Cloak and Dagger Season 2 Episode 9 Review: Blue Note
Justin Carreiro
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The truth shall set you free, but it didn't help Lia on Cloak and Dagger Season 2 Episode 9. Andre's closest ally is still trapped in the darkness after his mental manipulation and punishment.
Tandy and Tyrone dug deep into her mind with the hopes of freeing her while also discovering the truth about their foes. Their exploration didn't cure Lia's darkness; however, the truth of Andre's main goal and the secrets of the past came to light.
Did the journey into the mind hit the right note?
"Blue Note" focused mainly on providing exposition and backstory to fill in many of the missing pieces. Before Tandy, Tyrone, and Mayhem could stop the Big Bads from completing their mission, they (as well as we) needed to know how the villains got to this point.
The problem, however, is that the majority of exposition was held until Cloak and Dagger Season 2's penultimate episode. Everything got provided in one big batch, but it felt too-little-too-late to do anything about it.
In a longer season, the flashbacks of Andre's suicide attempt or him meeting Lia would get spread into different episodes. There would be time to grow and develop with the villains. Instead, the truth came all out at once and rushed through to the big climax.
As compared to Cloak and Dagger Season 1, the narrative suffered as a result. Andre's and Lia's pasts didn't pack as quite a punch as the Roxxon drama had a year prior.
Plus, Andre's impact as the main Big Bad fell a bit short since it was dialed back to selfish wants or local issues.
To spend the majority of an episode on flashbacks and backstories, the details needed to be earth-shattering or the purpose had to be essential. The stories here involved some facts that we, as viewers already knew. And ultimately, all of the searching into Lia's mind had no weight.
The trip became a lot of filler.
Andre's progression toward becoming the villain we all know and despise today didn't offer many new cards to the table.
His medical case of migraines, his descent into depression, and his failed suicide attempt were discussed previously in conversations with Tandy. Anything new came from his involvement with Lia post-oil rig explosion.
While the question of why Andre developed his migraines didn't get answered (I guess hitting the blue note triggered something in him?), his selfish personality was confirmed.
He no longer can blame any decisions on being infected with powers.
Tyrone: Tandy, what do we do?
Andre: Nothing. There’s nothing you can do. Pretty soon there will be nothing that no one can do.
Tandy: What do you want?
Andre: An audience. One big enough that I can draw enough of their despair so I can hit a blue note.
Tyrone: What’s a blue note?
Andre: It’s what separates a man from a god.
[Tyrone turns to Tandy]
Tyrone: You didn’t tell me he was insane.
There's nothing wrong with being ambitious, but he didn't need to reach for the blue note at such a pivotal point in his career. He should've performed a stellar show first to lock down the gig before risking it all with the mythical music note.
In addition to that, once he discovered that causing people pain cured his migraines, he jumped onto that train without a second thought. Andre thinks about himself first and what he's going to get out of life.
Cloak and Dagger Season 2 Episode 9 was his Slytherin side shining brightly.
Even during the trip into Lia's mind, Andre couldn't resist rubbing his ego in Tyrone and Tandy's faces.
He suffered from the classic case of "villain complex." Andre had to go into a full-blown narrative to explain his demands and his ultimate goal of becoming a god.
Telling the main heroes your plan probably wasn't his best idea. The truth bomb only pushed them further into trying to stop him from accomplishing his goal.
It's a shame that his failure at the jazz club led him to consider suicide. No one should feel that low and alone, even a future sociopath and villain like Andre.
I wish that Marvel's Cloak & Dagger spent more time exploring the four months in between his first migraine and the oil rig explosion that changed his life.
Those months were pivotal points in his life because it led him down a path to the moment where he ended up at the lake. Was he fully unable to play his trumpet again? Did the failure at the jazz club ruin his reputation?
Lia: There were people on the river last night. They watched you jump.
Andre: When you lose what you love, the whole world seems empty.
Lia: You lost someone?
Andre: The love of my life: my music. It was my whole world, before I started getting these migraines!
Details like these would explain how depressed he became, and eventually, how nefarious his mindset got. Without it, we had to take the matter as fact and move on.
In a perfect world, there would be more development to get the full picture of Andre's, and Lia's, villain narrative.
The descent into Lia's mind shed a lot of light into the background of the secondary villain. And since "Blue Note" focused mainly on Andre's backstory, it made sense also to explain how his closest ally became involved too.
Their roles are so closely linked together that the show couldn't explain one without discussing the other villain too. Especially since there are only 10 episodes for Cloak and Dagger Season 2 and we don't have a lot of time left.
Based on what Lia had told Tandy previously of her past, her true memories came as a bit of a surprise.
