“Agatha All Along” Season 1, Episodes 1 and 2 Review

(*This article contains some spoilers. Read at your own discretion.*)

“Agatha All Along'' is the highly-anticipated, long-awaited spin-off of the hit, "Wandavision." It was created by Jac Schaeffer, who was the writer, creator, and executive producer of "Wandavision."

This nine-episode sequel will add to Phase Five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The supernatural miniseries features numerous big-name stars like Kathryn Hahn, Joe Locke, Aubrey Plaza, Sasheer Zamata, and Patti Lupone and follows Agatha after she breaks out of Wanda’s spell and discovers she is powerless.

The Disney+ miniseries will reportedly blend the ending of "Wandavision" to the new storyline of the MCU: Dr. Strange in a Multiverse of Madness.

Three years after the events of "Wandavision," the audience is re-introduced to Agatha, who is stuck in her snoopy neighbor and sleep-deprived detective persona of Agnes O’Connor, the character that Wanda had trapped her in.

Still in Westview, Agatha has embraced Agnes and forgotten about her life outside of the spell. When the audience meets her, Agnes is fixated on solving a murder-mystery case of a young, red-haired woman who seems awfully familiar to her.

This is, until a mysterious goth emo teen, played by the one and only Joe Locke from Heartstopper, manages to snap her out of her trance with the help of one of Agatha’s old acquaintances. When Agatha, a formerly powerful “purple” witch, realizes she is now powerless, she forms a coven to summon the Witches’ “Road,” which supposedly grants a witch whatever they desire the most as long as they survive the journey.

The first episode, “Seekest Thou the Road,” starts right off the bat in a world of confusion. The unique lighting choices make it clear to the audience, even those who’ve never watched "Wandavision," that not everything is as it seems. With some exaggerated acting on the part of Kathryn Hahn’s satirical Agnes, the audience is quickly able to catch onto future plot twists and spot the glaring plot holes in the scenes.

Episode 2 “Circle Sewn with Fate Unlock Thy Hidden Gate” follows Agatha and Teen as they recruit down-on-their-luck misfit witches to join them for their journey on the Road.

Although the coven makes up a large chunk of the cast, the audience will be able to see some familiar faces from "Wandavision’s" Westview including David Lengel’s Jones, Asif Ali’s Norm, Amos Glick’s Dennis the Mailman, David Payton’s Herb and Debra Jo Rupp’s Mrs. Hart, who prefers to go by Mrs. Davis in the sequel and never turns down an invitation for a party.

While some characters have some quirky and pesky personality tendencies, Locke’s emo Teen, Agatha’s neighbor and Mrs. Davis bring light humor and iconic reactions to the absurd events of the miniseries.

Overall, the first two episodes of “Agatha All Along” have set the scene for the audience to enjoy the interesting journey of the misfit witches on the Road. With several questions left unanswered and red herrings, the show manages to keep its audience on their toes, preventing them from boring out.

While the show has a cast of fantastic actors and the illusions keep the audience on their feet, potential viewers should be aware that the show is best enjoyed if they have the background knowledge of the spell and chaos Wanda casted in “Wandavision.”

The Disney+ miniseries uses the fame of “Wandavision” and lively side characters, especially Teen, to keep the audience engaged. Hopefully, the coven’s interactions will liven up the next seven episodes.

Episode 3 of “Agatha All Along” will air on Disney on September 25th, 2024, with an episode premiering weekly. The final two episodes will be released on October 30th, fitting for the spooky show.

Rating: 3/5

Sarah Taylor is a second-year majoring in telecommunications. To contact her, email smt6314@psu.edu.