It’s the moment everyone has been waiting for! Tame your fears, a door appears, the time has come to go watch Agatha All Along.
Marvel Studios’ Agatha All Along premiered on September 18th, giving devoted fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) a thrill with the return of a beloved Marvel Comics anti-hero. After viewing the first four episodes, I can say for certain that this series is one to remember. In this article, I will give you my personal thoughts on the series so far and an in-depth summary of WandaVision focusing on Agatha Harkness for any fans at Harrison High who are looking for a refresher. The witches road has many twists and turns, and if you find yourself confused with how the series is progressing, fear not! The Paw Print will have another review readily available in November after the season finale airs on Disney Plus.
Agatha All Along is the sequel series to its predecessor, WandaVision, which was released in January of 2021. It takes place in late 2023 after the five-year time jump as seen in Avengers: Endgame and follows Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) as she is grieving the loss of her love interest, Vision (Paul Bettany) who was murdered in Avengers: Infinity War, one of the final films in Marvel’s Infinity Saga. The mind infinity stone, which activated Wanda’s powers, is what connects her and Vision together. Throughout the events of WandaVision, Wanda must continue to deal with the world she lives in, grappling with her grief and the well being of the people around her.
The first two episodes of WandaVision are mostly normal, appearing as a classic television sitcom. However, it quickly becomes clear that not all is well in the town of Westview, and Wanda and Vision are trapped in a distorted alternate reality. Each episode reveals a different time period, starting in the 1950’s and progressing into the early 2000’s by the end of the series. The first episode is modeled after the Dick Van-Dyke Show where Wanda scrambles to prepare for an unexpected dinner with Vision’s boss. This is when we are introduced to Agnes (Kathryn Hahn), the nosy next door neighbor, who tries to get involved with Wanda’s preparations. Agnes will continue inserting herself in every aspect of Wanda’s false life.
As the show progresses the outside world becomes more interested in the Westview “Hex” as it is known, and multiple interest groups become involved in the thickening plot. SWORD, a government research and military group, acts as an antagonistic organization, attempting to eliminate Wanda and harness energy from the Hex. SWORD sends a drone into the Hex to kill Wanda, but this only makes her angry with the interference. Wanda soon confronts the group, telling them that she created the Hex. She warns them that as long as they don’t interfere with her new life, she will leave them alone. After these intrusions, Agnes takes Wanda back to her home pretending to console her. Soon though, she reveals her true identity to be Agatha Harkness, the star of Agatha All Along.
Agatha is a witch, and during the final two episodes we see her backstory during the Salem witch trials. Her goal is to become the most powerful sorceress ever to exist, using the Darkhold, the book of witchcraft, to gain chaos magic. Chaos magic is the most powerful form of magic in the MCU, and she uses it when she betrays her own coven in episode eight, killing them all, including her own mother, Evanora Harkness (Kate Forbes). This coven will return in Agatha All Along as the Salem Seven, seeking revenge on the witch who wronged them. In the finale of WandaVision, Agatha tries to steal Wanda’s power, claiming that she is the Scarlet Witch. The Scarlet Witch is the most powerful sorceress of all time, prophesied in the Darkhold, the book of witchcraft, to someday rise to power. Before Agatha can succeed in taking her enemy’s power, Wanda casts a spell to stop Agatha from using magic, draining Agatha’s power and making it her own. By doing this, Wanda becomes the Scarlet Witch, but she uses her power for good, reversing the “Hex” and freeing the citizens of Westview.
Wanda finally accepts the loss of her family and Vision, letting them all go as she reverses her initial spell. Agatha, now devoid of all power, is furious with Wanda and warns her that the Scarlet Witch will be her demise. To prevent Agatha from causing any more chaos, Wanda recasts the Hex spell only on her, with Agatha reprising the persona of Agnes O’Connor, her character of choice during earlier episodes of the show. The series ends with Wanda saving the town and leaving Westview, searching for a beginning to her new life as the Scarlet Witch. Find more details about the series here at The Cultured Nerd’s WandaVision summary.
This brings us to the events of Agatha All Along! Three years have passed since Agatha (Hahn) was trapped in her own mind, living as a detective named Agnes O’Connor in a crime drama inspired by Mare of Easttown, renamed “Agnes of Westview.” This series is a true pleasure and is very fun to watch as it continues to progress. Each episode is filled with mystery and leaves the viewer questioning who they can trust. By 2026, the year Agatha All Along takes place, Wanda has been corrupted by the power of the Darkhold. After renouncing it and realizing the pain she has caused many others to feel, she fulfills the prophecy of the Scarlet Witch, dying as she uses all of her power to destroy the cursed book of witchcraft and the massive temple that holds it. These events can be seen in Doctor Strange: In the Multiverse of Madness.
The official synopsis of the new show from Marvel Studios promises many answers to Wandavision and the questions regarding Agatha’s past. Who is “Teen”? Could Wanda still be alive? Did Agatha trade her son for the Darkhold?! Is Mephisto behind it all?!? As I mentioned before, there will be a second article reviewing Agatha All Along containing my final thoughts on the series in general. In the next review, I plan to give more details on what happened in the series, so if you feel confused or lost as you’re watching, feel free to message me at Henry Walker on Teams. I’ll do my best to interpret any questions you may have!
After viewing the first four episodes of Agatha All Along, I can say with complete certainty that this show is one of Marvel Studios’ greatest releases yet and is as impressive as top tier Marvel shows like Loki and WandaVision. Overall, I would recommend Agatha All Along to anyone looking for a fun, spooky, and bewitching time. It is a truly haunting adventure that fans can’t miss!
The information in this article comes from nexuspointnews.com, the cultured nerd.org, and the New Rockstars channel on YouTube.
