of her own holding her back due to the kidnapping. That's where the inclusion of Andre as the arcade's boss fight came in.
Fighting against the generic baddies was second nature for Tandy and Tyrone; they've defeated petty criminals plenty in the past.
However, Tandy has a hard time when facing the big enemy in her life; whether it's a physical person or an abstract barrier. Tandy is not emotionally prepared yet to face Andre head-on.
She's going to need to overcome her baggage if she and Tyrone will ever have the strength needed to stop their enemy.
Evita made a huge sacrifice for the people she loved. Without the choice she made, the heroes wouldn't have won today.
While this journey into the Darkforce will only be a blip for Tandy, Tyrone, and Mayhem/Brigid, Evita will have to carry this burden for the rest of her life.
You could say this decision was her "calling," as Chantelle would put it. Evita has the second sight, and with her psychic abilities, she could do a lot of good. But, she had dreams of going to medical school and curing people. Her path completely diverged from the dream Tandy nearly stole back in Cloak and Dagger Season 1.
As the wedding procession appeared in the church, I felt heartbroken for Evita. Especially when she teared up at seeing her dead aunt conducting the ceremony.
Evita had a rough day with finding out her aunt got murdered, and her boyfriend got trapped in the Darkforce. On top of that, being forced to marry a loa to save his life hammered in the emotional and physical exhaustion she probably felt. This reality was not the future she had in mind.
In an alternate timeline, Evita would've married Tyrone. Now, I wouldn't be surprised if their friendship suffered or ended; she gave him the coldest of shoulders in the shop as Chantelle's body got wheeled away.
This romantic relationship is done and buried.
Speaking of dead, Connors' death came as a surprising twist!
Sure, Adina toyed with the idea of murdering her son's killer, but she walked away from that edge during Cloak and Dagger Season 2 Episode 7. The reason, of course, was to ensure Tyrone's name got cleared. To make that happen, Connors needed to be alive.
Adina found a loophole. (Give it to a lawyer for exploiting any opening in a case, even a blackmail one!)
Tyrone might have supernatural abilities, but Adina might be the more dangerous Johnson family member. She didn't hesitate to dispose of Connors once she got every piece of information she could get out of him.
Plus, the way she dropped the truth bomb to Delgado during their confessional was a perfect mix of savagery and icy retort.
Adina didn't care what evil she did; she got the justice that took years in the making. Plus, she convinced Delgado to expose the files on the corrupt cops, so she's already won in her eyes. Sacrifices were needed.
If one thing became clear after "Two Player," it's that Brigid and Mayhem's issues could've gotten solved with a little TLC. If they had put away their initial animosity, the pair could've talked it out and become a stronger unit by now.
Related: Cloak and Dagger Season 2 Episode 6 Review: B Sides
They're two sides of the same coin; they complement each other because one is dark and the other is light. Without the other, they were half of their true self.
Mayhem: Jesus, you chewed these things to shreds. Anxious about something?
Brigid: What color is that?
Mayhem: “Poison.”
[Brigid gives a confused expression]
Mayhem: Literally, that’s the name. I have a brand.
Brigid and Mayhem needed the alone time to work out their issues and come together as one being. And based on their history, talking it out over a manicure was the smartest move to lay everything on the table.
With Mayhem taking control of the newly reformed Brigid, what does this mean for the future? Could there be shifts between darker and lighter Brigid?
Hopefully, we'll have "Brigid" return at some point. I like Mayhem's edge and directness, but there's something nice about Brigid's caring side.
Andre is a monster!
Killing Lia so that he could clear the pain from his mind might be one of the lowest things he's ever done. The lowest is still creating the human trafficking operation and kidnapping the girls. (He is the worst overall.)
Related: Cloak and Dagger Season 2 Episode 5 Review: Alignment Chart
Lia was so dedicated to him. You could see the fear and reluctance on her face when he needed to place the pain in her mind. Lia was no angel; she's equally culpable in everything Andre did, but she didn't need to get used.
Andre has killed a lot of people in his path toward unlocking the sigil. Now that he has the key, Tandy and Tyrone need to stop him ASAP! If he gets the power, no one will be safe if they get in his way.
Last Thoughts From The Dream World:
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I'm sad that Chantelle is dead. She had all the wisdom and witty truth-bombs to make any intense scene light-hearted. Evita will no doubt feel this loss deep in her heart.
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Tandy's confession to Tyrone over the thought of losing him = heartbreaking!
- Baron Samedi needs to return in the future. He threw out one-liners and retorts like it was his bread and butter!
Baron Samedi: Look!
[A bouquet appears in the glass shelf]
Tyrone: Hey, what is that?
Baron Samedi: A wedding bouquet. And you, my boy, are the bride’s price. A life for a life. A bouquet for the cloak.
Tyrone: But I ... I don’t understand.
Baron Samedi: Time for you two to scat and take your friends with you. The missus likes a clean house.
[He snaps his fingers and they teleport away]
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Delgado was frustrating! Yes, he wanted redemption for what he did in the car crash, but him helping to take down corrupt cops AND prove Tyrone's innocence would've been a great heroic move. He shouldn't have needed a half-hour of convincing to do a good deed.
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Papa Legba likes candy but not gum. Someone write this down for the future.
- If Evita's bouquet is currently in Baron Samedi's arcade, does that mean she could potentially be freed from her loa marriage?
Now, over to you, Marvel's Cloak & Dagger fans!
What did you think of "Two Player"?
Did you love the inclusion of the arcade game style? Did Andre uncover the code to unlock the symbol? What does Evita's wedding mean for her future with Tyrone?
If you missed the latest episode of Marvel's Cloak & 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.
