Everyone loved WandaVision, one of Disney’s best Marvel-based shows during phase 4. The breakout character was Agatha, played by Kathryn Hahn. So, as Disney does, they have taken the break-out character of the show and given her a series of her own, Agatha All Along, which touted being the “gayest show ever” and “a progressive all-female cast”. Does Agatha still have the magic? Or are her powers nothing more than modern-day make-believe?
Title: Agatha All Along
Production Company: Marvel Television
Distributed by: Disney+
Directed by: Jac Schaeffer, Rachel Goldberg, Gandja Monteiro
Produced by: Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Brad Winderbaum, Mary Livanos, Robert Kulzer, Jac Schaeffer, Julie Herrin, and Cameron Squires
Written by: Jac Schaeffer, Laura Donney, Cameron Squires, Giovanna Sarquis, Laura Monti, Jason Rostovsky, Gia King, and Peter Cameron
Starring: Kathryn Hahn, Joe Locke, Debra Jo Rupp, Aubrey Plaza, Sasheer Zamata, Ali Ahn, Okwui Okpokwasili, Patti LuPone, Evan Peters, Maria Dizzia, Paul Adelstein, and Miles Gutierrez-Riley
Based on: Marvel Comics
Release dates: September 18 to October 30, 2024
Running time: 29 to 49 minutes per episode
A Tale of the Witches Road…
Agatha All Along Episode Summary – SPOILERS
Story Review – Some Vague Spoilers
The walk along “The Witches Road” is one of self-interest and introspection on a level that I did not expect from a modern Marvel TV Show. Recent Marvel shows tend to push the modern audience narrative or some political message rather than let the characters shine on their own and evolve.
With Agatha All Along, we get what I love to see in TV shows and movies: good characters with great character development while pushing a story at the same time. Each episode focuses on a different member of Agatha’s makeshift Coven, allowing that character to get a moment in the spotlight and work through some personal moments while the group is there to support and uplift the spotlight character.
This is most evident in Alice’s episode, where she has to confront the curse that plagued their family and what killed her mother (Though we find out Alice’s mother’s death wasn’t at the hand of the family curse in the finale) through having to perform a musical number as her mother did. Not only do we get a lot of information about Alice, but we also get a personal payoff for the character and all the information we got through the episodes leading up to this one. More shows need to remember to put the story and characters’ journey first instead of focusing on whatever narrative they want to push with the show.
Take, for example, Teen, the only male in the Coven. Yes, he’s gay, and that’s fine. Unlike other shows and movies these days which would make this the 100% sole focus of the character, we get one episode showing his relationship and then move on. For the majority of Agatha All Along, Teen’s focus is more on the mystery surrounding his identity (name identity, not sexual preference), and even when his identity is revealed, the focus is on what Teen wants from The Witches Road rather than his preference in the bedroom. Again, more shows and movies need to remember what happens here and apply that to what they produce.
There are plenty of twists and turns on The Witches Road, with most of them giving you the amazing feeling of “Oh damn, the show is over and I can’t wait for next week”. This is thanks to the cast being written well by a bunch of writers who seem to give a shit about what they are writing about, and telling a story more than anything.
A Coven of Powerful Characters
As I mentioned above, the casting in Agatha All Along does a great job at picking people who suit their roles perfectly, and each one gives their all when it comes to making sure their characters are entertaining while connecting with the viewer in a way that not many shows can produce these days… Plus most of them kept their mouth’s shut during the media tours and didn’t blame viewers for a possible failure that wasn’t going to come to pass.
