The following is a SPOILER review for Episodes 1-4 of Agatha All Along, which streams on Disney+ every Wednesday at 6 PM PST/9 PM EST.
Let it be known to the reader before you embark on my spoiler-filled review of Marvel Television’s latest series, Agatha All Along (2024), that I am a self-proclaimed Wanda-stan. That means I am also a massive fan of the studio’s first venture into streaming television, WandaVision (2021), the egg from which Agatha All Along was hatched.
Agatha All Along is Marvel’s latest Disney+ Original Series, and it’s easily the best television to come from the IP-driven studio since those early days of 2021. As mentioned, the new limited series is a spin-off of WandaVision. It centers around the show’s central antagonist, Agatha Harkness. There were several phenomenal aspects to WandaVision, and Kathryn Hahn’s performance as Wanda and Vision’s nosey neighbor/wielder of the Darkhold was undoubtedly one of the most memorable. So, it was unsurprising when Disney+ announced a spin-off focused on her character.
While Agatha All Along isn’t perfect, Jac Schaeffer, the creator behind Wandavision, has delivered another electrically vibrant and mysterious thrill ride with Agatha and established herself as the rightful ruler of the MCU’s magic-themed projects. Furthermore, the series demonstrates highly compelling stakes that aren’t world-ending, something Marvel Television has struggled to do since WandaVision. Agatha All Along may not be the Wanda content Wanda fans necessarily wanted, but with the first four episodes, Schaeffer proves it’s what we never knew we needed.
It’s hard to deny that Elizabeth Olsen’s debut as Wanda had a somewhat rocky start in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2014). However, she quickly became an MCU fan favorite, driving the box-office success of Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness (2022), where she played a ruthless antagonist hellbent on killing anyone who tried to stop her. Even though it was wildly entertaining, Wanda’s arc in Multiverse of Madness ultimately betrayed her journey in WandaVision. Olsen later confirmed that the screenwriter of the film — Michael Waldron, writer of Loki (2021) — didn’t know much about the limited series while working on Multiverse of Madness, making that movie’s existence all the more irritating.
Luckily, there’s one creative at Marvel who can dig Wanda out of the literal rubble Waldron buried her under at the end of Multiverse of Madness, it’s Jac Schaeffer. In Agatha All Along’s first episode, “Seekest Thou the Road,” it’s clear Schaeffer made a more considerable effort connecting her work to Waldron’s than he ever considered doing with hers. Fans will likely never forget Schaffer’s missteps at the end of WandaVision, such as using Evan Peters’s return to Marvel as a vehicle for a boner joke. Still, we can forgive – especially since she’s (hopefully) learned from her mistakes.
Set three years after Wanda left Westview, Agatha All Along Episode 1 opens with a brilliant and hilarious homage to the high-brow police investigation shows that have skyrocketed into popularity over the past decade, including True Detective (2014) and Mare of Easttown (2021).
The series premiere finds Agatha dressed in Kate Winslet-like attire on her way to investigate a dead body in the woods. We later learn this body represents Wanda, but the show hasn’t confirmed that it’s her. She greets Herb– David A. Payton returns to the role, bringing his impeccable comedic timing– who oversees the crime scene and seems to be experiencing the effects of Wanda’s spell. After the spell breaks, Herb reveals to Agatha that the townspeople in Westview have been playing into Agatha’s delusions, which suddenly became true crime-themed a few days ago, around the same time the mysterious body appeared.
Episode 1 is the perfect setup for the series. It seamlessly establishes where the story falls within the MCU, bridges gaps between WandaVision and Multiverse of Madness, and kicks off some compelling mysteries. Firstly, using Wanda’s supposed death to catapult Agatha out of the spell she’s under was an inspired choice that some creators would have overcomplicated, but Schaeffer seamlessly relates the two events. Starting with the library card Agatha finds on “Dead Wanda,” Schaeffer integrates character nods and easter eggs into the pilot exceptionally well, such as the book title highlighted on the library card being an acronym for the Darkhold – the book of the damned, which corrupted Wanda – as well as the dirt found under the body’s fingernails tracing back to Eastern Europe, the location of the mountain that crushed Wanda in Multiverse of Madness.
Quickly into the episode, Schaeffer introduces the showstopping Aubrey Plaza as Rio Vidal, who instantly cements herself as one of the best Marvel Villains. With Agatha still trapped in Wanda’s spell, Rio takes on the typical television role of the pesky FBI agent intruding on the small-town detective’s investigation. As Agatha sees the cracks in her fictional reality, Rio urges her to claw out of that witch’s spell, leading to an outstanding sequence thanks to the visuals and Hahn’s physical performance.
