History YMMV / Runaways2017

** Many fans were just plain confused about how Season 1 doesn't feature a single reference to the rest of the MCU, and even seems to go out of its way to distance itself from the franchise by its take on Tina Minoru having nothing to do with the character as she appeared in ''Film/{{Doctor Strange|2016}}'', raising the question of why they even insisted that it's part of the franchise. The announcement of the release date for Season 2 then came with a promise that it would be tied in more tightly. This comes through in both small ways (an offhand reference to [[Film/BlackPanther Wakanda]]) and large ([[spoiler:Nico using the Staff of One starts giving her the same eye effect as [[Film/DoctorStrange2016 Kaecilius and his followers]]]]).

* CriticalResearchFailure: Molly calls her 15th birthday party a quinceañera. This is actually the term for the girl turning fifteen, while the party is a quinces.

** Many fans were just plain confused about how Season 1 doesn't feature a single reference to the rest of the MCU, and even seems to go out of its way to distance itself from the franchise by its take on Tina Minoru having nothing to do with the character as she appeared in ''Film/{{Doctor Strange|2016}}'', raising the question of why they even insisted that it's part of the franchise. The announcement of the release date for Season 2 then came with a promise that it would be tied in more tightly. This comes through in both small ways (an offhand reference to [[Film/BlackPanther Wakanda]]) and large ([[spoiler:Nico using the Staff of One starts giving her the same eye effect as [[Film/DoctorStrange Kaecilius and his followers]]]]).

* {{HSQ}}: An especially strong use of the Staff of One causes Nico to [[spoiler:develop the same cracks around her eyes as [[Film/DoctorStrange Kaecilius]]]].

** The number of times non-Marvel things get referenced before Marvel things, from Goosebumps, to Starwars, to Toy Story to Street Fighter 2, as if the show's writers are deliberately trying to troll the comic fans.

** Julian McMahon being cast as Jonah means that he's the second member of Tim Story's [[Film/FantasticFour2005 Fantastic Four films]] to join the MCU, the first being Creator/ChrisEvans as Captain America[[note]]McMahon and Evans had previously played Doctor Doom and The Human Torch[[/note]].

* InternetBackdraft: With the "Me too" movement in full swing by the time the show was released, it was the exact wrong time to try to sell one of the heroes keeping an attempted rape secret to "protect" the victim.

* CatharsisFactor: After ''Series/{{Inhumans}}'' being very averse to having a scene where Lockjaw is touched due to SpecialEffectsFailure, it's ''very'' satisfying to see Gert and Molly touch Old Lace in several scenes, '''on-screen''', without any cheap camera tricks whatsoever.

* HarsherInHindsight: [[spoiler: A week after the BigDamnKiss between Nico and Karolina, their comic book counterparts have an AlmostKiss -- which Karolina defuses because she's currently dating Julie Power.]]

** Julian McMahon being cast as Frank Dean means that he's the second member of Tim Story's [[Film/FantasticFour2005 Fantastic Four films]] to join the MCU, the first being Creator/ChrisEvans as Captain America[[note]]McMahon and Evans had previously played Doctor Doom and The Human Torch[[/note]].

*** Karolina's advances had already been rejected by Nico. She was also up front with Xavin about her sexuality and only started to show interest when they took a female form. A form they would use as much and eventually more than their male form.

** Chase organised a meeting with the Runaways after returning to his family. Hiding from them that the Pride is aware that their meeting or that it was their idea. After he fails to convince them to return back home, the Pride ambush and split up the group. [[spoiler: Leading to the capture of Karolina and Gert.]] After a whole year trying to bring the kids in, including developing technology that he has seen first hand to do it. Why did Chase assume that the Pride would just accept the failure and not take immediate action. Especially seeing that he placed his former friends in the perfect ambush spot and unaware that their parents knew where they were thanks to Chase.

