WHAT IF I RANKED ALL EPISODES?

SPOILERS AHEAD!!

Let’s get this out of the way now: there were no bad episodes in WHAT IF. Even the least interesting one showed quality writing, engaging voice acting, and, above all else, superb animation. Every week, time, space, and reality glued me to my seat and I couldn’t look away.

I do have a couple of favorites, though. I couldn’t point to an episode I hated, but I did have a few that didn’t entertain me or interest me as much. Organizing this list wasn’t an easy task, but I asked myself which episode had the best or most unexpected take on a character and which made me stare at the screen with a shrug.

With that in mind, this is the ranking I’ve come up with.

It isn’t a surprise that they used clips from this episode to advertise the show. The idea of Killmonger saving Tony Stark’s life was sure to grab our attention. It easily grabbed mine and made me look forward to the moment two of the best characters in the MCU would share a screen. The possibilities for how this relationship would go were, as the Watcher reminded us every episode, endless. Therefore, I don’t know how we ended up with such a lackluster story.

Killmonger is charming, cold-blooded, and manipulative. There was no doubt in my mind that he’d succeeded in his plan because he’d already done it in Black Panther (2018). Watching him do it again (but this time with robots!) was fun, but simplistic. Even when the episode tries to keep us guessing which side he’s truly on, I already knew the answer: he’s on his own side, as always.

In a partnership between two selfish men, they went for the more predictable story while Tony faded into the background. Seems to be there was something more interesting happening off-screen: Tony’s growing alcoholism and his refusal to grow up. Had the story been told from his perspective, it might have been a fresh take on a beloved character. Better yet, we could have seen Killmonger corrupt Tony Stark into villainy.

I suppose leaning into Tony’s darker side right after he made the ultimate sacrifice might have been too much for Disney, though. Instead, we watched Killmonger take over Wakanda. Again.

Still, Michael B. Jordan’s return to Killmonger was worth the watch, and props for Mick Wingert for taking on such an iconic role without breaking a sweat.

We can all agree that nothing relevant happened in this episode, yes? It was unmitigated fanservice wrapped in a comedy package and presented to us by fratboy Thor and frost giant Loki. Currently, this is the episode with the lowest rating on IMDB and I can’t say I disagree with that. It’s the type of story that is only here to make us laugh.

Once you embrace the story for what it is, however, it becomes quite charming. Yes, I’d have much preferred a parallel of Thor and Loki growing up separately, but I can’t say I didn’t laugh throughout this entire episode. Did I learn anything new? No. Am I grateful that Frigga had more to do in this episode? Yes! Am I grateful for all of the Frost Giant Loki simping on my TikTok feed? Absolutely!

And might I also add, Thor and Jane have more chemistry in this episode than in any movie they’ve been in together. I’m sure Dr. Jane Foster will soon yield the hammer with poise and strength; until then, I’m more than fine with socially awkward Jane trying to fit in with the cool kids.

And Darcy marries Howard the Duck. How could one not enjoy this episode?

Peggy Carter has been a favorite of mine for years and I understand why Captain Carter was chosen as the opening episode of this series. It presented a beloved character in a new light that didn’t stray too far from the original story. Peggy and Hailey Atwell make the uniform their own and the character’s thirst for her own strength and power was just as engaging as Steve’s bumbling first steps.

My one criticism of it is that it played a little too safe, sometimes copy/pasting The First Avenger (2009) moments onto Peggy’s journey. I much preferred Peggy’s return later, when she gets to tell her own story beside Natasha. Overall, though, it's a solid episode.

Besides, I can’t gloss over the fact that Captain Carter/Steve Rogers’ relationship closely parallels that of Captain America/Bucky and my queer heart appreciates that.

I think a good mystery is the one that reveals itself at the end and makes us go, “Oh, of course! I should have seen that coming!” To me, this is what this episode did. Perhaps some people are more observant than I (honestly, it’s not that hard), but an invisible killer is always intriguing. I was hooked to every twist and turn and I couldn’t wait to find out how the hell the killer was executing heroes with such creative, gruesome precision. As an added bonus, we got to follow Black Widow in her investigation, showing that she can do much more than just acrobatics in a leather suit.

