Welcome back, everyone! This is Austin Rojas (@arojasost), and I'm excited to bring you the second part of my Marvel TV show review series. In this post, we'll be taking a closer look at the hit Disney+ series, WandaVision. This show took the world by storm with its unique storytelling, bold visual style, and deep exploration of its characters.
In this review, we'll dive into the 5th to 9th episodes of WandaVision, exploring how they continued to push the boundaries of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) while paying homage to classic sitcoms. We'll also discuss the themes of grief, loss, and trauma that the show tackled meaningfully and emotionally. Finally, as always, I'll share my thoughts on the show's strengths and weaknesses, character development, and how it compares to its comic book source material.
So, grab some snacks, settle in, and return to Westview for another exciting episode of WandaVision!
Episode 5
Episode five is increased by another decade, placing us in the 80s, and mostly mimics the show "Full House," which I love heavily. We start with Agnes barging into the house to help Wanda and Vision with the kids, but Vision is highly cautious about her child-caring skills. Vision utters out a ton of concerns, so Agnes backs off but not in a traditional way, in a way like an actor forgetting the script of the movie. Everything is silent until Agnes restarts; this time, Agnes begins to take care of the twins, and Vision pulls Wanda to the side to confront her about the weirdness that just occurred. Wanda ignores it and pretends nothing happened, leaving Vision extremely confused. Agnes proceeds to successfully stop the babies from crying, and when Wanda and Vision check on them, they are entirely gone, Only for seconds until they appear behind them on the stairs as five-year-old boys. Agnes refers to Wanda's controllingness by stating, "Kids… Can't control them… No matter how hard you try."
Now we cut to Monica being interviewed about what happened in the previous episode. She is asked what she remembers, and she says, "Pain… And then, Wanda's voice in my head." Monica talks about feeling "helpless" when she tried to resist being held down by Wanda's powers that everyone else in Westview trapped. I applaud this inside scoop of Wanda's mind from Monica, who now has firsthand experience as one of Wanda's characters. She felt Wanda's grief for everything Wanda had lost. Sword and FBI agents go through a debriefing which is a recap of everything we already know; one thing we did learn was Wanda broke into a facility in the real world to steal Vision's corpse, which is how she brought him back.
With Monica planning to safely reenter the Hex back in the agency outpost, Monica, Jimmy, and Darcy begin to question the twins' existence. Jimmy says it would require immense power to create them single-handedly and questions Wanda's power level. Monica brings up how Wanda could've taken Thanos herself without the snap, and nobody could've done that. Jimmy responds by saying how Captain Marvel could have as well, which initiates a slight moment of silence and a heavy focus on Monica, a reference to the near future I will not spoil yet.
Later on, we see Vision at his job, where his coworkers reference him as a computer. On the office computer, they get an email from Darcy about Wanda's doings. Vision uses his powers on his coworker Norm, which temporarily frees him from Wanda, in which he warns Vision he must stop her. This is a brief scene because SWORD is now using an 80s drone to enter the Hex since the Hex is currently in the 80s. Wanda sees the drone and immediately destroys it, then comes out of the "Hex" to confront the agents; she gives them their only warning and tells them to stay out of her home.
In the final scene, Vision speaks directly to Wanda about Norm telling her about his pain. The Vision clearly disagrees with Wanda and wants her to answer for her actions, but Wanda forcefully rolls the credits. Vision continues speaking because he knows she can't control him like the rest. The Vision starts to yell at her saying he can't remember anything before Westview and doesn't know what's outside the town. Wanda continues to decline to be in control of everyone and everything, but Vision refuses to believe her. Lastly, we see Evan Peters play Pietro, aka Quicksilver, again Wanda's brother, enters the home to which everyone, even Wanda, is confused.
I love how this episode shows more and more Vision learning about Wanda's doings and the outside agencies getting closer and closer to stopping her. We also see the inputs of the victims of Wanda and their firsthand experiences under her control. This episode is one of the best in story development, and we'll see if the next ones compete.
Episode 6
Believe it or not, episode six is now in the 90s, displaying a 90s-type intro. This is the Halloween episode where Wanda, Vision, and Quicksilver wear comic-accurate costumes. The twins also constantly break the 4th wall talking directly to us, the viewer, about the relationship between Wanda and Vision. Before leaving the house to trick or treat, Vision tells Wanda he is going to patrol on neighborhood watch, which surprises Wanda, but she is ultimately ok with it.
While outside, Wanda tests Pietro by asking him about memories they've shared, and he realizes it but doesn't ever answer the questions. Finally, however, he brings up how he looks different because MCU Pietro is another actor from X-Men Pietro. Our Wanda knows MCU Pietro; in this show, she is introduced to X-Men Pietro. It appears that Wanda isn't controlling this because even she asks why he is different, they both don't know. Later, Peitro mentions being shot by Ultron in Avengers Age Of Ultron, meaning he may share memories with MCU Quicksilver, but not 100% accurate. Later at night, Wanda and Pietro talk about the Hex, and it becomes apparent he isn't being controlled and has free will. He is aware of everything like Vision, but instead of being against her actions, he is with it and is impressed by how Wanda pulled off making a world.
