What If Season 2 Episode 5 Recap: It’s Captain Carter Time!

Based on the Marvel Comics series of the same name, this show gives us the other side of things that could happen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). This season of the show is produced by Marvel Studios Animation, with A. C. Bradley serving as head writer and Bryan Andrews primarily directing. Episode 5 is titled “What If… Captain Carter Fought the Hydra Stomper?”

This episode features Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter / Captain Carter, Lake Bell as Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow, Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, Frank Grillo as Brock Rumlow, Josh Keaton as Steve Rogers / Hydra Stomper, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, Rachel Weisz as Melina Vostokoff, Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda-Merlin and Bernard White as Councilman Singh.

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What If Season 2 Episode 5 Recap

The narrative of What If Season 2 Episode 5 unfolds with Captain Carter and Black Widow embarking on their inaugural collaboration. Their synchronicity is remarkable, catching Peggy off guard as Natasha’s deft moves seamlessly complement her own. A harmonious convergence of skills proves that teamwork is the linchpin of success. Their collective efforts culminate in a decisive strike to Loki’s face, thwarting his nefarious plans.

As the story progresses aboard the cargo ship, Carter and Natasha delve into the contents of a secured crate, originally intended to ward off pirates. To Peggy’s astonishment, the crate harbours the HYDRA Stomper suit designed for Steve Rogers, who, to her disbelief, is still encased within it. However, any sense of relief is short-lived as the suit unexpectedly activates, transforming from a protective apparatus into a perilous threat. Amidst the chaos, the mask briefly lifts, revealing Steve’s countenance, frozen in a visage reminiscent of his World War II days. The reunion, though poignant, is overshadowed by the imminent danger posed by the very creation meant to safeguard them.

Peggy’s ire boils over as she confronts Nick Fury for concealing the truth from her, particularly about Steve’s supposed demise. Fury attempts to reason with her, highlighting that mere rumours of the HYDRA Stomper’s survival weren’t deemed sufficient for her debriefing. Despite her connection to Steve and the suit’s alleged involvement in decades of terrorism, Fury stands by his decision. Natasha lends her support, highlighting the Red Room’s potential role in Steve’s transformation from an army man to a wanted killer.

Fury reveals intelligence on the HYDRA Stomper’s intended mission, urging Peggy to sit this one out. Unfazed, Peggy dismisses his suggestion entirely, determined to unravel the mysteries surrounding Steve and the perilous suit.

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Meanwhile, Bucky, having stepped out following Steve’s presumed death, now serves as Secretary of State. During a meeting with the World Security Council, Brock Rumlow and his team burst in, warning Bucky of an imminent threat to his life. Bucky, brushing off the concern, confidently asserts his ability to handle the situation—until Steve, clad in the HYDRA Stomper suit, crashes through the window. As chaos ensues and Bucky is evacuated, Peggy intervenes, informing him that Steve controls the suit. This revelation gives Bucky pause, as he discloses Howard Stark’s post-war modifications to the suit’s power core. Armed with newfound hope, Peggy confronts Steve in a daring encounter, dragging him away from Bucky and into the lobby.

Undeterred, Steve shifts his strategy, attempting an assault from outside the building. However, Natasha, piloting a SHIELD jet under Fury’s orders, stands ready to shoot him down with lethal force if necessary. As Steve corners Bucky in a hallway, Natasha remains poised to end the threat through the window. Bucky, positioning himself directly in her line of fire, thwarts her lethal intentions. With Fury’s intervention, Natasha stands down, allowing Bucky to appeal to Steve, creating a momentary delay in the confrontation.

Despite Bucky’s unsuccessful attempt to sway Steve, it buys enough time for Peggy to catch up and intervene. Steve, undeterred, ploughs through several stories of the building, initiating a high-stakes aerial battle. Eventually, Peggy manages to land a decisive blow, rendering Steve unconscious. Natasha swiftly swoops in with her jet, transporting them to a secluded Scottish island, hidden from SHIELD’s surveillance.

