Love and loss. The foundation for pretty much every story out there. They’re two of the most powerful emotions, and in Cloak & Dagger’s penultimate episode, we got to see how those factors influenced the season’s big bad.
When you lose what you love, it’s painful. Whether that’s someone you love or something you love. Love is love, and when that person or thing is taken from you, it’s an angry and heartbreaking thing. You feel like the world, which has taken something from you, owes you something.
But just because bad things happen to you — just because the universe takes something from you — doesn’t justify doing inflicting pain in return. There are no excuses.
Everyone experiences loss. The expectation is to carry on — and carry that love with you.
For Cloak & Dagger’s compelling, psychological villain Andre, he doesn’t quite understand all of that. In his mind, he’s justified in his actions. He wonders why he was “chosen” to have to endure so much pain that others don’t, which he uses to justify inflicting pain on those girls.
The penultimate episode of this second season shed some backstory on our villain, and how he’s grown into the villain we know today. Like Ty and Tandy, Andre was affected by the Roxxon explosion. Prior to that, Andre was a jazz musician that seemed on top of the world. Until migraines brought him back down to earth. And after the explosion, those migraines intensified. He needed an outlet, and he found it in exploiting the pain of others.
One of the more interesting conversations in the episode came when Mayhem and Tandy were discussing the things Lea has done in the name of Andre. Mayhem argued that just because bad shit is done to you doesn’t give you an excuse to do bad shit in return. But Tandy said it’s not that simple.
I’d have to say I’m on Mayhem’s side, for once. There are plenty of people in the world that have been shit on, but you don’t see them doing whatever the hell they want and causing other people pain. So what gives people like Andre and Lea the right?
Tandy is the perfect example of this. Despite the whole stealing-to-survive thing, Tandy has had to endure a lot of rough times. But she hasn’t responded the way Andre and Lea have. Instead, she’s chosen to use her pain as a way to help others.
And that’s the difference between heroes and villains. Heroes choose to be selfless while villains are more concerned with their own well-being.
Elsewhere, we were reminded of the importance of Ty and Tandy fighting whatever comes their way together. This entire season has reinforced that, despite what’s to come in the future for the Divine Pairing, that these two are stronger together than apart.
Look no further than when Tandy was taken by Andre. That wouldn’t have happened had Ty been with Tandy. And, watching Ty in this episode, it’s like he knows that. He’s clearly worried about Tandy, after what happened, and he wants her to talk it through with him.
Ty and Tandy started their journey on separate paths. Then, this season especially, their paths intertwined. While they’re still fighting their own battles, they’re finding common ground with each other and understanding that there’s strength in this partnership.
It feels like Cloak & Dagger is clearing the way for Ty and Tandy’s relationship to take form. I appreciate how they haven’t rushed it, and that they’ve let them develop that strong foundation that will be key when they ultimately get to the romance.
But I can’t help but wonder if in next week’s finale we’ll get a little Tyrandy treat. Hell, when the stakes are high, that’s when feelings are realized.
Cloak & Dagger airs Thursdays at 8/7c on Freeform.
