In the season’s penultimate episode, What If…? previews a showdown between the multiverse’s warriors and those who watch. When Uatu (Jeffery Wright) finds himself on trial for his interventionist crimes, Captain Peggy Carter must lead a new team across reality to save the multiverse narrator.
Our cold open finds Uatu bound by the Watcher Council—The Imminence, The Incarnate, and The Executioner—which has grown tired of his constant meddling. As they contemptuously hold him, they fear his multiverse minion, Captain Britain, will attempt to save him. While they have vowed never to intervene, the Council will do anything to protect the sanctity of their order. Captain Britain must be stopped.
Meanwhile, Peggy and her team of heroes are found battling a tentacle monster in Nebula’s (Karen Gillan) universe from season 2, episode 1. Peggy is joined by Kahhori (Devery Jacobs), Strom, Goddess of Thunder (Alison Sealy-Smith), and a new hero, Byrdie (Natasha Lyonne). Once the creature is defeated, the team sets to leave when shards of reality fall from the sky. Peggy deduces they have fallen from the Watcher’s cosmic chamber, signaling her friend must be in trouble.
Collecting the shards, the foursome plans to travel to the 5th dimension and rescue The Watcher. Unfortunately, their two attempts to break through their reality fail, leaving one desperate measure. Kahhori suggests they find an Infinity Ultron and persuade him to open a portal. The plan is a huge risk given Infinity Ultron depleted the entire multiverse in season one’s penultimate episode. In a heart-to-heart with Storm, Peggy fears losing any more comrades. But Strom reassures her they must take the course untraveled.
Peggy goes solo and finds Infinity Ultron, but doesn’t return. When the other three seek her, they discover Peggy has vanished leaving behind her cracked shield. The trio assumes the worst and attacks Infinity Ultron on sight. Infinity Ultron tells them another entity took Captain Carter. At this moment, Ultron realizes his attempt at peace was ill-advised for “there is no peace without life, but there is no life without conflict.” With his sudden change of heart, he agrees to help them find Peggy and rescue The Watcher. Absorbing the final reality shard, Infinity Ultron powers their ship and they hyperdrive through space and time.
The season’s penultimate episode was fun introducing new characters and reminding us of moments from the series’ past. Sealy-Smith’s appearance as Ororo Munroe finally places the X-Men within the What If…? and greater MCU canon. We are inching closer to their official introduction into the live-action sphere. Lyonne as Byride —Darcy and Howard’s daughter from episode 4 — is a pleasant surprise and signals another mutant among us. While this mighty team-up was awesome to watch, the episode’s short timespan cheats us out of any real developments as it only functions as a setup for episode seven.
Rating: 7.5/10