In the latest episode, we have Hela making a helluva transformation. The cast features Cate Blanchett as Hela, Jeff Bergman as Odin, Feodor Chin as Xu Wenwu, Lauren Tom as Jiayi, Idris Elba as Heimdall and Michael Hagiwara as Shunyuan.
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What If Season 2 Episode 7 Director
Bryan Andrews
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What If Season 2 Episode 7 Writer
Matthew Chauncey
The episode is around 30 minutes long.
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What If Season 2 Episode 7 Recap
Like most of the episodes, What If Season 2 Episode 7 starts with The Watcher telling us the story of Odin’s conquest of the Nine Realms, accompanied by his firstborn daughter, Hela. In this universe, ambitious and unsatisfied, Hela desires to extend their conquest to the entire cosmos. However, Odin dismisses this desire.
In this alternate scenario, Odin refrains from imprisoning Hela for her ambitions. After her failed attempt to use Mjölnir on Odin, he crushes the mighty hammer, strips her of power, and banishes her. Placing a spell on her helmet, he scatters it in the mountains of China. Wenwu finds the helmet, leading to a clash with Hela. Despite her failed attempts to use her nonexistent powers, Wenwu thwarts her, leading to a confrontation where Hela asserts herself as the goddess of death, resenting her lack of power against Wenwu’s Ten Rings.
Wenwu humours Hela’s attempt to retrieve her helmet. Her efforts prove futile, leading to her capture. Instead of a sterile cell, Wenwu invites her to his quarters for dinner, intrigued by her despite her failed promises of doom. He gifts her a stunning dress, leaving him utterly speechless when she dons it. As Hela contemplates murdering Wenwu in her red dress, he counters that red is a lucky colour, proposing an alliance rather than marriage. Despite her resistance, Wenwu insists he is not like her father, even as the tension between them simmers with a suggestive undertone.
Wenwu guides Hela through his compound, revealing the Ten Rings’ purpose in protecting the world. When she assumes he views her as a threat, he tenderly takes her hand, inviting her to fight alongside him. As their intimacy intensifies, Hela abruptly slams his head on the table, thwarting a potential romantic turn. Guards interrupt before she can remove the Ten Rings, prompting her escape. Wenwu orders her capture, surprisingly unfazed. Hela flees, aided by a Dijiang named Morris, planning a journey to Norse country. However, Morris hints at a closer ally, redirecting their path and setting the stage for a new alliance.
Led by the Dijiang, Hela arrives at Ta Lo, a village shielded by a magical bamboo forest. The deceptive trees attempt to trap her, but Hela races, emerging on the outskirts. The village, possessing potent magic, hides her from Heimdall’s sight. Attacked by a woman, Jiayi, wielding plant-based magic, Hela awakens before the villagers. Jiayi explains their role as protectors against underworld threats, surprising Hela, who seeks their help against Wenwu. Willing to enlist underworld threats if needed, Hela assures them she aims for revenge against Wenwu and, incidentally, Odin and Frigga.
Jiayi advises Hela that darkness can only be defeated with light. Seizing the opportunity, Hela convinces Jiayi to train her in the ways of light. Jiayi casually threatens Hela with a flying dragon. Meanwhile, in Asgard, Heimdall informs Odin of Hela’s disappearance, linking it to the Ten Rings’ god-killing power. Ignoring Hela’s mortal status, Odin fixates on the threat to his power, deciding to stop the Ten Rings’ owner. In Ta Lo, Jiayi challenges Hela with seemingly mundane tasks, pushing her to reveal the true motivation behind her desire to learn their practices. The probing leads Hela to confront a childhood memory of her father chaining her beloved dog, reflecting Odin’s actions with her helmet.
What If Season 2 Episode 7 Ending Explained
Realizing her true desire for freedom from Odin’s constraints, Hela transforms. With this newfound perspective, Jiayi deems her ready for further training. However, a flash of light signals Odin’s arrival, prompting Hela to prepare for a confrontation. She informs Jiayi of her intention to prevent Odin from terrorizing others in her name and seeking the Ten Rings. Jiayi, emphasizing that Ta Lo’s people aren’t warriors, advises Hela to face Odin alone if she chooses to fight. Feeling compelled to confront the path Odin set for her, Hela departs for Wenwu’s compound, finding it embroiled in battle upon her return.
Upon seeing Hela, Wenwu lights up. Together, they fend off attackers until facing Odin alone. He implores Hela to join him, expressing fake concerns for her safety. Accusing him of only wanting the Rings, Hela declines his offer to bring Midgard under their “protection.” Odin reacts poorly to rejection, claiming she’s nothing without the power he took. Attacking Wenwu and Hela, he underestimates Hela’s newfound mastery of light, learned from Jiayi. Though Wenwu missed the lessons, he swiftly follows Hela’s lead, highlighting the power of love as its form of lightness.
Hela intervenes to save Wenwu from Odin. Despite Odin’s futile attempts to control the Ten Rings, he is disarmed. Instead of vengeance, Hela implores him to end the fighting, triggering her helmet’s awakening. Enraged by her newfound mercy, Odin offers her the throne, and she accepts. With her helmet returning and armour transforming to a radiant white version, Hela and Wenwu ally, becoming liberators across the cosmos. Their actions seem to prevent the looming threat of Thanos.
You can watch What If Season 2 Episode 7 now on Disney+Hotstar.
Also Read: All What If Season 2 Articles