‘Ms. Marvel’ Episode 3 Review- An Action-Packed Episode That Adds Further Mythos To The MCU

The first two episodes of Ms. Marvel were a perfect introduction to Kamala Khan’s little corner of the universe. This week’s episode of Ms. Marvel furthered the mythos surrounding Kamala’s powers and introduced a new, ancient race of beings into the MCU known as the ClanDestined aka The Djinn.

The episode opened with a flashback to India in the early 1940s. We meet Kamala’s great-grandmother, Aisha, as she and the rest of the Djinn find the bangle (the one that will eventually belong to Kamala) attached to a severed blue arm.  The group discusses how they’re in need of two, but Aisha says that’ll have to make due with only one. Before they can discuss it further, they’re forced to flee by the invading British army.

Back in the present, Kamran’s mother, Najma (Nimra Bucha), explains to Kamala that their group never saw Aisha again after that fateful night. She states that the group, including Aisha, were all born in another dimension known as Noor. They’re known as the ClanDestined, or Djinn, to mortals and need the both bangles to return to their home dimension. They’re relying on Kamala to help them accomplish their goals to return home, even if they only have one bangle. The Djinn are seemingly benevolent, for now, and are dedicated to working with and protecting Aisha’s descendants.

Kamala meets up with Bruno and laments the fact that she descends from creatures that haunted her childhood dreams. She picks his brain about interdimensional travel and he vows to research ways the Djinn might be able to return to their universe. Later on, he informs Kamala that the energy needed to send the Djinn home could result in a devastating cataclysm in the human world. They both agree that the potential danger is too great and they can’t risk it. This doesn’t go over well with the Djinn and leads to an action-packed fight at Kamala’s brother’s wedding.

One great thing about the series is that it continues to highlight the struggles of teenage Kamala Khan. She’s facing pressure from all sides, and is trying her best to do right by her new role as a superheroine and her family and friends. True to young adulthood, it feels like everyone around Kamala wants something different from her: her mother wants her to be the perfect daughter and sister. The Djinn want her to play savior and send them back to their home dimension. Damage Control wants her to operate responsibly, or not at all. It continues to be fascinating and entertaining to watch Kamala try to balance it all.

Family is an important theme of the series, and in this episode, we’re introduced to the Djinn: a family that has spent centuries together and desperately want to go home. Kamala’s ancestor, Aisha,  was a member of this group, which technically makes them another family whose expectations fall on Kamala’s shoulders. As the series continues to illustrate, you can’t please everyone. Especially not family and the weight of that can be crushing and even deadly.

We’re halfway through Season 1, and the plot keeps escalating more and more. The episode ends with a tantalizing hint that Kamala’s grandmother is more aware of what’s happening than she let on in Episode 2. I’m eagerly awaiting the next episode to learn more about the bangle, the Djinn, and Kamala’s lineage.