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Ron: Hello and thank you for tuning into Stereo Geeks! Today we’re discussing Ironheart, the latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I’m Ron.

Mon: And I’m Mon. We’ve seen the entire season of this MCU show, but since only the first three episodes have dropped, we have a spoiler section about the first three episodes, and not for anything in the second half of the show. 

Ron: Before we start our episode, we would like to acknowledge that the land we are recording on is the traditional territory of many nations, including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples. It is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. We also acknowledge that Toronto is covered by Treaty 13 with the Mississaugas of the Credit.

Mon: While we are making this land acknowledgement, we understand that this is not enough and that positive action is required by the people of Canada to make substantive change for the Indigenous nations and communities whose lands we now reside on.

[Music]

Ron: Ironheart is directed by Sam(antha) Bailey and Angela Barnes. The show was created for television by Chinaka Hodge. Dominique Thorne reprises her role as Riri Williams/Ironheart. We first saw Riri in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The new cast includes Anthony Ramos as Parker Robbins/The Hood. 

Mon: Ironheart is only six episodes long. For some reason, Disney dropped three episodes in one go. The show is set, mostly, in Chicago. Riri is home with her mum, but Riri is dealing with a lot, personally and professionally.

Ron: I feel like I’ve been preparing to watch Ironheart for years. I can’t even remember when I read the first Ironheart comic book series because Riri was going to be introduced in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I had to wait a while but finally we got to see her in Wakanda Forever and now she’s got her own show.

Ron: The first episode sets the tone and style of the show. A youthful vibe, slightly sarcastic, but also dark and grounded. The second episode builds up Riri’s world and elaborates two crucial elements—the people in her lives and her suit. The tone of the first and second are slightly different from each other. The first episode is slower, calmer. The second has more action and so much humour. 

Mon: The first two episodes have a pretty chill vibe. The story isn’t too intense, even with an undercurrent of violence, inequality, and danger. But things take a turn in the third episode. I don’t agree with the 3-episode premiere, but whoa, what a way to leave audiences. 

Ron: I don’t understand having a three-episode premiere for a show that’s only six episodes long. This should have been a weekly drop. Especially because each episode is riveting all on its own. Plus, every episode ends on such a good cliffhanger. You should have to wait a week to get the conclusion. 

Mon: The third episode is especially stellar. We get revelations, action, stakes, and that last act. My goodness—heart-stopping tension, amazing music, and Dominique Thorne and Anthony Ramos knocking it out of the park with their performances. Plus, Lyric Ross, just being the light we need at a dark time. 

Ron: I thought episode two was amazing. And hilarious. I loved Riri’s interactions with the larger cast. But then episode three took it to a whole new level. The tension, the action, the acting. Incredible. The final three episodes are a surprise. They’re emotional, the story leans into MCU lore while building its own universe. And I love that the show leaves the villain’s story for the end of the season. You’re kept guessing about his life and motivations for a long time. And the payoff is surprising and brilliant. 

Mon: So, what all did we like?

Ron: I’ll be completely honest and say that I wanted to like this show so I went into it biased! But I really enjoyed this show. It’s so grounded, and real. The dialogue, the characters, every dynamic, it feels like real people. Despite the sci-fi suit and magic. I absolutely love that this show cares about its people. Because the comic series introducing Riri didn’t do that. 

Mon: Oh ok. I didn’t know that. I’m someone who hasn’t read Ironheart in the comics. I’ve been very out of it for Marvel stuff, so it’s not intentional to skip Riri’s stories. I was concerned, going in, that I’d be missing some Easter Eggs and details. 

Ron: The Easter Eggs are all related to the MCU so there’s little chance you’d miss them. The show does stay true to quite a bit of Riri’s comics backstory. I’ll speak more on that later. But the way that Ironheart develops the characters around Riri is probably my favourite thing. They’re so well-rounded. You can see Riri’s mom, her tech-friend, Joe, her best mate, Xavier, even her AI, they all have full lives beyond her. So much thought has gone into this show. You can just tell that showrunner Chinaka Hodge, directors Sam Bailey and Angela Barnes, and producers, the Cooglers, have planned this out with the audience and story in mind. 

