Zach & Tavie check out the apparent Christmas movie and final installment of the Iron Man trilogy, as well as the last traditionally numbered sequel for a solo character in the MCU, Iron Man 3! It’s very different from what came before, no longer directed by Jon Favreau, but taken on by Shane Black, where you can definitely pick up some Lethal Weapon vibes at times. It’s also got some narration and for some reason treats the story as if it concluded a completely stand-alone trilogy for Tony Stark, not in a greater shared universe.

Join our hosts as they break down Tony’s largely armor-free personal journey, dealing with the villain of problematic origins, The Mandarin, and discuss the very divisive plot twist that split the fan community (as well as the odd choice of his way of speaking). We also meet Aldrich Killian of AIM and Maya Hansen, as well as the then-president of the MCU. Of course, we would be remiss if we didn’t mention Tony’s kid sidekick, Harley Keener, and their often-contentious relationship.

It’s got more for Pepper to do, tackles mental health struggles like PTSD and panic attacks, more nicknames (for humans and armor suits alike), a very early and silent appearance from a Netflix star, connections to Bedknobs & Broomsticks, Hot Shots Part Deux, and Sonic The Hedgehog, plenty of Jingle Bells, “lava people”, and a start of a dismemberment trend for Phase 2.

Plus addressing questions such as “What is Yinsen’s first name?”, “What’s up with the big rabbit?”, “Who did Tavie boo?”, “Should Tony have built in a way to charge armor suits via USB?”, “Why was Harley carrying that paper?”, “Exactly how fast did the armor fly?”, “What does it mean to regulate?”, “What was that ice fridge’s door made of?”, “What does Dana Carvey have to do with all of this?”, and plenty of others, as well.

All of this and SPOT THE STAN, MARVEL TRIVIA, PENNY’S CORNER, and SO MUCH MORE! Get ready to wrap everything up for Tony Stark in a neat little bow (until a few movies later, when he’s inevitably back in action) and enjoy this episode.

Produced & co-hosted by Zach Woliner & Tavie Phillips Featuring Penny Woliner Edited by Zach Woliner Theme music by Luis Humanoide Cover art by Chris Giarrusso