We in Danger, Girl

THIS is how you Marvel, Marvel. Keep it up.

It might take until the last act of the episode to really kick it up, but this is much closer to what I was hoping for from this show, and from Marvel in general now. I mean, I get that we kinda 'had to' start off how we did with Riri to make it more believable that she become who she's supposed to be, I'm just glad that they gave her that one big push in that direction now - in the first drop of episodes - rather than making us wait longer. I'm also glad that they're diving into Parker's story a bit harder and faster now too. We knew it was coming so putting it off much longer would have felt cheap.

Here's hoping that this is where Anthony Ramos and Dominique Thorn in particular really get to stretch their metaphorical legs and start running with their characters, because that ending was DAMN good!

Ironheart is a fantastic addition to the Marvel universe and a standout Disney+ series, especially with its powerful Black female lead, Riri Williams. The show brilliantly blends action, heart, and innovation. It's refreshing and inspiring to see a young, intelligent Black woman take center stage in a tech-driven superhero story. The storyline is engaging and emotionally layered, with well-developed supporting characters who bring even more depth. My teen daughters and I are absolutely hooked, every episode sparks conversation, inspiration, and excitement. Highly recommended to those who really enjoy Marvel or any those who aren't really interested in superheroes. It's a great watch.

This junk was cobbled together from half a dozen failed scripts. The character looks 30, not 19. Only Han Solo Jr. Brings anything resembling acting chops to the game.

And her suit?

Jaysys, what a mess, ostensibly a heap of disjointed scraps that somehow have the shine and polish of a mint '59 Jag. You'd never build a prototype with that level of finish, since you're only designing in order to re-design. Why bother with ten coats of pain when you're not close to perfecting the work?

What would have been interesting if, instead of pointless scenes that don't build even one character meaningfully, they spent five minutes actually showing how a budding engineer works? Why not do that, so that the audience knows why things work the way they do. Instead we get a stream of scenes with no tempo, scenes that don't build to anything.

It's not hilariously bad, which at least would have made Ironheart interesting, but it is weak in every area, yet another installment in Disney+ endless output of tripe. I'd say it's a pity, but the premise is so flawed it was never going to work.

At this rate Disney will go bankrupt and take Marvel with it. That's a good thing since in 10-20 years it might result in a production based on the comics that reboots the stories intelligently, with actual heart.

The show has had a lot of errors, but the team really doubled down on the sloppiness here, especially with how many scenes have mouth movements out-of-sync with characters' words.

We also get N. A. T. A. L. I. E. Outdoors in the daylight in this episode, revealing that she somehow casts a shadow. I don't know how to head-canon that one. Doesn't make sense.

And why does her audio sound like she's a real person (at times)? Shouldn't it always sound like whatever she's being projected from? In fact, we even get scenes that make clear how she sounds when she's inhabiting the suit! So when she's being projected from the suit, isn't that how she should sound? To me this is a massive oversight, added to the overwhelmingly long list of sound mistakes in the show.

Some important things apparently happened in this episode, but viewers who can't turn their brains off will likely be too distracted by the production's carelessness. Personally, trying to suspend disbelief took all my attention.

Alright, so we've hit the third episode of Ironheart. After the first two being a bit of a mixed bag - a decent opener, then one that felt a bit flat - I was hoping this one would properly kick things into gear. And, well, it certainly throws some curveballs.

Riri Williams, once again, is the main reason I'm still tuning in. Dominique Thorne continues to absolutely boss it. This episode sees her getting into some proper sticky situations, and her reactions feel genuinely earned. The stakes are definitely ratcheting up, and seeing her grapple with the consequences of her choices, especially after that wild reveal about Joe McGillicuddy (that was a proper 'blimey' moment, wasn't it?), adds some much-needed depth. Her tech is still looking slick, too.

However, while the plot got a bit more spicy, the pacing still feels a bit off. There are moments where things fly by, and then others where it just drags its heels. The Hood, bless him, is still visually impressive with his powers, but his motivations are still a bit thin on the ground. He's doing villainous things, but I'm not entirely feeling his grand plan yet.

And the supporting cast? Still a bit hit or miss, to be honest. Some characters get a bit more to do, and there are flashes of potential, but overall, they're not consistently pulling their weight. It's like they're still finding their footing, and in a six-episode series, you really need everyone firing on all cylinders by episode three.

So, Ep 3 ramps up the tension and gives Riri some solid character moments, but it's still wrestling with those pacing issues and a supporting cast that needs to step up. It's not a disaster, but it's not quite the full throttle Marvel TV I'm always hoping for. Still, I'm sticking with it for now to see how Riri navigates this mess.

My Rating: 6/10.