Mon: Precisely! The story is written and developed to eke out the details of Riri’s life, her connections, her dynamics with the people around her. I loved slowly learning about who Riri is, what affects her, and who these people around her are.

Ron: Absolutely!

Mon: I found all the characters interesting. Even the gang that Riri falls into, they’re fascinating despite very little back story. 

Ron: I love the gang Riri joins. They’re so different from what you see in other shows. Each character has a distinct look and personality. This is probably one of the first times that so many secondary and tertiary characters have been easy to recognize and name.

Mon: There are so many engaging characters in Ironheart. You’ve mentioned Riri’s mother, Ronnie, played by Anji White. She’s an artist and she’s got a dynamic group of friends who we get to see from time to time. This is a woman who could so easily have been one-note. But instead she’s got a rich internal life, and a vibrant world around her.

Ron: Another unexpected addition is Alden Ehrenreich as Joe McGillicuddy. He’s really quite a good actor, isn’t he? He’s got these quirky mannerisms and the body language of someone who’s downtrodden. So different from the other roles we’ve seen him in. 

Mon: He’s also so funny! He’s the comedic relief of the show but also has a backstory and a story arc. 

Ron: This show has some really funny and sarcastic moments. The epic eye rolls from some of the characters were so well-timed. I love that the character reactions to some of the more outlandish events are exactly how we would react to such situations.

Mon: Exactly. And, I really want to talk about Anthony Ramos here. I wasn’t sure what we were going to get from him when he appeared initially. He has a distinct look, and a specific way he delivers dialogue. I was like, wait, this is it? But I am absolutely captivated by Ramos as the Hood. He’s not supposed to be larger-than-life and menacing. He made sense for the character arc he’s playing. I really enjoyed his performance. 

Ron: We can’t say too much about Anthony Ramos’ The Hood without going into spoiler territory but I enjoyed this performance. It’s quite a different role for him. Very austere, straight-laced. The Hood doesn’t give much away when he’s with his team. But on his own, he’s a much more emotional man. And he seems so real. He could be any of us. And his choices, in the end, make sense. We can’t really blame him for what he does. 

Mon: Another thing I genuinely loved about Ironheart is that this show knows how to end on cliffhangers. The storytelling is made for episodic viewing, and they know how to keep you wanting more. Stunning!

Ron: Oh, those cliffhangers were definitely done right. But moving on to criticisms. I actually wish they’d changed Riri’s origin story. I know that’s a bit mean and people would be up in arms about it. But when I read the comic, I thought it was so cliche, especially for a Black character. I was annoyed that the comics couldn’t give Riri an altruistic reason for wanting to make the suit and help people. No, it had to be because she had lost people. It doesn’t help that I don’t like Brian Michael Bendis’ writing, and he has never written characters of colour well. 

Mon: Ok, I agree with that. Bendis really makes a hash of things–interesting concepts, not always fully realized. But, I’m going to push back on the idea that Riri isn’t altruistic. She definitely is. She wants to make the world better; something Tony Stark said he wanted to do, but only ever acted selfishly. I love Tony, but dude had problems. 

Ron: Okay, yes. I would say the show handles Riri’s mission for the suit better than the comics. She definitely comes across as wanting to help the world more than fulfilling some personal mission. 

Mon: Agreed. I don’t like that there’s violence in Riri’s life, and that leads her down a criminal path, but the violence is part of America’s systemic breakdown. It needs to be addressed, and the show does that. 

Ron: This is why I’m torn. Riri’s tragic backstory is sadly relevant for so many people. Especially now. So I do agree that the show needed to address it. I would once again say that the show does a better job than the comics did. But then look who’s behind the scenes for the show? People of colour, women, Black creatives. No wonder there’s so much nuance and care. The comics straight up did not have any of this. 

