Ironheart, Season 1, Episode 4: Bad Magic
This one is a bit of a rougher episode, and two things really make it a bit of an odd episode to watch. Firstly is the rather random introduction of Zelma Stanton and the 'Dr. Strange' portion of the world. Now it's admittedly a very tangential crossover, but it really did feel like we get a whole section set up just to give a bunch of magic-relation info-dump... and done in a rather inelegant way. The only real foreshadowing to this, if you can even call it that, is that Riri's mom had superstitious friends over as a joke in the first episode. As it is, as much as the scene had some fun jokes, it also felt like we're missing the setup. It's not even like Zelma appeared in a different show or something, which at least I could excuse. But she's a new character that seemingly shows up to give some exposition, and disappears as awkwardly in the middle of it. I would even take it if the episode gave any indication that, as Riri's mother pointed out, that Riri had some inkling that one of their local friends was a true-blue magician, but it just seems like it was done by pure dumb luck, which felt really off.
(Also, the magical enlightenment and explanation from Zelma essentially adds up to 'it's evil', which really did feel like we wasted our time as much as when Riri broke into Zeke's base and started experimenting with the hood-scrap).
The other problem is one where Riri... isn't the most likable character at this point in time. Which, by the way, narratively is a good thing. A protagonist being fallible is a great! A protagonist having panic attacks, and being stubborn and hurting the people around them, if done well, is much more interesting than a vanilla-boring heroic-hero-helps-people-because-heroism.
And I do feel like all of the scenes in this episode where Riri struggles with the terrible things she's done are all very strong. The moment when she brushes off her mother was amazingly acted by both actresses; where Mama Williams is absolutely done with Riri's bullshit and she understands that her daughter is essentially full of shit. Zeke/'Joe' being utterly disgusted and angry at Riri for landing him in jail is also done extremely well, and I think that side of the story -- Zeke's rise of villainy -- is actually done amazingly well. Even the scene at the end, with Xavier and Riri's argument about AI!Natalie, while lacking the punch of the other two scenes, is another great scene.
You notice I have been praising all these scenes. And they are great! The problem, again, is that... I am supposed to be, in some way, rooting for the main heroine of the show. We are four episodes in a six-episode season, and Riri... doesn't really give off anything that wants to make me root for her and not nod my head strongly and agree wholeheartedly with Mama Williams, with Zeke, and with Xavier. I really did feel in the show trying its best to showcase Riri 'wanting' and 'trying', they never really stop and tell us who Riri really is, and why we should root for her. This is crucial when making a flawed hero, and why 'jerk' superheroes like Wolverine or Punisher or Deadpool work. I don't know. It's not a problem that I think was as bad as Echo was because the acting and scripting here is a bit more engaging, but it really does feel like we're just watching a trainwreck and it's hard not to think "she kinda deserved it, with what she's done".
(I also don't buy that Shuri wouldn't help Riri, by the way... or that NATALIE wouldn't call Shuri anyway)
None of this is any rag against Dominique Thorne, who does a great job at portraying someone whose life is spiraling out of control. That panic breakdown, and the fight against her mother, are all done well... it's just that the writing and how fast we're pinballing from one corner of the show to the next that I have a problem with.
Other than Riri's constant humiliation and having all the cast pick apart all of the bad decisions she's been doing throughout the season, we do get a bit of focus on our primary antagonist, Parker "The Hood" Robbins. He's mourning the death of his loyal cousin John, and throughout the episode it's clear that he knows who is responsible. Unfortunately, other than shots of him brooding, we also barely spend any time with the Hood.
Around halfway through the episode it's revealed that he's scouted out Zeke Stane in jail, and arranged both his breakout and stealing all of Zeke's technological resources from wherever the cops impounded them. The two antagonists teaming up together to fight Riri is cool, and I can understand the motivations, but it does ring a bit hollow considering how much Riri has been shown to be at the back-foot. I do like the rather grim origin story of Zeke, though, partially as Hood and Slug seem to be double-crossing him by altering the specifics of the cyborg upgrades.
Marvel Easter Eggs Corner:
- Zelma Stanton is a supporting character in Doctor Strange comics who was helped by the doctor and later became his librarian. As far as I can find out, Zelma and Ironheart aren't associated in the comics.
- MCU!Zelma notes that she is associated with Doctor Strange and Kamar-Taj. Zelma's mother 'dropped out' of Kamar-Taj, which is just as well considering it became a war-zone in Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness.
- In the episode, Zelma's lair has 'brain maggots'. The case that introduced the comics version of Zelma to Dr. Strange is connected to the Mind Maggots, which infested her.
- Riri lists Wakandan, Kree, Stark and Pym as four of the power source types she compared the Hood's energies to.
- Shuri and Riri's participation in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is brought up during the discussion of what Riri should do.
- Zelma and her mom briefly brings up 'witchcraft' as a specific breed of magic, referencing all the witch-y magic associated with WandaVision and Agatha All Along.
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