Common Sense Media Review
By Joyce Slaton
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Sex, drugs, police violence in gritty teen superhero tale.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Marvel's Cloak & Dagger
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 11 parent reviews
Based on 16 kid reviews
Kids say the show offers a mix of engaging storytelling and dark themes, including drugs, violence, and sexual references, which may not be suitable for younger audiences. While some appreciate its raw portrayal of real-world issues and character development, others find it disappointing for its lack of traditional superhero action and excessive mature content.
- dark themes
- not for kids
- character development
- mixed reviews
- real-world issues
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
As MARVEL'S CLOAK & DAGGER opens, Tyrone "Ty" Johnson (Aubrey Joseph) and Tandy Bowen (Olivia Holt) are just a couple of ordinary teenagers on the mean streets of a big city -- albeit teens with a tragic past and uncertain futures. But when Ty and Tandy have a chance meeting, they realize three things: They've met before, there's a powerful attraction between them, and each has strange abilities that suddenly reveal themselves. With the powers of light and darkness at their command, Ty (alias "Cloak") and Tandy (alias "Dagger") set out to right the wrongs that society, authority, and a villainous corporation have done to them.
Is It Any Good?
Grittier and more realistic than similar teen-superhero show Runaways, this series focuses on a couple of misfit outsiders who suddenly discover they can do things other people can't. What misfit doesn't nurture a secret fantasy of being special? Together, Tandy and Ty can do big things, even if it takes them a while, awkward Peter Parker-style, to figure out exactly what. Unlike other superheroes who we meet in the full flower of their superheroics, the ones in Marvel's Cloak & Dagger are fledgling superhumans still in the learning process.
While they work it out, viewers will quickly warm to the struggles both face. Tandy is a sneaky thief and a dropout, practically abandoned by her single-parent mom. Ty's a great big neurotic mess, struggling with his grieving parents' expectations at home and his painful shyness at school. Both of them are misused and abused by the authority figures in their lives, to say nothing of the big bad corporation that quickly emerges as an environmental and political villain. Sure, these teens have unearthly powers on their side. But with so many forces gathering against them, they'll need every bit of power they can unleash just to make it out alive.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the different genres Marvel's Cloak & Dagger fits into. Is it a superhero show? A teen soap opera? A drama about an evil corporation? Does the mix of genres make this show more interesting, or less?
Superhero dramas are experiencing a moment on TV and at the movies. Why? Why do average people want to watch people who have extraordinary abilities? What about these stories are appealing to viewers? What kind of viewer is most likely to watch this particular superhero story?
How do Ty and Tandy demonstrate courage and teamwork in opposing evildoers? Why are these important character strengths?
TV Details
- Premiere date : May 31, 2018
- Cast : Andrea Roth , Emma Lahana , Aubrey Joseph , Olivia Holt
- Network : Freeform
- Genre : Drama
- Character Strengths : Courage , Teamwork
- TV rating :
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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