What If...? (TV Series) What If... Hela Found the Ten Rings? (2023) User Reviews

Amazing episode!

[GregTheStopSign95 · 9/10 · 30 December 2023]

I love that they've taken the time to 'rehabilitate' Hela in this episode after having done the same for Loki in his series, because in the original mythology she's NOT evil. She just had the misfortune of being born 'ugly' and given the realm of Hel to watch over. It was also great having Cate Blanchett back on our screens, even if it was just her vocal performance.

The story itself was really good, too, and much like the last episode could have benefited from being longer, even if just by a few minutes to show her making good on her threat to Odin.

Speaking of Odin, I like that the writers leaned more into his warmongering side, because his Marvel history is kinda built pretty squarely on top of him BEING so warlike in his early years with Hela.

Again, just like with Kahhori in the previous episode, I can't wait to see what Marvel does with this iteration of Hela.

Pretty good!

[KCW11 · 8/10 · 30 December 2023]

This episode is quite good and much better than the previous What If...? Season 2 episodes.

It really shows how such an evil, dangerous villain like Hela can change for the good.

The story was engaging and I did like how we got to see Cate Blanchett's Hela again after the events of Thor: Ragnarok (2017).

However I do think that in the battle between Odin, Wenwu and Hela we could have seen more of Odin's powers but that is a minor issue.

Overall, this was a pretty good episode, also liked how it linked to Thor (2011), how the speech was very similar.

This could be equal to or better than What If The Avengers Assembled in 1602!

Looking forward to the Strange Supreme one.

A Problem of Measurements

[brunocmonteiro · 7/10 · 28 December 2023]

As it became common, the idea behind this What If episode is very cool. Changing the history that we know and offering a redemption for an evil character is always nice. But another thing that became commom in the making of superhero movies or tv shows is the disrespect for the characters as they were created in the first hand, more specifically the powers attributed to each of them. When you create a God hero (based in real mitology, like the case of Thor and Odin) there are some things that the real fans expect from this character and I believe that is very disrespectfull when you put such a hero to fight with normal humans and witches...and they end up loosing the battle! There are decades of fans that read the comics, searched for the history behind them....and just because it will look cool the writers and producers reduce this god characters to almost nothing. Its a problem of Power Measurement, its a problem of respecting wich character means to that Universe...and I garantee: Odin would never loose to a witch and the Mandarin! They would never see him comming....but Marvel is now Disney...and they know better 🤣

I loved this version of Hela's story!

[gela-38237 · 10/10 · 28 December 2023]

I loved Hela in MCU's main universe.

Great character with personality, motivation, a bit comedy and, most importantly, Cate Blanchett, who portrayed this character very well.

This episode shows a very interesting alternate storyline of her, that shows a version of the character that is like the Hela we know so well and a different kind of characteristics at the same time (Just as a character can be in a Multiverse). And I'd love to see more! Especially because the very same actress is acting the character.

There are similarities not only between 616 and this universe's Hela, but other characters as well.

Also, the episode reminded me of the old Odin and Thor's original story and honestly, I'd love to see this Hela taking part in something even greater as the Season 1 characters did...

As a MCU fan, I'd like to say, that seeing the concept of the Multiverse used as beautifully and interestingly as in this episode are always welcome (although all episodes are great, this one was one of the more interesting episodes for me personally).

The best episode so far

[jackson_richards · 28 December 2023]

I liked the mirror-scenes from thor to hela. And her sarcass in the beginning of episode :D

From ruthless executioner to goddess of 'light'. Finding her glorious purpose: Freedom.

Her fight with odin and her martial skills was cool as well. And she didnt super easily took her new powers just like kahori or captain marvel.

I think shes the best female character in mcu.

Fight animations are great as well.

Its good to see her origin as good hearted child.

She, thor and loki would be the best trio ever.

If only we could see the sequel of this episode. Whats gonna happen to loki and thor and all others.

Some of y'all need therapy. Even MCU characters need therapy.

[evanessan · 10/10 · 5 January 2024]

A lot of other reviewers were upset that a character had a redemption arc that exemplifies how being in the right place at the right time can create a spectrum of variations. How in one universe you could be the villain in someone else's hero arc but in another universe you're having your own hero protagonist story under those circumstances. The whole concept of a multiverse in either Marvel or DC reminds me of that Gwyneth Paltrow film "Sliding Doors." And that film was a romantic comedy/ sci fi drama about multiverses forking out from different decisions. Like the series and especially this episode shows what happens when people stop making bad choices and start maki g good choices. Basically Hela gets the therapy and friends that she actually needed in this universe that she could've used in the prime timeline.

