Episode 6: Funhouse Mirrors
Directed by: Jennifer Phang
Written by: J Holtham & Jenny Klein
Not taking the episode’s name for granted, Tyrone and Tandy get a glimpse – through those they primarily interact with here – of how their lives may have turned out had it not been for that tragic, life-altering night. As such, “Funhouse Mirrors” is split into two independent plot threads starring our two lead protagonists. That being Tyrone inserting himself into Duane’s (played by Dalon Holland) business to get closer his late brother’s friend and to the dirty cop who shot his brother, while Tandy infiltrates Roxxon via cleverly posing as an intern to get the low-down on the company’s dirty dealings and that ‘accident’ years ago.
Up to this point, Tyrone has been a passive protagonist, less than enthusiastically pursuing his goals and using his powers, stumbling into things that utterly robs him of any agency in the series. Sadly, this is no different here, as things play out around him without him having much of an active part if any. His story unfolds as cliché as could be predicted, only redeeming itself at the literal end of the episode where history repeats itself, as Tyrone is left to re-live that helpless state those many tragic years ago when he watched his brother die.
Tandy, on the other hand, is far more proactive in her agenda. Aubrey Joseph has good chemistry with Ally Maki, who plays Tandy’s ‘mark’, Roxxon environmental engineer Mina Hess. But it’s left to be seen how much more of a role Mina will play in Tandy’s tale, with this series’ less than flattering history with supporting cast. There is a touching moment when Tandy realizes Roxxon not only damaged her life but other people and families. It no longer becomes just about her personal crusade, which now takes on a bigger scope; something Tyrone’s arc lacks.
Meanwhile, O’Reilly and Connor (portrayed by Emma Lahana and J D Evermore respectively) remain the only real co-stars of “Cloak & Dagger”, as most every other supporting cast member – save for Tyrone’s thirsty crush Evita – have all but vanished from the story as of late. Their minor subplot tangentially links with Tyrone’s, and like Tyrone, O’Reilly kind of falls into that same rut of being a passenger and victim rather than an agent of her own destiny.
All in all, the way this series has developed to this point will leave most (comic book) viewers wondering when will we ever see “Cloak & Dagger” unite towards a shared purpose, and stop just being each other’s emotionally damaged, transient bestie. It might have been more constructively beneficial if the decisions and outcomes of one story directly affected the others’, either immediately or foreseeably down the line. It doesn’t help either that the segmented nature of the show will continue to divide your interest and investment in one character arc over the other, as there has yet to be a converging narrative with an end or ends, in sight.
Hailing from the eastern-most Caribbean island of Barbados, Fabian Wood has long since been fascinated by the power of storytelling to inspire and invoke emotions – whether in film, comics or video games. No longer content to be just an avid comic book reader and videogamer, he’s eager to exercise his literary acumen as an aspiring writer and reviewer.
