‘WandaVision’ is every bit as strange as its previews led us to believe. In its first two episodes, we’ve seen a random pregnancy, a colorized toy helicopter crash into a black-and-white yard, and a beekeeper being rewinded out of existence.
I have no idea what is going on, but I’ve bought in and am ready to enjoy the ride.
The last time we saw Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen), she was solo’ing saving the universe by beating the universe duster Thanos to a pulp. In the real-life years since we internet people have seen that badass clip-turned-meme so often that it’s hard to think of Wanda as anything but an all-powerful goddess of revenge. Instead, WandaVision casts her as a housewife on a fifties sitcom. It’s an odd juxtaposition, seeing Wanda armed with witty one-liners rather than her near limitless magic powers, but it sets the uneasy tone that quietly, and occasionally loudly, pervades throughout WandaVision’s first two episodes.
After a cheery theme-song and introduction, Wanda and her husband Vision (Paul Bettany), last seen getting his head split open by Thanos, find a heart marked on the day’s date in their suburban kitchen calendar. Neither can remember its significance, but both refuse to admit to the other that they don’t understand it. The dialogue is top-notch. I admit I joined the studio audience in laughter when Vision tells Wanda he doesn’t eat food, and she snappily replies, “Well, that explains the empty refrigerator!”
Like the main characters, I found myself living a double-life watching events unfold. I was genuinely captivated by the sitcom plot! Seeing Wanda attempt to put together a fancy dinner for Vision’s boss, Mr. Hart, and his wife made for a good 22 minutes of television. Kathryn Hahn’s over the top performance as neighbor Agnes lands just as intended, and the fallout from Wanda and Vision’s miscommunication regarding the heart’s significance was genuinely funny.
Still, in the back of my head, I kept waiting for the shoe to drop. WandaVision’s jovial tone feels like a clown’s painted smile, insincere and unsettling. The mysteries pile up fast. Is dinner with Mr. Hart the true reason for the heart on the calendar? What does Vision’s company, Computer Services Inc., actually do? Why can’t Wanda and Vision answer Mrs. Hart’s questions about their past? When WandaVision reveals its dark side, dread pulls you in, even if only for a few seconds. Like a kid who’s afraid to turn off the nightlight, I’m not sure exactly what I’m dreading, but whatever it is, it’s lurking behind every corner.
The unclear stakes are working to the show’s strengths after two episodes, but I hope they become intensely personal for Wanda. Scarlet Witch has always been a cool Avenger, but we haven’t gotten the chance to truly know her in the way we knew Cap and Tony. I hope WandaVision doesn’t get too caught up in its mystery to provide meaningful character moments.
The second episode feels a little lethargic without them. It serves about the same purpose as the pilot, setting up the core mystery and introducing characters, and I’d imagine that’s why they released together. Still, I bet you could watch episode one and the last five minutes of two and be prepared for everything episode three is going to throw at us.
Regardless, WandaVision laid a solid foundation that I’m eager to see completed. The acting is superb, the script sharp, and the mystery compelling. There are many easter eggs scattered about for diehard Marvel fans to spot. WandaVision has all the ingredients necessary for a great show. It just needs to put them together.
