Ms. Marvel (Disney +)

Moon Knight was generally good in the quality department. As far as entertainment value goes however, it was a bit soul-punishing. It's nice to see a Disney+ Marvel show that is fun and light (and TV-PG). It was needed after Stephen Grant's terrible ordeal.

Sadly, Kamala's mom reminds me of the really horrible one from Turning Red. Now she is nowhere NEAR as bad as that. But she's bad for the same reasons.

It's interesting that as of yet, there is no big name in the main cast. That may change in future weeks, but this show doesn't have an Ethan Hawke or an Owen Wilson for back-up. Iman Vellani is allowed to carry it on her own, which is kind of cool.

Promising opener. I know. I said that about Moon Knight too, and wound up routinely unhappy. But this feels different. ****.

I liked the first episode a lot. I liked the second a great deal more.

I like that Kamala's crush Kamran turns out to actually be her cousin after all. I like that because it's messy. Messy is good for a teenage show.

I couldn't for the life of me figure out why Disney+ rated that TV-14. What did I miss?

I'm really digging this. Fans of the comics and cartoons won't be happy about how Kamala's stretch powers are portrayed here, but I don't care. Kamala is just as fun and cute as she's supposed to be. ****1/2.

I learned a lot about Muslim culture here, which was cool.

I'm starting to see why Mrs. Khan doesn't like to talk about her side of the family

Still, when her mother asked her what was going on, if I were Kamala I would have told her. Yes, even though her mom is clueless and said Nightlight's mother should be ashamed of her. Because regardless of whether or not her mother would approve of her being a hero, she undoubtedly could give her much needed insight into both the Djinn and her side of the family. And considering the danger everyone is in, that's more important than hurt feelings or disapproval.

I agree with Bruno. Kamran is saying his name wrong on purpose. Bruno is an unusual enough name (it's badass actually), that you wouldn't actually forget it, much less mistake it for Brian (much less repeatedly).

Honestly, I think it's a bit rich Nakia is upset for Kamala not telling her. She was gonna, but Nakia said the exact thing that told her she shouldn't. Her blaming Kamala for being reluctant to trust her with this is kind of scummy as far as friends go. Unreasonable demand and expectation.

I didn't like it as much as the first two episodes but it was pretty good. ****.

I think the nicest thing about this show is how it normalizes and familiarizes the viewer with both Muslim and Pakistani culture. In most Western media before this, both of those things were portrayed as something to fear. But Kamala noshing with a group of friends, or Mrs. Khan massaging her mother's legs are relatable ideas for EVERYONE in the audience, no matter their religion. The fact that normalcy is so abnormal here is something that really should shame producers of TV shows like Homeland and 24. It feels nice, and authentic, and allows the viewer to see into the culture and what is going on outside their world.

Personally, I think the bad Djinn are stupid. Hear me out. Kamala was going to help them. Knowing Kamala, she would have done so even after learning about the mortal risk to herself. If the bad Djinn lose this war, it's because they turned on Kamala when there was literally no reason to, especially considering they've already been stuck on Earth for 80 years. It's not like they were suddenly on a clock. Turning on Kamala when they did is the move of a sloppy or stupid villain, not one who has been around 80 years. To be perfectly honest, that it not just a failing for the Djinn. It's a failing of the writers for not having the sense to take all of those things into account when crafting this specific plotline.

On the whole, even if the Djinn's motives range from nonsensical to bad written, and although Kamala's powers aren't as fun as they are in the cartoons, I enjoyed the tour of Pakistan. It was refreshing in its positivity and I loved it for that. So I'm grading the episode accordingly. ****.