I like a lot of stuff from this show, but the pacing and balancing of storylines is all over the place. I think they really needed to either do more episodes or have a simpler more focused plot for the episodes they have.
Also, the closed timeloop bootstrap paradox thing in this episode goes against the established MCU timetravel mechanics doesn't it?
I have a question, isn't/wasn't Damage Control supposed to be a clean-up operation? Why are they doing this enhanced/superhuman investigation/police work now?
Except in Homecoming, Damage Control was set up as a joint operation to "oversee the collection and storage of alien and other exotic materials."
That seems like a job SHIELD and/or SWORD would be more suited for.
What we know is this:
- Damage Control used to be a SHIELD subsidiary that cleaned up after SHIELD missions
- In 2012 it was taken from SHIELD and made an executive branch of the US government in a joint venture with Stark Industries where it started collecting and storing alien and other powerful tech.
- In No Way Home they had become a law enforcement agency that apprehends "enhanced individuals" like Spider-Man.
Presumably the US Government is no longer working with SHIELD after the Winter Soldier/Hydra incident and SHIELD going underground.
It seems that they made the DODC the main party responsible for enforcing the law for "enhanced individuals", enforcing the Sokovia Accords, etc.
Meanwhile SWORD seems focused on non-human threats that wouldn't be apprehended as US citizens such as "sentient weapons" and threats from space or other dimensions. You're not going to deal with a chitauri soldier or a sentient robot the same way as you would a (potentially teenage) human with superpowers. They wouldn't have the same rights.
But the DODC and SWORD may still step on each others' turf for reasons explained by SPO2 Dalisay:
In real life with have the bureaucratic organism attempt to grow and mission creep. Trying to snatch away responsibilities from other agencies is a thing. Like the F.B.I. trying to lock the A.T.F. out of the Atlanta Olympic bombing investigations or a Sheriff taking over independent transit, school, park, etc. police. It is not much of a stretch for me seeing Damage Control going further and trying to grow rather than the FBI having an ex SHIELD agent working their special cases
Now, Kamala only left with Kamran to fight. And Kamran has been built up thus far as being sympathetic to Kamala. He likes Kamala and doesn't want her hurt. He doesn't want collateral damage or to hurt others. But I guess he still has misguided loyalty to her mother and will probably blame Kamala for what happened to Najma?
Either way still anti-climactic. They haven't spent enough time on Kamran as the final person Kamala has to face.
I think the main enemy will be Damage Control actually. Kamran might get mad at her for letting his mom die and they might fight a bit over that or he may come to resent her by the end, but I think a confrontation with Damage Control makes way more sense as the final battle given that Kamran has really only been friendly and helpful this season, while Damage Control has been a consistent threat.
A big problem with these shows is a lack of cool super-powered villains to challenge and hinder the heroes.
Some of these shows could've really used some Wrecking Crew type mini-bosses.
I feel like it wouldn't have been hard to give the Clandestine more interesting powers.
They could base the characters on the actual comic Clan Destine members.
Or they could base some on Lineage his sons and recruits from the Ms. Marvel and Inhuman comics.
Or they could just give them all basic light powers like Kamala and Kamran.
There's really a lot of stuff they could've done with them to make them more interesting and both the Clan Destine and Lineage and related characters have powers that are either light based (which would work well with the Noor dimension element) or powers and storylines that could fit in really well thematically with the ancestry/intergenerational connections/family lineage stuff.