* DesignatedHero: Alex gets this ''hard'' in the second season. Despite being TheSmartGuy of the group, he routinely comes across as a fool, a jerk, a hypocrite, or some combination thereof. Even if you forgive the necessity of him working for Darius, Alex allows himself to view Darius as a mentor figure even though it's clear that the older man is helping him for self-serving reasons and promptly turns Alex over to Geoffrey for an easy payoff. [[spoiler: When Darius is murdered by Catherine, Alex's determination to avenge him comes off as extremely misplaced loyalty]]. And when the kids decide to rescue Leslie, he throws a fit even though they rescued his own father a few episodes earlier, then he whines about it not being a "democratic" decision even though he was clearly outvoted. And of course, he does nothing to help.

** Catherine crosses it when she [[spoiler: murders Darius and frames him for the murder of Destiny Gonzales]]. Worse than that is her absolutely unapologetic attitude afterwards. Even her husband is appalled.

* DesignatedHero: Alex gets this ''hard'' in the second season. Despite being TheSmartGuy of the group, he routinely comes across as a fool, a jerk, a hypocrite, or some combination thereof. Even if you forgive the necessity of him working for Darius, a man who ''kidnapped'' him last season, Alex allows himself to view Darius as a mentor figure even though it's clear that the older man is helping him for self-serving reasons and promptly turns Alex over to Geoffery for an easy payoff. [[spoiler: When Darius is murdered by Catherine, Alex's determination to avenge him comes off as extremely misplaced loyalty]]. And when the kids decide to rescue Leslie, he throws a fit even though they rescued his own father a few episodes earlier, then he whines about it not being a "democratic" decision even though he was clearly outvoted. And of course, he does nothing to help.

** Also in Season 2, the appearance of [[spoiler: Xavin]], a character many thought the show wouldn't even ''try'' to adapt due to their comic book self being [[spoiler: a skrull.]]

** The fact that this series is a BroadStrokes adaption has made this series very controversial among the comic book faithful. Which is funny as this was arguably done so that the comic book fans would be kept in suspense as to what was going to happen each week.

** Also in Season 2, the appearance of [[spoiler: Xavin,]] a character many thought the show wouldn't even ''try'' to adapt due to their comic book self being [[spoiler: a skrull.]]

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: The show didn't clarify [[spoiler: if Nico killed AWOL and his squad, or if a dozen naked men got dropped off someplace random]].

* CatharsisFactor: After ''Series/{{Inhumans}}'' is very averse in having a scene where Lockjaw is touched due to SpecialEffectsFailure, it's ''very'' satisfying to see Gert and Molly touch Old Lace in several scenes, '''on-screen''', without any cheap camera tricks whatsoever.

** The entire portrayal of Xavin was widely hailed as a welcome reinvention of a character who fell hard into ValuesDissonance in record time. The comics version is a shapeshifting alien who's technically genderless but prefers male bodies for their physical strength, who manages to very quickly woo Karolina away from her highly popular romance with Nico simply by telling her they're betrothed. The show gets rid of the potential CureYourGays undertones by having Xavin also be a woman, plus Karolina isn't moved at all by this interloper who suddenly thrusts herself into the group and insists they need to hook up.

* DesignatedHero: Alex gets this ''hard'' in the second season. Despite being TheSmartGuy of the group, he routinely comes across as a fool, a jerk, a hypocrite, or some combination thereof. Even if you forgive the necessity of him working for Darius, a man who ''kidnapped'' him last season, Alex allows himself to view Darius as a mentor figure even though it's clear that the older man is helping him for self-serving reasons and promptly turns Alex over to Geoffery for an easy payoff. And when the kids decide to rescue Leslie, he throws a fit even though they rescued his own father a few episodes earlier, then he whines about it not being a "democratic" decision even though he was clearly outvoted. And of course, he does nothing to help.

* DesignatedHero: Alex gets this ''hard'' in the second season. Despite being TheSmartGuy of the group, he routinely comes across as a jerk, a fool, a hypocrite, or some combination thereof. Even if you forgive the necessity of him working for Darius, a man who ''kidnapped'' him last season, Alex allows himself to view Darius as a mentor figure even though it's clear that the older man is helping him for self-serving reasons and promptly turns Alex over to Geoffery for an easy payoff. And when the kids decide to rescue Leslie, he throws a fit even though they rescued his own father a few episodes earlier, then he whines about it not being a "democratic" decision even though he was clearly outvoted. And of course, he does nothing to help