What If… The Watcher Disappeared? S3 E7
Time to knock out some long overdue recaps starting with What If… The Watcher Disappeared? a disappointing penultimate episode to a series that ran out of steam just about two seasons ago.
Somewhere after the first season of What If…? wrapped, the showrunners fell into the questionable consensus that viewers flocked to the series for Captain Carter…and no one else despite a pretty cool ensemble of quasi-Avengers forming to save the day. For obvious reasons, T’Challa as Star-Lord had to be removed from consideration (a well-meaning, but ultimately terrible decision) and then Dr. Strange made a full heel turn leaving Captain Carter and Party Thor as the last main heroes.
What If…The Watcher Disappeared kicks off with Nova Prime Nebula, who also has Yondu’s mohawk/arrow device to ensure she’s far more powerful than Groot and Korg. They’re watching largely helpless as a massive Hydra is about to cause some massive destruction.
Until Captain Carter arrives with her don’t call them A-Force team of Exiles Guardians of the Multiverse — Kahhori, Byrdie — the magical daughter of Howard the Duck and D’arcy and a Mjolnir-wielding Storm.
What points The Watcher Disappeared gets is largely for bringing Storm to this What If universe and getting Alison Sealy-Smith to reprise her longtime voice acting role as Storm. God-mode Storm is steeped in comics mythology and wasn’t created for the sake of coming up with yet another omni-potent character.
That’s been a major problem with the series — the proliferation of unstoppable, unbeatable characters popping up every few episodes killing off any hope of sustained drama and tension. That’s best embodied in The Watcher Disappeared.
Captain Carter eliminated all trace of any excitement in any episode she appeared in once she battled back Ultron Prime and Thanos. Kahhori’s introduction in the series was literally titled What If Kahhori Reshaped the World? Byrdie was the focal point of one of the series’ weaker installments. It says a lot when the team’s ‘most vulnerable’ member is the goddess of thunder… It does kinda go without saying, but it was weird there wasn’t even a token dude on the group. Surely in all of the multiverse there has to be one guy worthy of hanging with Carter and her super women squad.
MORE:
- Hasbro reveals GI Joe Classified Series HasLab Snow CAT
- Andor TV Series Episode Guide and Recap
- Straw review (2025)
- Until Dawn review (2025)
The Guardians of the Multiverse finds a shard from The Watcher’s Observation Deck suggesting their ally is in trouble. That’s true as another, more pompous Watcher, the Eminence (Jason Isaacs), narrates the opening sequence. This is admittedly a nice departure from the norm as the Eminence and two other Watchers have The Watcher under interrogation.
They blame The Watcher for disrupting the multiverse. And he’s made Captain Carter a nuisance. No need to stop them when they start telling lies. They’re on a roll.
For most of The Watcher Disappeared is spent with Peggy and her crew trying to tap into the portal dimension to save their Watcher. Well, that and trying to hastily foster this close bond between the four heroes. If the showrunners had a good pitch, a Guardians of the Multiverse spin-off could have been cool. Instead, The Watcher Disappeared felt far too much like a backdoor pilot for another series rather than tying up three seasons worth of subplots.
As enamored as Marvel Studios higher ups must have been to get Natasha Lyonne to sign up for a project, this wasn’t the best use of an actress having her moment right now. It was a tough ask to get audiences invested in a new character created simply for this series whose first appearance as an adult is the second to last episode of the series.
With each member of the team striking out, Kahhori suggests getting help from Ultron Prime. Peggy is against that course of action as she recalls nearly dying fighting him. Still, a timeline variant of Ultron Prime couldn’t hurt in a fight. Peggy sets off on her own to recruit Ultron Prime. She probably should have left a note so Storm, Kahhori and Byrdie would know where their teammate went and that UP isn’t actually the bad guy this time around.
Not that it mattered since The Eminence took Peggy to bring before the Watcher Council. Ultron Prime absorbs the energy from the shard (as if he really needed more power). He has the Infinity Stones!
That seems like the big pivotal moment just before a really spectacular action sequence. Not so for The Watcher Disappeared. That’s just the tease for the To Be Continued tag where all subplots have to be wrapped up in a tidy bow.
The Watcher Disappeared stayed true to the overall feeling of going through the motions of this season. There are just too few exciting chapters, a curious focus on middling characters and barely tangible drama to make for a satisfying final stop before the series has its merciful conclusion.
Rating: 5 out of 10
Photo Credit: Disney
Enjoyed What If…The Watcher Disappeared? Check out The What If? Classic Collection now on Amazon.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.