Hulu's Runaways - Episode 2.09 "Big Shot"
The Runaways face off with Pride's dirty cops, Flores and AWOL.
In 2018, there were 495 scripted shows airing amongst the linear channels and streaming services. The way people are consuming content now is so different than it used to be. It happens according to one's own schedule. As such, there is less necessity to provide ample coverage of each specific episode in any given season from a show. Moreover, it is simply impossible to watch everything. As such, this site is making the move to shorter episodic reviews in order to cover as many shows as possible. Premieres and finales may feature longer reviews. With all of that being said, here are my thoughts on the next episode of Hulu's Runaways.
"Big Shot" was written by Kirk A. Moore and directed by Wendey Stanzler
How many times this season is someone going to say that their friends need to stop keeping secrets? That continues to be an empty promise delivered multiple times in these episodes. There continues to be the understanding that there will be no more secrets in these personal dynamics. But then, those characters just keep falling into the same patterns over and over again. It's gotten very repetitive and annoying. Character growth has been a significant issue this year. Some characters have progressed in some important and meaningful ways. The bond between Karolina and Nico is so special. It has evolved over the course of the season. And yet, Alex continues to aspire to be a master manipulator who can see the chess moves so far in advance. However, his plans never really seem to pan out in the way that he hopes. In fact, he may only further compromise himself and his friends because he is willing to lie to them in the hopes of forming a way to defeat Pride. That villainous organization is still together as well. They are brought back together because of Flores. Of course, he doesn't remain a serious threat for too long. He can't even hold Molly alone for awhile. That proves just how out of the loop he has been for this entire series. The police officers hunting down the Runaways have no awareness that they have these special powers. As such, it makes the officers quite vulnerable and susceptible to their attacks. There is the understanding that they are making progress. But they mostly just keep going around in circles as the parents are just putting their plans together. Sure, that's very ominous as well. Victor, Janet and Robert are teaming up to create weapons that can neutralize the threats from their children. They view these weapons as being used humanely and responsibly. But it's very unlikely that they will be kept that way because of how much they've gotten from life because they've marketed their inventions. They are at the top of their respective fields for a reason. Plus, they have the answers now to unlock some of the grand mysteries of the universe. Of course, that doesn't explain why some people are acting strangely out of character. Tina is enjoying every single aspect of a chocolate cake, Stacey pushes Dale away in an effort for independence, and Karolina is hearing voices that aren't there. They seem like out-of-body experiences as well. As if someone else is in control of them. That's daunting and potentially teases that they didn't destroy the threat that came from Jonah and the other aliens. There may still be hope for Karolina having a greater understanding of who she is. But it's dangerous as well because Gert and Old Lace become severely ill after some mysterious action. It's unclear who was driving the drone and sprayed Old Lace with an unknown substance. But it's clearly killing both of the people in this psychological connection. That's very intense. But again, so much of this hour centers around the constant back-and-forth on whose deal is eventually going to work out. It ends with AWOL killing Flores and kidnapping Livvie. She is armed with information about the Runaways as well. So, the threat is closer than ever before. It's just difficult to care because AWOL and Tamar are really just stepping into the narrative as characters the audience suddenly has to care about because they impact the war between Pride and the Runaways.
