REVIEW: ‘What If…?’ Season 3 Episode 5 — “What If…The Emergence Destroyed the Earth?”

What If…? looks at what happens in the MCU end days. What If Season 3 Episode 5 asks the question, “What If The Emergence Destroyed the Earth?” Written by Matthew Chauncey and Ryan Little, the episode is directed by Stephan Franck.

Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) is the world’s last hope. Only here, as The Watcher explains, Riri always fails. In What If Season 3 Episode 5, the world’s end came when the Celestial gestating underneath its surface awoke. The second time in this third season that the Eternal’s lore has been referenced, the Emergence of the Celestial takes place decades before the Eternals were around to stop it.

But the remnants of heroes aren’t fighting Celestials. They’re fighting Quentin Beck (Alejandro Saab). Having taken over Stark Industries, Mysterio is the most powerful person in the world, and his creations are at constant odds with the Alliance of Heroes left. Determined to squash the Alliance, he sends forth his version of Vision to put them down.

In an action-focused episode, Riri Willaims captures the episode’s core as The Vision wreaks havoc worldwide. But Riri isn’t alone. She has help from the Alliance. The Avengers may have been destroyed in the Emergence, but people still fight for it. The planet is broken apart, and what’s left of the Avengers are trying to protect it. Ying Nan (Michelle Wong), Wong (David Chen), Okoye (Kenna Ramsey), and Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson).

Riri Willaims works with the remaining Alliance to help power her new weapon to take on the Vision. While the planet was destroyed, the Alliance has worked to preserve what they have left. Floating in space, the remnants of the Federation’s fight lie in one ship. As The Vision closes in, Riri is pushed further than she has ever been asked.

What If Season 3 Episode 5 centers on The Watcher’s narration telling the audience repeatedly about Riri’s impending death. Having lost everything, Riri holds onto the fight in order to survive. Having taken down the Vision, she’s close to taking down Beck, too.

What If Season 3 Episode 5 highlights Riri Williams’ resiliency and fight without losing her vulnerability.

The Vision suit that Riri builds is unlike anything we’ve seen before. Riri’s intelligence and resilience are on full display in this episode of What If…?, and it captures a small snippet of what the future of Marvel looks like. While we see Riri work within the Alliance, the gravity of their situation rises with each passing sequence. The Watcher continuously reminds us that Riri will eventually fail. We see her fight, build, and almost win; through it all, we know that she is about to fail.

Riri’s stubbornness and dedication are key to who she is, and while I wasn’t moved by her character in Black Panther 2, here, I want more of her. The depth of emotion we see in Riri’s failure and subsequent refusal to quit is what heroes are made of. The will to fight will keep you going as your spirit grows more exhausted. In What If Season 3 Episode 5, we see what happens when Riri keeps holding on instead of letting go like she has done time after time in every different world.

“What If The Emergence Destroyed the Earth?” isn’t about the Emergence or Quentin Beck so much as it is about the need to keep fighting when you’re past your limit. And for MCU canon, the way that the Watcher can interact with the worlds that he watches.

What If Season 3 Episode 5 takes a cosmic story and makes it thoughtful and intimate. Riri Williams’ dedication to survival and hope shines brightly at the episode’s end. However, What If…? winds up taking a larger narrative by the horns as The Watched becomes the watched.

What If Season 3 Episode 5 is streaming now on Disney+ with new episodes every day until December 29, 2024.