‘What If…?’ Episode 7 Review “Thor Onlyson”

What If…?  is back with a brand new episode this week after a very intriguing previous episode. This week’s episode features the God of Thunder himself, Thor Odinson, seeing his family being altered and reshaped in this alternate universe. The Watcher’s eyes are set on him, as we ponder the question, What if… Thor was an only child? Does this unique concept lend itself well to an entire episode? The answer is yes with a fun-filled twist.

I must admit that out of all the previous premises announced, the one that had me least excited was this one. I just didn’t know where it could go or how cool it could be. Thankfully, the episode delivers in a very different way compared to previous entries. It dives fully into a silly, goofy, and ridiculous house party gone wrong throughout the nine realms and doesn’t hold back. I didn’t expect this tone to work at all and was kind of distracted by it at first. As the episode went on, I just bought into it and had a blast.

Part of what makes it work so well is the voice acting by the cast. Other than the Zombies episode, this episode of What If…? definitely featured the most diverse and varied cast of characters. Some of these I was very happy to see return and did not expect at all. Thankfully almost all the original actors voice their characters, with the standouts being Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Natalie Portman, and Kat Dennings. They delivered the animosity needed to make this work and they just seemed like they had a blast in the recording booth.

Another interesting tidbit is that we kind of got another What If…? within this episode, one I definitely have debated with friends over. This comes in the form of Thor vs Captain Marvel. Two of the most powerful heroes in the MCU finally face off and what a treat. The animated medium allows for this fight to go to some extremes that may not be seen in live action. It was entertaining, beautiful to watch, and just flat out fun. It also ties into the house party gone wrong situation because, let’s face it, every party has to have a fight right?

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A lot of fun nods appear throughout the episode as well. I loved hearing the Thor: Ragnarok score throughout the episode thanks to the presence of the Grandmaster. Finding characters in the background from other MCU entries was a fun task to partake in while watching it. It’s always especially nice to catch Howard the Duck whenever you can as well. Not only that, but a subtle nod to The Great Gatsby can also be seen and that was just a nice touch.

Another thing I wanted to touch on is that some of these episodes are expected to receive follow-ups in the following season. I am manifesting and pleading to A.C. Bradley and the crew working on What If…? to PLEASE follow this episode up. (SPOILERS FOLLOW FOR THE ENDING OF WHAT IF…? EPISODE 7) The tease with Vision as Ultron with all the infinity stones is just too big to leave alone. What If…? is the perfect vessel to explore this and with that setup, how can we not want more?!

Out of all the episodes released of What If…?, this one is the most “what-iffy” of all of them. It shows that it doesn’t have to be completely dark to compel nor does it have to take itself that seriously. A lot of aspects are changed here and various avenues are explored, which is exactly what this show strives to do. Is it radically different than previous episodes? Absolutely, but it is such a trip and a good time that I found myself with a huge smile by the end of it. Episodes like these are the ones that make me grateful for the existence of this show.

The seventh episode of What If…?  is ultimately a blast from start to finish. It is goofy, fun, and silly in the best of ways. It delivers on all fronts and is another fantastic entry into the debut season. Fantastic performances, great concepts, and stupendous nods make this one a standout. – Kenneth Colon