It also finally kicked into gear with some action and juicy plot details! Cloak and Dagger has been somewhat slow to kick into gear, with 6 episodes passed and the two main characters only just getting deep into their investigation during last week’s episode. Tyrone’s investigation hit a fatal wall, but Tandy had a bit more luck with the daughter of a friend of her father’s. Let’s get into “Lotus Eaters” and discuss its events.
Glorious, Glorious Plot
This was easily the best episode of Cloak and Dagger’s season, in my humble opinion. And for good reason; things moved. Things happened. I know the idea of what was probably a few minutes inside someone’s head doesn’t sound like much, but “Lotus Eaters” made good use of the episode-long dream its characters inhabited. Tandy and Tyrone exhibited their greatest control yet of their powers. There were many more details regarding the rig explosion, including hints towards the origin of the superpowers. The characters themselves underwent substantial growth and bonding.
It was just a pleasant shift in pace and balance between character and plot.
By far the most interesting plot development was the intimate look at the explosion. Namely, the effects of it. We knew the explosion gave Tandy and Tyrone powers, but we had no idea how or why. The question remains but at least we have an idea now. There may even be an outright explanation for Tyrone, while Tandy’s powers remain a bit more of a mystery.
Whatever effect the magic not-oil juice the Roxxon rig drilled for had on its workers sounded awfully similar to Tyrone’s powers, or at least the effect his powers have on others. They basically turned into violent, mindless zombies because they were infected by fear during the initial mini-explosions on the rig. Why? Unimportant right now. What’s more interesting is how this ties right into Tyrone’s powers, which tie directly to fear.
So why does Tyrone seem to control fear, or at least have the ability to use it to his advantage? It’s a good question. The others on the rig were overtaken by the effects of the explosion. Is it because he survived the explosion that killed everyone on the rig but Ivan Heiss? Was it his proximity, or rather his lack thereof? Is it tied to him nearly dying and the explosion saving him somehow? And considering the only other two people who survived the explosion received powers from it, what will this mean for Ivan?
One thing expected of superhero shows that Cloak and Dagger lacks is some villain to focus on. Roxxon has served as the background antagonist, but there’s no central figure. Even Roxxon isn’t really a villain yet so much as the background potential for a villain. The past two episodes have begun focusing in on them, but you still expect some single person to eventually represent them. Could that person be Ivan?
I admit it probably isn’t likely, but you have to wonder if he’ll develop powers as well since the only other two survivors caught in the explosion developed powers. Maybe he will. And after 8 years in a repeating nightmare, who knows what his mental state will be like. Or maybe they’ll stick just to avoiding a repeat of this disaster. Last week’s episode had Evita’s aunt talk about a coming disaster only Tandy and Tyrone can stop. Now it’s easy to guess said disaster would repeat the rig explosion and its harmful consequences for those caught in it. Get ready for New Orleans, zombie-style.
There’s also the question of why Tandy developed “hope and light” powers when the rig explosion seemed so tuned towards fear. It’s a lot of questions to raise, but these are all new questions sprouting from new information in the episode, and I’m glad Cloak and Dagger finally gave the details necessary to ask them.
It was also great to finally see Tandy and Tyrone display such control of their powers, as well as work in tandem. Tyrone mentions how he feels more in control of his powers in the repeating dream. Maybe they’ll again be inconsistent back in the real world, but I hope his powers will at least come closer to his dream level of power. Tyrone’s power level jumped considerably from what we’ve seen before. Tandy’s were closer to what we expected, but still a jump. She was tossing around her light daggers pretty skillfully by the end.
Even better, they skillfully used their powers in tandem.
I hope “Lotus Eaters” served as a way for Cloak and Dagger to make permanent, considerable jumps forward in power level using a plausible explanation. The dream was a good way to provide them a taste of their greater capabilities allowing them to understand them more. Considering how closely tied Tandy and Tyrone are, their strengthened bond also makes me optimistic. Cloak and Dagger not only moved the plot forward, it moved their relationship markedly forward as well.
Cloaking and Daggering
The setting and stress of the oil rig dream provided a great opportunity for Cloak and Dagger to develop its main characters, and the show took advantage. A big reason this episode ended up as easily the best so far was because it fully integrated character development into action and plot movement. Not that I have any problem with character development, but you’d rather it happen through actions than talking. At the very least you want a balance.
Most of the character work here centered around Tandy, which makes sense. Ivan Heiss was her lead through his daughter Mina. He worked with Tandy’s father and was on the phone with him when the explosion happened. Watching her work through her loneliness throughout the episode was interesting and far more preferable than having her and Tyrone scream awkward dialogue at each other (which did happen here).
It’s been obvious since the first episode how the loss of her father changed Tandy and her mother. They have each lingered on what happened in their own way. Her mother lingers tangibly in her efforts to sue Roxxon and get legal justice. Tandy has run away from her feelings but always lingered mentally. She held on to her resentment over losing her father and never let go, no matter how many people she runs from in real life.
Her dream phone calls with her “father” made clear that she hasn’t come close to leaving her memories and anguish behind. Just like that, Tandy was willing to basically give up her life to spend eternity talking to someone else’s interpretation of her father. This actually fed into her previous admission of suicidal thoughts. For all intents and purposes, she would end her conscious life and forget everything in order to talk to the voice over the phone.
It’s significant that Tyrone was able to break her away from this choice, and also that Tandy was willing to listen. They’ve come a long way. Tyrone has finally provided her with something she lacked in all the years since her father’s death: a genuine friend facing similar circumstances and that she genuinely believes she can relate to. Maybe Tandy cared for the boyfriend who is now in jail, but she obviously didn’t feel any strong loyalty for her.
Tandy has lived a life basically alone, morphing herself to fit whatever crowd she tries to fit in with. She was right when she said she played Tyrone. She has played him since the moment they first saw each other. The same confession was made last week with Mina, because Tandy has done this so long it’s her default. Throughout the course of Cloak and Dagger, though, we’ve seen her and Tyrone grow closer because they share the same strange experience with their powers, which also link them together in some intangible way.
The ending phone call was a great way to cap the episode’s emotional development for both. Not just because it proved Tyrone to actually be Tandy’s friend in a way she lacked since her father’s death; it also had the tape recorder moment capping Tyrone’s development throughout the episode. He went from not even remembering his brother’s voice to openly sharing it with his new friend.
(And let’s not ignore the romantic undertone of the scene.)
“Lotus Eater” was a truly significant episode of Cloak and Dagger. I hope they keep this quality up. All the slow-burning and frustration of the first 6 episodes would be worth it if things shift in this direction moving forward.
Other Thoughts:
- If Ivan isn’t a bad guy in any way, you have to assume Roxxon will want to silence him. I hope he sticks around, I like his character. Don’t Greg him please.
- Did Roxxon not give the rig the shielding Ivan wanted specifically so the explosion would happen? It’s common villain stuff to let a disaster happen in order to study the results.
- I hope Tandy has a moment of reflection regarding the number of bodies her daggers have accumulated. She’s incredibly ruthless in murdering with those things. I know they were dream people in this episode, but still.
- With the romantic interest starting to present itself, I wonder how Evita will come into play in that drama. I’m worried because I have zero tolerance for love triangles stalling stories.
- I saw a fan who did the math about how many cycles Ivan lived through in his catatonic state. Let’s just say it’s enough to warp someone’s mind quite a few times.
