Cloak and Dagger Season 2 Episode 3 Review: Shadow Selves

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Marvel's Clock & Dagger saw double with the arrival of Brigid's bad side, Mayhem.

We learned so much about this new frenemy on Cloak and Dagger Season 2 Episode 3 and what she did in the time since her debut. Suffice it say Mayhem ran the town red in her pursuit of taking down Connors.

But with "Shadow Selves" primarily focusing on her backstory, was she the perfect addition to the mix or another chaotic cog in the plan?

A Big Discovery - Tall - Cloak and Dagger Season 2 Episode 3

The big question on everyone's mind was how Mayhem came to be.

We knew that she rose from the contaminated lake a changed person on Cloak and Dagger Season 1 Episode 10; those Roxxon chemicals had a terrible effect on anyone who came into contact with it.

However, no one suffered the same effect as Brigid. To our current knowledge, she's the only one who had gotten split in two -- beyond the mice.

For a while, Brigid seemed like she had gone evil due to her new powers. Especially with her erratic behavior and change in attitude. But with the appearance of a twin, it proved my predictions wrong of a super-powered Brigid.

Brigid: So, when I went into the water after I was shot, I divided into two?
Mina: Yep. So, you and your twin have the same DNA, the same fingertips, even the same memories up until the point of the split.
Tyrone: But very distinct personalities?
Mina: Yeah, you said it.

I'm satisfied with the reasoning for how there could be two Brigids running around the city.

Cloak and Dagger took extra time to explain scientifically how this could be possible. The explanation of the stress serum didn't seem entirely out of the realm of the normal for this Marvel world. Plus, they had Mina make the scientific discovery, so that helped a lot.

But, the change made Cloak and Dagger a bit more complicated now with having to deal with two stories of the same character approached differently.

Mayhem - Cloak and Dagger Season 2 Episode 3

To make Brigid and Mayhem work together, Cloak and Dagger will most likely have Brigid's story be a redemption arc where she pulls her life back together. Mayhem, on the other hand, will have a redemption arc that could focus on her learning to be a hero instead of her inner chaos.

Their best scene together happened in the alleyway of the strip club. Mayhem had all the confidence that Brigid lacked in her life; Brigid, meanwhile, had the humanity Mayhem needed. Their standoff highlighted their duality, and why they need to work together eventually.

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Arguably for the plot, Brigid didn't need to be split from Mayhem. The character had a strong enough story to carry both redemption arcs as a singular, super-powered role.

Based on "Shadow Selves," the additional character took away screen time from the story overall to explain the origin. And, Mayhem got to do the juicier high-tension scenes that Brigid wouldn't have done.

I think this twist might've gotten done as a way to introduce more chaos baddies in the future.

The town was infected months ago, so potentially, there could be others for Tandy and Tyrone to fight. Mina wouldn't have gone into a full explanation of the twist if this wasn't going to mean something later on.

Superhero Team - Cloak and Dagger Season 2 Episode 3

Regarding Mayhem's bevy of flashbacks, they were overused to death. Cloak and Dagger spent so much time looking at the past that the present felt like an after-thought at times.

Don't get me wrong; some flashbacks were important to the progress of the story. Like, how Mayhem followed Brigid's same system of writing notes on playing cards, her mission to find Connors, and how Mayhem went to the same hideout location that Brigid knew about.

Tandy: How is there two of you? And this other “you,” she slit this guy’s throat open with her own hand. She’s crazy strong and crazy homicidal.
Brigid: She’s not me!
Tandy: She’s got your face and she’s got your badge! She pointed a gun at us, she killed this guy in the ambulance, and all the people at the club!
Tyrone: Tandy! Give her a minute, okay?
Tandy: Okay, I’m sorry. I’m sorry she just … I mean, how did this happen? Was there some sort of lightning strike?
Tyrone: Tandy, she doesn’t know what happened.

The problem, however, was that with the overabundance of flashbacks, it took away the effect of their importance.

A lot happened in Mayhem's year that we got rushed to catch-up. I felt a bit frustrated near the end of the episode because I wanted the plot to move forward and save the girls instead of jumping back into another flashback.

Mayhem killed people. Mayhem wanted to find Connors.

Done! Let's move on.

Wall of Clues - Cloak and Dagger Season 2 Episode 3

Mayhem's past revealed her aptitude of being a skilled fighter and killer. Whenever anyone got in her way, she quickly defeated them with barely any effort.

And if she gets angry, her sense of vengeance and justice will urge her to kill.

Related: Cloak and Dagger Season 2 Premiere Review: Double The Action, Double The Fun

The crooked police officer had no chance after mouthing off to Mayhem, and she quickly disposed of the gang members in the club. At first, it was a mystery of who killed them, but after she confirmed her crimes, the feeling was, "Yeah, obviously she did it! Who else would it be?!"

I like Mayhem as a character. She's witty, ruthless, and takes charge in getting everything that she wants. When she grabbed Tandy's white dagger like it was nothing, I cheered her on.

Mayhem will no doubt cause a lot more chaos in her future, and she probably has more strengths up her sleeve.

One of the key developments from the flashbacks came in the form of Delgado's downfall.

The former priest went from being a trusted and respected teacher to become a homeless alcoholic. He still kept up with his inspirational sermons, but now they sound more like incoherent ramblings.

