Cloak & Dagger Recap: 6 Biggest Questions Going Into Season 2

Before Cloak & Dagger season 2 premieres on Freeform on April 4, 2019, here's a recap of everything you need know from season 1. Over the last two years, Marvel Television has expanded with a range of young-adult superhero TV series. The first season of Cloak & Dagger, which aired on Freeform last year, met with popular and critical acclaim; nobody was surprised when it was renewed for a second season.

Cloak & Dagger is quite a unique superhero show. Set in New Orleans, it connects with the issues of real life more than most similar series; in season 1 Dagger found herself forced to defend herself from a sexual assault, for example, while Cloak's brother was shot by the police for being a black guy in the wrong place at the wrong time. The show's handling of these social themes has been strong and mostly effective, with the characters' super-powers adding another layer of depth to the plot.

But what can new and recurring viewers expect from Marvel's Cloak & Dagger season 2? Ahead of the first episode's release, here are our top questions to set the scene.

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Page 2: Biggest Cloak & Dagger Season 2 Questions

6. Who Are Cloak & Dagger?

Cloak and Dagger - whose real names are Tyrone and Tandy - are two parts of a mystic event known as the "Divine Pairing." Each has the power to control a different cosmic force; Cloak wields the Darkforce, while Dagger manipulates the Lightforce. So far, Tyrone's powers have seemed the most dramatic; he's able to teleport at will, even carrying others with him, although the experience leaves him tired. He typically wears a cloak (hence the codename), which he can use to absorb someone, trapping them in the Darkforce dimension. Meanwhile, Dagger generates searing and powerful light daggers, again explaining her on-the-nose superhero title. The trailers for Cloak & Dagger season 2 have suggested her powerset will have increased, though.

In the MCU, both Cloak and Dagger have an additional power when compared to their comic book inspirations; they can enter the minds of others at a touch. Dagger can see into a person's desires and can even steal their hopes, leaving them bereft and despairing; she finds the experience exhilarating. Cloak, meanwhile, can see into their fears and even amplify them to create a realistic nightmare to torment his opponents. When both touch a person at the same time, they view their actual memories, and are even able to interact with them to some degree. That poses particular risks, though, as there's a danger of getting trapped in these recollections.

5. What is the Divine Pairing In Cloak & Dagger?

Cloak & Dagger season 1 introduced the concept of the "Divine Pairing," an entirely original idea that has no basis in the comics. Inspired by the duality of the Vodun religion in New Orleans, it was envisioned as a mystical tradition that, at each crisis point in New Orleans' history, two people would be chosen as potential saviors for the city. When disaster struck, one of these would be destined to die, a sacrifice that would somehow end the catastrophe. Marvel carefully wove the legend of the Divine Pairing into the real-world history of New Orleans, tying it to everything from influenza epidemics to the end of the American War of Independence. Cloak and Dagger were envisioned as the latest in this long line of Divine Pairings, chosen to protect the city from an environmental and ecological catastrophe triggered by the rapacious energy company Roxxon. Fortunately, at the last second, they were able to work together, and both survived.

There's been some speculation that the threat of the Divine Pairing may not be over, though. The historical catastrophes were already affecting vast tracts of the city when the Divine Pairing came into play: famine had already struck the Choctaw tribe before a girl's sacrifice; a storm was already striking New Orleans in 1793; over 54,000 suffered during the Spanish Influenza outbreak, with New Orleans suffering one of the highest death rates in the nation before the crisis ended. In all of these cases, the death of one of the Divine Pairings brought a close to a horror that was already ravaging the city. In contrast, the Cloak & Dagger season 1 finale just didn't feel like it was operating on the same kind of scale. All that means the Divine Pairing plot may not be over.

4. Why is Cloak on the Run from the Police?

While Tandy was focused on confronting Roxxon in Cloak & Dagger season 1, Cloak was dealing with police corruption in New Orleans. Unfortunately, things didn't go well; he was framed for killing a cop and wound up on the run from the police. Unable to prove his innocence, Cloak's been forced to hide in an abandoned church.

In the season finale, Cloak confronted the corrupt police officer who'd tormented his life and shot his brother eight years ago; Connors was absorbed into the Darkforce Dimension, the first time Cloak had used that power. In the comics, being trapped within the Darkforce Dimension is frankly a fate worse than death; but as far as the NOPD will be concerned, Connors was last seen with Cloak, and has now gone missing. No doubt they'll consider Cloak to be responsible for the deaths of two police officers, not just the one.

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3. Will Detective Brigid O'Reilly Become Mayhem in Cloak & Dagger?

Detective Brigid O'Reilly was a cop who came to believe Cloak and Dagger, even helping Tyrone in his attempt to prove his innocence. She got caught up in the near-disastrous end of season 1, and was exposed to a devastating blast of Lightforce and Darkforce energy. This appears to have mutated her, transforming O'Reilly into a dangerous and vindictive being.

O'Reilly's story matches up pretty closely with the original comics. There, she was a police officer who initially wanted to arrest Cloak and Dagger, who she viewed as dangerous vigilantes, but ultimately wound up working alongside them. She was killed by a corrupt cop, and Cloak and Dagger attempted to save her; O'Reilly was transformed by their energies, and she emerged as Mayhem, a powerful and brutal vigilante. The trailers for Cloak & Dagger season 2 have promised that the show will be taking the same approach, telling fans that "Mayhem is coming." It looks as though Tandy and Tyrone could see their partnership put at risk due to a disagreement over O'Reilly's methods.

2. Who Is Mr. Jip?

Showrunner Joe Pokaski has hinted that the stakes could be even higher in Cloak & Dagger season 2, with the introduction of Mr. Jip, a quasi-demonic sorcerer who - in the comics - was trained by the Ancient One. He became obsessed with Cloak, believing that by possessing him he could become an immortal who had control of the Darkforce. According to Pokaski, there's a scene in season 1, episode 6 that teased Mr. Jip is already out there, and even aware of Cloak and Dagger.

The villain is one of the most dangerous enemies of Cloak & Dagger in the comics, known for his manipulative nature; he even possessed Father Delgado for a time. Mr. Jip also created two other villains, Night and Day, designed as twisted mirror-image foes for Cloak and Dagger. And, with an origin story is tied to the Ancient One, who played a major role in Doctor Strange, it could offer some sly connectivity to the movies.

1. Will the Runaways Appear in Cloak & Dagger Season 2?

In the comics, Cloak and Dagger have crossed paths with the Runaways a number of times - sometimes as allies, sometimes as adversaries. Marvel's long hinted that a crossover between their two young-adult TV series would be possible, but it looks as though Cloak & Dagger season 2 could see it become a reality.

In December, Marvel released a surprising behind-the-scenes image showing Aubrey Joseph and Runaways cast member Gregg Sulkin standing side-by-side. It was teased with a comment that claimed they were conducting "a very special shoot," and it really isn't too hard to connect the dots. The crossover will prove challenging, given the cliffhanger ending of Runaways season 2, and Marvel will have had to write a careful story to ensure all the threads tie together. There's been some curiosity about the fact the photo showed Joseph, but not Olivia Holt, and as a result fans have speculated that Cloak teleports to Los Angeles on his own.

More: What To Expect From Marvel's Runaways Season 3