- Kathryn Hahn as Agatha Harkness:
We’ve seen Kathryn in this role before and we love her for all of it. Agatha is 100% the witchy bitchy scheming witch that we loved in WandaVision if not more than she was back then. From the first episode where she is playing out a role as a grizzle cop (in her own home), to her return to power as the witch with the most, Kathryn steals almost every moment that she is one screen. Hell, we even get some more heartfelt and emotional moments from her in this series, something that I didn’t expect the writers to do. Bravo for all of that. - Joe Locke as “Teen” / William Kaplan / Billy Maximoff:
To say that the mystery of “Teen” was easy to work out is an understatement, but Locke did his best with the role and cemented it so well that I hope that he gets more chances to play Billy Maximoff in the future. Much like a lot of the original Avengers and other Marvel castings, Locke just has the look and attitude of the character down so well that I cannot see anyone else in the role. - Debra Jo Rupp as Sharon Davis:
An amusing return for one of those side characters from WandaVision that people loved to see. I’m not sure if it’s because we have a generation who grew up with That 70s show and loved her character, which is the same as her one in WandaVision, or if we just love seeing Rupp in these roles. Either way, she was good to see in the few episodes that she appeared in. - Aubrey Plaza as Death / Rio Vidal:
Step on me Death-Mommy… - Sasheer Zamata as Jennifer “Jen” Kale:
Probably the weakest witch in the series as she is bound for a majority of it… and she never lets you forget it. 90% of the time she is complaining about how she can’t do anything, but ultimately, she is the one who does the most practical magic out of all of them. Zamata does approach this whole series with a very lazy coasting style of acting, which is all too common with modern actors, and really brings her character down. - Ali Ahn as Alice Wu-Gulliver:
Alice as a character is one of the most interesting and dramatic of the whole group, which means she isn’t going to get anything more than a few small scenes and one episode dedicated to her story. Ahn does a great job with the limited time she gets in the series, making sure that you connect with her as a character so that when her moments are done, you are cursing the writers for doing what they did. A true testament to a good character and a good actor. - Patti LuPone as Lilia Calderu:
The second-best character in all of Agatha All Along. LuPone as Lilia gives one of the best and most confusing performances in the whole series. For a character who has to act confused due to random moments not lining up, she makes everything seem so normal at the same time. When she does get her moment, you follow her along a journey that will have you connecting the pieces along with her, and connecting with her character more along the way. A award-winning performance for sure. - Evan Peters as Ralph Bohner:
An amusing cameo. Nothing more. But to see the Ralph Bohner character return to give some information and what it is like for a resident of Westview who lives outside of the world that was created or left after the events of WandaVision was something different and helps those who want to know the psychological ramifications of Wanda’s powers on the mind.
A Surprisingly Bitchy Tale…
Agatha All Along is one of those series that takes a very simple premise and turns it into an epic journey with a lot of twists and turns. Each episode might shift the focus around between the members of the Coven, but at the same time manages to show that the whole is more than the sum of its parts. With every challenge the Coven is put through, they get closer and closer, which makes when things go wrong all the more tragic.
The theme behind Agatha All Along is one of connection, with the Covern taking the place of the viewer. As you learn more about each character and their individual stories, not only do you feel like you know them personally, but you are a part of the journey as the stories combine to give a much larger narrative as you see the bigger picture.
Lilia’s story, which takes place late in Agatha All Along, is the biggest connecting moment in the whole series as it takes every moment that she has had a weird moment or premonition, and ties it all together with her past to make everything make sense. Much like the viewer who has spent many episodes wondering about these moments, they connect things alongside Lilia and together they both understand everything in a bitter-sweet ending.
This is what I mean by Agatha All Along has some great writing. Sometimes it will take a long time before all the blocks fall together and you see the whole puzzle. By the point all these things click you have been on the journey with the characters and you appreciate that you went along for the ride rather than just having everything handed and spelled out for you in the final moments like you are a child. Adults love having a challenge in their media, it makes the connection between viewer and writer a lot stronger and makes for a much better show.
With Some Fizzled Hocus Pocus
While I praise the writing in Agatha All Along, it wasn’t perfect.
One of the big things that kind of ruined the show was Teen, or more so, the identity of who Teen really is. Anyone who knows Marvel Comics knows about Wiccan, aka Billy Maximoff, one of the twin sons of The Scarlet Witch. One look at Teen and you know who he is, and the fact that the writers try hard to keep that identity a mystery for over half of the series will have those comic book fans screaming at the TV about it… I know I did.
Once they reveal who Teen is, the show doesn’t capitalize on it. You have a powerful Warlock available and all he does is throw around other Coven members in a hissy fit, and then give his power to Agatha in the final battle. I know this is meant to be Agatha’s show, but they could have at least teamed up to defeat the final enemy together… Nope, we gotta keep the modern status quo going… And that’s all I’m going to say about that as with today’s political climate, it’s socially unacceptable to point out things like this.
The Expected was Unexpectedly Good
Agatha All Along is a great story, with a final episode that makes you want to smash your TV in frustration but at the same time, you’ll be laughing about how things have turned out once again. There are references to things that happen late in the show that you see early on, making this one of those “I want to go back and rewatch it again to see the connections” type of shows. Agatha All Along made some interesting claims when it was in production and media rounds, but turned out to be much better than expected.
Summary
Agatha All Along might sound like one of those modern audience girl power shows, but what we got was a show that was full of good writing, good characters, and good moments that will make you want to go back and watch it a few more times in order to catch all those connections. Smart writing like this is rare in modern media, so Agatha All Along deserves a lot of praise and views.
Pros
- Good and smart writing
- Characters are enjoyable and connectable
- Avoids modern narrative pushing
Cons
- Teen’s identity
- Some cringe writing at times
- The final battle while enjoyable, drops into the modern audience territory