Ironheart Recap: It’s So Hard to Say Good-bye to Holograms

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Inside the iron suit, NATALIE finds herself watching ancient recordings of Riri and the original Natalie. Her face reflects a deep yearning; she acknowledges the scene unfolding before her, yet cannot fully recall it. She attempts to mimic Natalie’s beaming smile from the screen, but the attempt feels forced, barely reaching the mark. Lyric Ross has been delivering an outstanding portrayal of Natalie. The intricacy in her acting is evident, and this opening scene showcases it beautifully. It seems as though Natalie is slowly coming to terms with the fact that she is merely a copy. A delightful, attractive, intelligent one, but a duplicate nonetheless.

In the movie buff’s perspective: I felt a sudden jerk as Slug created a ruckus, making me get pulled back in my armored suit. Little did they know, they were stealing N.A.T.A.L.I.E. along with it. Over at White Castle, Zelma was discussing her theories about the ancient force behind Parker’s cloak. She proposed Dormammu, a demonic entity from the Dark Dimension and an adversary to Doctor Strange, as the likely suspect. Frankly, I don’t see the connection since Parker is all about money and power. Zelma made a valid point though; perhaps Parker can be easily swayed given he hasn’t crossed paths with him before.

During their brainstorming meeting, everything suddenly halts as the Blood Siblings burst in, forcing everyone out of White Castle to allow them to brutally attack Riri without witnesses. It turns out that Riri is quite a fighter; she manages to hold her own against the Siblings for a longer time than I would have anticipated (which translates to over 60 seconds). Eventually, the Siblings manage to gain an advantage, and Riri feigns submission. She begs them for a swift, painless death. As soon as they grant her request, she encloses both the Blood Siblings and the bullet in an invulnerable protective bubble.

The jesters move ahead, carrying explosives. Riri mistook them for women! But that was before Riri killed John. Keep in mind, the jesters weren’t fond of him, but they remain loyal to the group. Riri chuckles at this. Because: Eric André. His brief appearance in the first episode is still paying off. Riri claims Parker killed Stuart, and this shows that the entire team is disposable to him. While the jesters ponder whether this is true, Riri uses her knowledge of physics to change the trajectory of the jesters’ projectile and push them back. It’s exciting to see Riri facing tough opponents without her suit. We’re now getting a glimpse of her abilities instead of just being told about them.

In a surprising turn of events, Slug aggressively pursues Riri inside the vehicle. With Slug close at hand, Natalie manages to escape the truck and encases Riri in her suit. They both manage to overturn the truck and give Slug the middle finger, which is quite endearing as the suit mirrors a hint of their unique personalities. However, this tender moment doesn’t last long. Riri is furious with Natalie for abandoning her without defense earlier at White Castle, while Natalie apologizes for not being able to address all of Riri’s immediate concerns while she was confined in the truck. Natalie correctly points out that Riri is the cause of the problem and, as expected, Riri refuses to acknowledge any wrongdoing.

Attempting to leave the scene, Riri tries to depart using the suit, leading me to suspect its main purpose is for dramatic exits during arguments. Unfortunately, she doesn’t get far before plummeting from the sky.

It transpires that Ezekiel has acquired the ability to discharge electricity, and as a demonstration of his newfound power, he chooses to humble Riri. In an attempt to reach him on an emotional level, she appeals to his softer side, but her efforts fall short. Zeke is far more captivating than Joe, and this becomes particularly evident when he utters the phrase, “We’ll always have Alanis,” before launching his attack. The most compelling villain arcs often begin with a transformation – a nod to buzzcuts and newfound courage.

Riri pleads for her safety, suggesting that perhaps some part of Joe still resides within Zeke since he allows her to survive, yet instructs her to depart from Chicago swiftly, as Parker might lead them both into a kind of darkness that his cloak empowers.

At home, Riri manages to dodge the toughest lecture yet by admitting to Ronnie that she requires assistance. She understands that her mom is particularly vulnerable when Riri doesn’t seek her help. Ronnie proposes letting go of her fixation with suits, and I must admit, I agree with this suggestion. It appears that this obsession only leads to breakdowns and malfunctions. Riri emphasizes the significance of the suit to her, and honestly, we understand its importance. However, it’s high time for Riri to stop trying to escape from her past traumas. Ronnie offers help in battling these demons, and Nat even chimes in with agreement. A truce between AI-friends: established!

Time for some exposure therapy! Ronnie escorts Riri to Gary’s garage where Natalie conjures up one of Riri’s childhood memories within the room. At eight years old, Gary gently advises her not to forget, amidst all the research and exploration, to simply be a child. Dominique performs admirably as we witness the struggle Riri endures to stand firm in this moment, confronting her grief in order to rekindle one of her suppressed happy memories. She’s found renewed energy and is eager to return to the fray once more.

As I stand within Hood’s hideout, Parker extends an offer for Zeke to take over Riri’s old position, yet he firmly declines. It’s amusing how he believes he can function as a free agent after Parker has supercharged him with a staggering billion dollars’ worth of electromagnetic power. In the garage, however, Riri struggles to fix her suit using pure science. She soon acknowledges that she needs to counter magic with more magic. Here’s hoping this implies we’ll see more of Zelma and Madeline before the final act!

In Clown’s hideout, he has amassed enough proof to challenge Parker over the murder of Stuart. He isn’t pleased with being interrogated. The entire team of thieves is let go and they all step into an elevator, vanishing from sight. More of Parker’s skin decays as he watches them leave. Here’s hoping this isn’t the final act for this exceptionally attractive band of misfits. And let’s hope that the mask doesn’t keep draining the credit on Parker’s account.

Hooray! Zelma’s in the garage! She proposes they tap Dormammu for magical energy to imbue the Iron suit. However, everyone is prudently against this idea, as they question if Dormammu is truly connected to Parker’s powers. Xavier, having read Riri’s note and apparently enjoying her Star Trek reference, decides to join in. He isn’t fully supportive of N.A.T.A.L.I.E., but acknowledges Riri’s decision to continue using her. Despite the hints at a romantic connection from the writers, these two still seem more like friends.

In a turn of events, Zeke attempts to incinerate his irritating neighbor’s garden using his powers, but finds himself powerless. Instead, it would be more accurate to say he’s lost command over his superpowers, which Parker revoked when Zeke refused to collaborate. Now, Parker has ordered him to obey his commands. Parker humorously refers to Zeke as a personal version of the Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robot, while Zeke regretfully begins taking lives. The balance between cheesy and entertaining is perfectly achieved, thanks to Alden Ehrenreich’s portrayal.

In simpler terms, they go to see the wealthy businessman who owns the companies that Zeke and his team had previously robbed. This man, who is actually Parker’s long-lost father, insults Parker by calling him a small-time crook in a funny costume. Despite the gun Parker brandishes, the man seems unimpressed. He eventually hands over his property to Parker, possibly because of the noticeable veins on his neck and cheeks rather than the weapon Parker is holding shakily. However, he warns Parker that taking everything from him won’t heal the deep wound in Parker’s heart, a wound that was inflicted when he was kicked out of the house shortly after his mother passed away at age 12.

At the garage, the suit has been prepared for a test. Zelma’s been channeling mystical power, and Riri’s been tinkering with technology. However, when these two forces collide, the reactor explodes due to an overload caused by the combination of magic and Natalie. In the end, magic prevails. Just before disappearing, Natalie tells Riri she loves her. If Lyric Ross has truly vanished, I’ll be prepared for the final showdown.

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2025-07-02 07:54