'Ironheart' Season 1 Review: A Frustrating Miss, More Setup Than Substance
- Dan Bremner
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
By Dan Bremner - July 5, 2025
TV - Premium TV
Latest Episodes
Episodes 4-6 - 2.5/5
After the lacklustre opening trio, I hoped episodes 4–6 would salvage Marvel’s latest Disney+ venture with a rousing finish, defying the MCU’s trend of strong starts and weak endings, like WandaVision’s fade. Instead, this miniseries remains a weary slog, buoyed by a spirited cast and fleeting highlights but bogged down by bloated, unfocused storytelling. Better suited as a taut 2-hour film, it squanders potential, leaving future teases more compelling than the show itself.
Dominique Thorne’s Riri Williams remains a vibrant anchor, her chemistry with Lyric Ross’ Natalie sparking phenomenal emotional depth. Their bond, rooted in Riri’s grief and trauma, crescendos in episode 5’s heartfelt scenes, a rare resonant peak the show really could have done with more of.
The Hood, played with initial intrigue by Anthony Ramos, loses potency as his motivations blur into ambiguity, undermining his role as a central threat. Subplots, like Parker Robbins’ corporate espionage, are teased but left unexplored, adding to the narrative bloat. Alden Ehrenreich’s Joe McGillicuddy/Ezekiel Stane, however, brings nuanced menace, elevating the ensemble with a layered take on a tech-driven rival. His presence adds a spark the series desperately needs, though it’s underused.
The action sequences in episodes 4–6, like the White Castle brawl (Reminiscent of Tony Stark’s suit less action in Iron Man 3) and Riri’s showdown with The Hood, deliver thrilling spectacle, despite occasional ropey CGI betraying budget constraints. These moments briefly ignite the screen, showcasing Riri’s tech prowess and smarts. Yet, the mystical elements, like the Dark Dimension, clash jarringly with Riri’s gadget-centric narrative, feeling like a forced pivot from Doctor Strange’s playbook. This tonal discord muddies the story’s focus, diluting its impact.
Episodes 4 and 5, especially, stumble with uneven pacing, rushing through setups while dragging in quieter moments. The finale, meanwhile, crams too many plot points, Mephisto’s arrival, Riri’s soul-binding deal into a chaotic resolution, leaving threads dangling and unsatisfying. The show’s budget limitations show throughout, which feel less grand than Marvel’s typical flair. Despite standout performances and bold twists, the series struggles to cohere, its six-hour sprawl a far cry from the MCU’s sharper entries.
The final episodes offer glimmers of promise with Thorne’s heart, the introduction of Cohen’s Mephisto, and some decent action, but the unfocused plot and overstretched runtime sap its potential. It’s a frustrating miss, more setup than substance, in true Marvel fashion.
All episodes of 'Ironheart' are streaming now on Disney+
Episodes 1-3 - 2.5/5
Marvel’s Disney+ ventures have been a turbulent ride, veering from the atrocious (Secret Invasion) to the forgettable (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier), with rare sparks of brilliance (Loki). Ironheart arrives with little fanfare, its first three episodes dropped in a hasty batch, perhaps a nod to shifting corporate priorities or a cautious sidestep around online controversies decrying its bold cultural perspective. Whatever the reason, these opening chapters suggest a series struggling to find its footing, stretched thin where a tighter film might have delivered a solid 2 hours.
Dominique Thorne shines as Riri Williams, infusing the young inventor with fierce intelligence and raw emotion. Her portrayal captures a flawed, proud genius grappling with grief and ambition, a stark contrast to Tony Stark’s swagger. Yet, the series doesn’t fully capitalize on her charisma, bogged down by a narrative that feels more like a content quota than a passionate story. Anthony Ramos, as the charismatic yet slippery Parker Robbins/The Hood, steals scenes with a roguish charm, his mysterious cloak hinting at darker depths, but his arc remains underdeveloped in these opening chapters.
The show’s visuals pop with a vibrant, unapologetically Black cultural lens, grounding Riri’s Chicago in a fresh, authentic texture rarely seen in the MCU’s glossy soundstages. However, the CGI often feels rushed, with unpolished effects undermining the sleek suits and magical flourishes. The blend of technology and magic is ambitious, weaving Riri’s tech obsession with The Hood’s mystical edge, but the execution falters, juggling coming-of-age drama, heist antics, and supernatural hints without a cohesive rhythm.
Pacing issues plague these episodes, with expository scenes, particularly Riri’s backstory of loss, feeling rushed or overly didactic. The gritty realism of Chicago’s South Side clashes awkwardly with the MCU’s signature humour, which lands more obnoxious than endearing. Riri’s struggle with authority and her AI, modelled after a lost friend, treads familiar superhero tropes, lacking the spark to elevate it beyond formula.
Supporting characters, like Riri’s inner circle, are thinly sketched, serving as set dressing rather than fully realized players. While the heist sequences offer bursts of energy, they can’t mask the uneven tone, which swings jarringly between somber drama and quippy excess. The series hints at deeper themes of grief, ambition, and moral compromise, but doesn’t yet weave them into a compelling whole.
Ironheart has potential, buoyed by Thorne’s enthusiastic performance and a unique cultural perspective, but these first three episodes feel like a prototype in need of refinement. With pacing issues, unfinished visuals, and a convoluted mix of tones, failing to raise itself above the usual Disney+ fare. The second half, arriving next week, may yet redeem it, but for now, this is a middling effort that fails to take flight.
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