Kamala discovers the truth of her origins: she is part Djinn, and her great-grandmother was (or perhaps still is) one of a group of exiled Djinn. They need the bangle to get them home, but Kamala is hesitant after she learns that making a portal for them could cause immense devastation on Earth. They do not take this well, and crash Aamir's wedding in an effort to force Kamala to help them. They are ultimately captured by Damage Control after their leader is distracted by a vision of a train when she grabs Kamala's bangle. Kamala gets a call from her grandmother who tells her that she and her mother must return to Karachi, because she saw the train as well.
Tropes:
- Accidental Hero: Right as Kamala looks to be at the mercy of Najma and her people, Agent Deever and Damage Control show up and take them down, allowing Kamala and Bruno to get away as they subdue and arrest them.
- Adaptation Origin Connection: Instead of being a latent Inhuman, Najma reveals in this episode that Kamala is a descendant of Djinn, a member of their ClanDestine.
- Adaptational Heroism: In the comics, Kamran was a loyal foot soldier to the group of villains he was involved with, and once Kamala rejected his We Can Rule Together offer, he turned on her completely. Here, once he realizes Najma doesn't care about Kamala's safety, he tries to warn her and helps her during the battle.
- Adaptational Villainy: Najma and her people call themselves the Clandestine, which in the comics are a heroic family of superhumans. Here, they're not only willing to risk destroying the Earth if it means getting home, but they'll also take out anyone that stands in their way.
- Affably Evil: The Clandestine member Aadam seems goofy enough to indulge in Earth culture, but when he's assaulting Kamala with the others he seems very excited for the opportunity.
- Affectionate Nickname: Kamala calls Nakia "Squishy".
- The Ageless: Najma and the others age quite slowly, being Human Aliens from another dimension. It isn't yet known exactly how long they've been on Earth, but they don't look any different in the current day from eighty years ago.
- All Myths Are True: Najma's people are responsible for the myths about Djinn.
- Armor-Piercing Question: When Agent Deever tells Sheikh Abdullah and Nakia that the matter of the enhanced individual is "very serious", Nakia pointedly asks if the matter is serious simply because of the enhanced individual or if it's serious because they were spotted near a mosque. Agent Deever doesn't have a satisfactory reply.
- Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: Kamala and her mother have a heart to heart, and Muneeba opens up about the difficulties she's had in America and that having her family helped her overcome her hardships and Kamala hugs her. Considering the antagonistic Beloved Smother attitude she's had and Kamala's general fed-uppiness with her living situation, this is a heartwarming moment.
- Bigot with a Badge: All of the DDC agents walk into the mosque with their shoes on and demand a search of the premises. They're stopped by Nakia reminding them that's illegal without a search warrant, and Sheikh Abdullah chastises them for not taking off their shoes.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Najma tries to convince Kamala to help willingly, but the second the latter shows any hesitation, she immediately jumps to murder as a means to force Kamala's compliance.
- Boring, but Practical: To save everyone at the wedding when the Clandestine come to kill her, Kamala simply pulls the fire alarm, which turns out to be a very effective way to distract everyone and get them out of the building without anyone getting hurt.
- Brought Down to Badass: Downplayed. The Clandestine Djinn have Super-Strength and some Super-Toughness but they lack their full power and need the bangle to unlock it. Also, the DDC's energy weapons seem to be able to at least stun them or temporarily incapacitate them, as they're all taken into custody after getting blasted (with the exception of Kamran, who was knocked out by a hard fall).
- The Cavalry: The DDC, led by Deever, show up at the wedding venue to arrest the Djinn. Their arrival allows Kamala to sneak out a back exit with Bruno.
- Celebrity Paradox: The song the aunties dance to in Aamir and Tyesha’s wedding reception is Yeh Mera Dil from the 1978 Bollywood movie, Don
. Farhan Akhtar, who plays Waleed in the very next episode, directed the remake of that movie, Don: The Chase Begins Again and its sequel Don 2. - Continuity Nod:
- The symbol of the Ten Rings is engraved on the ground of the cave that the Djinn explored in 1942.
