Season Discussion: What If...? Season 3

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0SH8gfnQTJKvX711LuTBZ9?si=ft9UDOoUQXWt24kxf6WHaA

The legacy of What If...? for the MCU will end up being that it is the single largest misfire of the multiverse saga, if not the entire history of the studio up until this point. The idea (and original pitch) is cool but the leaps of logic taken did not always line up with how the characters or the world is defined within the episode. Season three is not too different in this respect, but it is better than the previous two seasons.

For me, the biggest missed opportunity was not making more use of the newer characters to the degree that they could have. Shang-Chi is there, but we never get to grapple with the actual narrative of his backstory (What if Shang-Chi never defected from his father could have been good). She-Hulk is absent entirely. Khonshu and Moon Knight are present for one episode when seeing Khonshu select someone else to be Moon Knight could have been interesting. Sam Wilson has almost nothing to do. The Celestials get more play than the Eternals do with two episodes based in the events of The Eternals but only Kingo ever appears. Ms. Marvel is absent, Captain Marvel shows up once to be killed by one universe's Infinite Ultron, and both Scarlet Witch and Yelena's Black Widow are nowhere to be found. Meanwhile Red Guardian gets a major role in two episodes. The one episode with Ironheart as the lead is great but it's a little disappointing that she can only beat Quinton Beck with a suit literally made out of White Vision and The Watcher pushing her to not give up.

That said, some of the concepts here are really cool. The Earth being destroyed in the Emergence and humanity surviving on the remains is a cool concept, as is the idea of Agatha Harkness taking the powers of Tiamut. Even the episode that is probably weakest with the origin of Birdie is enough fun that it's worth watching. The alternate time period episode is probably the strongest here because it sets up The Hood as an interesting antagonist for the upcoming show Ironheart. This is definitely the strongest season, but it still isn't as good as it should have been.

The biggest weakness with the show is the fact that each of the three seasons ends with a major confrontation involving The Watcher breaking his oath. The show does not need that in the slightest. The other problem this presents is that it relegates Khahori and Storm to supporting roles in the final two episodes where they have to share screen time with Birdie and Captain Carter and the Watcher himself (kind of but not really) dealing with the repercussions of him breaking his Oath. Also, why did it take so long for the others to interfere with the Watcher's constant interference besides the fact that this is the finale?

Whatever, at least it's over. Oh wait, we still have Zombies next year.

★★★

Marvel's What If...?
Showrunner: Matthew Chauncey
Starring: Jeffrey Wright, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Anthony Mackie, Simu Liu, Hailee Steinfeld, Oscar Isaac, Chris Hemsworth, Samuel L. Jackson, and many, many others.
Streaming Service: Disney+
Release Date: December 22nd, 2024