It’s mesmerizing to watch Hahn rip off each layer of clothing that moves through her WandaVision sitcom outfits, finishing with her black-and-white look from that show’s pilot. This may seem like it takes up a decent chunk of Episode 1, but it moves fast and helps the audience situate themselves back in Agatha’s world. The episode finishes with a badass fight sequence between Plaza and Hahn that also provides some insight into their steamy relationship.
In WandaVision, Hahn nailed the different sitcom eras and character archetypes. In the final two episodes, Hahn proved she has more than a few acting tricks up her sleeve as Agatha took a dramatic and villainous turn, revealing her true intentions to steal Wanda’s power. Her performance levels up entirely in this series as she tackles new sides of Agatha’s character, which are hinted at throughout the first four episodes. It’s hard to forget Agatha’s pet rabbit, Senior Scratchy, from WandaVision, and fans have since wondered if his name is a reference to Agatha’s evil son from the comics, Nicholas Scratch.
Agatha All Along confirms Nicholas’s existence multiple times and even suggests Agatha might have given him up to obtain the Darkhold. This haunting addition adds depth and pathos to Agatha’s backstory, and Hahn brilliantly capitalizes on this in her performance.
I’ve had one complaint with Marvel shows since Loki’s first season: they’ve all adopted a format that makes each series feel like an extra-long movie cut up into shorter pieces instead of properly written episodic television with A, B, and C plotlines. This recurring problem is mainly apparent in Episode 2 as Agatha and Teen (Joe Locke), a young boy with an unknown identity, team up to find other witches willing to join her cover so they can embark on The Witches’ Road.
In television, viewers are usually introduced to different characters through side stories that may or may not relate to the protagonist. In other words, the main character doesn’t necessarily have to be in every scene for other characters to exist. That hasn’t been the case in Marvel Television, resulting in writing that often feels contrived and repetitive. I may have done more than a few eye rolls when Agatha tells Teen that witches will find other witches they need within a 3-mile radius.
This leads them to Patti LuPone’s character, Lila Calderu, who more than makes up for the shoddy explanations with her eccentric and committed portrayal. Lila is hundreds of years old and specializes in divination– a type of witchcraft that allows one to see into the future or the unknown. She reluctantly agrees to help Agatha and Teen, giving them a list of the other witches they must gather to walk the road.
Agatha and Teen finish rounding out their coven by recruiting a potions witch from Agatha’s past named Jennifer Hale (Sasheer Zamata), along with Alice (Ali Ahn), a protection witch whose mother disappeared walking The Witches’ Road, a concept that James Robbinson introduced in his Scarlet Witch solo-comic book series in 2016. Agatha All Along creatively introduces a slew of ideas and lore, which the characters explain using an incredibly catchy song sung to access the road’s entrance.
The series begins taking shape in Episodes 3 and 4 when the coven walks The Witches’ Road with Mrs. Hart from WandaVision – who prefers to be called by her real name, Sharon – tagging along. Many wondered if Sharon was a witch when she appeared in various trailers, and while she still may be, Agatha brings her along, knowing she’s a human in place of Rio. Debra Jo Rupp, who returns as Mrs. Hart/Sharon, is a highlight throughout her two episodes, adding a unique charm and innocence to the group.
At least for the next bunch of episodes, the format will follow the coven entering uniquely themed houses where the road will test them and make them confront their pasts. Those who fail will face deadly consequences. While this structure may be impactful from thematic and character perspectives, it could become tedious as the series continues. It already starts to wear thin by Episode 4, which is the weakest of the first four episodes. Even though it has some genuinely frightening imagery and standout moments with Rio finally joining the group, it feels like an Episode 3 redux. Still, there’s a ton of fun to be had with both episodes, and the positives heavily outweigh the negatives.
Like most Disney+ shows, it’s hard to know if fans have a new hit on their hands until after the entire series has finished airing. It would be delightful if Agatha All Along stayed on course and provided satisfying answers to the mysteries it has set up, but that remains to be seen. Ultimately, one’s enjoyment of Agatha All Along hinges entirely on how much they have fun with the magical side of Marvel or Wanda Maximoff, specifically, as the show has little to do with the MCU. So, if you fall into either of these camps, watching Agatha All Along will make you feel like a kid in an old witches’ candy-filled house.
Review Courtesy of Ethan Dayton
Feature Image Credit to Marvel and Walt Disney Studios via Collider