Marvel’s Cloak & Dagger
“Princeton Offense” (Episode 105)
June 28, 2018
Before tonight’s action, make sure you’re caught up with our review from last week here!
Important to remember was that in the aftermath of Lawyer
Hi, Louden Swift! Louden Swift is a commercial spokesman for Roxxon Corp. Tandy, who is working through Lawyer Greg’s purloined files, is watching the commercial on her phone. She’s in full on “Operation: Bring Down Roxxon” and I can’t say I disapprove!
Title Card.
Meanwhile, somewhere on a country back road, Detective O’Reilly is boning a sheriff in the back of his squad car … Why, hello there Detective! A phone call interrupts the festivities … aw man, it was just getting good.
NOPD. Ty is meeting with O’Reilly about his bike, but really, because he wants to talk to her about bringing down Connors. She explains that Connors is basically untouchable for Billy’s murder but for the drugs Tyrone has seen him with … that might be something. He offers to investigate but she advises he try and live a normal teenage existence – let her do the police work.
St. Sebastian’s. Tyrone finds his locker done up – its decorated in the same way the football players’ lockers used to get done in Friday Night Lights so this seems like a legit thing to me. I was in Marching Band; our lockers didn’t get decorated.
When he closes his locker, Tandy is there with a surprise for him. “What the hell are you doing here,” is Tyrone’s immediate and only concern. She wants to show him that she has mastered her light dagger power – and is now able to summon it at will. Like, right there. In the school hallway. Ty is more flustered about the appearance of the light weapon than really appreciating her moment but she thinks Ty in his “natural habitat” is the most interesting place to make light daggers appear. Where is the computer lab, she asks and they go off together.
In the computer lab, Tandy researches Roxxon personnel — she’s looking for a mystery man in the middle of the Roxxon empire — they bond over his love of basketball and how Billy was a good brother and on her end, her attempted suicide. She also tells Ty that she has decided to use her power to aid her search — she has the ability to check people’s hopes out of the library, metaphorically speaking so why not do it. Tyrone calls that stealing and invasion of privacy but Tandy counters that shit has been stolen from her her whole life so … Even Stevens.
Back in the school’s quad, Ty realizes that it was Evita who did his locker and when she refers to them as friends and sees a teammate giving his girlfriend his Letterman Jacket, a lightbulb dings for Ty that he isn’t doing this “boyfriend thing” very well at all. As Tandy watches the Basketball Team get feted before heading off for states, she has an epiphany of her own. One that involves stealing Prep School clothes from a cheerleader’s locker. I’m sold already, whatever it is she’s thinking about doing. Oh, she also steals a laptop – not important but funny because, you know, Tandy likes to steal shit. Commercials.
When we return, O’Reilly is researching Billy’s death as well as the epic drop in drug busts in the 12th (Ward, presumably). A friend comes over and she fishes for details – specifically naming Connors as a hero of the drug busting rings. She reveals her card that she’s put together that Connors, as an undercover officer in Vice, was the inel source on a number of the drug busts. The cop friend looks uneasy but says, that makes sense. O’Reilly has a negative connotation here — she says that Connors’ work served to allow one single giant Drug Kingpin to take over because every other dealer was taken off the street. Cop Friend doesn’t really get why she’s making this sound like a bad thing as the Ward is safer now. O’Reilly covers and says, she’s not saying its bad, just that such an action has consequences …
Johnson House. Ty is looking at photos of Billy, as he is wont to do — this one of Billy and his B-Ball friends, when he overhears his PR powerhouse mother talking to someone about a major function that Roxxon, her biggest client she mentions, is throwing. Seems like it will be quite the shindig with a special access lounge and everything.
**I think we had guessed at it but I think this is the first official confirmation that Mama Johnson represents Roxxon. Interesting development … **
They have a nice moment where Mama Johnson reminds Ty that Billy will be there with him tonight in spirit as he tries to win in the Finals — something Billy and his Basketball loving friends were never able to do. As Ty goes to hang the B-Ball photo on the wall, he is transported to the garage of one of Billy’s friends. A friend that owns a garage but wears a ridiculously nice watch! They reminisce about Billy and how his friend has done well for himself. Tyrone looks, suspicious. As he should.
On the other side of town, Tandy is working through her Roxxon files when she discovers the Roxxon Gala that Mama Johnson was just talking about. She also puts it together that call girls or more generously, escorts, will be hired to work the party. Dressing up in her best Prep School Wear (seriously, like right out of a Brittany Spears video), Tandy heads to the office of the escort service of choice and gets herself a job.
