"Time and Again" is the fifth episode of the American television miniseries Ms. Marvel, based on Marvel Comics featuring the character Ms. Marvel. It follows Kamala Khan, who time-travels from the present to 1947, and her great-grandmother Aisha before and during the partition of India. The episode is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), sharing continuity with the films of the franchise. It was written by Fatimah Asghar and directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy.
| "Time and Again" | |
|---|---|
| Ms. Marvel episode | |
 Promotional poster | |
| Episode no. | Episode 5 |
| Directed by | Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy |
| Written by | Fatimah Asghar |
| Cinematography by | Jules O'Loughlin |
| Editing by | Nona Khodai |
| Original release date | July 6, 2022 |
| Running time | 41 minutes |
| Cast | |
| |
Iman Vellani stars as Kamala Khan, alongside Matt Lintz, Zenobia Shroff, Rish Shah, Samina Ahmad, Fawad Khan, Nimra Bucha, Mehwish Hayat, Adaku Ononogbo, and Aramis Knight. Obaid-Chinoy joined the series by September 2020 to direct two episodes.
"Time and Again" was released on Disney+ on July 6, 2022.
Plot
editIn India, 1942, Aisha takes refuge in a village, where Hasan, an Indian independence activist, offers her food and shelter. They fall in love and have a child, Sana. Five years later in 1947, Aisha's former friend Najma finds Aisha and orders her to retrieve the latter's bangle. Aisha leaves it with Sana and attempts to flee to the new nation of Pakistan with her family during the partition of India but Najma finds and stabs her. Hasan and Sana are separated in the chaos. Aisha's great-granddaughter Kamala Khan appears from 2025 and is able to interact with Aisha, who asks her to guide Sana before dying. Conjuring a projection of stars to lead Sana to her father, Khan realizes she was the one destined to reunite them.
Returning to the present, she finds that Najma's strike had opened the Veil of the Noor dimension, which separates it from Earth, but it vaporizes anyone who interacts with it. Najma transfers her power to her son Kamran before sacrificing herself to close the Veil. An older Sana and her daughter Muneeba find Kamala and the latter accepts her daughter's powers. Meanwhile, Kamran seeks refuge with Khan's best friend Bruno Carrelli. After being attacked by a Department of Damage Control drone, Kamran destroys it, but the ensuing explosion obliterates the store below them.
Production
editDevelopment
editBy August 2019, Marvel Studios had begun development on a Ms. Marvel television series for the streaming service Disney+.[1] In September 2020, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy was hired to direct three episodes,[2][3] ultimately directing two episodes, including the fifth.[4] Executive producers include Marvel Studios' Kevin Feige, Louis D'Esposito, Victoria Alonso, and Brad Winderbaum, in addition to Kamala Khan co-creator Sana Amanat, lead directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, and head writer Bisha K. Ali.[4] The fifth episode, titled "Time and Again",[5] was written by Fatimah Asghar.[6]
Writing
editAli revealed that more material regarding the Clandestines, Noor dimension, and the Red Daggers had been created that was unable to be included in the series because of the COVID-19 pandemic and other time constraints. She explained that the Noor dimension was never going to subsume another universe, with the ending an "emotional climax" between Najma, who was "a different kind of mother", and Kamala, who was "representing her kind of family", with Kamala "coming into her fight style" of approaching defensively first to deescalate and learning how to "deal with these difficult situations".[7]
Casting
editThe episode stars Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan, Matt Lintz as Bruno Carrelli, Zenobia Shroff as Muneeba Khan, Rish Shah as Kamran, Samina Ahmad as Sana, Fawad Khan as Hasan, Nimra Bucha as Najma, Mehwish Hayat as Aisha, Adaku Ononogbo as Fariha, and Aramis Knight as Kareem / Red Dagger.[8]: 34:50–35:20 Also appearing are Vardah Aziz as Zainab, Asfandyar Khan as Owais, Zion Usman as young Sana, Shyam Annabathula as Rohan, and Bilal Dar as the voice of Rohan.[8]: 36:12
Design
edit| External videos | |
|---|---|