Related: Cloak and Dagger Season 2 Episode 8 Review: Two Player
Lia had her life together, and a great career helping people as a nurse. It's strange to think that she spent her life saving people before Andre ruined it, but now she's destroying lives with no remorse. If she had not been his attending nurse, the current series of events would be different.
Plus, Lia's past association with music provided another reason why Andre most likely kept her around.
Young Lia seemed dedicated while playing her instrument during her recital; she was possibly on track for a big career before something went wrong. Andre's manipulation in the hospital made her spill that she didn't truly want to be a nurse.
Could she have had a failed music career?
If so, that upset would explain why Andre trusted her a lot. Both of them would be kindred spirits in their failed pursuits.
From the way that Andre manipulated her, does that make her a victim too?
Don't get me wrong, Lia is equally as culpable as Andre for everything they caused together during their crimes. But, the way she got to that point was through brainwashing, manipulation, and Andre's pain powers. She ultimately was his first victim.
Mayhem: You think you know so much? You’re so worldly and wise? People like Lia … and Andre … like Connors. Yeah, they’ve had bad s*** happen to them, but that does not justify the bad s*** they do to others. Period.
Tandy: It is not that simple.
Mayhem: Yes, it is. Now move.
[Mayhem raises her gun to Tandy]
Tandy: No.
Mayhem: I’m not gonna say it again. Move!
Tandy: No!
[Tandy raises her dagger]
During Andre's flashback of the support group, Lia didn't look happy to be involved. She probably acted as a reluctant accomplice at that before acclimating herself to her new depressing and evil world.
The backstory created some sympathy for the character. I feel bad for what she went through and how Andre used her ... but it doesn't make up for the evil she caused during their partnership.
In between the flashbacks, Tandy and Tyrone made some big strides for the future of their mini-conflicts.
Tandy and Mayhem are still frenemies (reluctant allies?), but Tandy now knows that she can stand up to a deadly force like Mayhem. Their fight in the church escalated quickly; they practically near destroyed the building if they hadn't stopped when they did.
Sure, Tandy did it to save Lia, but her inner light can defeat Mayhem's chaos any day. Hopefully, she won't regret keeping Lia alive!
(Side-note: The foreshadowing was strong here, so there's a good chance Mayhem will get her "I told you so!" moment.)
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Tyrone, on the other hand, changed the entire drug scene in New Orleans in only one battle. Why didn't he do that sooner?!
Beyond the fact that now two more people know his secret, he used his dark powers for good. Those two criminals are positively scared of him and will never call on his wrath. Being pushed repeatedly off buildings has a way of striking fear into people.
The drug business wasn't destroyed, but at least no one will ever be sold drugs to use against other people. Baby steps...
Now that Andre has opened the locked door in his mind, what does it mean for New Orleans?
All of his brainwashed victims are gone, and he got bathed in light in that glowing room. Plus, if his music can be heard outside of his single victims, the rest of the city might be falling into pain spirals.
Tandy and Tyrone might be the only ones who can stop him since they seem not to be affected by the music. We'll have to see how it impacts the greater people of the city.
If Cloak and Dagger Season 1 Episode 10 is anything to go by, we could be in for a city-wide panic and chaos. I can't wait!
Last Thoughts From The Dream World:
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The door's lock getting opened by the blue note was a clever twist. Of course, the Darkforce would find a way to rub Andre's failure in his face with the note being the key. Darkness is so petty!
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Mikayla and Melissa getting revealed as brainwashed victims was a satisfying surprise that tied back Andre's collection of records. Melissa's sudden slide into her vices made a lot of sense in retrospect; Andre pushed her to that point of depression since he had access to her records.
- The sudden disappearances and personality changes in the kidnapped girls were most likely attributed to Andre's meddling too.
Adina: Are you in trouble? You need to be laying low, Tyrone. People are looking…
Tyrone: Mom, stop, I’m fine! I can take care of myself.
Adina: I know that you can, Tyrone. I know that. It’s not you I worry about, it’s everyone else.
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The conversation between Tyrone and Adina when he confronts her about murdering Connors is going to be awkward. He's already suspicious of her. If he doesn't find a way to clear his name, their relationship could suffer.
- Did anyone feel a twinge in their heart when Tyrone and Solomon brought up Luke Cage? We miss you, Marvel Netflix shows!
Now, over to you, Marvel's Cloak & Dagger fans!
What did you think of "Blue Note"?
What happened to all of Andre's brainwashed victims? Did Andre's backstory change your opinion about him? Did the discovery of Lia's manipulation wash over all the evil she did?
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.
Justin Carreiro was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on X.