During all this, we also learn Vision isn't actually on patrol but is trying to uncover secrets about the Hex. He understands people far from Wanda don't move because it would be too much energy to have the residents act so far away; it's like a video game saving memory by not loading in assets far from the player. He finds Agnes and frees her from the spell in which she begins to tell him that he is an Avenger, but Vision claims he's never heard of it; she also says that he is supposed to be dead. Soon after, Vision makes it to the end of the Hex and attempts to walk outside, which begins to kill him because, in real life, he is dead. Wanda saves him by extending the Hex, making it go further into the real world, trapping most agents, vehicles, and even Darcy herself inside.
This episode was shorter but impactful as we learned more about Pietro. Vision also makes huge progress in learning about Wanda's doings as he sees life outside the Hex. I can't wait to hear the argument between Wanda and Vision in the next episode, as he is definitely fed up at this point.
Episode 7
Episode seven of WandaVision is titled "Breaking The Fourth Wall" and references the famous show "The Office." We see Wanda talking to the camera as if she's being interviewed by the camera crew, essentially breaking the fourth wall, as we saw a bit in the previous episode.
Then Wanda makes herself breakfast, but stuff begins to glitch. The milk turns from an old-school carton to an even older-school glass bottle. Wanda has no clue what happened and is worried because she knows it's not her doing. I think the fourth wall break in this episode gives us a more in-detail look at everyone's thoughts because they get a chance to explain themselves, which I enjoy very much.
After an intro inspired by shows like Happy Endings, The Office, and Modern Family, we see Vision awake in what is now a circus, where we see Darcy as an Escape Artist. Darcy obviously, now under Wanda's spell, doesn't know Vision. Vision tries to explain everything to Darcy for, in my opinion, an unnecessarily long amount of time before he removes her from the spell himself; with Darcy removed from the spell, she and Vision immediately team up. During the drive home, Vision notices Wanda trying to stop him from returning home with multiple red lights, random construction, and kids crossing.
Now we're back home, where Billy and Tommy are playing video games, and they ask Wanda about Pietro. Wanda quickly interrupts to tell them he isn't their uncle and to not believe anything he says. I think she says this because she didn't even purposely bring him in and definitely didn't bring him in as a different person. She also begins ranting about how everything is becoming meaningless, probably because she knows her reign of power is ending. Agnes then conveniently knocks on the door, where Wanda visibly uses her powers to open it, showing she really doesn't care anymore. Agnes takes the kids off Wanda's hands so she can relax, and as she is, everything around her begins to change into older versions of itself uncontrollably.
Back outside the Hex, Monica and Jimmy learn from Darcy's hacking that the Acting Director of Sword, Tyler Hayward, is trying to reactivate Vision's real dead body to turn him into a super weapon. Monica calls in favor of constructing a vehicle and suit capable of safely entering the Hex. While attempting to drive through, the vehicle fails to make it and begins to be rewritten. Monica's DNA has been altered from going through the Hex twice, and she uses it to force herself in.
With Monica in the Hex, she isn't under a spell and makes it to Wanda's house to explain what Hayward is up to. Wanda immediately becomes hostile and even blames Sword for Pietro's appearance, which isn't true. She uses her powers on Monica, and we see a glimpse of Monica's powers she's obtained from the Hex changing her DNA.
Agnes swoops in and takes Wanda to her house, where Wanda realizes her kids aren't there. She searches in the basement, where we see Agnes' dungeon, and she reveals herself as Agatha Harkness, a witch who has been acting to be under a spell all along. Every single inconvenience has been her, and she also shows up conveniently every time because she was watching and knew when to enter. She's responsible for every neighborly glitch, Pietro arriving and killing the family dog.
The episode ends at a huge turning point, and I'm stoked to finally see Agnes reveal her true self. I can't wait to see what she plans next and hope to learn her motive behind being part of Wanda's Hex.
Episode 8
To begin episode eight, we see Agatha's upcoming as a witch from Salem. She is on trial and being processed for execution for being a witch and breaking the rules. The women surrounding her, including her mother, begin the execution. Still, as they're doing it, their souls seemingly drain from their bodies as purple light begins to beam, which is Agatha's main color. Agatha begs for a chance to be good, but her mother refuses and tries to end her Agatha fights back, ultimately killing her mom. This was a brilliant quick introduction to a new character revealing much about her.