 Marvel Studios' Ms. Marvel: End Credits Main On End Title Sequence Episode 5 presents the episode's main-on-end title sequence, YouTube video from Perception's channel |
The series' main-on-end title sequence was designed by Perception[9] who were given visuals by Marvel Studios of Karachi to develop the sequence. Perception designed the murals, "combining elements from the Jersey City sequence with the culture and aesthetics of Karachi".[10]
Filming and visual effects
editFilming took place in Thailand, specifically in Bangkok and at the Studio Park and Moonstar Studio facilities,[11][8]: 37:56 with Obaid-Chinoy directing the episode,[11] and Jules O'Loughlin serving as cinematographer.[12] Pick up shots were also filmed in Karachi,[12] along with studio work in Atlanta, Georgia, at Trilith Studios, Blackhall Studios, and Areu Brothers Studios.[13] The fourth and fifth episodes are shot almost entirely outside, which worked to Obaid-Chinoy's strength as a filmmaker, given her past experience.[14] Filming had begun by March 23, 2021, and concluded in early May 2021.[15][11] Given the series' strict COVID-19 protocols, Ms. Marvel was able to obtain a waiver from the Thai government to continue filming in the country throughout April and May 2021 despite new restrictions put in place in April that suspended other film and television productions. The cast and crew of 450 people were divided into three bubbles in order for production to continue if a positive test was found in one of the bubbles.[11]
Reshoots for the series occurred in late 2021 and early 2022 in Atlanta. Natasha Gerasimova, production designer for the reshoots, noted that sets had to be built in Atlanta to match material shot in Thailand, which was "incredibly challenging". This included the Dhobi ghat set, first seen in the previous episode, which was built in a decommissioned mall in the Atlanta area, and the train yard set for additional material with Hasan and young Sana. That set was built in a train yard and a train museum in Atlanta.[16]
Visual effects for the episode were created by FuseFX, Digital Domain, Base FX, Folks VFX, OD Studios, Instinctual, RISE, Cantina Creative, and SSVFX.[8]: 37:31–37:45 [17] FuseFX worked on the sequence of the Clandestine attempting to enter the Veil. Though ultimately different, FuseFX noted the similarities with the effect to Terrigenesis, which the company had created the visual effects for on the Marvel Television series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.[18]
Music
editComposer Laura Karpman added an eight-voice choir of South Asian singers singing partially in Urdu to her score for this episode, in addition to the 70-piece orchestra and South Asian sounds she regularly used for the rest of the series. Describing the recording session with the choir, Karpman said a group of people "came up with the choir sound" from the music and themes she came with, adding, "Some unbelievably extraordinary things happened in that session. It was lightning in a bottle, not only having to come up with quick ideas based on what was happening in the room, but also what people threw back at me."[19]
The following songs were featured in the episode: "Tu Mera Chand" by Suraiya and Shyam, "Tu Jhoom" by Abida Parveen and Naseebo Lal, "Anguish And Despair" by John Harbury, and "Aaja Ri Nindiya" by Noor Jehan.[20]
Marketing
editA QR code was included in the episode that allowed viewers to access a free digital copy of Ms. Marvel (2014) #19.[21] After the episode's release, Marvel announced merchandise inspired by the episode as part of its weekly "Marvel Must Haves" promotion for each episode of the series, including a Ms. Marvel doll, apparel, and accessories.[22]
Release
edit"Time and Again" was released on Disney+ on July 6, 2022.[23] It was released in Pakistan as part of a special theatrical release through licenser HKC Entertainment, due to Disney+ not being available in the country at that time, on July 14, 2022 along with the sixth episode.[24][25] The episode aired on ABC as part of The Wonderful World of Disney, along with the fourth and sixth episodes, on August 12, 2023.[26]
Reception
editViewership
