(No Scans) "What If ...?" Discussion Part Seven

[cricharddavies]

Episode seven has been released.



Okay ... this was not what I was expecting. I wonder why they redesigned Darcy, her glasses are pretty much constant in all of her appearances. (And I actually suspect I know what the reason is and it does not speak well of those who chose this.)

Well, this is a tale of ridiculous overreaction if ever there was one.

Apparently, someone reeeeeallly wanted that Endgame scene to escalate into a fight.

And we have crossover, folks.

Comments

[mazway_75]

Interesting ending with idea even the Watcher didn't see it coming for some fun turns.

[scorntx]

Probably not an episode for anyone who's not a fan of Thor's characterisation from Ragnarok onwards.
But if that doesn't bother you, or you're able to just shrug and accept it as casual light-hearted silliness that isn't mean to be taken seriously, much like the Star-Panther episode, then it's alright.
Or if you're just happy to have a What If...? which isn't "everyone DIES!", that's fine too.

There was mention that the writers wanted to do an episode where Jane got Mjolnir and became Thor, until Love and Thunder was announced, and I'mma guess this was it.

Bit weirded out by Hill being more like her comic self (or the general from Mars Attacks!), but there was that whole subplot she had in Avengers about getting character development that then got cut, and we all remember that, right?
Right?

Though unilaterally nuking someone for being an obnoxious dude-bro is an overreaction. Just a smidge.
And it would've killed that polar bear, which is definitely wrong.
(Nuke all the dude-bros you like, but don't go contributing to polar bear plight. Poor things have enough problems.)

Now, hands up, who saw the sudden twist ending coming?
(Not necessarily that twist, but just that the wacky lighthearted episode would have a sudden twist of some kind.)

[mrwalker]

I didn't see it coming. I was like "hey, a self contained happy end....SONUVA...!!!"

[zachbeacon]

Finally, one with a happy end…

Oh, never mind.

Actually, I’m still not sure there’s a big enough difference between this world and the MCU. Aside from MAYBE Fury and Vision (SO MANY things have to happen to get a Vision), all the major players are still on the board. It might even end in a better place.

Also enjoy that Thor and Loki have a better relationship in this world. It just goes to show that Odin is the real villain in those movies.

[beyondthefringe]

I really enjoyed this. It was funny to watch Thor play space god frat bro until he got some sense beaten into him.

I've been trying to figure out how we go from space god frat bro to Ultron-Vision with the Infinity Stones. My best guess is that Thor's intergalactic kegger distracted basically everyone--the Collector, Ravagers, the future members of the Guardians of the Galaxy, Nebula--so that left the space-based stones up for grabs. With Loki out of the picture as a villain, that left several Earth-based stones up for grabs as well. And then all it takes is one very determined being to collect them all without any real interference.

But... where DID Ultron-Vision come from??? I'm still stuck on how this alternate history developed him, given the complete lack of Avengers, or even serious modern threats to necessitate his creation...

[scorntx]

Think Ultvision is supposed to be from another universe, which is why his appearance several years before he was created has blind-sided Uatu.

[beyondthefringe]

That may make sense. I mean, it's about the only way to actually get to an Ultvision in a timeline like this, which hasn't seen the necessary conflicts to inspire his creation.

[shakalooloo]

Good thing Infinity Stones don't work outside their native universe! The party is saved!

[zachbeacon]

"until he got some sense beaten into him"

Really he didn't seem THAT bothered by Carol. Certainly not so bothered that he stopped being a dick. Thor enjoys a good fight.

No, he started behaving when someone called his mommy on him ... which is way funnier.

[stubbleupdate]

I've been hearing a bunch of people who hated this episode, and the rest of the series.

Their main objection is that none of it matters, and that the only good bit was the final two seconds.

I have no idea why they can't enjoy some fluff for what it is

[tcampbell1000]

The "oh, it doesn't MATTER" "argument" is a lot older than the MCU. I guess it's the price of investing your audience in a huge interconnected meta-story that some of them will judge everything you do based solely on how connected it is to the heart of it, but I never saw the point of that either.

Anyway, anyone who's decided they hate a thing based on the barest description of the premise doesn't get to have their opinion about the execution, dare I say it, matter.

