For anyone that hasn’t been introduced to the amazingness that is the show “Runaways,” the first thing I want you to do is to open a tab, check it out, and thank me later.
But if you must have some more information to inform your decision before you watch, hopefully, this post can convince you
As a huge Marvel fan myself, I was incredibly excited to hear that this show was being released, especially because of the fresh and young vibe the show presents. “Runaways” is a Hulu show that features a group of teenagers who discover that their parents are a part of the evil organization called the Pride and explores how the seven very different teenagers react and deal with their discovery.
https://youtu.be/plyJQG-nRN0
An aspect about the cast in particular that I enjoyed is that it is made up of mainly unfamiliar faces and unknown actors, with the exception of Greg Sulkin and Rhenzy Feliz (which some may recognize from Season 6 of “Teen Wolf”).
This is a risk to take when launching a new show, however, each of these actors performs extremely well and their unfamiliarity makes it even easier to really imagine them as their characters.
One of my favorite aspects of the show is the incredible diversity of the cast and the ability of the show to showcase complex and developed characters that don’t feel like they were made to tick a box. The teenagers have different ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientations, and even different genetic makeups, as we discover in the show that some of the teens have something about them that makes them very different (some even have powers—it’s really cool).
There is an engineering genius, a girl that glows and shoots light lasers out of her hands, a few magic wands, some super strength here and there, and oh yeah: One of them can telepathically communicate with a dinosaur.
Courtesy of Hulu
The show balances all of these wacky elements in a way that actually does seems realistic and relatable—well at least as realistic as these things can be.
The show is also set in Los Angeles which is very different from most other Marvel shows set in New York or another gritty city. The palm trees and sunny skies provide a really interesting juxtaposition between the disturbing events that happen in the show.
Furthermore, the show explores abusive family relationships, secrets, and shows how adults are not just one-dimensional characters that have been conveniently slotted in to fulfill the archetype of the evil parent. Each adult character is nuanced; complex and multi-faceted and I really enjoyed seeing this perspective on a show mainly targeted to teenagers.
It has recently been announced that the show has been renewed for Season 2 so it’s exciting to know that we are going to be able to follow the journey these characters go through for another 13 episodes.
I highly encourage people who like this genre and even people who don’t to check out this show and give it some support. It hasn’t been talked about and discussed as widely as I‘d personally like it to be! Supporting diverse and original young adult TV shows is important in making sure we see even more of them.
