Ironheart Episodes 1-3 Review: Building an Ironclad Legacy

Marvel Television’s latest offering has arrived. Ironheart is here to entertain and, hopefully, take your mind off the sweltering summer heat. So far, we’ve seen the first three episodes of this six-episode miniseries, which centers on the titular character as she masters the perfect iron suit. Riri Williams has the potential to best the legendary Tony Stark, but without the monetary means, it’s undoubtedly difficult to create something iconic.

Ironheart harbors the best of both worlds — it’s just plain thrilling to watch, complete with high-octane sequences and high-flying visuals, but it also explores ideas and themes we can resonate with. It’s a show for Marvel fans who crave action and those who love the franchise’s signature humor.

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Plumbing the Depths

Ironheart is deceptively heartfelt. Yes, “heart” is in the show’s title. It’s staring me right in the face.

However, as someone fairly new to Riri Williams as a character, I was pleasantly taken aback by how the series deftly weaves Riri’s trauma and grief into the narrative. Juggling these resonant themes with Marvel’s trademark rapid-fire wit isn’t easy, but Ironheart handles it like a pro. There’s a nice balance, storytelling-wise, between the show’s darker parts and those moments of levity.

Riri clearly distracts herself from her pain by building an iron suit that’ll surpass Tony Stark’s. Granted, there are worse ways to avoid facing your grief head-on, but we see Riri struggle with her stepdad and best friend’s murders quite early on in the three-episode premiere. Those are the cracks in her armor. Certain triggers, like music and a voicemail from Natalie, bring Riri back to that fateful day. It’s not just that she lost two loved ones during that drive-by shooting; she was also present when the bullets started flying.

It’s a rarity to watch a character have a panic attack onscreen, so it’s a breath of fresh air to see a Marvel series tackle it. Grief can be crushing, all-consuming, and it often rears its head when we least expect it. The path to healing is nonlinear. Riri’s panic attacks are so relatable, and these nuances make her feel real.

Of course, it’s not often that one channels their grief into creating an AI hologram of their dead best friend, but something tells me having N.A.T.A.L.I.E. at her side will aid Riri on her grief journey. I can’t wait to see how this unfolds in the coming episodes.

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Intriguing Character Dynamics

Riri and N.A.T.A.L.I.E.’s bond is really the crux — nay, heart — of the series. That’s thanks in part to Dominique Thorne and Lyric Ross’ easygoing chemistry. You can sense it almost instantly, especially at the top of the second episode. Well, episode 2, overall, has a more lighthearted, humorous tone, and their burgeoning friendship facilitates that shift. These two play off each other well. Now, there’s a fine line Riri must walk here, since this is an AI of Natalie and not the real person.

Perhaps the second most crucial relationship in Ironheart is Riri and Joe McGillicuddy (what a handle). Well, we now know that’s not his real name. Still, this pair is a delight to watch. Riri is very much the anchor of this duo – the more grounded presence to Joe’s neurotic paranoia. Some of the show’s funniest moments take place during their scenes. Side note: I need Alden Ehrenreich to sing all of Alanis Morissette’s “Jagged Little Pill,” please and thank you.

While we don’t know Parker Robbins’ motley crew of fashionable criminals that well yet, their dynamic translates well onscreen. Despite living in this larger-than-life, magical world, they all feel like real people. That’s the beauty of these Marvel street-level shows — we can relate to these characters far better than a purple alien or a Norse god (no offense, Thor).

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Surprising Iron Man Connection

There are a few non-Tony Stark-related connections, like Slug (Jaren Merrell AKA Shea Couleé of RuPaul’s Drag Race) hailing from Madripoor, a setting from the comics first introduced in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Then, there’s Eric Andre’s Stuart Clarke, a former super-villain who fought under the moniker Rampage in the comics.

