Agatha All Along Series Review
Who’s been messing up everything? It’s been Agatha All Along! Who’s been pulling every evil string? It’s been Agatha All Along!
Say what you want about the show WandaVision and how it started the post-Thanos MCU, but Agatha Harkness was the best thing to come out of it. The reveal of her being the one who was messing with Wanda’s perfect fantasy life, combined with her incredibly catchy song, made her iconic. It was only a matter of time before Marvel brought her back, but when it looked like Wanda kicked the bucket in the last Dr Strange movie, it looked like that may never happen. However, the MCU is nothing if not consistent with its stories when it wants to be. Just in time for Halloween, true believers got a true sequel to WandaVision in a show that’s actually worth watching, Agatha All Along.
The original member of the Bad Girl Coven has returned.
Agatha is Back…
When we last saw Agatha, Wanda trapped her in a sitcom illusion, and she’s remained there for the last three years. However, one day, the spell is broken by a mysterious Teen who wants her to take him to the Witches Road. A mysterious trial that is said to challenge covens of witches, with the promise of what they desire most awaiting for those who survive. With Agatha now powerless and the witches she’s wronged after her, she and the Teen join up with other outcast witches to form a coven to complete the Road.
But nothing is as it seems.
…And Badder Than Ever
At first glance, Agatha All Along seems to be a series that centers around everyone’s favorite bad girl, Agatha Harkness. If that were the case, then plenty of people would still watch it. Katherine Haan brought a larger-than-life presence to the MCU as the titular witch. Her theme song from WandaVision quickly went viral after it came out, demonstrating how popular the character was. Three years onwards, and Haan doesn’t miss a beat as the naughty witch. She’s vivacious, sassy, full of life, and seems to be enjoying herself onscreen. But underneath the charisma, we see that Harkness is using it as a cover for a deep-seated pain. Just what that pain is I will not spoil for those who haven’t watched the show.
What I will spoil, though, is the Teen. Because by the halfway point of the series, it’s apparent that Agatha isn’t the main character of this story. It’s the Teen, or should I say…Billy Maximoff?
Another Piece of the Young Avengers Puzzle
As I’ve covered Marvel over the years at The Game of Nerds, I’ve consistently said one thing: the MCU is setting us up for the birth of the Young Avengers. This next generation of heroes has been slowly introduced throughout the last two phases of the movies and shows, and the first to be introduced were Tommy and Billy Maximoff, sons of Wanda and Vision created by her magic. When WandaVision ended, it looked like they ceased to exist when the Hex ended.
First rule of comics: nobody stays dead expect for Uncle Ben.
As we come to learn, right as Wanda ended the Hex, Billy transferred his soul into the body of a boy who had recently died, allowing himself to reincarnate and live on. He would forget about his life for the next three years until he learned the truth, setting him on the road to becoming Wiccan.
Agatha may start off as the main character to her show, but by the end, it’s less about her and more about being an origin story for Wiccan. Having inherited his mom’s magical prowess, Billy proves just as powerful as the Scarlet Witch. Maybe even stronger, if given the time to train. And by the end of the series, he is on the road to seeking out his brother, Tommy. Once Tommy is found, the roster for the Young Avengers will be all but complete.
A Really Fun Take on Witches
Beyond the return of Agatha and the origins of another next-gen hero, Agatha All Along is an interesting take on the myths of witches. It’s rife with commentary on the various depictions of witchcraft in American culture, and its not afraid to call out past versions for being silly-looking. The part about witches hating the Wizard of Oz and Disney witches is hilarious. It’s got some very cheeky humor in it. However, it’s also got some genuinely horrifying moments to it, and by the time it’s done, plenty of people are going to be dead.
Agatha All Along was a perfect show to binge-watch for Halloween, being among the best that the MCU has done in some time. Heaven knows that it needs a second wind, and it looks like Deadpool and Wolverine helped to give it such. Now let’s hope that it can keep that momentum going long enough to make it to Secret Wars.