(Unless it's something promoting actively unhealthy messages like Fifty Shades, in which case it's fair game.)

[juniper6]

Isn’t the point of it pretty much that it doesn’t matter? If you’re only down for meaningful canon, maybe don’t watch “What If.”

[donnblake]

Definitely some fun moments, (the leaning tower gag made me chuckle) though the conflict with Danvers seemed a bit forced- the light tone of the whole thing meant that, as much destruction as we actually saw them causing, the intergalactic party never really sold as a threat.

Interesting that in this reality everyone in space seems to be getting along and partying hardy. No Asgardian Loki means Nebula seems to be in a much better place? Hmm.

[tcampbell1000]

I don't really feel like pulling this one apart in depth, but I do think people involved in the writing of this episode seemed to disagree drastically about just how silly/serious it should be. Is Jane a respectable if besotted scientist, or has Hemsworthlust made her a giggly idiot? Is Thor's party a credible threat to human life on Earth or is he just having fun and maybe damaging a few overrated monuments? Conversely, are Carol and SHIELD wildly overreacting ("We NEVER get to fire the nukes!") or doing what's necessary to stop a planet-killing force? Can we have our simple "pick me up at eight" ending or is the whole thing just a prequel for "What If Ultron Got the Infinity Sto--Oops He Just Destroyed All Organic Life and This Sentence Was Finished By Autocomplete?"

I would like to feel like I had more solid answers to these questions.

[icon_uk]

Hey, the intro only says they're going to ponder the question "What if...?", not answer it! :)

[zachbeacon]

To be fair, Hemsworthlust hit Jane AND Darcy pretty hard in the movies too.

Given the way SHIELD was talking about the party "spreading" like it was some kind of plague and the "Party God" jokes, I was half convinced Thor was the God of Thunder and Parties. Lots of deities multitask. Its not that crazy to think that Thor had some kind of localized unintentional mind control.

(Heck, without Loki around maybe Frigga forced a few more magic lessons on Thor. His education is clearly very important to her in this universe. Maybe he picked up some sort of celebration-themed enchantment at some point.)

I'm sure Darcy wants to reassure herself that she was under the influence of more than just booze when she first wakes up next to her new husband.

Also, the only reason SHIELD didn't nuke NYC in the first Avengers movie is because Fury stopped it. Fury isn't there in this episode. It doesn't paint Hill or Carol in a great light though and I might have been too willing to forgive them in light of their hilarious reactions to Frigga showing up.

[shakalooloo]

Far too much goofy humour. A few jokes are fine here and there, but I found it way too OTT. Even Crossbones cracked a joke about not being able to nuke something. Wow.

In fact, thinking about it, Coulson was back to being the straight man? That's something?

[dan_ingram]

I honestly don't like them crediting so much character development to Loki.

Thor isn't Hercules. In the first movie, he was too eager for combat, not partying.

[shakalooloo]

This episode was 'What if Taika Waititi instead of Ken Brannagh'.

[tcampbell1000]

Those parts, I think I get. Most of Loki's issues in the main MCU come from how he was raised. And also, he's not really that developed: he's just here to have a good time. He's one of the first to say, "Dude, your mom is YOUR problem" when the party stops.

And Thor seems like he's been interested in both things, here and elsewhere: he's happy to throw down with Captain Marvel as that situation emerges, and even the first Thor movie had the improvised scene where he smashes a glass and shouts out, "ANOTHER!" I admit the explanation that Loki's absence made him more of a party dude than a fighty dude is a little tenuous, but it seems like it could happen.

[zachbeacon]

Counterpoint: Only children are weird.

PS: I'm joking, only children.

PPS: I'm totally not joking, other people with siblings.

[icon_uk]

Between this one and the one with the pre-Avengers being killed, they really are playing up the "Thor is ALWAYS the prettiest in the room, and has Disney Princess hair", aren't they?

As you might imagine, I have no issues with this approach

[shakalooloo]

Fandral's really gonna have to up his dash game.

My verdict

[stubbleupdate]

Re: My verdict

[cricharddavies]

Yes, it's great that Disney doesn't have to pay the actor for the use of her likeness.