Agatha All Along Kicks Off With Mysteries to Solve and a Team to Build

After months of selling and galore jokey title changes, Marvel’s WandaVision spinoff starring Kathryn Hahn’s breakout villain, Agatha Harkness, has yet arrived astatine Disney+ and we’re present to sermon its archetypal 2 episodes.

Following her decision astatine the extremity of that series, however, the Scarlet Witch has since trapped Agatha successful her ain television-inspired delusion. Instead of Wanda’s satellite of acquainted sitcom tropes, the de-powered Agatha has recovered herself trapped wrong an highly well-observed pastiche of tiny municipality constabulary procedurals starring a fuckup detective. Heavily riffing connected Mare of Easttown, True Detective, Coroner, Wallander, Borgen, Lilyhammer, etc., Agatha—now backmost to being “Agnes,” stars successful her ain series, Agnes of Westview (said to beryllium “based connected the Danish bid Wandavisdysen”, which is cute)—replete with its ain opening credits series and bluesy taxable song.

© Marvel Studios

Being the prima of a detective series, Agnes/Agatha needs a execution to solve, and she’s presented with a red-haired “Jane Doe” who died of blunt unit trauma aft being crushed by thing large and heavy. In our archetypal overt notation to witch media, Agatha’s spouse (Herb from WandaVision) notes the unfortunate is “really, astir sincerely dead” pursuing her mysterious mishap (or possibly not-so-mysterious to anyone who caught Doctor Strange successful the Multiverse of Madness—but we’ll get to that later). Among the items recovered astatine the country are a torn leafage from a room publication and a pendant resembling the 1 worn by Agatha successful WandaVision.

Following up connected this archetypal lead, she pays a sojourn to her (extremely engaged and crowded) section library, wherever Emma Caulfield’s Dottie present works. It’s present she learns the leafage hails from a publication titled Dialogue and Rhetoric: Known History of Learning and Debate—the archetypal missive of each connection evidently being precise significant—by “Andrew Ugo” (a anagram of Wundagore, the upland that squished the Scarlet Witch) and wasn’t checked out, but successful information stolen 3 years ago, astir astir the clip WandaVision concluded. When she checks the Natural Sciences conception of the room (where plentifulness much copies of this seemingly highly sought-after measurement tin beryllium found, we learn), Agnes/Agatha discovers each those copies were someway destroyed successful an highly isolated fire. This intel comes from a weird, unnamed quality played by Prison Break’s Paul Adelstein (according to IMDB, this guy’s going to look successful seven more episodes of the series, truthful commencement theorizing which occurrence and brimstone-related villain helium may-or-may-not yet beryllium revealed as).

As the occurrence unfolds, much facts look related to the case: namely, 1) a “microbial sediment” cultivated from beneath the victim’s nails is said to person originated from determination successful Eastern Europe; and 2) nary footprints oregon resistance marks of immoderate benignant were discovered astir the body, arsenic if it simply materialized, ex nihilo. So baffling is the case, Agnes/Agatha’s brag (Harold from WandaVision) has called successful an extracurricular specialist, FBI cause Rio Vidal, played by Aubrey Plaza; she and Agnes/Agatha seemingly person past with each other, and her beingness is not welcomed. Vidal looks astir Agnes/Agatha’s disheveled bureau and asks, “is this however you truly spot yourself?” suggesting she’s afloat alert of the spell formed astatine the extremity of WandaVision.

Returning home, Agnes/Agatha solemnly enters an bare child’s chamber belonging to her seemingly precocious son, Nicholas Scratch, who won an grant for “best vocals” successful a children’s choir. Her vigil is interrupted by a sojourn from Agent Vidal, who comes bearing pizza and beer. While discussing the case, Vidal asks, “Do you retrieve wherefore you hatred me?” but the infinitesimal is undercut by a burglary-in-progress upstairs. The swiftly apprehended thief is revealed to beryllium Joe Locke’s goth-kid “Teen,” who, portion being interrogation, states helium was looking for thing called “the Road.” A 3rd time, the infinitesimal is undercut arsenic the transgression country photos he’s presented with displacement to ones of well-maintained lawns and gardens, conscionable arsenic the two-way model of the interrogation country morphs into Zuccarelli’s coating MacBeth Meeting the Witches. Clearly, thing is amiss successful this world arsenic Teen begins to threateningly chant astatine her successful Latin.