**If this is an actual depiction of how easy it is to get one of those types of jobs, that’s terrifying and I am glad I don’t have a daughter that I have to worry about.**
In the Priest’s Office that Ty seems to break into regularly, he pulls Evita aside for a quiet moment before leaving for the game. He says he wasn’t ready before but is now and hands her his Letterman Jacket. Glad to see he can pick up on not at all subtle hints. She tells him he doesn’t have to feel forced but quickly, they both realize this is the step they want to take. Well, Ty at least has convinced himself of that — I don’t think its his true feeling.
As we head to commercials, our stage is set for the rest of the night … Tandy, looking super amazing, checks into the Roxxon Gala, and Tyrone is on the court as the State Finals begin.
When we come back, Tyrone sinks a gorgeous jump shot and the ref calls a bogus foul on the Hancock player. Like, it wasn’t even really close. Ty takes his foul shots but he’s on alert that something isn’t right here …
NOPD. Ah, poor Liam. Remember him? O’Reilly comes in to talk to him and you can tell he’s a little bitter that Tandy hasn’t bailed him out after giving her all of his money. O’Reilly has some fun with it but really, she’s interested in learning about the local pharmaceutical scene available in night clubs. She’s got an offer and he’s definitely listening …
State Finals. Ty misses an easy pass which goes out of bounds. The ref still calls it St. Sebastian’s ball. The fuck?!? Before Hancock’s player complains, even Ty mutters a groan of “Come on ref.” The Injustice – Tyrone can’t even with it.
A few minutes later, after a scuffle for the ball on the ground, Ref makes contact with Ty’s shoulder and we flash to the Ref’s Greatest Fear: some goons are breaking his fingers or maybe, even cutting them off? When Ty comes back to the present, the basketball has disappeared from his hands …
And come bouncing out of no where into the Roxxon Party. Tandy, who has been carefully surveying the room, was in mid stride to a particular Roxxon employee when the ball appeared. She begs off for a moment as the employee grabs the ball and storms off to yell at some unlucky intern who will not understand why a basketball is their problem or fault. Whelp.
Halftime in the basketball game. A dejected Tyrone heads to the locker room as Tandy makes her way to a new target at the Gala. She brushes Roxxon Employee Number One and we’re in the bright white light of her Hopes visions — we’re also watching the action unfold in the same glass atrium room that Ty witnessed Tandy’s fear in. Interesting. Anyway, an Unnamed Man is serving Roxxon Employee #1 a drink on a platter and Roxxon Employee #1 looks mighty pleased with himself. Unnamed Man has a stoic look on his face.
In the locker room, Tyrone is generally looking dazed and confused — about what is happening in the basketball game with the calls, about his powers kicking in, just life in general.
As Tandy brushes Roxxon Employee #2 on the neck, we’re back at the glass atrium of light and Roxxon Employee #2 is making an intense phone call while Unnamed Man is now cocooned/fly trapped/taped to the wall. It’s a disturbing image for sure.
After testing to see if his hand can pass through a solid wall, Tyrone grabs a towel and takes a seat away from the rest of the team in the locker room. Homeboy is having a fucking day.
At the Gala, Tandy grabs the ear of Roxxon Employee #3 (the touching different places thing is a funny gag) – back in the atrium of light and hope, Roxxon Employee #3 is sitting at the Big Boss desk while Unnamed Man comes to him on his hands and knees for a blow job under the table. Wow. In the closet much, sir? Roxxon Employee #3 is very pleased.
Of course, as soon as Ty puts the towel on his face, a cloak if you will, he is transported to the Roxxon Gala. It’s Tandy’s turn now to ask, “what are you doing here?!?” To be fair, its much more justified with her asking since he’s at a fancy party in his basketball uniform (versus her in normal people clothes showing up at his school).
Commercials.
When we return, Tandy is taking Ty to task about showing up at the worst possible times and he’s all, this is YOUR fault. Also, what are you doing at a Roxxon party, Tandy?
She admits she’s digging around for info on Roxxon and Ty reads that code correctly as “root around in people’s heads.”
She asks why it matters if she’s experimenting with her “hopey touchy thing” and Tyrone schools her that she’s checked too many metaphorical library books out and HE’S paying the fine. Because she’s over here using her powers, its making his powers twitch — the whole connected thing.