In the present time, we are in Agatha's dungeon still, where she confirms Wanda never had control of her. Agatha begins to show Wanda simple spells to compare them to what Wanda is doing, controlling an entire town. She wants to know how Wanda has magic on autopilot, miles, and miles from town, but Wanda herself isn't even sure how.
Agatha, clearly upset, creates a door where behind it is Wanda's true reality. Her mother, father, and brother are getting ready for movie night. We see where Wanda gets the inspiration for sitcoms as she picks out a sitcom show to watch. The show is almost a complete copy and paste of what Wanda recreated herself in earlier episodes.
Then tragedy strikes as the entire room blows up because, as some may know, Wanda and her family grew up in Sokovia during a war. A second missile lands in the living room but doesn't go off, and on the sides, it reads "Stark Industries'' We heard this story before in Avengers Age Of Ultron, but this is the first time we see it, which I am so grateful for. The whole reason for Agatha playing this memory is because she wants to learn about Wanda and how she got to where she is.
Suddenly a door with the Hydra logo spawns, frightening Wanda as she doesn't want to return. During this memory, we see how Wanda's experiments gave her the powers she has now. We see Wanda come in contact with the Scepter that holds the Mind Stone, which makes her pass out.
Now we are in the Avengers Compound during the events of "Captain America Civil War." We see how Wanda and Vision become close as he checks up on her and watches her sitcoms together. Wanda tells Vision about all her emotions as Vision tries to cheer her up, and it is such a meaningful moment, in my opinion, that leaves me feeling sorry for Wanda.
Lastly, we end up right before the events of WandaVision, where Wanda realizes Vision is truly gone. She travels to an unbuilt area for a home in Westview that she and Vision planned to live in. Wanda goes to the center of the foundation, breaks down in tears, and lets off a gigantic burst of her powers filled with misery, despair, and every emotion she is feeling, turning into what created the Hex.
This episode gave such a great detailed look into Wanda's life up to the current time. I'm so happy they did all this to demonstrate Wanda's story because, before that, all it was was stories, but now we actually get to see it and how it unfolded.
Episode 9
At the end of the last episode, Agatha calls Wanda The Scarlet Witch and claims she isn't even supposed to be real and is a myth. Now we see the two facing off in the streets, throwing projectiles at one another. Agatha's motive is to take Wanda's powers and put them to use and let Wanda keep her fantasy world. It reminds me of "Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness," where Wanda tries to use America Chaves' powers and put them to better use.
As Wanda throws a car at Agatha and tries to look for her body, we see a complete white-out version of Vision lands behind her. This Vision appears friendly until he puts his hands on Wanda and starts crushing her skull. She is saved by, now to be the Colorful Vision which is just the one Wanda remade in the Hex. White Vision is technically the real Vision from outside the Hex, transformed to be a weapon meant to destroy Wanda and her Vision. We get to see an epic battle between Two Visions and Two Witches.
We quickly see Monica still in the Hex and stuck in Peitro's attic. When Agatha reveals herself, she also reveals she made Pietro her eyes and ears, so we know Pietro is on Agatha's side right now. Monica looks through documents to find Pietro is actually named Ralph Bohner and realizes Agatha is controlling him by the necklace he's wearing, so she rips it off, freeing him.
Agatha begins to talk about the Darkhold and The Book Of The Damned, which reads, "The Scarlet Witch isn't born, she's forged." Wanda denies being a witch and destroyer, so Agatha frees everyone from the spell to show Wanda her menacing actions. Wanda fully realizes her mistake and decides to release the people from the Hex. However, as she opens the Hex for families, it begins to fade, prompting her to save the town or her family. Wanda chooses to reform the Hex to protect her family, but while the Hex is briefly open, SWORD swarms inside.
Both Visions begin to have the most formal altercation I've ever witnessed, which ends with White Vision being given access to every memory Vision has had from all previous movies. This frees his thoughts allowing him to make his own decisions. After this, White Vision says, "I am Vision," then flies off, yet to be seen again. I'm eager to see what place in the MCU he will have in future projects.
Wanda defeats Agatha by casting runes around the Hex, allowing only the witch that cast them to use their powers. Wanda absorbs all the energy between her and Agatha, and we see her officially transform into the Scarlet Witch. She then places Agatha under the spell that turns her into the Nosy Neighbor we've known her to be all along.
The family heads home as the Hex simultaneously closes upon them. Wanda spends her last few minutes loving her family as much as possible before they are gone forever. She holds Vision one last time as the Hex closes, leaving her back in the center of an unfinished house in Westview.
Personal Summary
I remember when this show first came out, I had zero interest in it. For some reason, I did not like it and wasn't interested, but after watching it again and writing down my thoughts, it opened another level of appreciation I never had. Wanda was one of my favorite characters before rewatching this show, and after this, she is definitely my number one. This is my favorite in the lineup of live-action Marvel shows, and I'm grateful I gave the show another chance, be it a few years late.
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