When the kids discover that Topher may be more dangerous than they could have imagined, will they help him or will they turn their backs on their new friend?
In 2018, there were 495 scripted shows airing amongst the linear channels and streaming services. The way people are consuming content now is so different than it used to be. It happens according to one's own schedule. As such, there is less necessity to provide ample coverage of each specific episode in any given season from a show. Moreover, it is simply impossible to watch everything. As such, this site is making the move to shorter episodic reviews in order to cover as many shows as possible. Premieres and finales may feature longer reviews. With all of that being said, here are my thoughts on the next episode of Hulu's Runaways.
"Rock Bottom" was written by Jake Fogelnest and directed by Scott Peters
This season makes quick progress in revealing the true backstory for Topher. In fact, it seems like things already reach a certain conclusion here with Molly being able to see exactly who he is. Of course, she still wants to help him because of the connection that they share because of the rocks from the construction site. Moreover, it's very unlikely that this will be the last of Topher this season simply because the season has spent a lot of time fleshing him out as a new character. Otherwise, this entire adventure with him would seem like one big complicated mess. It may still be that. However, it certainly keeps the intensity up throughout this hour because he may compromise the Runaways' plans for their parents. Right now, they are mostly just waiting around for Alex's hacking program to get to work. That attack may not even work because Pride knows that it is coming. And yet, they have their own disagreements with Jonah. That too has become quite an active component of this war. Robert goes to Jonah's office with the technology to suppress his powers. That is an empowering moment for him as a character. It helps bring him more definition beyond being the member of Pride who is always underestimated. And yet, it still showcases a rage and intensity that proves that he is just as complicit and evil as the rest of the parents. He isn't successful in this endeavor either. In fact, it only further enrages Jonah. That's a terrifying sight to Pride. But it's also intriguing to see which parents are absent from that moment. Leslie isn't there. But she does happen to be at the right place for Karolina to reach out to her in the hopes of getting more information about Jonah. That proves that Karolina knows she can't trust Jonah at his word. She has to do some more digging to see if anything that he says has been the truth. But this is an illuminating episode for her in that regard as well because she sees what's at the bottom of the construction site and is confronted with the reality of her being an alien. She has these powers because she is not human. Nico doesn't care about that though. Sure, she doesn't know the whole truth about her girlfriend. And yet, she also prides herself on being a good judge of character. She knows that she can trust Karolina right now in the most intimate way possible. That may lead to a massive betrayal at some point. But right now, it's rewarding for both of them. Nico also knows that Topher is nothing more than a junkie who will say anything in order to get his next fix. He seems to open up by saying that he has a limited supply of the rock that gives him these powers. But he is mostly just getting answers out of Molly so that he knows where to get more. He succeeds in that endeavor too. It's more intriguing to learn that he worked at the lab with Molly's parents. That proves that he and Molly are connected. They just happen to have different reactions to the rocks. For Molly, she bonded with the material. She is not dependent on it. She is still allowed to be a teenager who has wild mood swings and also happens to be right on occasion as well. That's infuriating to Nico because she knows that Molly is telling the truth about her acting just like her mother. That stings. But it's also devastating to her when she sees Topher's true colors. He is dependent on the rocks as a drug. He is addicted to that power. He is constantly craving it. That's what tore him apart from his family. It also had an effect on his outward appearance by making him appear the same age as when he first came into contact with the substance. That isn't the same with Molly though. As such, these differences are bound to only create more story for the two moving forward - granted Topher suffers his injuries here.
