In the thrilling finale of Marvel’s Ironheart on Disney+, John and Derek from TV Podcast Industries break down Episode 6: “The Past Is The Past”, directed by Angela Barnes and written by Chinaka Hodge.

This episode marks the long-awaited arrival of Mephisto to the MCU and delivers a powerful conclusion to Riri Williams’ first solo series. Join us for a full recap, analysis, and discussion on Riri’s final battle, Parker’s unraveling, and the mysterious deal that changes everything.

Mid-credits tease? Supreme help might just be on the menu…

Episode 6 Recap Highlights:

• Parker attempts to rob his father’s mansion, escapes through a tunnel, and meets a hooded man who offers him power — for a price.
• Parker feels the cost of the deal and confronts the mysterious man, who insists the terms were fulfilled.
• Riri can’t restore N.A.T.A.L.I.E. and faces Parker directly. She battles Ezekiel, who helps free himself from Parker’s control.
• Riri defeats Parker, removes his hood, and sentences him to eternal suffering.
• Mephisto reveals himself and offers Riri a deal, which she accepts on the condition he spares her loved ones.
• Back in her garage, Riri thinks she’s rebuilt her AI — but it’s Natalie, physically revived. As they embrace, Mephisto’s mark begins to spread on Riri’s skin.

Cast & Characters:

• Dominique Thorne – Riri Williams / Ironheart
• Anthony Ramos – Parker Robbins / The Hood
• Lyric Ross – Natalie Washington / N.A.T.A.L.I.E.
• Matthew Elam – Xavier Washington
• Anji White – Ronnie Williams
• Alden Ehrenreich – Ezekiel Stane
• Regan Aliyah – Zelma Stanton
• Sacha Baron Cohen – Mephisto

MIT Student Bar Quiz – Final Question (Ep6):

Question 6:

How many people in the Forbes Top 100 Rich List have made a deal with Mephisto?

Bonus: How many kings, popes, and Beatles have done the same?

Submit your answers to 📧 feedback@tvpodcastindustries.com for a chance to win Ironheart-themed goodies!

All quiz questions here: tvpodcastindustries.com/blog/ironheartquiz

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Release Schedule:

We’ll be back in two weeks with our Ironheart wrap-up podcast — and to announce the MIT Student Bar Quiz winner! Thanks for joining us all season.

— Derek & John, TV Podcast Industries

Music & Legal:

Intro/Outro music: “tech” by Voide via Free Music Archive (Creative Commons 4.0)

All images and clips © Marvel Studios & Disney+. Used under fair use for commentary and review.

In this episode of TV Podcast Industries, John, Chris, and Derek dive deep into Ironheart Episode 5, as Riri faces magical upgrades, AI betrayals, and rising threats.

• Riri reunites with Zelma, but The Hood’s power is growing.
• A surprise attack leaves Riri’s suit damaged — and her AI, N.A.T.A.L.I.E., shuts down.
• Ezekiel Stane reveals his bionic powers and issues a dire warning.
• With support from Ronnie, Xavier, and Landon, Riri begins building a new suit — one powered by magic but with a painful cost.
• Meanwhile, Parker takes drastic steps to reclaim his father's empire, as the dark energy inside him continues to spread…

• Riri’s turning point and character growth
• How this episode sets up the finale
• Major comic book connections
• Our take on Ezekiel, Clown, and Parker’s dark evolution

What is the name of the realm that Zelma transports Riri, Ronnie and her mum to?

Send your answer to: 📧 feedback@tvpodcastindustries.com

👉 All quiz questions: www.tvpodcastindustries.com

We’d love your feedback, thoughts, or theories!

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• Music: “tech” by Voide – used under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
• All images and audio clips © Marvel Studios & Disney+. Used under fair use for the purposes of commentary and review.

With one of our team lost in another realm, John and Derek return to discuss Ironheart Episode 4 "Bad Magic" in our spoiler-filled podcast. We may have gushed a little too much about the MCU arrival of one of our favourite Marvel witches but we make no apologies.

Directed by Angela Barnes

Written by Amir Sulaiman

Episode Synopsis:

Knowing that Parker Robbins, aka The Hood is on her trail, Riri analyzes the piece of The Hood’s cloak she recovered, which she discovers is an ancient energy source that Parker draws upon.

Meanwhile Eziekiel Stane (aka Joe McGillacuddy) has been arrested for the crew's heist after being implicated by the biomesh left behind by Riri, and he is very resentful towards her when she visits him in detention.

With things stacking up Ronnie, Riri’s mum, gets increasingly worried about her daughter and wants to help, bringing her to her friend Madeline Stanton, a former Kamar-Taj trainee, and her daughter Zelma.

The Stantons help examine the fragment of the hood and detect that it is from a dark dimension that is likely influencing Robbins, before abruptly ushering Riri and Ronnie out of the shop. Ronnie shares her frustrations about her daughter never opening up to her, but Riri leaves in her iron suit after pushing back against her mother’s assertion.

Frustrated in her lack of findings with the cloak fragment, Riri meets up with Xavier, who tries to support her but is later horrified by N.A.T.A.L.I.E. emulating his late sister's image. N.A.T.A.L.I.E. leaves when Riri contemplates Xavier's demand to delete it.

Elsewhere, The Hood breaks Eziekiel out of jail to recruit him as Riri's replacement, and Slug assists his efforts to implant bionic enhancements in his body, while secretly giving Parker access and control over the bionic enhancements.

With everything now in place, Parker sends the crew on an extra mission this time to kill Riri, telling them she killed Cousin John.

Ironheart Episode 4 Cast

• Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams / Ironheart
• Anthony Ramos as Parker Robbins / The Hood
• Lyric Ross as Natalie Washington / N.A.T.A.L.I.E.
• Matthew Elam as Xavier Washington
• Anji White as Ronnie Williams
• Shea Colee as Slug
• Sonia Denis as Clown
• Alden Ehrenreich as Ezekiel Stane

During each podcast we'll ask a question about each episode in our Ironheart MIT Student Bar Quiz. You can send in your answers each week to feedback@tvpodcastindustries.com At the end of the six episode series the fellow Defenders with the most correct answers will be in with the chance of getting their hands on some Ironheart goodies. All questions will be updated on: https://www.tvpodcastindustries.com

Thank you so much for listening to our Ironheart Podcast. Make sure you subscribe to the podcast through our website TV Podcast Industries.

If you would like to send any of your thoughts in please send the m to feedback@tvpodcastindustries.com join us on facebook at Facebook.com/groups/tvpodcastindustries or you can now record your thoughts for the podcast directly from our website tvpodcastindustries.com by clicking the “Send Voicemail” button.

We'll be back this weekend with our podcast on Ironheart Episode 5 "Karma's a Glitch". We hope you'll join us.

Keep watching, Keep Listing and Keep Defending

John, Chris and Derek

Defenders on TV Podcast Industries

Date recorded: 02/07/2025

Date published: 03/07/2025

All images and audio clips are copyright of Marvel and Disney Plus and are used for the purposes of review no infringement is intended. The intro and outro music for our show is the song “tech” written by “Voide” courtesy of Free Music Archive and used under the creative commons 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/