This episode would have been higher on my list if Loki hadn’t conquered Earth. Since the event that pushed him over the edge (the confrontation with his brother and his father’s ultimate rejection) never took place, it made little sense for him to want to conquer another kingdom when he’s just gotten exactly what he wanted to begin with. Felt like a lazy ending that desperately wanted a cliffhanger.

A moment of silence for Chadwick Boseman and the character he’ll never again have the chance to play. In this episode, T’Challa saves the universe by traveling through space, giving everybody therapy, and I am here for it. This heist episode is full of heart and kindness, both traits that have made T’Challa a favorite and I appreciate that they didn’t overlook this. This action-packed episode still has space for gentleness, found family, and forgiveness.

On top of that, this fresh take on Thanos and Nebula’s characters managed to be both hilarious and moving and it proved that the timelines could easily stray from the original one. It was fun, unexpected, and touching. And if I’m being honest, Karen Gillian’s femme fatale performance might be my new favorite sound.

Age of Ultron (2012) has several issues and you can read all about… anywhere on the internet, really. As a villain, however, Ultron has always been fascinating to me. The AI that wants to eliminate humanity for its own good has been played to exhaustion, but there’s something quite charming about the way James Spader played the character. It was like watching a gentleman throwing a toddler’s tantrum and that captured me immediately.

Ross Marquand understood the assignment when he took on the role and didn’t try to make the character more than it could have been. Upon victory, Ultron becomes mad with power and obsessed with bringing peace to the entire universe. That is it. That is all his character wants and there is no need to spend time developing or humanizing him. Ultron is a threat and it is treated as such.

Instead, we follow Natasha and Clint, the very last survivors of Earth, trying to avenge their friends and family. It doesn’t make up for the Natasha and Clint movie we never got, but it’s definitely a start. On top of that, Jeffrey Wright and his Watcher get to do more than just comment on what’s happening; his battle with Ultron is beautifully choreographed and exquisitely animated.

Tradition demands that the end of an anthology series bring forth a gathering of easter eggs that tie loose ends and present a satisfying ending to several plot lines. This finale did not disappoint. It executed what was expected of it to perfection and I can’t get over how beautiful the animation was.

A few episodes got me thinking that I might have enjoyed watching them as full-length movies, but not this one. This episode is exactly what it was meant to be: a culmination of plots, an array of fighting sequences, and a series of twists I couldn’t look away from. And it all fit effortlessly into 30 minutes.

I’m surprised to see that this is one of the highest-rated episodes on IMDB. I don’t think Dr. Strange is a fan favorite and the core of this episode is simply a tragic love story. Yet, this was the episode that made me stare at the screen with my chin to the floor for two very distinct reasons.

First of all, the animation in this episode is flawless. Throughout the series, you can see artists really stepping up to the plate and doing an excellent job, but they really shine when they get to put their hands on Dr. Strange and his unusual brand of magic. From alien creatures to colorful spells to insane fighting through space and time, it was impossible to look away.

Secondly, this episode does not have a happy ending. In fact, its ending is quite dark. It showed that the series wasn’t afraid to push the envelope and give us something unexpected, even if it hurt. I suppose Stephen Strange gets redeemed later, which softens the blow, but there’s something quite unsettling about watching the Wizard Supreme destroy himself (figuratively as well as literally) and end up in a glass prison in nothingness for all eternity.

I mean… damn, Marvel. Well done, but… damn.

I won’t deny that other episodes offered us more in terms of character development and dramatic moments, but ZOMBIES understood the assignment. This episode dives head-on into the absurdity of its premise without apologizing. While episodes like KILLMONGER and CAPTAIN CARTER played it safe, this one strayed so far from the sacred timeline, I could hear the TVA alarms blasting from across time and space.

ZOMBIES presents a tragic reality where the Avengers get turned and the few surviving characters must band together to try and change the world. This could have been any Zombie movie ever made, every trope of the genre making an appearance: the group of misfits, the loss of beloved friends, the mad scientist who only wants to save their loved one, the subway train that just won’t start while an angry hoard is right there!!

As someone who adores horror movies but merely tolerates zombies, I was enthralled by this from start to finish. Some people might not enjoy how far from canon this episode was, but this is a show about alternate realities. If you can’t go absolutely bonkers with it, what is even the point?