What If…? Season 3 Episode 2 Review
Audiences see the literal magic of early cinema in the second episode of ‘What If…?’ season three, with Agatha Harkness using her evil talents to one by one drain the power of the Eternals, so she can absorb the power of Tiamut and rule the world. This episode is a surprising hit, despite its wacky premise. Of course, Kathryn Hahn is a big part of why, but this episode also allows Kingo to shine, giving him some of the spotlight away from his nine other compatriots. The other parts of the episode are no slouch either.
This episode leans very heavily into the weirder and wackier side of the multiverse premise, but it does so in a way that’s still plausible, as odd as that might seem. Agatha is a huge drama queen, so it’s unsurprising that she finds the spotlight of Hollywood one that she likes. ‘Agatha All Along’ proves Hahn has the theatrical chops needed for this. Pairing her with Kingo from ‘Eternals’ is a surprising pick but again one that adds to the story, given his backstory as a Bollywood performer. He’s allowed to shine in this episode in a way that he couldn’t in the ‘Eternals’ movie, as of course there aren’t too many other characters fighting for attention. Supporting the pair are Howard Stark and Jarvis, which sees the welcome return of James D’Arcy as the butler.
Stark being a Hollywood director makes complete sense of his crazy character, as he is a very creative person, with an ability to put his mind to whatever he wants. He still has a carefree attitude, making Jarvis the unfun guy who has to point out all the problems of Stark’s harebrained schemes, and it’s the source of a lot of the comedy in this episode. It’s well done and very funny.
Agatha isn’t a star of the movies just because she enjoys it though. She secretly wants to amass power to take out Tiamut, and steal his energy for herself. To do this, she needs the energy of all the Eternals, and the episode picks up with her just needing to steal some from Kingo. He’s lured to Hollywood under the guise of a collaboration with Agatha, leading to an impressively choreographed musical number, even if it goes on a smidge too long. The lights will dazzle the audience, and performers will shock, making the whole thing come together surprisingly well.
The episode runs through a couple of key reveals for Howard (that Kingco is actually a robot and Agatha is a witch), which he claims to already know, which is necessary to be done as otherwise the story would get too bogged down. Instead, the episode moves to the final act, which is an elaborate ritual that Agatha has devised to steal Kingo’s borrow, which he realises far too late was a mistake. She absorbs Tiamut, which turns her into a Celestial. Arishem is most displeased with the entire situation, so comes to Earth to judge it, though in a quick battle finds that his power is no match for Agatha’s brains, and is quickly defeated.
This leaves Agatha in a position of ultimate power, one she immediately starts abusing. An emotional plea from Kingo about the movies and their power, something that resonates with many people. It’s genuinely touching, and it makes a full amount of sense coming from Kingo, a man who’s spent his whole life in the film industry, and has now finally found a partner to dance with.
Agatha accepting the plea brings the episode to a satisfying close, wrapping up this amazing episode. This is one of the more surprising premises, but thanks to stunning visuals, a surprisingly good if long action beat, some humor, and a heartfelt full, it all comes together to amaze.