She moves passed this and says she’s trying to find the Unnamed Man who shows up in all the big wigs Hopes. Which is exactly when she sees the Unnamed Man’s face on a poster for Roxxon’s charitable works. His name is Peter Scarborough (Wayne Péré) – she recognized him because he was the one who showed up at her house after her father died — the one who took everything from her and her mother. Tyrone chimes in that he’s seen Scarborough too – he was the man leading the charge against Tandy’s father in her Greatest Fears Vision.
Tyrone is real sorry for whatever it is she’s going through right now ut for real, motherfucker needs to get zapped back to his basketball game STAT. Please and thank you. She’s not sure its just like a tap and a zap and asks him if he has tried to the”almost dying thing” yet? No, no he hasn’t gotten around to it. Tandy feels like this is the perfect time and begins to berate him for the importance of State Finals and how everything is on the line. She’s driving him backward as she is saying this and finally, pushes him over the second story balcony into a very shallow fountain as she screams that he’s, “gotta let go.”
Yeah, don’t fuck with Tandy. Girl Does Not Play.
But, it worked. Tyrone wakes up in the locker room in the exact same place he left — just really wet now. He has come back in time to dry off and head out for the second half of the game.
Back at the party, Tandy befriends a woman, Mina Hess (Ally Maki), who she diagnoses as drunk but is really just suffering from stage fright. Maybe a drink would actually help? Anyway, Mina is called to the stage and she begins her speech. Back to that in a second.
We cut over to Detective O’Reilly who is busy picking coke out of the bra of a party girl – who claims its all for personal use. O’Reilly name checks “Club Ampersand” and party girl scoffs that she doesn’t really go there anymore. Interesting because a source told O’Reilly that party girl was their in-house coke supplier?!? Last chance to make a deal, Party Girl.
Gah, Party Girl tells O’Reilly that a runner shows up every day for an exchange of cash and product – she’s never met the man who actually supplies the stuff. O’Reilly isn’t satisfied but before she can bust Party Girl, PG calls O’Reilly on some police bullshit — isn’t O’Reilly a fraternal order of the loose morals club that party cops are? As her damning exhibit, Party Girl notes that O’Reilly is doing this shakedown outside for extremely valuable coke instead of all proper like inside the police station. Fair Point, Party Girl.
Back at her Batcave of activity (don’t worry, I come up with a better, permanent name below), Tandy is deep diving into Peter Scarborough and begins to realize that this guy signs or approves every piece of official policy and paper that Roxxon puts out. She pulls a full screen photo of him up on her iPad and you can see her rage taking aim at this target that now has a name and face.
State Finals. With 10 seconds left, and St. Sebastian’s down by 1 point, Tyrone has the ball and begins to move up the court. Unfortunately, there is a lot of touching and bumping in basketball and the first Hancock player Ty touches zaps him to the kids father beating him up. Back in the present and the dazed kid allows Ty to sway past easily. The second Hancock player? His greatest fear is him getting beat up for being a snitch. Back in the present and Tyrone easily moves by his dazed ass. The third Hancock player has a fear about being in a war zone?!? The Hell? Back in the present, Ty moves past and is clear. As the buzzer moves to zero, Tyrone pulls up for his patent jump shot … and misses.
“Hancock Wins! Hancock Wins!” Tyrone notices that the ref looks more upset than the players. Man, he’s in trouble I think.
Tyrone allows himself a small smile as he watches the Hancock team celebrate.
At Peter Scarborough’s house, Tandy rings the doorbell and asks to call AAA because of a flat tire. Peter insists to help her change it. She’s in her St. Seb’s outfit again. Well, not hers exactly. Anyway, as Scarborough begins working on the tire, Tandy summons a Light Dagger. BUT, she thinks about it and decides to see his Hope first.
Its as bad as you’d think.
Peter Scarborough’s biggest hope is collecting bound wads of cash off of the bodies of dead Roxxon worker. We see their bloated corpses pop up in the water like filled lobster traps ready to be harvested. Tandy grabs the helmet of one of the deceased and we see the name on it is Ivan Hess (in case it become important later on). Back in the present, Tandy looks like she might vomit.
The Johnson House. Ty comes into his room to find Evita waiting for him – clad only in bra and panties and his Jacket. Hot!! She doesn’t want to give his jacket back, she understands what Tyrone did … with the ref and the other team. She pays attention. “I know who you are,” Evita says before they get down to the sexy times.
