Was it said in Loki that infinity stones don’t work outside their home universe? I remember them not working in the TVA itself, but I might have missed something.
Anyhow, I agree with what seems to be the general consensus that this was an overall enjoyable episode that raises the stakes of all the past episodes immensely, but… Thanos appearing and then going down so easily was a bit of a storytelling cheat.
The stones don’t work in the TVA, but they never explicitly said why. “They only work in their home universe” is a fan explanation, partially based on a scene in the comics where Darkseid (from the DC universe, in a rare cross-company crossover) gets ahold of the stones, but can’t use them to do anything in the DCverse.
That said, “alternate timelines” are maybe not the same thing as “other universes?” Each of these stories were part of the same timeline as the movies up until the point where the story changes. So, maybe going between timelines doesn’t count as going to different universes, and you have to break through into someone else’s intellectual property before the stones stop working. Which raises the question, what happens if they go and get their own set of infinity stones to fight Infinite Ultron?
So, this whole time the Watcher has been narrating these episodes, has he actually been talking to Supreme Strange?
Wow. I had not thought of this angle.
When the Watcher is talking, is he making a report to a superior, or telling a story to a younger member of his species, or is he doing a fourth wall break like Deadpool? Who is he talking to?
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
The way I’ve seen it is the Watcher is telling US a story he already knows, which is why he’s not surprised by anything until Ultron Supreme showed up and is somehow something he never foresaw? That’s why he’s totally blindsided. He’s seen everything because there’s just the one timeline and then it got fractured?
That’s interesting to learn the Darkseid reveal regarding the gems. Most people have said it was established fairly recently in FF when the Council of Reeds explain it to the 616 Mr. Fantastic.
Is there going to be a second season?
Yeah, I just watched episode 9. Not sure what I think about it yet.
Yes. Confirmed.
That finale was pretty great. I do hope we get different stories next year vs just following up on these.
It was seriously good, both story and the imagery. I’m betting a book of the artwork in the show is released soon, and I’m getting a copy when it does. And they really leveraged the freedom that animation gives you in action sequences - they had some great fights in there. And I liked that they tied up - or at least moved forward - the stories from the various episodes.
Really liked the last episode, but not having Captain Carter say something like, ‘Hey, I know that squid!’ when Superior Strange let loose was a missed opportunity, I thought.
Pretty close. But instead of non-zombie Peter Parker and some version of Carol Danvers, we got some version of Gamora. Speaking of…was that version from one of the earlier episodes? I don’t recall her at all.
Apparently, COVID-related disruptions caused the series to be trimmed from 10 episodes per season to 9, and the Gamora-centered episode was the one that got pushed back to second season.
Ah, ok, thanks. It really felt like we the audience were supposed to recognize her, and I felt like I was missing something obvious.
We got a brief flash of her fighting with the Guardians at the Sovereign’s world. I think that was the same one that the watcher picked up.
BTW, let’s just pause to acknowledge yet another “fuck you” to Tony Stark in this one. Guy can’t catch a break in any universe.
At least he wasn’t killed in this one.
I found it interesting that they were in the process of forging an Infinity Gauntlet when the watcher showed up.
I was under the impression they were melting it down after having crushed the Gems.
Man, my If-Vengers prediction was off…but of oh, well.
Killmonger’s inclusion was pretty weak since we all KNEW he’d betray the team. I do wish there had been more between T’Challa Starlord and him. Like “Hey just so you know I killed you in my universe.” “Why?” “…I had to.” “Ooookay.”
I think the Zemo virus plan was…weird?..Even if you are very desperate, uploading a Nazi scientist into a god-tier body…isn’t any better than Ultron. Did they establish the Zemo drive had any weakness?
Supposedly next season will be more “Party Thor” style and do more with phase 4… but I hope we get a resolution to the Captain Carter cliffhanger–popular theory is that essentially we’ll get a retelling of Winter Soldier but with the Hydra-Stomper and brainwashed Steve.
I’m liking this series as much as the movies. Animation allows them to have the creativity of the comics, while the short format forces them to pare things down to the essential story. I still want to have “live-action” movies and tv series, but animated shorts need to be a bigger piece of the MCU.
The Watcher’s plan all along was the two betrayers would be forever locked in struggle to possess the Infinity Stones. That’s why Dr Tentacles said (paraphrasing) “our goal was to separate the stones from the body, not to win”.