What could have caused this sudden change in Delgado from Cloak and Dagger Season 1?

Delgado: If you want to confess, I’m not your man. God lost my number.
Mayhem: I’m not asking God to hear me. I found a person that I thought would lead me to my bad guy Connors, but it turns out he was just another dead end.
Delgado: And you killed him for that?
Mayhem: No, I killed him because I felt he deserved it.
Delgado: Are you worried about your soul? God’s reckoning?
Mayhem: Here’s the thing, sins have weight, guilt attached to them. I don’t feel any of that. If I have a soul, it’s not in this body.

I think it had to do when Tyrone experienced Delgado's nightmare world. That encounter must've awoken his inner fear and pain that he kept bottled up since the car accident. Reliving that trauma changed his outlook on life.

That wouldn't be the first time that Tandy or Tyrone affected someone's mindset with their powers. Just look to Mina's hollowness when Tandy became an energy addict! That tampering has a terrible effect all around.

Delgado will need to overcome his demons if he wants to get better. Tyrone might also need to help his former teacher if he indeed was the cause of this change.

The Search - Tall - Cloak and Dagger Season 2 Episode 3

Brigid and Mayhem should follow Tandy and Tyrone's lead for the future. When Cloak and Dagger put their efforts together, they were able to defeat the kidnappers and save the girls. They had the best action sequence of the episode.

What I loved about their rescue mission was how advanced their powers had grown in the year since their reunion.

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Tyrone could extend his cloak ability to absorb bullets, as well as teleport multiple people at a moment's notice. Tandy, on the other hand, got a great handle on creating her light ball distractions. Combined, their powers helped save the day.

While you could argue that Mayhem saved the day by stopping the kidnapper taking Tandy, I don't doubt that Tyrone or Tandy wouldn't have deterred the armed criminal. Tandy is a resourceful person, and Tyrone was about to head to her anyway.

Though, we would've lost the sike gag of Mayhem running over the criminal with the truck, and that's a sacrifice none of us would make.

Where Are You? - Cloak and Dagger Season 2 Episode 3

With Mayhem trapped in the Darkforce, what could this mean for the character?

The sudden arrival of a dead Fuchs made it seem like she'll be going through her nightmarish round of torment. Fuchs will most likely take her on a spiritual mission through many familiar locales and moments, but with a scary spin, of course.

There is so much potential here to see some familiar faces who have died or are no longer on canvas. Hopefully, Cloak and Dagger make this a trippy experience.

Brigid: Hold it right there!
[Brigid raises her gun as Mayhem walks through the door]
Mayhem: Seriously?
Brigid: You have the right to remain silent.
Mayhem: Or what? Are you going to shoot me?
[Brigid hesitates]
Mayhem: Bam!
[Brigid flinches from the sound]
Mayhem: Now you’re making both of us bad. If you were going to shoot me … shoot me.
[Brigid lowers her gun]
Mayhem: That’s what I thought.
[Mayhem walks away]
Mayhem: Loser.

We've only ever experienced the Darkforce and Lightforce worlds through Tandy and Tyrone's eyes as passengers. However, they've still had some form of control.

Mayhem is a prisoner here. She could have to overcome something significant to escape from this hell.

Missing Girl - Cloak and Dagger Season 2 Episode 3

Last Thoughts From The Dream World:

  • How did Brigid not notice that her refrigerator had been destroyed or missing? Did Mayhem replace it after she threw it down the stairs?
     
  • Tyrone's expression at seeing all the guns that Mayhem stole was perfection. The epitome of speechless.
     
  • Mayhem and Delgado are going to get together. Start working on your shipping name, folks!
     
  • Adina looked very heartbroken when shutting down the investigation at the community meeting. The police most likely threatened her with Tyrone's life. Hopefully, she gets her revenge soon.
     
  • The number of people who know about Tandy's and Tyrone's power is growing by the day. At this point, they probably don't need a secret identity anymore.
Mina's Experiment - Cloak and Dagger Season 2 Episode 3

Now, over to you, Marvel's Cloak & Dagger fans!

What did you think of "Shadow Selves"?

Wil trouble will await Mayhem in the Darkforce world? How will Delgado turn his life around? Did you like all of the back-and-forth between the present and the past?

If you missed the latest episode of Cloak and Dagger, you can watch Cloak and Dagger online via TV Fanatic. Come back here and share your thoughts in the comments.

Shadow Selves Review

Editor Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
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Rating: 4.6 / 5.0 (32 Votes)

Justin Carreiro was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on X.

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Cloak and Dagger Season 2 Episode 3 Quotes

Brigid: So, when I went into the water after I was shot, I divided into two?
Mina: Yep. So, you and your twin have the same DNA, the same fingertips, even the same memories up until the point of the split.
Tyrone: But very distinct personalities?
Mina: Yeah, you said it.

Tandy: How is there two of you? And this other “you,” she slit this guy’s throat open with her own hand. She’s crazy strong and crazy homicidal.
Brigid: She’s not me!
Tandy: She’s got your face and she’s got your badge! She pointed a gun at us, she killed this guy in the ambulance, and all the people at the club!
Tyrone: Tandy! Give her a minute, okay?
Tandy: Okay, I’m sorry. I’m sorry she just … I mean, how did this happen? Was there some sort of lightning strike?
Tyrone: Tandy, she doesn’t know what happened.