This is one of those episodes of television that is nearly perfect. Occasionally a show has those moments during the season where everything comes together, the pacing, the acting, the direction, the tone, the storytelling, etc. For me this was that episode of Cloak & Dagger. Emotionally this episode had me caught up from the opening trumpet notes to the closing beats of two friends finding one another and finding hope. This may be because the series show runner, Joe Pokaski, wrote and directed this episode. It was his directorial debut, but given his role as show runner and writer you could tell there was a cohesion to the storytelling that sometimes is lacking in television.
The episode is so good I do not want to spoil it by giving a synopsis. Instead I will talk about the characters and their arcs and emotions. First the scenes with Tyrone’s mother, Adina and Detective Connors, were fantastic. Adina’s heartache and pain are tangible and the dialogue between them is perfect.
Tandy awakens in a motel where Andre and Lia have the missing girls, essentially living as sex slaves. Here we see Tandy’s arc reach a pinnacle of sorts as she sees how her anger at and manipulation of the people she cares about has eroded her own hopes. She finally truly seems to become selfless and sees the need for others in her striving to help others.
Meanwhile Ty again delves into his power and it’s link to Vodun to find his friend. During this scene we also get to see the New Orleans skyline, which gave me a little of what I had been hoping for with bringing the city in as a bit of a character in the show.
Another great interaction is between Andre and Auntie. I have always loved Auntie’s character. Her realness and straightforward nature is a relief from the sometime emotionally draining cons that Tandy pulls and Ty’s occasional moodiness.
The emotional high’s and lows of this episode where extreme and the last five minutes of the show are heart pounding and satisfying.
