'Cloak & Dagger' episode seven recap: 'Lotus Eaters'

On episode seven of Cloak & Dagger, Tandy and Tyrone work to bring Ivan back to the present, but Tandy has trouble letting go of the past.

Previously on Cloak & Dagger, Tyrone dogged bullets and got to Tandy’s church after watching Duane being murdered by Connors. Also, Mina discovered who Tandy was and let her see Ivan. Tandy was distressed to find Ivan in a catatonic state and unable to answer questions about her father, Nathan.

“Lotus Eaters” opens on a young Mina working on making a cookie in her Easy-Bake Oven for her dad, Ivan. The two happily chat as she puts the cookie in a bag and reminds him not to eat it until he’s at work. Ivan gets to work and finds out the shielding tiles he needs haven’t been delivered. One of the other workers says Roxxon decided not to get them and Ivan is upset. He asks someone to get ahold of Nathan. He gets ready to eat his cookie and then, red lights start flashing everywhere and klaxons blare. Back in the present, a catatonic Ivan sits in his room.

Tyrone finishes telling Tandy what happened to Duane. Tandy tries to comfort her friend by sharing some of her father’s advice. She acknowledges this isn’t a good time for Tyrone, but tells him about Ivan. She thinks his powers might be able to help open the door in Ivan’s mind.

Tandy brings Tyrone to Ivan and explains his condition. Tyrone agrees to help, saying Tandy owes him a favor. Each teen takes one of Ivan’s hands and they end up in the vision. Tandy shows Tyrone the door and he sees the shadows that surround the edges. Tyrone reaches for the door and the shadows take them both onto the rig on the day of the explosion. A man walks towards them and tries to attack them, despite that never happening in one of the visions before. Tandy stabs him with a dagger and the two run through a door and find themselves in an office. They find Ivan there, fully conscious and surprised at two new people showing up.

They talk to Ivan and discover he has no idea who he is or where they are located. The phone rings and Ivan hangs it up before listening to the caller. He reveals the world is going to end in less than two minutes. Tandy sees a sign and realizes they’re somehow on the rig before it explodes.

After asking what will stop the explosion, Ivan reveals they have to turn off the valves to the core. Tandy and Tyrone decide to go try, and Ivan yells after them that they have no chance. The klaxons continue to blaze and the workers try to attack them, but both fight back. More people come to attack them and then the rig explodes, the world turns white, and they’re back in the office with Ivan.

Ivan’s says he lost count of how many times the rig exploded after a hundred thousand. They ask Ivan what happens during every episode. Ivan says everyone on the ship except for him turns into a monster, which he calls terrors. He believes the type of energy Roxxon drilled for turned into a kind of fear that infected each person aboard. He talks about the phone ringing and then an explosion happening after. Shortly after, the workers get angrier and the main explosion occurs.

Ivan tells them to duck down to avoid an angry worker and the two listen. Tandy tries to explain to Ivan that what’s happening isn’t in the real world. Ivan doesn’t believe her, but she continues to try. She tells him about Mina, but he says he doesn’t have a daughter. She mentions her father and Ivan remembers the name. The man who calls on the phone is Nathan. Tandy looks at the phone and remembers the phone call her father answered right before the explosion.

The phone rings and Tandy picks it up and says hi. She tells Nathan how much she misses him and the explosion happens.

Tyrone tells Tandy not to lose focus. Tandy stares at the phone and says they will “eventually” get off the rig. Tyrone decides to try and shut down the core alone. He sees the first worker get infected, then infect another by touch. They surround him and he uses his powers to transport elsewhere. Tandy waits by the phone and talks to her dad while Tyrone fights all the workers. Tyrone turns the valves, but the explosion still happens.

Tyrone tells Tandy what happened and says they need to leave. Tandy looks at the phone, then says okay. Tyrone believes if they let go of Ivan’s hand in the real world, they should leave the rig. Tandy agrees to let go on three. When Tyrone comes out, he finds Tandy still holding Ivan’s hand. Tyrone can’t remove her hand since they can’t touch, so he tries to move Ivan’s arm at first. In the end, he takes Ivan’s hand again.

Photo: Freeform/Alfonso Bresciani

When Tyrone gets back to the rig, he discovers Tandy doesn’t remember him anymore. When Nathan calls, Tyrone hangs up the phone to get Tandy’s attention. She knows his name and says she remembers small pieces from her life. In the real world, she reveals she was alone and no one ever called. She tells him she manipulated him in real life and they weren’t friends. He disagrees and tries to get through to her again and again. She says if it was his brother on the phone, he would do the same thing she’s doing.

After he pulls the plug on the phone, she throws daggers at him multiple times and he transports out of the way. He asks if she’s told her dad the truth about her life, how she steals things, uses people, and does drugs. She gets angry and starts to attack him but the explosion happens and the world resets. Tyrone says he will leave if she asks her dad a question Ivan doesn’t know. She asks what he means and he says if the voice answers correctly, maybe it is her dad. When the phone rings, she asks who’s in the backseat of his car. He says no one and she finally decides to say goodbye and hang up the phone.

When the explosion happens the timeline resets, Tandy goes to Ivan and takes the cookie he’s eating. She tells him about Mina. She talks about the responsibility of being a father and of being there for his child. She talks about Mina making cookies in her easy bake oven. Mina puts cardamon in the cookies, and that little bit of information is what helps Ivan remember. He’s overwhelmed and asks about Mina. Tandy explains Mina visits him daily and asks if he wants to see her again. He says yes, but doesn’t know how to get out. Tyrone believes Ivan needs to shut everything down himself, though Ivan says it’s impossible. Tandy reminds him he has two helpers now.

Tandy and Tyrone fight the workers and protect Ivan as he rushes to turn the valves. Ivan turns the last one and wakes up in his hospital room. He doesn’t recognize Tandy or Tyrone but immediately begins asking for Mina. The two teens watch as Mina and Ivan are reunited.

When Tyrone gets home, he looks at some old possession of his brother’s, including a tape recorder. Tandy lays down to go to sleep, but then her phone rings. Tyrone’s on the other end and he tells her about the tape recorder. They both listen to a recording of Tyrone and Billy when they were younger. Tandy teases him about the recording and then asks him to play it again. The two continue to listen to the recording.

This episode of Cloak & Dagger is my favorite so far. Tandy trying to attack Tyrone was expected, but I think that they will continue to become closer friends after connecting over their personal tragedies. I could argue that Tandy should have known immediately that the voice on the phone wasn’t her real dad, but it’s understandable to be blinded by grief. I’m glad Ivan’s alright and happy Mina has her father back.

Cloak & Dagger airs on Freeform on Thursday nights at 8 p.m.

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