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Once there, Natasha reveals the grim truth: the suit, while preserving Steve’s youth, is the sole lifeline keeping him alive, and even that is precarious each time the suit activates. Natasha suggests reaching out to Tony Stark or Bruce Banner for assistance, but Peggy rejects the idea, citing time constraints and the global manhunt for the HYDRA Stomper. Peggy proposes a daring plan—taking Steve directly to the Red Room. While Natasha isn’t opposed, the clandestine location of the Red Room presents a challenge.

Unexpectedly, Steve volunteers to lead them there once he regains consciousness, setting the stage for a perilous journey into the heart of secrecy. Guiding Peggy and Natasha to a military base in Sokovia, once a KGB training camp and now the clandestine residence of the Red Room, Steve begins to unravel the enigma surrounding his transformation. As they delve into the “whys” and “wheres,” an intimate moment between Peggy and Steve is on the brink of blossoming into a kiss. However, the romantic interlude is abruptly interrupted when Peggy falls victim to a “Widow Bite” to the neck.

The revelation follows that their enthrallment with each other allowed the animatronics, unnoticed until then, to converge at the town gazebo. Positioned in a surreal tableau, the animatronics, hundreds strong, stand poised to unleash a barrage of darts. In a frenzied battle, Steve, Peggy, and Natasha combat the mechanized threat, holding their ground until the confrontation becomes overwhelming.

Suddenly, the animatronics disperse, revealing the ominous presence of the Red Room looming in the sky overhead. The unexpected respite sets the stage for the trio to confront the looming mysteries and dangers that await within the secret sanctuary of the Red Room.

What If Season 2 Episode 5 Ending Explained

Melina Vostokoff, Natasha’s ambiguous maternal figure, arrives on the scene accompanied by a squad of Widows. The tension escalates as Steve, drawing his weapons, reveals an unexpected twist: Bucky was never his primary mission. Instead, his directive is to deliver Peggy to the Red Room, satisfying Melina’s desire to study the renowned supersoldier. In the face of this revelation, Peggy and Natasha, fueled by their instinct to resist, choose to confront their adversaries head-on.

A fierce battle ensues, with Peggy squaring off against Steve, while Natasha takes on her mother and the formidable cadre of Widows. Peggy, however, begins to feel the weight of her extensive service with SHIELD and the trials of World War II. Exhaustion sets in, prompting her to throw down her shield and defiantly declare her surrender, challenging Steve to take decisive action. Steve, moved by the unexpected turn of events, relents and withdraws. Yet, instead of staying by Peggy’s side, he departs for the Red Room base, unleashing a barrage of firepower to bring it crumbling down.

Seizing the opportunity presented by Steve’s departure, Natasha acts swiftly. She attaches Melina’s boot to a grappling hook, cleverly entwined with the HYDRA Stomper. As the base hurtles towards destruction, Natasha ensures her own brand of retribution, causing the downfall of the Red Room and disrupting Melina’s plans. The chaotic tableau marks a turning point in the unfolding saga, leaving Peggy and Natasha to grapple with the aftermath of the clash and the enigmatic connections that bind them all.

Returning to the Avengers compound, Peggy shares her conviction with Natasha that Steve somehow survived the chaos at the Red Room base. Natasha, a loyal friend and ally, agrees to join Peggy on this quest for answers. Just as The Watcher seems poised to conclude this cosmic narrative, a mysterious red light crackles through the floor, enveloping Peggy in its radiant embrace. Even the omniscient Watcher, who perceives all, is left in the dark about Peggy’s destination.

On the other side of this enigmatic transition, Peggy finds herself greeted by an unexpected duo: Nick Fury and Wanda Maximoff, both adorned in Elizabethan attire. The surreal encounter sets the stage for a new chapter in Peggy’s journey, leaving both The Watcher and the audience in suspense about the uncharted realms that await our intrepid heroine.

You can watch What If Season 2 Episode 5 now on Disney+Hotstar.

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