A lot of the other reviewers probably hated ghostbusters 2016 as well if I was going to bet money on it. And I could probably raise enough money that way to run as a female candidate for president. That's how much I think a lot of those reviewers are upset about this episode. Anytime there is a female protagonist they come out screeching like angry howler monkeys. Like to them they act like female characters are only acceptable to them as attractive sidekicks or as attractive villainesses: never the protagonist and she has to be either supportful or defeated. In this episode it shows people making good choices regardless of their gender or subjugation in some kind of hierarchy. To paraphrase Taylor Swift these reviewers that hated this episode just need to relax.

This season doesn't take risks

[gabrielmikhno · 8/10 · 28 December 2023]

UUUUUUHh! Hela is literally the goddess of death!!! She ain't going to change within like a few minutes of an episode. Why is this season going this. Why can't this season actually have a dark episode. Everything has to crack jokes now. The captain Carter one is prob the darkest of the season and that's saying something. Hela just cracks a joke every second she gets. The ten rings weren't even really part of the story. The action scenes were okay I guess, but this show is getting so watered down by jokes and happy endings. Maybe what I want sounds depressing, but out of all the possibilities of HELA FINDING THE TEN RINGS... her suit turns white, and she goes to kill Thanos (not the first time this season!) SHE DIDN"T EVEN PUT IT ON. People are saying she got the Loki treatment. Uh no, he changed after a whole show was dedicated to him, and he was a lot less deathly and evil than her. Now I guess, the writers say that Loki just had to learn leaf magic and he could've become a different person.

EDIT: I rewatched it a few times, it's not the worst. I enjoyed seeing Hela, just thought it could've been better. Turns out the writers didn't want to make dark episodes, because they were writing this mid pandemic. The episode had good animation, and I guess it's good for 30 min. My ratting is a 7.5

I miss Thor Ragnorock Hela. She was awesome.

I really wanted to like it.

[Shadowthehedgehoglover · 7/10 · 28 December 2023]

I love Marvel and I really really was looking forward to this episode because to me, Hela and the 10 rings are amazing. But I feel like this episode literally RUINED Hela. Odin takes off her helmet and banishes Hela to Earth, and she finds Wenwu, and then things go downhill from there. Long story short, Wenwu loves her and she runs away to find Jyali, and somehow she trusts Hela (even though she knows who she is), to learn the ways of Kung Fu. Then Odin comes and she fights him, along with Wenwu. Basically Odin's a little Evil in this universe. Then at the end, somehow she's learned her lesson, her crown comes to her, and instead of her suit being black, it's as white as an angel. Wow Marvel. Hela's good now?

Hela'n back.

[southdavid · 7/10 · 8 March 2024]

Back to familiar characters again this week, and with another episode that loosely blends the prequels of two MCU films together. This time it's Ragnarök and "Shang Chi".

Having become concerned about the increasing bloodlust in his daughter, instead of locking her away, Odin (Jeff Bergman) strips Hela (Cate Blanchett) of her power and sends her to Earth. There she encounters military warlord Xu Wenwu (Feodor Chin) who is in possession of the ten rings, a weapon not of earth origin. Seeing her strength in battle, Wenwu proposed an alliance, but Hela just want to take possession of the rings.

So, it's an interesting mix of Thor's rehabilitation storyline alongside the events that would later take place in Shang Chi, including a trip through the moving forest to Ta Lo. Where she meets skilled forced opposing Wenwu and wishes to learn their powers too. It sounds like Blanchett is having a ball voicing Hela again and there's a lot of fun moments as her redemption plays out. I felt the ending of the story was perhaps a bit odd, we could perhaps have expected the change in Hela but in Wenwu too? Anyway, it leads to an interesting final moment in the episode - though no tie into a wider story for this one.

Descent again, though perhaps still a touch below the first couple of episodes of this run.

What If... Hela Found the Ten Rings?

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 30 April 2024]

This What If... is a simple redemption story about Hela, the Goddess of Death. Under her father Odin, Hela wanted to continue her bloodthirsty ways even after the nine realms were united.

Where originally odin banished Hela to hell. She is sent to a realm of Earth and has lost her powers.

Finding herself in China where she meets Wenwu and his 10 Rings. Hela learns life is not much fun without her powers. It is a good job then that Xu Wenwu is intrigued by her.

