The finale of season one of What If….? episode 9, “What If The Watcher Broke His Oath,” ties all the stories together as the Watcher forms the Guardians of the Multiverse. It’s one of the better episodes in a season of mixed quality.
Here are five thoughts to ponder until season 2.
1. The Spotlight is On Captain Carter and Black Widow
If I learned anything from this series, it’s that I miss Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter. While the episode introducing Captain Carter played it so safe that it was predictable, it was still wonderful to see Peggy again. She will be back in season 2 and that’s all I need to return as well, even given my overall disappointment the show.
Natasha and Peggy are the best part of “What If the Watcher Broke His Oath,” from Captain Carter’s banter with her Natasha, to the Captain’s instant bond with the Natasha from UltronVision’s universe. Their joint action sequence featuring the motorcycle and their version of the fastball special is perfect, as they finally infect UltronVision with the corrupt Zola code. Kudos again to Lake Bell for standing in admirably for Scarlett Johansson as the voice of Widow.
This partnership is likely to be one that launches a thousand flashfics, the end credit scene with Peggy and the Hydra Stomper notwithstanding.
2. There Are Great Moments
There are a number of inconsistencies but, on the whole, it’s a fast-paced, enjoyable episode. The show went all out with action this time. I could point to a number of moments but for pure visual fun, there’s nothing like Dark Dr. Strange dropping a world full of Zombies on the villain’s head.
There is also an entire sequence depicted from the perspective of a dropped Infinity Stone, an interesting visual trick that reminded me of similar scenes in comics.
As for the conclusion, that’s one way to get rid of the evil Killmonger, trapping him and UltronVision in a pocket universe. It nicely removes him from the world where he killed T’Challa, Rhodey, and Tony Stark, leaving Shuri and Pepper Potts in charge of rebuilding.
3. But the Plot Issues Remain
The series has been plagued all along by inconsistent plotting and so-so adherence to established MCU facts. The finale is no different.
The biggest question is how did Strange have the power to trap the combatants in the pocket universe? If he had this power all along, why didn’t he use it with UltronVision before the ending? I will no-prize this one by saying Strange could do this because Killmonger and Ultron are too focused on defeating each other to break free. But still, it’s not explained well.
The other big question: why didn’t the Watcher gather up the Infinity Stones from another universe to combat Ultron? That’s the most obvious way to counter his threat. As for the “Stones work differently in different universes” rabbit that was pulled out of a hat, all I have to say is “huh?”
Other inconsistencies includes: the arrow with Zola’s code needing to be injected straight into Ultron when Zola indicated in “What If Ultron Won” that he could do it remotely; the Zombie Scarlet Witch being instantly defeated when we know she can destroy the Stones; and Dark Dr. Strange not using the Time Stone to buy time or attempt to buy time.
I have more nitpicks but you get the idea.
4. The Callouts to the MCU and Comic Versions of the Stories
My favorite of all the call-outs in this episode was Zola appearing in the chest of Ultron. The Arnim Zola of Marvel Comics has this exact design, one of my favorites.
The opening sequence of episode 9 is, of course, a lift from Captain America: The Winter Soldier, only with Peggy facing Batroc instead of Steve. That confrontation is nicely short-circuited (literally) by the Widow. Brock Rumlow is in this scene as well.
The magically appearing alcohol called back to the MCU Dr. Strange providing Thor with an endless mug of beer in Thor: Ragnarok.
Continued belowGamora’s costume was the same as Thanos’ armor in the MCU. This Gamora had too little to do in the finale, perhaps because her episode was postponed from season one to season two.
Sadly, T’Challa and Killmonger have little interaction, other than Killmonger’s assertion T’Challa was not his cousin. I’d have liked to see more of the two of them.
5. What If…? the Series: Pros and Cons
The finale almost redeems the series but not quite.
The dialogue, especially the quick exchanges among the team, was a vast improvement from most of the episodes. I can even forgive bringing back Party Thor when, clearly, Frigga is far more powerful in that universe. He was clearly used for comic relief and fair enough.
And yet….I go back to the fact that if you want to ask the question “What If….?” you have to follow the rules established in the MCU before branching off to another version. This series basically treated MCU canon as a loose guideline instead.
Yet, still, there are some worlds I want to visit again. The Natasha from the ruined world ends up in the timeline of “What If Earth Lost Its’ Mightiest Heroes?” That’s a a happy ending for her. Does that open the door to an alternate universe Natasha in the regular MCU? We already are on Gamora Version 2.0 in the MCU, so it’s possible. I’d tag it as unlikely, however. Instead, I expect we’ll see more of Natasha 2.0 in season 2 of this show.
The surety that Captain Carter will be back will have me watching next season.
Final Note: Episode 9 was Chadwick Boseman’s final appearance in the MCU.
