There is a type of storytelling that I really like. I like to see how far you can push a hero and much it takes for him to become a villain. For the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I was never hopeful enough to think that they'd actually use that sort of storytelling. In "WandaVision," I got my hopes too high and ended up being disappointed that they didn't. However, with "What If...," they had the opportunity to try and do something a little edgier with its characters. I'm glad to see that they finally decided to try it out with an episode that's definitely their best.
This was a character that I have found extremely interesting after he was first introduced to the universe. In this episode, the writers have definitely decided to make a few changes to his characteristics early, and if it hadn't helped the story, I think I would have been more bothered by it. However, due to the very emotional context of the episode, I didn't care about the changes. They managed to make me feel like I wreck after the opening moments of the episode, and despite its unclear "what if" scenario, I still think that it manages to intrigue the audience. It feels more like a sequel to the original film than a different version, but that can also work in regard to the larger universe that it is set in. They bring this character down a really dark path and it ends in an incredible fight that takes the visual aspects of this show to new heights, and I know a lot of people have found the animation style a little rough, but I personally think it is quite amazing to watch. Benedict Cumberbatch provides the most emotional version of the character so far, and despite it only being a voice performance, I am willing to say that this is the best performance he has given for the character so far, and that says a lot as he has been consistently great in the role. I'm also glad to see that the Watcher is being integrated into the story more frequently at this point.
"What If... Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?" is an emotional gut punch that turns the MCU on its head. We see what loss can do to someone and how it makes them do stupid things, while also being the best that the MCU has to offer in terms of action setpieces.
