IR TV Review: WHAT IF - EPISODE 7 (“…Thor Was An Only Child”) [Disney+]

The propensity of "What If..." sometimes drifts between inherently dark versus an ode of either caution or genre play. However one has yet to give it a bit of whimsy but with an undercurrent of humor. In Episode 7: "...Thor Was An Only Child", it uses the perspective of what would happen if Loki wasn't around in his mischievous ways as a brother to make Thor live up to his potential. The interesting thing is that Thor likes the fun life and knows it is easy...but why fight when you can play. Having Chris Hemsworth as well as Natalie Portman, Kat Dennings and Tom Hiddleston do the voices does give the episode weight but not having Brie Larson as Captain Marvel throws it slightly off but not much. This is basically in certain ways, Marvel's alterative version of Thor mixed with "The Hangover".

It is actually refreshing to see Portman's approach to the comedy while Dennings is just game across the board, especially when Howard The Duck shows up (he is Marvel's resident Dean Martin anyway). Jeff Goldblum even makes an appearance which is just apropos. The approach and judgment in a way of Thor is in effect comeuppance and Hemsworth gets that as does Portman. The battle per se between 2 powerful beings (but almost in jest like a big sister trying to control her baby brother) is actually sweet, especially when Mom comes home. Hemsworth has always been about flipping Thor on his head and this is a way to play with that concept without affecting the time line yet likely fits perfectly with his next movement in "Love & Thunder" and then "Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3" but that texture of an ode to a King that isn't quite ready is well played, especially when the love with and for Jane Foster still shines through. B+

By Tim Wassberg