WandaVision returned to traditional ground this week in the aptly named “We Interrupt This Program,” inverting its balancing act by focusing on what’s happening outside of Westview before bringing us into town at episode’s end.
It turns out everything happening beyond Westview’s walls is quite Marvel-y.
Nearly every question about this story’s connection to the larger MCU picture was answered this week, for better and for worse. You’ll love “We Interrupt This Program” if you’re a Marvel movie junkie, but those more interested in the show’s experimental setup won’t be able to shake a quiet sense of disappointment.
The episode’s cold open starts just as Bruce Banner snaps his fingers before the Battle of Earth. Monica Rambeau’s (Teyonah Parris) dust reassembles inside a hospital, where panicked doctors tell her that her mother Maria is dead, and has been for three years.
It’s information overload for Monica, but for viewers the scene serves as a great re-entry point into the MCU’s “reality.” We’ve been away from this traumatized world for almost a year-and-a-half, so seeing the effects of “The Blip,” the defining event bridging Marvel’s Phases Three and Four, is an effective way to get back into the swing of things. I loved the scene, and I expected it to lead right back into another silly sitcom theme song.
Instead, the story followed Rambeau as she reacclimated to the world. She was the first blipped agent to return to S.W.O.R.D., or the Sentient Weapon Observation Response Division, a fact that did not surprise the agency’s Acting Director Tyler Hayward (Josh Stamberg). Instead of picking up where she left off and heading to space, Rambeau is grounded and sent to Westview thanks to plot-convenient protocols implemented by her late mother.
One of “We Interrupt This Program’s” recurring shortcomings is a failure to suspend disbelief. That starts when Acting Director Hayward tells Monica that her mother put the procedures in place for returning personnel because “she believed you’d come back.” I’m pretty pollyannaish, but consider me skeptical on this one. Did the Avengers never explain what happened to everyone? When Thanos destroyed the Infinity Stones, did they just look around and say, “Yeah, probably best to just keep this between us?”
Poor judgement must run the family because Monica Rambeau, who in previous episodes went by Geraldine, has proven herself to be inept when it comes to recognizing danger. Last week, she provided us with one of the dumbest decisions imaginable in choosing to wear her S.W.O.R.D. necklace while undercover in Westview, and she almost matched that nadir this week by sticking her arm inside an electric forcefield. The result was not much better. Rambeau was sucked into Westview, and I presume locked there.
Her disappearance forced a familiar, and very much missed, face into the protagonist role – Dr. Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings)! Jane Foster’s more lovable sidekick picked right up where she left off in the Thor films, cracking jokes that would have movie theaters (Gone, but not forgotten) erupting. On her way to Westview, which two suspicious police officers claim is a fake town in the best state in America (… New Jersey, duh…,) she asks her fellow travelers which sciences they study. When one guy decides to share after refusing for sake of orders, her fourth wall breaking “No one cares” lands as well as any of her quips in Thor.
WandaVision starts answering all of our questions from there. One of Darcy’s devices detects high cosmic energy coming from Westview, as well as a broadcast signal layered on top. Some useless henchmen who can’t even be bothered to bring her a coffee at least delivers some old TVs, and Darcy starts watching the first three episodes of WandaVision. She is revealed to be the S.W.O.R.D. observer at the end of episode 1, and it’s one of her inventions that allows the FBI’s James E. Woo (Randall Park) to talk to Wanda through the radio by the pool in episode 2.
Wanda is smart, however, and she manipulates the broadcast to cut right when things get weird. Darcy doesn’t see Dottie shatter the glass cup, only an abrupt jumpcut to her line about housewives and bloodstains.
The episode starts to feel hokey through this middle act, with Darcy and friends watching the show with the same confusion viewers experienced the past two real world weeks. The premise of WandaVision, what if Marvel characters were thrown into retro-sitcoms, is inherently incompatible with the rest of the MCU, and that feels significant!
