Season Analysis

What If...?

Season 2 Analysis

Season Woke Score

out of 10

Season Overview

Season two continues the journey as The Watcher guides viewers through the vast multiverse, introducing brand new and familiar faces throughout the MCU.

Season Review

Season 2 is an anthology of alternate-universe stories that consistently foregrounds new or existing female characters in roles of preeminence. The overarching narrative is defined by the central role of Captain Carter and a brand-new Indigenous heroine, Kahhori. The season is uneven, with some episodes focusing on established MCU characters in lighthearted alternate scenarios. However, the season finale and a standalone episode about the creation of a new hero rely heavily on themes of identity and gender, which critics often categorize as a 'Girl Boss' trope. One episode, in particular, completely re-frames the colonization of North America by depicting European explorers as the primary antagonists and their defeat by a superpowered Native American heroine. This episode and the season's focus on powerful, instantly capable female characters drive the perception of a strong ideological agenda. Content related to sexual orientation and traditional religion is nearly absent.

Categorical Breakdown

Identity Politics8/10

A key episode introduces Kahhori, a Native American Mohawk woman, as a new hero whose origin story centers entirely on her racial and cultural identity. The plot of her episode exists to show an Indigenous woman gaining power to defeat white European Spanish Conquistadors, who are portrayed as invaders and oppressors. This character is instantly more powerful than veteran characters like Killmonger with the Infinity Stones, which suggests power is granted through intersectional status rather than merit or narrative buildup.

Oikophobia7/10

The Kahhori episode takes place in a pre-colonial setting and explicitly frames the Spanish Conquistadors as a corrupt, invading force attempting to colonize the land. The Mohawk tribe is depicted as spiritually and morally superior. The narrative celebrates the Indigenous culture while directly vilifying and defeating the ancestors of Western civilization (European explorers).

Feminism9/10

The season relies heavily on female leads, including Captain Carter, Hela, and Kahhori. Kahhori is portrayed as an ultimate 'Mary Sue' figure, instantly mastering complex powers, becoming worthy of Mjolnir, and defeating multi-versal threats in a single episode. The final conflict involves Captain Carter and Kahhori winning an illogical fight against a vastly more powerful male villain, forcing the outcome to center on female victory. This places female power above established character merit or consistent power scaling.

LGBTQ+1/10

The episodes contain no overt narratives or dialogue concerning alternative sexualities, the deconstruction of the nuclear family, or gender ideology. Traditional male-female pairing and a normative structure are the default when relationships are shown.

Anti-Theism2/10

The season revisits Norse mythology, depicting Hela breaking free of Odin's control to become a benevolent ruler after being trained by an Eastern spiritual figure. This is revisionist mythology, but it does not contain hostility toward traditional Judeo-Christian religion. The Kahhori episode focuses on an Indigenous spiritual 'Sky World,' which is a positive portrayal of non-Western faith.