IGN - “For those looking for a new flavor of superhero show, Marvel’s ‘Runaways’ definitely delivers”
FORBES - “Fantastical is to be expected, but the weirdness of this show is next level for Marvel, and it’s fun”
THE MARY SUE - “Runaways impresses with its wonderful cocktail of earnestness, melodrama, and mystery. Can’t wait to see more”
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY - “There’s a deep vein of dark comedy here, a satire that deepens the more recognizable superpowered-teen melodrama” B+
HOLLYWOOD REPORTER - “If everybody’s got to have a superhero show, then it looks like HULU has a good one”
DEN OF GEEK - “Marvel TV is due for a win. Is Marvel’s ‘Runaways’, Hulu’s first foray into Marvel adaptation, it? The short answer: yes”
NERDIST - “Runaways brings heart and great characters to the superhero genre” 5/5
THE DAILY DOT - “Runaways arrives on the scene amid a crowded comic-book lineup across the TV realm, but it manages to shine as it juggles a superhero show and a teen drama worthy of its beloved source material”
TV LINE - “The Breakfast Club meets X-Men with a splash of Stranger Things thrown in, Marvel’s ‘Runaways’ is the richest, best-realized hero drama of the new TV season” A-
WE GOT THIS COVERED - “When the show hits that sweet spot it’s an intriguing, weird, funny, and addictive addition to the Marvel world” 8/10
I’m glad Runaways is getting positive coverage, but every review that doesn’t warn the audience of the attempted sexual assault in the first episode is doing viewers a grave disservice.
I want to give props to the Nerdist review for explicitly talking about it (their description is more spoilery than anything I’ve posted on Tumblr), and saying:
Though it might seem like a superfluous amendment that verges on exploitation, it’s actually handled well and leads down the line to a bigger and more poignant storyline about misogyny and victim blaming that the showrunners are clearly very committed to exploring.
While I’m still troubled this was included at all, that comment from Nerdist gives me hope for the series.
Beyond that, the Mary Sue review mentions one change that they “won’t spoil but will certainly discuss in the future“ (emphasis theirs). I assume this is that, and I’m disappointed that a feminist website isn’t warning its audience.
And, as I’ve mentioned before, the IGN review skirts around it, saying “one extremely uncomfortable scene brings the show’s momentum to a
screeching halt. For a show that seems to understand its characters so
well and add such a richness to the teenage experience, it’s shocking to
see it use such a serious teen subject as nothing more than a story
beat.“ Sexual assault is not a teen subject and while I appreciate them acknowledging the scene at all, this is a poor way to do it.
antique-romantic