You might be able to see it if you squint, but there’s not a good explanation for why a grief-stricken Wanda would go through all the trouble of creating a sitcom, complete with a laugh track, when she could just create her ideal world without all those bells and whistles. She’s Sokovian, but her show is distinctly American. How is she capturing these old-school TV homages with such accuracy, and why would she even bother? It doesn’t gel with the MCU’s existing framework. That wouldn’t be a problem if WandaVision was doing its own thing, but it’s very much an important story in Marvel’s existing world.
Maybe we’ll get more satisfying answers to those questions in the coming weeks. It’s hard to imagine WandaVision reverting back to its 90-10 sitcom-to-MCU ratio after the enthralling reveal at the episode’s end. When Vision walked back into the living room, his head discolored in the background, I did not expect them to go there with the zoom in. This man is doing a fantastic King Jingaling impression (That’s a deep cut. Shout out to my Banjo-Tooie fans who didn’t need the picture.) WandaVision’s greatest strength has been its ability to create and capitalize on tension, and that scene in the living room was its best yet.
WandaVision has reached an inflection point, and I’m not sure I love where we’re headed. Part of me wonders if this story wouldn’t have been better served separated from the rest of the Marvel Universe. It certainly would have allowed for a more complete exploration of its creative premise, but we’d also be robbed of moments like this week’s Vision reveal. The balance between WandaVision’s unique identity and the larger MCU will determine how successful the show ultimately is. Even so, I enjoyed diving back into the larger Marvel-verse. This episode would fit seamlessly on the big screen, and I am never going to say no to more Kat Dennings.
With that, let’s hand out “We Interrupt This Program’s” Episode Awards!
Episode Awards
MVP: … I think it’s Darcy, but she wins it by default. Character moments were few and far between, but Darcy added the MCU’s signature brand of humor without missing a beat. A few of her quips had me laughing out loud, but others fell flatter than I suspect they would have in a movie theater. Laughter is contagious, and I’m interested in seeing if Marvel’s sense of humor doesn’t work as well without a little peer pressure. Still, I’m glad to have her back.
Most Likely to Actually Be A Villain: Acting Director Hayward is DEFINITELY going to screw over our heroes at some point. He sent a man to infiltrate Westview without pausing to consider the risk. For all he knows, that forcefield could be 1,000,000 volts of magic electricity, but Hayward doesn’t care. It takes a real sociopath to have such little concern for another person, let alone someone who works for you. The man sent into the tunnel, unfortunately, was deleted from existence. It’s going to take more than a box of chocolates to make it up to his family.
Most Egregious Underreaction: Randall Park just witnessed a lady get sucked into an electric barrier outside a mysterious town that, although sitting in plain sight, police officers claim does not exist. His reaction? Call her name in the most “Wow, strange Tuesday” voice I have ever heard. Not going to win an Emmy for that one.
Biggest Male Chauvinist Award: Each episode of WandaVision so far has featured at least one sexist anachronism you’d probably see all the time in ’50s TV shows. Even though “We Interrupt This Program” took place in the modern-day, the leading ladies still had to deal with some sexism. The S.W.O.R.D. guy who called Darcy “Ms. Lewis” runs away with the Male Chauvinist Award this week. That’s Dr. Lewis to you, sir. Consider yourself honored she asked you to fetch her a coffee because you are not worthy.
The Randy Marsh Big Balls Award: Monica Rambeau earns this prestigious prize for getting sucked into Westview and deciding, “You know what? I’m going to stick around. I’ve got a mission to complete.” This takes stones, folks. If it’s me in there, I am running for the exit as though Sandy Cheeks just heard me call out Texas.
Best State Award: Imagine you’re Wanda Maximoff. You have the ability to create an idyllic new life for you and your zombie boyfriend. You can fly anywhere you want in the universe. Where would you go? Wanda chose Central Jersey, and she was entirely correct to do so. New Jersey wins the Best State award, and I swear it’s not just because I grew up there.
