Netflix's Raising Dion - Episode 1.09 "ISSUE #109: Storm Killer"
With the crooked man closing in and a final confrontation seemingly inevitable, a terrified Nicole tries to protect Dion by fleeing the city.
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. With all of that being said, here are my thoughts on the season finale of Netflix's Raising Dion.
"ISSUE #109: Storm Killer" was written by Leigh Dana Jackson & Carol Barbee and directed by Seith Mann
Dion has long operated with the thesis that if you have powers then you are either a hero or a villain. It's one of the larger lessons he has learned from comic books. He understands that people with powers will typically make their presence known in some way. However, the world he lives in brings much more complexity to the situation. Charlotte never saw herself as a hero or villain. She was simply a survivor. She was ultimately full of so much compassion for Dion and Nicole though. And yes, she dies doing something heroic here. She stands her ground against Pat. She won't budge on what Nicole has told her to do. She just didn't realize that he was also the Crooked Man looking to consume her energy to relieve his pain. This finale articulates that he was completely separate from the rest of the people in Iceland. It all seems a little random. But that's the way that Pat views the world as well. It's not fair that everyone else there got these miraculous powers that improved their lives while his were defined by sucking the energy out of everything. But again, it offers the idea that powers amplify the personalities within those gifted with these incredible abilities. Most of the people in Iceland were completely normal people who went there to see the beauty or document the science. Pat was the one jaded about it all. He no longer saw it as special and unique. If he went out and witnessed it alongside his best friend, then he too would have been blessed with these abilities. He wouldn't have been struck with radioactive hail that transformed his body and made him a dangerous threat. Sure, he may still have inevitably became a villain. It would just offer a new perspective on the powers that these people have. People can go through the same experience and have drastically different reactions to it. Of course, the audience may question how Mark was best friends with a guy like Pat. It now becomes perfectly clear just how toxic and narcissistic Pat has always been. Sure, some extension of his connection with Nicole and Dion is real. Once he learned that Dion could heal things though, that became the only thing of value that Pat saw from this relationship. Dion isn't the only person with that specific power either. The farmer in Alabama had the ability to bring his crops to life in a way that allowed him to remain prosperous. He passed on abilities to his son as well. Braden was protected during the initial attack but he is still susceptible to the terror of the world because no one is protecting him. He no longer has the strong family presence that Dion does. It's rewarding to see everyone rally around Dion. He is positioned as the hero that must save the world. And yet, he can't do it alone. It was always going to be a little ridiculous if Dion, Esperanza and Jonathan's science project ultimately took down the Crooked Man. However, the science tracks with the research that BIONA has been doing. Sure, their efforts aren't what ultimately eliminates this threat for now either. Instead, that comes from Nicole having her own hero moment. This show wants it to be clear that Nicole is just as heroic as her son even though she doesn't have powers. Her protective instinct is right and justified. She is doing what's best for her son at all times. She sacrifices her personal happiness in order to care for him. Sure, he isn't easy to control. He has more freedom now because of what he can do. He teleports from the cabin to the science fair. Nicole truly deals with the brunt of Pat's attacks. But again, all of this highlights how Pat continually tries to coerce people into doing what he wants. If they don't, then he reads it as it not being fair to him. He shouldn't walk around with the understanding that everything should work out for him though. Things were tragic and toxic long before he gained these abilities. He then used them to wreak so much havoc across the world. He's not eliminated entirely either. The energy just changes and goes to possess Braden. That's an ominous note to conclude the season on. But it's also uplifting to see Nicole, Dion and their friends stay protective of one another as they battle this monstrous threat with everything they've got.