editAccording to market research company Parrot Analytics, which looks at consumer engagement in consumer research, streaming, downloads, and on social media, Ms. Marvel climbed to No. 9 on the digital originals chart with 27.9 times average demand, reflecting a 5.66% rise in demand expressions from July 9 to July 15, 2022.[27] Whip Media, which tracks viewership data for the more than 21 million worldwide users of its TV Time app, calculated that Ms. Marvel was the fifth most-streamed original series for the week ending July 10, 2022.[28] Nielsen Media Research, which records streaming viewership on U.S. television screens, reported that Ms. Marvel was the seventh-most streamed original series in the U.S. for the week of July 4–10 with 295 million minutes watched.[29]
Critical response
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The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reports a 95% approval rating with an average rating of 7.60/10, based on 19 reviews. The site's critical consensus reads, "'Time and Again' is charged with filling narrative gaps as efficiently as possible and largely succeeds, entertainingly relaying exposition without halting Ms. Marvel's momentum."[30]
Arezou Amin at Collider gave the episode an "A+", complimenting the directors, saying it was "arguably the strongest and best-paced episode to date".[31] Emma Fraser, writing for IGN, gave the episode a 7 out of 10, highlighting the "interactions between the different generations of Kamala's family", adding, "the scenes between mothers and daughters pack an emotional punch".[32]
Accolades
editKarpman was nominated for Outstanding Music Composition For A Limited Or Anthology Series, Movie Or Special (Original Dramatic Score) at the 75th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards for her work on the episode.[33]
References
edit- ^ Kit, Borys; Goldberg, Lesley (August 23, 2019). "'Ms. Marvel' Series in the Works for Disney+ (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 23, 2019. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
- ^ Couch, Aaron (September 18, 2020). "'Ms. Marvel' Finds Directors in Pakistani Oscar Winner, 'Bad Boys For Life' Filmmakers (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 18, 2020. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
- ^ Alber, Caitlin (May 15, 2021). "Here's Who's Directing Marvel's 'Secret Invasion' Disney+ Series". Collider. Archived from the original on May 16, 2021. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
- ^ a b "Ms. Marvel Production Notes" (PDF). Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution. pp. 1–2. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 18, 2022. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
- ^ Adlakha, Siddhant (July 6, 2022). "Ms. Marvel Recap: Back to the Future". Vulture. Archived from the original on July 8, 2022. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
- ^ "Ms. Marvel - WGA Directory". Writers Guild of America West. May 25, 2022. Archived from the original on May 27, 2022. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
- ^ Vary, Adam B. (July 13, 2022). "'Ms. Marvel' Creator Bisha K. Ali Explains Why Kamala Is a [SPOILER], Finale Reveals and What Didn't Make the Show". Variety. Archived from the original on July 15, 2022. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
- ^ a b c d Asghar, Fatimah (July 6, 2022). "Time and Again". Ms. Marvel. Season 1. Episode 5. Disney+. End credits begin at 33:47.
- ^ Perception [@exp_perception] (June 1, 2022). "In one week, #MsMarvel is coming to Disney+! Our team at Perception is honored to announce that we collaborated with the team at Marvel Studios on this incredible series! Start streaming Ms. Marvel on June 8th" (Tweet). Archived from the original on June 1, 2022. Retrieved August 16, 2022 – via Twitter.
- ^ Perception (July 26, 2022). "Marvel Studios' Ms. Marvel: End Credits Main On End Title Sequence Episode 5". YouTube.
Marvel Studios asked our team at Perception to help create a dynamic main on end title sequence for their newest series on Disney+, Ms. Marvel. After filming the title sequence for episodes 1-3 in Jersey City, New Jersey, our team partnered with the production team at Marvel Studios to develop the Karachi sequence. Marvel Studios provided our team with amazing visuals from Karachi and we designed the vibrant murals to overlay onto the footage, combining elements from the Jersey City sequence with the culture and aesthetics of Karachi.