- Bruno mentions a paper on other dimensions that was written by Dr. Erik Selvig.
- At the wedding, Tyesha's little brother Gabe is wearing the Hulk-themed shalwar kameez from the first episode.
- Creator Cameo: At the wedding, there's a crash zoom shot of some guests, with a particular woman centered in the frame. This is executive producer and Kamala Khan co-creator Sana Amanat.
- Curb Stomp Cushion: Despite being outnumbered by the Djinn five to one and still lacking proficiency with her powers, Kamala either blocks or dodges every attack that comes her way and even manages to bat aside her attackers by creating giant limb constructs to smack them. Her resistance buys enough time for Damage Control to arrive and disable them.
- Delayed Reaction: Nakia casually drops having won her election to the Mosque Board into her and Kamala's conversation, and it takes Kamala several seconds (along with a gentle kick) to realize what Nakia said.
- Did You Actually Believe...?: Najma gives this exchange to Kamala after the latter asks why she had an intent to kill her with no qualms.Kamala: Why are you doing this? You said you would protect me?
Najma: Why should I protect those who betray me? - The Exile: Najma, Aisha, and the others were exiled from the Noor dimension. They will do anything to get back, even if Earth is devastated in the process.
- Fire Alarm Distraction: Kamala pulls the fire alarm to get everyone out of the building so that they won't be killed by the Djinn. It works, but she's spotted by others present and her family learns she was responsible, leaving her in a tough position as she can't explain why she had to do it.
- Flashback: There's a flashback to 1942 India, showing a group including Kamala's great-grandmother Aisha and Najma discovering the bangle. It's revealed that there's a second bangle, before Aisha puts the first on, believing it will take them home. The British attacking forces them to flee in opposite directions.
- Floorfilling Song and Dance: At Aamir and Tyesha's wedding reception, Yusuf surprises them by revealing that everyone in the wedding party (including Tyesha's Christian parents) had been taking lessons and learning a traditional Pakistani wedding dance. Then Kamala, Nakia, the Illumin-Aunties, and Bruno have their own segment, followed by Aamir, who shortly pulls Tyesha in, and soon almost all of them are dancing.
- Fun with Homophones: When Kamala tells Bruno that she's a Djinn, he asks "And tonic?".
- Get Out!: What Nakia and Abdullah do to the Damage Control agents once they realize they have no warrant.
- Hypocrite: Najma accuses Kamala of being selfish in refusing to give up the bangle, yet Najma is willing to endanger any number of people (including her own son) for her own desires.
- Internal Reveal:
- Bruno tells Kamala about being accepted to CalTech.
- Nakia learns that Kamala is Night Light, and doesn't take it very well once she realizes Bruno knows.
- Interrupted Intimacy: Kamala asks Bruno to dance and he happily agrees, while the song the band begins is Bon Jovi's "Bed of Roses", a love song. Unfortunately for them, Kamran takes the opportunity to pull Kamala away so he can warn her about the Clandestine.
- Irony: The previous episode ended with the Djinn showing up just in time to save Kamala from Damage Control. This episode ends with Damage Control showing up just in time to save Kamala from the Djinn.
- Kicking Ass in All Her Finery: Kamala's fight with the Clandestine Djinn takes place while she's at the wedding reception, still wearing her party dress.
- Magical Weapon: When the Djinn confront Kamala, it's revealed that everyday parts of their clothing are actually magically transforming weapons with special properties. For one, it's a button from his coat that becomes a mace, for another, it's a belt that's a magically extending whip.
- Mundane Utility: Referenced when Abdullah jokes to the Damage Control agents to send a person who can fly his way, as he could use someone to clean out the mosque's gutters.
- Mythology Gag:
- Sheik Abdullah repeats the adage from the comics that "good is not something you are, it's something you do".
- Yusuf is suddenly gushing about Hostess Fruit Pies, which used to run prominent ad campaigns featuring the heroes of Marvel Comics.
- Not-So-Well-Intentioned Extremist: Though the Djinn put on a good front - hoping to convince Kamala to just give them the bangle - the second she hesitates, they show up willing to murder her and everyone at the wedding.
