Three episodes into Ironheart, and I’m left with that all-too-familiar Marvel sensation: there’s something interesting buried in here, but it’s surrounded by noise, tropes, and characters I’m apparently supposed to care about before they’ve earned it.

Let’s start with the good. The AI storyline—easily the most compelling part of the show—is handled with more nuance than I expected. Riri’s deceased friend Natalie, now an experimental consciousness preserved via brain scan, is the closest this show gets to grappling with real questions: what are the limits of memory, identity, and emotional... read the rest.