Definitely agree with those speculations. Still feeling very rushed, like the Red Daggers thing was SO fast and underexplained. And Waleed's death did feel kind of tragic, but we'd only met him ten minutes ago so... Also, and I think this is a sort of personal flaw, I don't really like "fun" fight scenes. The only reason you're not scared for your LIFE is because the plot says you shouldn't be. He threw a knife at you! What's with the joking and the following to a secret hideout? Also, who are these guys? We didn't all read the comics! Maybe I should read the comics. I've been watching some reaction videos which has been really fun but brings me back to something I had mis-justified at the time in the interrogation in episode 2: I had assumed at the time that they had footage of Kamala that gave them some idea of her ethnicity, but rewatching it they clearly only have her in the whole suit, so... that's just pure racism, right? I mean, clearly they're supposed to be the bad guys, but still that's wow.

I don't expect the pacing problems to improve, but I'm still loving it so much. Also, is it just me, or did Disney totally underpromote this thing? I missed the first two episodes because I just didn't know it had started. Disney, this is the only reason I'm paying you!

Yes, we keep commenting that it feels like we missed an episode. Or 3. Because they keep just plowing past relationships and motivations and stuff.

Thank you! It's always such a relief to find it's not just me. I watch New Rockstars YouTube videos (I have a very boring life, okay?) and although they're very positive one commented that they just weren't feeling anything for the the Clandestines and I cheered. So nice to not feel alone! I still love it, I just want more depth of it!

Edited because "i" does not, in fact, stand for "I think this might be a spoiler."

Dr. Strange-related question: Do I need to have seen No Way home to understand Multiverse of Madness?

Not really. However, No Way Home was more fun.

Do I need to have seen No Way home to understand Multiverse of Madness?

No.

I gave up recently on New Rock Stars because they devoted so much time explaining that Kamala was going to be an Inhuman even though there was zero on-screen evidence that was going to happen. I think they’re kind of mad about the Clandestines because their theory was WRONG.

and I cheered

I'm loving Ms. Marvel in general, but I really have no use for the Clandestines.

explaining that Kamala was going to be an

Plus I don't think Marvel wants to link Ms. Marvel with the Inhumans TV show, since it wasn't exactly popular.

Do I need to have seen No Way home to understand Multiverse of Madness?

No. There's a single throw-away line vaguely referencing No Way Home. Other than that you miss out on the explanation of why Wong is now the Sorcerer Supreme but it's easy enough to pick up in context.

I would say WandaVision is far more important, but even that is skippable.

Thanks! It's just that MoM showed up on Disney+ but I think NWH is still in Sony's toybox. I did see WandaVision, and it's looking more and more likely that general fandom is going to spoil me for character development in MoM if I don't watch it soon!

Yeah, New Rockstars reaction vids always contain like 20 minutes of totally baseless speculation after their reaction, but at least they're pretty honest about it! (My attention always starts wandering at that point.) You'd think they might start to rein it in after there turned out to be no Mephisto, but I respect how hard they'll go at the slimmest of pretexts. And I guess the Inhumans are relevant in the comics? Or, wait, I guess the Kree are involved and it happens to be linked to how they were made but maybe only if you're deep into comics continuity.

You'd think they might start to rein it in after there turned out to be no Mephisto

But, I mean, everyone was thinking Mephisto was somehow tied to WandaVision. (Well, not *everyone*, but the fandom in a general sense. I know my brother and I were going deep down some rabbit holes trying to flush out Mephisto.)