Highlights
- Marvel Studios’ foray into television within the MCU has sparked controversy among fans, with some appreciating the opportunity for deeper character exploration and others feeling it detracts from the films.
- Certain episodes of the MCU’s Disney Plus TV series have garnered critical praise, showcasing standout moments and compelling storytelling.
- From WandaVision to Loki, these episodes have elevated the television medium with surprising twists, emotional depth, and a multiversal appeal, proving that the shows can stand on their own as significant contributions to the MCU.
Since Marvel Studios began to incorporate television into the Marvel Cinematic Universe properly at the beginning of Phase 4, there has been a lot of controversy over whether this was the right call. Many fans feel that it offers more of an opportunity to see more character work done within the larger MCU, and others feel that it takes away from the mystique and wonder of the films.
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Whatever way fans feel about the shows existing though, almost all of them are able to agree that there have been some truly great television moments over the course of the MCU’s recent expeditions into Disney Plus TV series.
8 On A Very Special Episode (WandaVision 1×05)
IMDb Score: 8.9
After the early episodes of WandaVision set a very surprising tone for a Marvel series, the entire tale of what was really going on began to unravel much more in this fantastic episode midway through the miniseries, featuring Evan Peters in one of the weirdest MCU cameos to date.
On A Very Special Episode featured Monica Rambeau attempting to convince the SWORD director that Wanda Maximoff is not acting maliciously, while Vision becomes suspicious of Wanda inside the anomaly. The aging up of Wanda and Vision’s twins was a major plot point of the episode, and critics praised how the show really lit up with this fresh installment, leading it to a first successful foray into television for the MCU.
7 Journey Into Mystery (Loki 1×05)
IMDb Score: 8.9
Loki easily lays claim to being the very best of the MCU TV projects thus far. Both seasons of the show have been highly regarded, and though it only features twelve total episodes across the two seasons, most of those episodes are truly beloved by fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Journey Into Mystery was the penultimate episode in the first season of Loki. It was in this episode that both Loki and Sylvie were sent to the end of time, where variants who are pruned are sent to be destroyed by the demonic force Alioth. Dealing with many variant versions of Loki, which made for some great multiversal humor, this episode was a huge moment in the series as Loki and Sylvie proved what they are capable of when working together by enchanting Alioth, so they could reach He Who Remains.
6 Asylum (Moon Knight 1×05)
IMDb Score: 8.9
Though Moon Knight hasn’t in general been as well-received as some of the other MCU shows, Asylum was a fantastic individual episode which was the penultimate one in the first, and thus far only, season of the show. It featured Marc Spector and Steven Grant attempting to reconcile with each other, so they were able to progress to the field of reeds in the afterlife.
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Though they managed eventually to fight their way back to the world of the living, this was an emotional and revealing episode. Asylum proved that Moon Knight could be as emotionally and character-driven as any of the other MCU shows, whereas up to that point, it had focused more on mystery and action, more of which could be on the way if the show returns.
5 Science/Fiction (Loki 2×05)
IMDb Score: 8.9
One of the most recent and highly rated episodes of MCU television, Science/Fiction, was the penultimate episode of the second season of Loki. In it, Loki manages to start controlling his time-slipping ability in order to save his friends, who had all been replaced in their real lives somewhere in the timeline following the destruction of the TVA.
This episode truly showcased the abilities of what Loki could do, and how he could bring about a satisfying conclusion to the timeline following the death of He Who Remains. With all the revelations and conclusions as the show led to a huge finale, this episode managed to bring many threads from throughout the season together, and it did it with aplomb.
4 Previously On (WandaVision 1×08)
IMDb Score: 8.9
WandaVision’s penultimate episode was another that fans truly loved. This is another episode filled with a character reliving their memories. Wanda was sent by the villainous Agatha Harkness through her memories, as Agatha attempted to discover how Wanda was so powerful and how she had bent the town of Westview to her will.
Agatha eventually discovered that Wanda was in fact the mythical Scarlet Witch, making her one of the most powerful magical figures in the world. She also kidnapped Wanda and Vision’s children to use against Maximoff, while an emotional but newly determined Wanda rose to the challenge as the finale loomed, and the White Vision was revealed.
3 What If… Ultron Won? (What If 1×08)
IMDb Score: 8.9
Another show that hasn’t received universal acclaim but has produced some truly excellent individual episodes, What If, has been a fascinating project, producing animated content from across the multiverse within the MCU, telling unique stories about various known characters in unfamiliar situations.
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The wide array of stories that can be told in a one-off manner by What If makes for a great opportunity for great episodes individually. What If Ultron Won was the penultimate episode of the first season, and showcased a world where Ultron beat the Avengers after transferring into Vision, leading to him getting the infinity stones and destroying most of the life in his universe. After that, he went after the Watcher himself and beat him in a fight, becoming a danger to the entire multiverse. The anthology style of What If made this an especially shocking episode, but it was a welcome moment that made for a fun and intriguing finale.
2 The Nexus Event (Loki 1×04)
IMDb Score: 9.0
The first season of Loki had a fascinating, winding story, filled with intrigue. The episode where things really kicked into the next gear saw Loki and Sylvie bonding romantically, coming into conflict with Rennslayer, and being sent at last to see the Timekeepers, those supposedly in charge of the TVA.
However, it was in a huge twisting moment that they actually beheaded a Timekeeper, only to discover that the heads of the TVA were androids, controlled by a higher power. Loki getting pruned at the conclusion of the episode and meeting some of his many variants meant that the episode both started and ended in a completely fascinating fashion.
1 Glorious Purpose (Loki 2×06)
IMDb Score: 9.6
The best episode to date out of Marvel’s shows is also the most recent of all. The finale of Loki’s second (and final?) season was a huge moment for the Multiverse Saga. In it, Loki attempts to find a way to save everyone and give the TVA a chance to stop the He Who Remains variants without bringing the original He Who Remains back to life. Despite the second season of Loki having flaws, it was generally ingenious.
In the end, Loki is forced to take on the seat of power in the citadel himself, pulling all the threads together of the different timelines and infusing them with his own magic in order to keep them alive. This made him the God of Stories and gave him the sort of power and glorious purpose he has sought for many years within the MCU. This phenomenal ending not only gave one of the most significant changes to the MCU that the TV shows have seen so far, but it was also the most singularly fantastic episode of MCU television to date.
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