This review contains full spoilers for episode five of Ms. Marvel, "Time and Again", now available to view on Disney+. To remind yourself of where we left off, check out our Ms. Marvel episode 4 review.
One of Ms. Marvel’s strengths during this first season has been its emphasis on Kamala’s family and community in New Jersey and Karachi. “Time and Again” sees Kamala literally grapple with the past while facing the challenges of her community in the present. It is an emotional penultimate installment that reveals the truth behind a mythic family story while refusing to brush over the pain of the Partition. But while there are some significant developments, certain aspects feel rushed, and the shorter runtime is noticeable.
In opposition to Stranger Things’ recent bumper-length season four finale, episode five of Ms. Marvel clocks in at under 35 minutes. Where previously Kamala’s adventures have consistently delivered well-paced episodes that don’t overstay their welcome, the way the story bounces across the timeline in this week’s short chapter can’t help but give off fractured and uneven results. The story simply does not have enough space to unfold.
There are a lot of good moments, which build on everything that has come before it, but the abrupt conclusion to the fight that began in “Seeing Red” is somewhat jarring. In terms of motivation, despite how much time she has spent on this mission, Najma (Nimra Bucha) quickly changes her mind about breaking the veil between dimensions. Yes, Kamala invokes Kamran (Rish Shah) as a method to stop the world-ending madness, but even with this logic, it doesn’t reduce the feeling that this is an anti-climatic end to Najma’s story.
Unconditional love is a central theme here, so while Najma’s unpleasant death is rushed, it does at least tie back to the message threaded throughout about the importance of family. Yes, she left Kamran behind in the US after his perceived betrayal, but ultimately, this bond is more potent than her desire to follow through with the plan. Again, the sudden about-turn to sacrifice herself lessens the overall impact.
One storyline that is not sped up for brevity is the union between Aisha (Mehwish Hayat) and Hasan (Fawad Khan), which gets space to grow from the initial meet-cute to the eventual heartbreaking separation. The Partition of India in 1947 isn’t the whole story, and the clock rolls back five years before this event to reveal the horrors that occurred as the British went about this “peaceful” transition of power — it is estimated that between one and two million people died as a result. Rather than use this brutal result of colonization as a backdrop to reference and move on, Ms. Marvel puts in the work during the flashback scenes.
“Time and Again” opens with the Marvel logo transitioning to match the sepia tones of a newsreel that details the Partition and what it meant for Indian Muslims at the time, and it instantly sets the scene without uttering a word. Thankfully, the old-timey filter is soon ditched and so the 1940s section avoids coming across cliched. Instead, the rich vibrancy of the landscape stands out, and the bold colors of Hasan’s roses emphasize the beauty of his home. These flowers first drew Aisha to this location, and so are partly responsible for the enjoyable chemistry between the couple, which is apparent from their first semi-combative (and very flirty) interaction.
The color only desaturates at the train station when Aisha, Hasan, and their young daughter Sana (Zion Usman) are trying to catch the last train. Director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy dials up the intensity of these crowded, chaotic moments by pushing the camera further into the mass of people and emphasizing Sana’s lowdown perspective. Vellani deftly portrays Kamala’s fear and confusion during this sequence before she steps into action.
Some viewers might be frustrated that it takes nearly 20 minutes before Kamala’s recognizable red Converse steps into frame. However, it is refreshing to see this space dedicated to the love story that paved the way. Khan and Hayat utilize this time well to underscore the impact of this romance. Because we have seen this family bloom, extra weight is added to the moment Aisha dies, thinking Sana has returned to her.
It wasn’t Aisha that ensured her daughter got on the train, but Kamala, who prompted the starlight trail. This doesn’t come out of the blue, as after last week’s cliffhanger, it is obvious that Kamala guided the way. However, toddler Sana’s use of the mystical bracelet adds to the overall theme that powers run through the generations.
While the end of the veil sequence is far too abrupt for my liking, I can’t help but love that Muneeba (Zenobia Shroff) and Sana (Samina Ahmed) catch the conclusion. It also adds some welcome levity as they track Kamala down using the Find My Phone app (“Like spyware for parents?” Muneeba hilariously asks). Muneeba’s response to discovering her daughter is “that light girl” sees a mixture of awe, confusion, and pride wash over her, and it is heartwarming that disappointment is not on the reaction menu.
This trip has been a significant breakthrough for complicated mother-daughter dynamics, which sees Sana and Muneeba repair their long estrangement and Muneeba and Kamala fix their recent rift. These moments between the women balance laughter with a poignancy that makes this episode a joy to watch. If the backstory had been shorter, it would’ve made Kamala’s gesture with the photograph have less weight. It also ensures that Sana’s lifetime of stories centering on magic is proven correct, and her lack of bitterness that no one believed is commendable. It would be easy to end the episode with the three women at odds with each other, and thankfully writer Fatimah Asghar goes in a different direction.
What has been apparent in the last two weeks is how much of a role the past plays, and the trip to Karachi deepens Kamala’s link to her great-grandmother while aiding her self-discovery. The necklace bearing her name might be broken, but the symbol left behind is part of her identity, and what she seeks has been seeking her this entire time. There are a few pacing bumps in “Time and Again,” but the overall message is loud and clear.
