“WandaVision” surprised and entertained viewers throughout its season that ended on March 5, leaving them with an intrigue that made them want to keep watching.
Marvel fans were filled with excitement and intrigue when the company announced that they would be releasing a series of TV shows on the streaming app, Disney +. One of which was the now hit series “WandaVision,” focusing on Wanda Maximoff and Vision. Releasing the first episode on Jan. 15, the first season of the first Marvel “Phase Four” shows has become a fan favorite and gained extremely positive reviews.
The first two episodes left room for question about what the show would hold. The campy sitcom format made viewers question what was going to happen, and then brief, eerie moments at the ends of these episodes left a sense of shock.
However, this made the first two episodes feel slow, and I questioned whether it was worth the watch. It was the small moments of suspense when Wanda’s reality seemed to falter that left me intrigued enough to continue.
It was not until the third episode that the world of Westview began to unravel, and things about Wanda’s formatted reality began to reveal itself to the viewers.
After the reveal about the truth of Westview, the show really gained some traction and was not simply an old timey sit-com, which I was very glad to see. However, I did enjoy the way the show was formatted with the different time periods and how it was reminiscent of shows from the 50s or the 80s.
An enjoyable aspect was the cameos from other Marvel side characters, most importantly Monica Rambeau, James Woo and Darcy Lewis. This show let their characters become more complex and important in the universe, and were highly enjoyable to watch.
New characters were also added, specifically Agnes portrayed by Kathyrn Hahn, who became a fan favorite for many due to the actress’ stellar skills. But the real excitement came from Hahn’s performance after Agnes’ true identity as a witch was revealed.
This was not the show’s only major twist that left fans shocked. One of my favorites was the appearance of Wanda’s dead brother, Pietro, played by Evan Peters. (Eventually, it is revealed that it is not actually Pietro, but another pawn in Agnes’ scheme.)
Overall, the strongest aspect of “WandaVision” was the way the show explored the depths of Wanda’s power and grief as she accepted the mantle of the Scarlet Witch, a title she is well known for in the comics. When Agnes made Wanda confront her trauma and grief, it made the character of Wanda more fully realized and able to connect with the audience and understand why she created the Anomaly.
The success of “WandaVision” leaves big expectations for the next two upcoming shows: “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” and “Loki.” The former premieres on Disney + before “Loki” and fans are wondering how it will hold up in comparison to the success of “WandaVision.’.
Expectations have been set for future series to come due to the success of “WandaVision.” It was a stellar first series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and gave an intriguing ending that could potentially set up for more story from Wanda and others. The writers did an excellent job of developing plotlines, emotional connections, and one of its strongest characters, Wanda Maximoff.
Maddie Decker, Managing Editor