Molly’s mysterious origins have been a central point in the entire first season of Marvel’s Runaways, and it seems like every week we only inch just a little bit closer to finding out anything. We know (or at least we were told, as she was) that her parents died in a fire at the lab. She was then adopted by Gertrude’s parents. But, like anything else in this series, there’s far more to it. Yes, her parents perished in a fire. But it was no accident.
This had Pride written all over it from the start. Molly’s parents had just discovered something incredible that terrified them, something they told Gert’s parents had to do with “doomsday”: glowing rocks that separated at touch. In a flashback to 10 years ago, we see them panicking in the lab while a toddler Molly plays with them. Suddenly, the door to the lab shuts, and a bomb is thrown in! The door’s locked from the outside, and they’re trapped, left to die. The murderer?
We see Karolina’s mother strutting away from the explosion, action movie style. She tells Niko’s mother on the phone that she’s “taken care” of them. What exactly did they know that threatened Pride so much? Flash forward to present day, when Karolina’s father is trying to convince her that he can handle taking down Pride by himself. Sure, dad.
Speaking of dads, Niko’s dad is back in the picture — and sleeping in Amy’s bedroom “for comfort.” Too bad that’s where Niko is secretly charging Amy’s phone. So much for unlocking secrets before school. Chase’s dad is still missing, and since Jonah and his lackeys took him, we still don’t know if he’s actually dead. Judging by this show, probably not. Chase’s mother held a press conference and told the public that he was overseas, seeking “radical treatment” for his brain tumor. Sure, Jan!
She reveals a little too much while talking to Chase, though. She tells him not to ask anymore questions about Jonah, or his father, or Pride, because she’s worried that he’ll be killed. How can you not ask questions after that?? While the kids are at school, the Pride members head to the drill site to finally see Jonah’s “renewable energy” project come to fruition. They’re convinced that this is the end of their servitude for this batsh*t blackmailer.
Molly ran away from Graciela’s home before school, and winds up hiding in the bushes to wait for the rest of the gang, VHS tape in hand. She needs their help. Luckily, the AV Club has a VCR locked away “for research.” I just aged a decade typing that. The tape is a message to Molly from her parents, who know that they might die because of what they found. They warn her that Pride is drilling into a blind fall, meaning you can’t see what’s down there. Even if this truly is a renewable energy source, as Jonah says, digging it up will have catastrophic consequences: catastrophic earthquakes and explosions. Oops!
Now that the gang knows this, they’re trying to figure out how to thwart Pride without suspicion. They’re going to the school dance, because, as Gert says, “when there’s nothing left for us, we might as well dance.” As they’re all getting ready, Niko gets Amy’s phone to work. There’s a text to a number not saved in her contacts: “He found out!! Leave the house NOW!!” Niko’s suspicions may be true, that Amy didn’t commit suicide — she was murdered. But who would do such a thing. Their mother? That’s everyone’s first guess because lady is evil, but Amy wrote “he found out.” Their father? Jonah?
The kids roll up to the dance anyway, and it’s literally the nicest high school function ever thrown. My god, it’s in a mansion and there’s a chocolate fountain. We had the smelly school gym and Denny’s afterward if we were lucky. Gert brings her pet dinosaur in the car, as you do, and leaves her with Molly. She’s dressed to the nines and confronts Chase, who’s totally crushing on her, too. You can just tell these things! They have a very teen movie-style conversation about how she doesn’t felt seen at school, and he’s the popular jock who everyone loves.
Seeing as this is probably their last day on earth, they just go for it. “I always saw you,” Chase tells her as they slow dance together, then start making out. Swoon. They have sex in the building’s chapel! Other people are getting it on, too. Doomsday really does that to you. Karolina kisses Niko, and Niko’s into it. Cue another makeout scene. Damn.
Plot twist: Jonah has known about the kids’ conspiring this whole time. He narcs on them to their parents, who realize what’s going on. Niko has the staff, Chase has the fisticons, Gert has the dinosaur, and Alex stole the drill site’s keycard from his father’s desk. It’s on. The kids manage to weasel their way into the site past a security guard using Karolina’s Gibborim status, and set forth using their powers to dismantle the giant drill and fill up the bottomless pit it’s already made.
One problem: their parents show up to stop them. It’s time for a standoff. The kids stand steady and get their weapons ready. Karolina takes off her bracelet and lets her rainbow side out. Pride is stunned. As her mother puts it, this is what she’s been fearing for years. Wait, what?
New episodes of Marvel’s Runaways drop Tuesdays on Hulu.
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