NOPD. O’Reilly is casually doing some lines of coke in an evidence lock up when Connors comes in. He’s not there to bust her — he’s there to party. The duo commiserate over how hard it is not to drugs when you’re undercover – the rule prohibiting it is stupid and written by someone who has never done the work. He asks where O’Reilly found the good shit and she confesses to a trick she learned back in Harlem (in NY) – go to club dealers – they’ve got the best stuff and it never comes back on you.
“We should ride together, sometime.” – Connors
O’Reilly smiles as she takes her leave – whatever plans she’s hatching definitely seems to be working.
The Morning After. Evita scoots out the window before having to explain her presence at breakfast. Alone, Tyrone pulls a sweatshirt up over him and that transports him back to Basketball Duane’s Garage, Duane and Connors are having an argument. Basketball Duane is bitching out Connors because of the Party Girl bust that O’Reilly made. Basketball Duane’s girls are supposed to be off limits — ah, so that’s where Basketball Duane’s real money comes from. This makes more sense. Basketball Duane is demanding that Connors pay him what he’s owed and also? Connors’ “last delivery was light.” So Connors really is the big supplier. The magic man as it were.
Connors tells Basketball Duane that he’ll make this square but, as a reminder, they’re “partners” in this – Connors doesn’t work for Basketball Duane. Basketball Duane scoffs at that and says, nope nope nope. “Partners” isn’t what this is — “not after that night you shot my boy!” OOOOOHHHH Shit, this gets Tyrone’s ear real perked.
The Dagger Cave of Obsession. The morning has come and Tandy is still in her school girl out fit. She’s focused on blue print for the ill fated oil rig. She examines the blue prints from all angles and on the back, notices two signatures. One of them belongs to … Ivan Hess. The other? Nathan Rowen. Curiouser and curiouser.
The Hess name is finally ringing a bell for Tandy and we see her head to a taping of a new Roxxon commercial. This one? It features Mina Hess – the woman with “stage fright” from the Roxxon Gala … the daughter of Ivan Hess.
Mina is basically Tandy except Mina is still rah rah #TeamRoxxon. For good reasons too. From what we see of the commercial, Mina mentions that after her dad’s death, Roxxon paid all of her bills, put her through school and now she works for Roxxon, continuing her father’s work.
“and helped me continue Dad’s work of finding energy from under the Earth that was actually good for what was on top of it. My name is Mina Hess, and I’m working with Roxxon Gulf to save the world.”
Tandy stands off to the side with her arms crossed as we fade to black. Girlfriend is going to have some questions for Mina. And scene.
Thoughts. Mysteries deepen. Who is Peter Scarborough – we have a better idea now but not really the “why”. And Ivan Hess, why did they strip everything from Nathan Bowen’s life but foster and prop up Hess’s family? Was it the flip of the coin or was there something about Ivan and Nathan that cast their daughters’ respective lots?
We know that a lot of Tandy’s baggage comes from Roxxon stripping away everything her family had after nathan’s death so I imagine this Mina Hess Fairy Tale Story is NOT going to sit well with her. I can’t wait to see that play out.
What was the deal with the paid off referee? Was that Basketball Duane’s doing? In his Greatest Fear, it seemed like an old white man bookie determining his fate.
And speaking of Basketball Duane — was he really working with Connors all those years ago when Billy was killed? Was Billy in the drug game? If so, does that change how Ty idolizes him in memory?
Adina Johnson. I am not sure I trust you Mama Johnson. You admit your biggest client is Roxxon Gulf – so you have to know they’re shady as fuck?!? So, are you shady as fuck too? There is so much more we need to know about the Johnson Parents. At least Adina is going to play a part in the end game story here, I think. Remember, she’s the one packing heat around the house …
Tyrone and Evita – God, they’ve had sex now so he is definitely in love and we’re going to have to do the inevitable love triangle thing with them and Tandy?!? No, please. I will give Evita credit for sticking by her man after the basketball game — maybe she’s not horrible and untrustworthy.
Where is the Priest – I thought he was going to be a major play after the first two eps but we haven’t seen him since “Suicide Sprints,” I don’t think.
Detective O’Reilly. She’s a bad ass New York girl who is not afraid to break some rules but … maybe she’s too rogue? the sex in the squad car, the coke lines like a pro — I’m a little worried about the cleanliness of her soul.
So many questions to be had and hopefully, so many answers to be given in the coming episodes. Join us next week for more Cloak & Dagger breakdown!