What If… What If… review S3 E8
What If… I decided to cancel my Disney+ subscription thanks to escalating prices and needed to finish off a bunch of lingering series?
Let’s start with What If… a series that was so ripe with potential and made good on its promise with a fascinating first season before having a massive fall from grace with Marvel Studios fans.
With the series finale, What If… feels like a shell of its past glory and mercifully comes to its overdue conclusion.
The episode kicks off with Uatu and his mentor, The Eminence (Jason Isaacs) talking about the vastness of the multiverse before Uatu officially becomes The Watcher. He takes a vow to observe and not take action and swears not to fail The Eminence.
In a clever bit of editing, the very next line is the present day with The Eminence telling The Watcher that he failed him.
The Eminence, The Executioner (Darin De Paul) and The Incarnate (D.C. Douglas) are ready to pass judgement on The Watcher for his constant interference especially to aid his pet cause Captain Carter, who they also have in chains.
Infinity Ultron crashes through with Asgardian Storm, Kahhori and Byrdie in her ship. They’re able to rescue Uatu and Peggy thanks to Infinity Ultron’s sacrifice.
Byrdie tries to lose the Watcher guard while Peggy suggests going to the universe Sorcerer Strange crafted. His essence is in every fiber of the universe and could prevent the Watchers from destroying them. This theory is fine provided Strange is feeling helpful.
They don’t make it and face the Watcher trio on an isolated plain. This fight goes longer than it should — the Watchers are battling the What If…writers’ favorite characters after all — before all hope seems lost.
Encouraged by Peggy and her random three friends, The Watcher says “Everyone is someone. I am Uatu.”
The Watcher gets the bright idea to have them recite The Watcher Oath, which naturally amps up their already considerable power. And there’s the cheat code. Recognizing the fight got real, The Eminence and crew also boost their powers and add in weapons.
This is the problem when the writers make too many unbeatable characters in a regular setting — the villains who were already at a ridiculously scaled power set have to get leveled up to an even more ridiculous scale to make it a competitive fight.
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Peggy has been the super-bestest, unstoppable hero in the cartoon MCU so this very long fight scene just feels unnecessary. It’s almost Looney Tunes-esque with the slapstick battles that just go in and on.
With their numbers advantage and benefit of actually fighting as a team before — sans Uatu — the Fearsome Foursome demand that the watchers yield.
The Eminence has one last trick up his sleeve as he taught Uatu everything he knows, but not everything he knows. He unleashes a blast effect that starts wiping out every version of Peggy and crew across the Multiverse. Until Peggy just decides that’s enough (naturally) overcoming the final boss’ mega weapon on the strength of her conviction she won’t lose her friends.
As a fan of Agent Carter from What If…Season 1, the writers have turned her into one of the most overbearing characters in the MCU. Steve Rogers didn’t win every fight simply by deciding “nah, I’m good.” Making Peggy so obnoxiously unstoppable loses all the suspense and intrigue with her character.
What If… Captain Carter easily would have defeated Wanda in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (available on Blu-Ray at Amazon) without needing the rest of the Illuminati.
Peggy sacrifices herself (how?) and brings the group — and The Eminence — to Sorcerer Strange’s universe. There, the Eminence has no power and Uatu graciously offers to help him see the Multiverse in the same way he does with the mindset that everything and everyone matters. Well, if no one else does at least I feel a lot better about everything.
Uatu, Storm, Kahhori and Byrdie memorialize Peggy and send her shield to the great beyond-verse as he zooms through all kinds of interesting unique takes on characters like Spider-Man, She-Hulk, Iron Man, Captain America, Maestro Hulk, Punisher, Ghost Rider, Wasp, and Thanos that probably would have been more interesting than Howard the Duck and D’Arcy’s kid and Kahhori. At least we did get to see Blade Knight…
What If… ended on a whimper but considering how most of the last two seasons played out, an ending was the best possible outcome.
Rating: 6 out of 10
Photo Credit: Disney
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