Cloak & Dagger season 2 was another successful layer of the Divine Pairing’s complex story.

The second season went out with a bang and solidified the show as one of the best TV shows across all genres. Cloak & Dagger season 2 dove head first into serious and timely issues like sex trafficking and PTSD, expanded into alternate dimensions, and gave more depth to Tyrone and Tandy’s powers.

It balanced darkness and despair with moments of levity and challenged fans to examine the heartbreaking reality that thousands of people face in our world.

The 10-episode format is virtually perfect because there is exposition that constantly moves the storyline forward, thereby eliminating that annoying filler seen in shows with longer seasons. And only Cloak & Dagger can turn Britney Spears’ “…Baby One More Time” into a heart-wrenching ballad.

The show’s New Orleans setting felt more prominent this season with an exploration of the city’s poorer wards, jazz music, and how brown girls are often overlooked when they are in danger, as well as voodoo culture.

The introduction of different loas and veves forced viewers who were not familiar with the practice to expand their knowledge, and it all played naturally into the show’s fantasy elements.

This mashup gave Evita a brilliant growth arc as she graduated from being Tyrone’s love interest to a powerful force who taught him how to teleport others, draw a veve, and harness his dark powers.

Season 2 also continued to explore Tyrone and Tandy’s individual and collective arcs. Tyrone was forced to fully confront his own guilt over Billy’s death and the choice he made to pursue Connors. He had to redefine his moral boundaries and reconnect with his parents so they could find resolution and healing as a family unit.

Ty also built a stronger bond with Tandy through their fight against Andre/D’Spayre as he learned how vital they were in each other’s lives. Tandy’s arc was the more prominent story this season with her entrapment into a dangerous sex trafficking ring, rebuilding a relationship with her mother, and coming to terms with her shame over her father’s abuse.

The show took care with this sensitive storyline by showing that this tragedy could happen to anyone, but it disproportionately affects girls of color in lower income neighborhoods. The victims’ fear and isolation felt all too real as they continued to be mentally abused by Andre, who was perhaps one of the scariest and most effective villains on a TV show.

Cloak & Dagger has done a phenomenal job with taking this comic story and making the characters infinitely better, and D’Spayre was no exception. His powers did play a role into how he acquired his victims, but he is representative of thousands of men who prey on traumatized people who feel isolated and unloved.

He was hiding in plain sight, narcissistic, and unbelievably manipulative with a well-crafted plan to feed on despair, and he pushed the heroes to become better versions of themselves. Tandy had to step back from the privilege she has to see the light and Tyrone was able to free the burden of trying to solve everything by controlling what he could in the drug trading arena.

Mayhem was an unexpected yet welcome addition to this season who went through her own path from being a sinister harbinger of justice to an unlikely ally. But this came at the expense of Mina Hess, who was criminally underused in season 2.

Mina popped up in the earlier episodes to give a little information and then pretty much had zero impact. Based on the finale’s ending, it may be a while before we see her again.

It remains to be seen where Ty and Tandy are heading, but it’s honestly sad to see them leave New Orleans because it is such an unorthodox and rich location for the series. But perhaps a foray outside of their comfort zone will make them realize there’s no place like home.

Cloak & Dagger season 2 was another solid arc and hopefully next season’s announcement will come soon so fans can start counting down to the teen duo’s new missions in uncharted territory.