Runaways Season 1 Review

Marvel's Runaways follows a group of teenagers that develop their own sort of powers for the most part and rebel against their parents. It's not the typical type of rebellion where age is a factor for why, but in that they catch their parents working together within an evil organization called Pride. There are some minor elements of mystery as the group splits up constantly in various smaller factions to deal with events and unravel what's going on. The series is a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but is essentially entirely disconnected from that being an intimate setting in terms of the characters and world it follows.

It definitely leans towards being a drama with the typical type of issues and it entirely focuses on being within a modern setting with the various themes that are covered. This first season was a great start to it all as they worked towards establishing each character and showcasing their origins. There's also a nice showcase of not just the present time, but various back story portions that help us see some of the motivations for actions. It's not a straight forward showcase of evil and perhaps there's something more to what's going on. I was really into it all looking forward to each episode and while some aspects could have progressed quicker it seems like the main focus for the initial narrative was achieved by the end while opening it up for the future seasons.

The entire show was beautifully presented with many gorgeous scenes and it was generally a pleasure to view. I'm not sure it hit all the action marks perfectly, but I could feel the intensity of their build-up towards a mini Civil War conflict. I was also pleasantly surprised by the quality of the core CGI member of their team since I wasn't sure we'd see a lot of that creature and for the most part it was fine. The cast was great each capturing the roles well and there was a good adaptation for each of their unique personalities.

Keep in mind that this is based on a comicbook series. Some members could use some more development here or there, but they're all in a very different place as everything progresses. I'm quite curious to see how a different situation will affect the Runaways as they actually move towards their core concept as that should be the main focus for the second season. I definitely felt the core group of kids really stood out with the sparkling powers being rather hilarious at times.

The Conclusion

I really enjoyed the Runaways, it was a smaller aspect of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and it worked perfectly while doing its own thing. The characters varied and were well represented while each having their own distinct issues.

It's very much a drama so many aspects work around that core genre aspect. This was fine and I looked forward to each week of release despite feeling that format of waiting for TV is aged now. It's a beautifully shot show, the CGI is quality and the acting of the large cast ties it altogether. The mystery was interesting and I'm intrigued to see how everything progresses with the second season of Marvel's Runaways.

Runaways Review at Home with TV Viewing

Rating Overall: 8.2