Later Hela encounters Jiayi at the magical village of Ta Lo. She is fascinated by Jiayi and slowly a change of mood takes place. Something Heimdall notices.

Cate Blanchett dos the voice work but this does very much play like a Thor story or even a Loki one. The naughty offspring seeing good.

Hela is Thor

[xyzthis · 5/10 · 29 December 2023]

Well basically the plot for this episode is What if....hela was the main character in the first Thor movie. She gets banned from Asguard and instead of the hammer it's her Helmet that gets sent to earth. The Ten Rings army finds her helmet she tries to lift it like when Thor tried to lift his hammer but can't and then is asking her father for help. Then she trains with Xu and the the army and because good I guess. Odin finds her and wants to take her back but she doesn't want to go then after a battle she becomes worthy of her helmet again and sends Odin back home. Finally Xu and Hela are good guys now and take on Thanos for the finale shot. Kinda lackluster to me.

Daddy issues: The episode

[tdurrrden · 3/10 · 9 January 2024]

This episode is basically a revenge fantasy for adults with minds of goth preteens. Hela, a quite complex character in the comics, is a spoiled, shortsighted and unlikeable brat with character arc consisting of "daddy doesn't love me, but everyone else is handing me opportunities left and right despite my constantly hostile, negative and deceptive personality that no one would ever be smitten by in reality". Odin is all powerful until he has to be nerfed drastically for the right outcome for Hela. Wenwu is a firm and principled leader until Hela's plot needs him to be a simp and a sidekick for a woman that didn't have a single instance of honest respect or gratefulness towards him. Well, at least not before she deemed him useful for fighting her daddy. There is a hilariously shallow "lesson" in the laundry hanging scene where, instead of learning about herself and why she needs to change, she is actually encouraged to be primarily guided by rage and vengeance. Everybody is amazed by an angry, arrogant, deceiving, opportunistic and powerless big mouth that learns nothing from her anger and tantrums, and barely achieves any character development and maturity. Well, until the plot needs her to suddenly be compassionate and mature at the very end in order to get everything from evil daddy. I am giving this a three because the animation was good.

This felt out of place

[rashadsteelewolfe · 4/10 · 3 January 2024]

The issue i have is this is very much Thor meets Mr Miyagi and a recon of Shang-Shi.

It is ludicrous on how much they depowered Odin to even achieve this story. I did watch it and then was like what the f... when mortal guys made blood come from hella despite being Asgardian. It's like they dumbed down the entire race so the ten rings had a reason to hurt them. This goes against everything we learned about the Asgardians. Even loki has not taken this type of damage from humans. This was about as ludicrous as Capitan Carter and Black Widow punching Lucky into submission when neither of them have ever shown the Thor or Hulk strength required. He tanked hits from the Hulk whop easily ripped cars in half. It's like they went in and just copy and pasted the karate kid in then added just enough to make it marvel. Also why don't you call orgaimi porgimamai and how about the writes actually go into martial studios before trying to write about training. They just take other peoples' ideas and use them with some upgrades to make it Princess marvel and to make it not karate kid.

absolute garbage

[cerwen80 · 2/10 · 4 January 2024]

Whoever wrote this doesn't seem to have watched Shang Chi at all. Just a cursory glance at the plot of Thor and Shang Chi and copied Thor's story mixing it with Shang Chi.... but fail to understand basic stuff, like the fact that Morris came to Wenwu's palace after Wenwu had found the sacred forest and met Shang's mother. Why would Morris be there at this time? It's just a minor quibble but it sticks out like a sore thumb as just one example of how clueless these writers seem to be.

Then they seem to have zero clue what Ta Lo even is... it's in another darn dimension and yet they suggest Hela can see what is happening near Wenwu's palace from Ta Lo??? What now?? The reuse and recycling of dialogue without any of the gravitas is also kind of insulting. This is just recycled garbage.

Take Thor, but put a chick in it and make it lame

[kearl-50301 · 2/10 · 28 January 2024]

In the words of South Park, take the story of Thor, but put a chick in it and make it lame. That's what this episode is. All this series wants to do, especially in Season 2, is just take great storylines from the MCU, swap out the male characters for female, and make it lame. Not only that, but it complexity disrespects Odin, turns him into a bad guy, and make him job for Hela. Really?! You going to take the All Father, the mightiest of the Gods, and let Hela beat him in a battle AND give him a lesson in morality? This episode infuriated me.

The only good part of this episode was Kate Blanchet gave a great performance as Hela and had some pretty good lines.