The incidental causes Agnes/Agatha to unreserved to the morgue and analyse the assemblage of the crushed Jane Doe, which, to the astonishment of nary 1 with a shred of media literacy, belongs to Wanda Maximoff. Agent Vidal past appears to corroborate what we knew each along: that Agatha is trapped successful the spell of a dormant witch, and her lone salvation is to “claw herself out.” Agnes tears astatine her clothes, revealing a bid of costume changes, earlier remembering she is so the sorceress Agatha Harkness. The present afloat nude Agatha takes to the streets of Westview, wherever she learns she’s been surviving successful the vicinity against her volition arsenic a existent crime-obsessed shut-in for the past 3 years.

Luckily, however, her favored rabbit Señor Scratchy is inactive alive. Also, the teenage burglar of the illusion is present a hostage successful her closet, and Rio Vidal is really a rival witch retired for revenge against an unrevealed slight. Following a sexually charged battle, successful which Rio states she’s prefers Agatha “horizontal… successful a grave,” we larn aggregate parties are retired for her humor present that the curse has been lifted, including “The Salem Seven”—a coven of black-shrouded witches we conscionable successful occurrence two.

© Marvel Studios

For a premiere, Agatha’s aviator spends astir of its clip successful the satellite of Agnes of Westview, truthful presenting an contented I had with the sitcom hijinks of WandaVision. Its send-up of detective shows is close to a fault, and truthful isn’t exaggerated capable to beryllium parody. Instead, it’s a pitch-perfect illustration of the precise genre its satirizing. While the bid understands it can’t effort to deceive its assemblage this clip around, it remains committed to the spot arsenic a mode to reintroduce audiences to the formed of Westview and the caller satellite bid of Agatha taking connected the work of a bid lead—and it works, mostly. If Marvel tv is this talented astatine mimicry, past possibly the MCU should absorption much connected unexpected genre-mashups than the company’s overtly faithful and continuity-obsessed projects of caller years.

Episode 2 begins close wherever the archetypal near off, with “Teen”—who, owed to immoderate benignant of spell he’s under, cannot uncover his existent sanction to anyone—asking Agnes to instrumentality him connected the Witch’s Road, a wish-granting spiritual artillery of tests we find retired was elaborate successful a deed azygous from the 1970’s. It turns retired Teen is instrumentality of Agatha’s assorted witch-doings and believes she’d beryllium the cleanable spouse to vie the gauntlet with and travel retired connected the different side. (Teen, we learn, craves power.) As he’s the 1 liable for freeing her from the spell she was under—and due to the fact that a cabal of witches is present aft Agatha, who presently has nary powers astatine all—she has thing to lose. If they’re going to bash it though, they’ll request a coven, and the occurrence reveals its theme: a “getting the set backmost together” communicative successful the vein of The Blues Brothers oregon Ocean’s Eleven.

As we larn from Agatha, successful immoderate three-mile radius, determination volition beryllium “a postulation of witchy-enough people” to signifier a coven, and truthful the archetypal campaigner is Madame Calderu, a luck teller played by Patti LuPone. Calderu, however, rapidly reveals herself to beryllium the existent woody and is reluctant to squad up with a witch arsenic infamous arsenic Agatha Harkness. Unfortunately, she herself is facing eviction from her floundering concern and, similar Agatha herself, needs much “power”—or astatine slightest wealth and societal clout—to get retired of it. With 1 witch successful the bank, Calderu uses her psychic powers to uncover the names of 4 much conveniently located witches, and we’re off.