Of course, Jim Rash reprises his role as the M.I.T. liaison from Captain America: Civil War, which is certainly Stark-related. It’s unavoidable and undeniable — Iron Man is embedded in Ironheart’s DNA like the arc reactor in Tony’s suit. It’s a specter that hangs over Riri, in a way.

That aside, the show’s most surprising Iron Man connection isn’t Riri but Joe, whose real name is Ezekiel Stane. Remember Obadiah Stane, AKA Iron Monger? Good friend of Howard Stark and the former CEO of Stark Industries? That’s Ezekiel’s father. Obadiah tries to kill Tony in Iron Man but only gets himself killed instead.

I love this callback to the movie that kickstarted the MCU. Bringing Obadiah’s son into the fold as an ally of Riri is a clever idea to keep the story interesting. Here’s hoping it bears fruit in the second half of the series.

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Real-World Themes

Genre TV is a great way to face real-world themes, grounding a high fantasy or hard science fiction narrative in reality. Ironheart seamlessly integrates multiple themes into the story, and the most prominent one is about privilege. Riri even acknowledges this from the get-go — Tony Stark was able to accomplish so much from an engineering standpoint because he was a billionaire. The series reminds us that BIPOC people and those from underprivileged communities like Riri start life a step behind. They have to work three, four times as hard to achieve a modicum of someone like Stark’s success. Money and capitalism make the world go round, and they’re inherently rooted in racist, patriarchal systems.

Parker Robbins mentions that he wants to give Riri the space to shine and grow instead of forcing her inside a small box. Riri herself feels restrained, even before she’s expelled from M.I.T. It’s hard to get someone to invest in your ideas when the aforementioned systems don’t work in your favor.

The existence of TNNL, a transportation tech company, is also a statement on gentrification. Unnecessary construction, like underground tunnels, can harm marginalized folks, often displacing them from their homes and driving up the cost of living.

Then, there’s an intriguing moral commentary that comes to the fore in episode 3. Are you still a good person if you steal from the rich? If you’re a Robin Hood-type figure (hee-hee, The Hood)? Like most things in life, there’s nuance. Shades of gray and caveats.

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Performances

Ironheart boasts solid performances across the board, especially from its leads. Dominique Thorne leads the charge with a layered, understated performance as Riri. She’s especially adept at conveying the depths of Riri’s grief and trauma and adds subtlety to her portrayal. It’s never over the top. There’s a stoicism to Riri, too, a quiet strength that derives from having to grow up at a young age. Of course, when you graduate from high school at 15 to attend M.I.T., everyone expects you to be more “adult.”

Alden Ehrenreich is an absolute blast as Joe/Ezekiel. He’s the comedic relief, and he knocks it out of the park. If you’ve watched Hail, Caesar!, you know Ehrenreich is no stranger to comedy. We meet him in episode 2 as this by-the-book nice guy who’s neck-deep in underground, shady dealings. The juxtaposition of this fact with his demeanor is hilarious. Riri teaches Ezekiel to stand up for himself, and Ehrenreich navigates this growth for the character with humor and understanding.

Anthony Ramos is an enigma as Parker. He plays the character as a seemingly affable man who wants to hit the rich where it hurts. However, there’s an undercurrent of menace surging beneath this façade. It’s so subtle, almost imperceptible, but Ramos does this well. Parker is still cloaked in mystery by the end of episode 3; however, the series sprinkles a few narrative breadcrumbs to keep us intrigued.

Lyric Ross brings a fun, boisterous energy to N.A.T.A.L.I.E. Like Ehrenreich, she’s comedic relief, but we’ve already seen a few shifts away from this at key moments over these three episodes. As she taps into the real — and dearly departed — Natalie, we might see more depth. Ross is captivating onscreen.

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Ironheart is off to a strong start, and with Parker potentially aware that Riri was involved in John’s death, I imagine the back half will truly catapult the overarching story to new heights. Our girl might be in over her head now, but at least she has an iron suit. Although I’m sure having the power of invisibility, thanks to a mysterious red cloak, might be challenging to overcome.

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