- ^ a b c d Frater, Patrick (May 11, 2021). "'Ms. Marvel' Series Completes Production in Thailand Despite Virus Resurgence (Exclusive)". Variety. Archived from the original on May 11, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
- ^ a b Mathai, Jeremy (July 1, 2022). "Ms. Marvel Director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy On Recreating Photographs Of Partition And Avoiding The Yellow Filter [Interview]". /Film. Archived from the original on July 2, 2022. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
- ^ White, Brett (June 9, 2022). "'Ms. Marvel' Filming Locations: Was the New Disney+ Show Filmed in Jersey City?". Decider. Archived from the original on June 9, 2022. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
- ^ Tangcay, Jazz (July 1, 2022). "'Ms. Marvel's' Latest Episode Has a Giant Ant-Man Easter Egg". Variety. Archived from the original on July 3, 2022. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
- ^ O'Loughlin, Jules [@jules.oloughlin] (March 23, 2021). "#marvel". Retrieved April 22, 2021 – via Instagram.
- ^ Edel, Victoria (July 7, 2022). ""Ms. Marvel" Transformed an Abandoned Atlanta Mall Into Pakistan — Here's How". PopSugar. Archived from the original on July 9, 2022. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
- ^ Frei, Vincent (May 25, 2022). "Ms. Marvel". Art of VFX. Archived from the original on June 4, 2022. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
- ^ Barnhardt, Adam (September 5, 2022). "Ms. Marvel's VFX Weren't Inspired by Agents of SHIELD". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on September 7, 2022. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
- ^ Burlingame, Jon (July 11, 2022). "Behind the Music of 'Ms. Marvel': Laura Karpman Score Is as Colorful as the Disney+ Series Itself". Variety. Archived from the original on July 28, 2022. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
- ^ Paige, Rachel (July 6, 2022). "'Ms. Marvel' | Every Song Featured in Episode 5". Marvel.com. Archived from the original on July 8, 2022. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
- ^ "Free Ms. Marvel Comics Presented by Marvel Unlimited". Marvel.com. Archived from the original on June 30, 2022. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
- ^ Paige, Rachel (July 7, 2022). "Shop Marvel Must Haves: 'Ms. Marvel' Episode 5". Marvel.com. Archived from the original on July 8, 2022. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
- ^ "(#105) "Time and Again"". The Futon Critic. Archived from the original on July 12, 2022. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
- ^ "'Ms Marvel' to screen in theatres across Pakistan". The Express Tribune. May 3, 2022. Archived from the original on May 3, 2022. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
- ^ Oddo, Marco Vitto (May 3, 2022). "'Ms. Marvel': Full Series to Get Theatrical Release in Pakistan". Collider. Archived from the original on May 3, 2022. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
- ^ McPherson, Christopher (July 15, 2023). "'Ms. Marvel' Heads to ABC for Broadcast Television Debut". Collider. Archived from the original on July 16, 2023. Retrieved July 16, 2023.
- ^ Latchem, John (July 18, 2022). "'Stranger Things' Keeps Top Spot on Parrot's Demand Charts Through July 15". Media Play News. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
- ^ Prange, Stephanie (July 12, 2022). "'Stranger Things,' 'Doctor Strange' Sequel Again Top Weekly Whip Media Streaming Charts". Media Play News. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
- ^ Porter, Rick (August 4, 2022). "'The Boys' Climbs Streaming Chart With Season 3 Finale". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 5, 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
- ^ "Time and Again". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
- ^ Amin, Arezou (July 6, 2022). "'Ms. Marvel' Episode 5 Review: A Trail of Stars Leads the Way to an Emotionally Satisfying Penultimate Chapter". Collider. Archived from the original on July 16, 2022.
- ^ Fraser, Emma (July 6, 2022). "Ms. Marvel Episode 5 Review". IGN. Archived from the original on July 15, 2022. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
- ^ Moreau, Jordan; Schneider, Michael (July 12, 2023). "Emmys 2023: The Complete Nominations List". Variety. Archived from the original on July 12, 2023. Retrieved July 12, 2023.