- Oblivious Guilt Slinging:
- Not realizing she's criticizing Kamala, Muneeba says "That girl's mother should be ashamed of herself."
- Nakia does the same, accusing Night Light of causing Muslims nothing but more trouble, bringing more crack-downs from the government and encouraging in-fighting and spying. Right to Kamala's face, and just as she was about to tell Nakia that she's Night Light.
- Punny Name: The Indian cover band for the wedding is named Brown Jovi.
- Race Lift: The Clan Destine are adapted from a family of half-Djinn half-European descent to a group of full Djinn that resemble various non-white Earth ethnicities.
- The Reveal:
- The woman who appeared briefly in Kamala's vision while trying to save the Mosque Shoe Thief in the previous episode is a Noori, Kamran's mother Najma. As are several others who survived to the present day. We also learn that Aisha, Kamala's great-grandmother, was another Noori, who disappeared when the group had to split up after she found and put on a single bangle.
- The bangle allows access to the power of Noor, which comes from Aisha and Najma's home dimension. They can't access it freely on Earth without it. There's a companion bangle that would allow them to get home, though they don't mind trying with one even if it would be dangerous.
- Kamala's powers are due to her being part-Djinn and inheriting an internal store of Noor, which the bangle allows her to channel.
- The brief vision Kamala had after putting on the bangle, a purple dimension full of dark figures with white eyes, is the Noor dimension.
- Rule of Three: In-Universe, as part of the wedding ceremony, the bride and groom must each confirm three times that they take the other as their spouse.
- Running Gag: Kamran is still calling Bruno "Brian". Bruno complains that Kamran must be doing it on purpose.
- Sarcasm Mode: Aamir starts his three "I Do"'s with an overly glib "I'm up for it!" only to get more and more heartfelt for the second and final one. Tyesha on her hand Inverted it with her first two being heartfelt and the last one being a gleeful "oh yes I do!"
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: The kitchen staff ignore Kamala's plea to leave but do so as soon as the Djinn show up and assault someone.Cook: Absolutely not, nuh-uh.
- Shout-Out:
- Nakia says she learned civics from Law & Order.
- Kamala hiding from the Djinn as they hunt her through the kitchen is framed the same way as the kids hiding from the velociraptors in Jurassic Park.
- Shown Their Work: Nakia runs into Kamala's room and casually throws off her hijab while diving onto Kamala's bed in search of a pillow to scream into. Just like the scene in the female area of the mosque in "Crushed", it shows that the hijab is something she wears while out in public and not among female close friends.
- Soundtrack Dissonance: "Livin' on a Prayer" by Bon Jovi, of all songs, plays as Kamala is flung around the wedding venue by Najma and her crew.
- Unable to Support a Wife: Discussed. Aamir worries about what kind of life he'll be able to give Tyesha as a directionless grad student with barely any money. Yusuf advises his son to have faith in his love and that his family will help him find his way. In the comics, Tyesha lives with Aamir's family for a while until they can afford their own place.
- Wedding Smashers: Aamir and Tyesha's wedding reception is attacked by the Clandestine Djinn in an attempt to force Kamala to help them.
- Wham Line:
- When Kamran expresses to his mother that asking Kamala to help them return to the Noor Dimension could be dangerous for not just Kamala, but for Earth as well, his mother's response:
- The episode ends with Kamala getting a call from her Nani.Sana: Did you see the train? Because I saw it, too!
- Would Hurt a Child: The Djinn come after Kamala at her brother's wedding, willing to kill her to take the bangle. They hurt Kamran very badly (Najma didn't even seem too concerned for her own son's well-being), and he claims they'd be willing to kill everyone at the wedding.
- Villainous Rescue: Agent Deever and her cohorts show up to arrest the Clandestine, unknowingly giving the cornered Kamala and Bruno a much-needed chance to slip away.
- You Are What You Hate: After a childhood of being scared by Djinn' Stories ("they are like ghost stories except they are so much worse since they are real!"), Kamala learns that her power comes from being the great-granddaughter of a Djinn.
