Eyes of Wakanda Review: Cool but Too Short
Marvel’s latest series Eyes of Wakanda dives into the rich history of Wakanda and its secret network of spies. But does it carry the same emotional weight as the Black Panther films? Here’s our take.
To be honest, this one caught me off guard. I had completely forgotten Eyes of Wakanda was coming until Marvel dropped the Instagram post and trailer. Even with the current slump in Marvel content and my mixed feelings about their TV shows, anything tied to Wakanda and its lore always gets me curious. This series had a ton of potential. But then I saw the episode count: four. I thought, “Okay, maybe they’re an hour long.” Nope. Each is about 30 minutes, and they span different points in Wakanda’s history. Still, seeing producer Ryan Coogler’s name and the creative vision behind it had me intrigued.
Plot and Pacing
The story follows the Wardogs, Wakanda’s secret agents who act as the nation’s eyes across the world, recovering artifacts and safeguarding their country’s interests through history. It’s an exciting concept. Unfortunately, the first two episodes feel unevenly paced. They seem to exist mostly to set up the Wardogs’ origins and the sacrifices their work demands, but everything moves too quickly.
Would it have been too much to ask for 40 or 50-minute episodes? A little more backstory for Lion Head, more weight to Noni’s internal struggle, a few extra minutes to build her allegiances. It feels like you can see how rich these stories could be, but the short runtime makes them come out rushed.
Noni herself is a standout, though. Through her arc, we see the toll these missions take when spies spend years, even decades, away from home. Memnon’s story especially had potential, showing him fighting alongside Achilles in the Trojan War for nearly a decade. But again, we barely see their bond, so when Achilles gives him the lucky charm of protection, the moment feels flat instead of emotional.
Episode Highlights
The third episode might be the one that actually works within the short runtime. It’s lighter and more playful than the rest and introduces a new Immortal Iron Fist to the MCU. Yes, she’s not Danny Rand, and yes, she’s from ancient China. Jorani is every bit the legendary warrior you’d expect, guarding her village after defeating the dragon Shou-Lao. When Wakandan agent Basha takes an idol containing Wakandan artifacts, she goes after him, leading to a fun cat-and-mouse chase between her and the Wardogs.
And just when you think she’s holding back, the show reminds you exactly how powerful she is. It’s also the first time we see an outsider take on a room full of Wakandan spies and win. Easily the most entertaining episode of the bunch.
The final episode is the standout in terms of MCU connections. It reveals that Wakanda faces destruction in the 2300s, and the last Black Panther must travel back in time to ensure Wakanda opens its borders to forge alliances strong enough to survive the coming threat. The key mission? Returning an axe so that, in the future, a Wakandan son named Killmonger can retrieve it and spark a revolution. It’s a neat callback to one of his most iconic moments in Black Panther (2018).
Concept-wise, this episode is the strongest, but the runtime hurts it again. There’s a scene where a building collapses on Kuda, and they frame it like Tafari leaving would be certain death. But there are no visible enemies, no tension outside the drama they’re forcing. Sure enough, he completes the mission and comes back, and everyone’s fine. It undercuts the stakes in a way that makes the whole thing feel rushed and slightly silly.
Final Thoughts
The show’s biggest strengths are its potential, slick fight scenes, and beautiful animation. Visually, it nails Wakanda’s evolving technology across different eras and highlights how far ahead they’ve always been. But the pacing and short episodes are its downfall. Everything happens so quickly that it’s hard to connect to any character. Maybe that’s intentional since these are spies whose work matters more than their personal stories. But if we don’t care about the characters, the story itself struggles to land emotionally.
Rating:
The Iron Fist episode and the Killmonger tie-in save it from being completely forgettable.
Stream or Skip?
You can honestly skip it without missing anything important for the MCU’s future. But if you’re curious about Wakanda’s history and want to see some gorgeous animation and lore-building, it’s worth a quick watch, especially the last episode. Eyes of Wakanda is streaming now on Disney+.
So what’s your verdict on Eyes of Wakanda? Did it capture the essence of Wakandan culture and history, or did the pacing make it fall flat? Personally, I feel Marvel dropping multiple episodes at once is rarely a good sign for quality, but maybe you saw it differently. Share your thoughts below, and let’s see if this one deserves a second watch.
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