Mon: That’s a good point. From my side, the biggest criticism I have about the show has nothing to do with the people making it. I don’t understand why Ironheart is only six episodes long. Yeah, they’re meaty episodes with plenty of personal journeys, as well as some fun and action. But there are gaps in the dynamics that I’d like to have seen, instead of intuited. I know there’s a lot that got left on the cutting room floor—figuratively speaking. I wanted more. 

Ron: The length of this show and Echo makes no sense to me. Daredevil gets nine episodes but the female characters don’t? The story was well-planned for the six episodes and the characters had good arcs, but with three more episodes, we could have spent even more time with Riri and her loved ones.

Ron: Spoilers here for the first three episodes. 

Ron: Like her comic book counterpart, Riri’s best friend Natalie is killed in a drive-by shooting alongside Riri’s stepdad, Gary. It’s a tragic double loss that has haunted Riri and shaped her existence for five years. She’s held back by it, in a way, despite being an acknowledged genius. But unlike the comics, where Natalie is just a memory, here she gets to be Riri’s AI. In the comics, Riri’s AI is Tony Stark. I know there was a lot of excitement when Ironheart was announced because RDJ could have come back as the Tony AI. Because how could we possibly have a show about a brilliant Black woman without the white man being the biggest draw? Marvel fans can be so annoying!

Mon: I do like that the show still pays homage to Tony Stark/Iron Man, without it veering into hero worship. Riri isn’t Peter Parker—she doesn’t have access to Tony’s tech or to Happy. She’s got to do everything on her own. But, that doesn’t mean she doesn’t acknowledge that Tony had genius talent. It’s just that he also had billions to help him realize his talent. She has to scrape by, or go down a dark path.

Ron: Yes. I like how this show exists so completely in the MCU while still being grounded and relatable. And fortunately the show has Natalie as the AI instead of Tony, which works even more to ground the characters. Riri comes out of her shell with Natalie, even though she doesn’t completely trust that this AI can be her friend at first. Eventually though, Riri begins to accept that this Natalie AI is the closest she will get to her dead friend.

Mon: Lyric Ross brings so much personality to Natalie. And the chemistry between her and Dominique Thorne carries the show. Spoilers over, people. 

Mon: The show ends on a massive cliffhanger. Like, I can’t believe that’s how it ended. Are they hiding a seventh episode from us? 

Ron: I was sure we would get a conclusion after six episodes but nope, we got a huge cliffhanger instead. It’s unexpected and exciting and there’s a whole new dynamic to the MCU with what we’ve seen in this show but why have we ended it like this? 

Mon: I think the reason the show’s cliffhanger has thrown me is because…well, we don’t know if we’ll see Riri again. Ever. This show has had little to no fanfare. It aired around six weeks after its trailer dropped. And it’s not like there’s been a ton of support for Ironheart. Riri’s not been announced in Avengers: Doomsday either. So, what? Will we know what happens to Riri? Will we see these characters again? It’s just up in the air.

Ron: Are we going to get a movie? A second season? Is there going to be a surprise announcement after the final episode airs? We’ll have to wait and see but I wouldn’t hold my breath. 

Mon: I’d like to see these characters again. I was utterly charmed by the show, and the characters. Good guy or bad, they seemed so normal. They reacted like normal people would. The dialogue was fun and funny. The emotions felt tangible. The story felt personal. I don’t think Ironheart is perfect, but I ended each episode thinking, ‘this is magical’.

Ron: I honestly feel like I’ve been waiting for Ironheart for years. And finally it’s here and it’s already finished. The episodes we got were rich and vibrant. The story was so layered but the characters were incredible. We haven’t seen characters like this in the MCU before and I love that they exist now. I could very happily watch many more seasons with all of them. Fingers crossed we get an announcement soon that Riri will be back.