© Marvel Studios

Next connected the database is Jennifer Kale, a potions adept played by Sasheer Zamata, who, owed to the binding spell she’s been nether the past century, has turned to expertise to the skincare industry. Like Calderu, she’s facing ineligible occupation from a fewer of her products burning the tegument disconnected her customers’ faces. Though she besides has a troubled past with Agatha, aft Teen reveals that if convicted, Kale would beryllium facing a beingness condemnation successful prison, she reluctantly agrees to articulation them connected the Road. Just to hitch it in, Agatha steals 1 of her jade eggs earlier she leaves, quipping “you’ll cognize wherever to find it.”

By utmost coincidence, the adjacent campaigner is Alice Gulliver-Wu (Ali Ahn), a “blood/protection” witch and girl of the philharmonic creator liable for releasing “The Ballad of the Witches’ Road” successful the ’70s. Unbelievably, we’re told her mother’s band, Lorna Wu and the Coral Shore, sold 40 cardinal copies worldwide of the song, which would spot it determination betwixt the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack and Bing Crosby’s mentation of “White Christmas” successful presumption of popularity. Despite her mother’s success, however, Alice is working information astatine the MCU’s equivalent of a Hot Topic and becomes the adjacent coven subordinate aft Agatha concocts a strategy to get her fired from work. 

Now acceptable to embark connected the Road, the recently assembled coven protestation they’re inactive missing a “Green Witch,” which Agatha doesn’t judge she needs. Apparently, the last sanction of the database was simply a “black heart,” echoing a remark from Rio Vidal successful the erstwhile episode. It’s evident she’s the indispensable last subordinate of the band, but the reluctant Agatha, crumbling to her coven’s wishes, alternatively recruits WandaVison‘s Mrs. Hart (Debra Jo Rupp) to beryllium the last member, due to the fact that she keeps a bully garden.

© Marvel Studios

With each their eggs yet successful a row, the radical ritualistically performs a rendition of the opus that allegedly sold 40 cardinal copies, opening a doorway successful the level of Agatha’s basement—however, it takes a minute, providing Agatha with conscionable capable clip to debase each subordinate of her coven,  sowing further discord successful the group. Luckily, their flight hatch (to what’s apt definite death, we’re reminded) happens successful the nick of time, too, arsenic the Salem Seven she was warned astir person descended upon the house.

© Marvel Studios

So, aft 2 precise antithetic table-setting episodes, Agatha All Along is lone conscionable present yet acceptable to go immoderate the hellhole it plans connected being for the adjacent 7 episodes arsenic the witches look the trials of its genre-bending Road. What that whitethorn look like, I conjecture we’ll person to hold until adjacent week to see.

A fewer concluding thoughts connected these archetypal 2 episodes:

1. I’m not definite what the impetus was for the coven to remove their shoes earlier traversing the road, either, arsenic that item wasn’t recounted successful the lyrics of the world’s astir fashionable song.
2. Seriously, we’re led to judge a progressive people opus containing the lyrics “blood and tears and bone, maid and parent crone” someway sold 40 cardinal copies? Twice arsenic galore arsenic “We Are the World”? What, is Comus’s First Utterance the equivalent of Michael Jackson’s Thriller in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
3. Agatha’s Doctor Who-esque caller costume astatine the extremity of occurrence 2 is beauteous terrific. Love the flowing blue-green coat.
4. I judge occurrence 1 provides america with the second bare butt of a rubric Marvel quality pursuing Thor’s successful Love & Thunder.
5. The show’s extremity recognition series is absorbing for its various  references to witches successful media—for what its omits arsenic overmuch arsenic what it includes. Apparently, Disney’s woody with Sony allowed the usage footage of Fairuza Balk successful The Craft, but had to fake the opening titles to Bewitched—which a speedy Google hunt confirms the institution does so own. The inclusion of Lisa Simpson wearing a witch’s chapeau is besides bizarre—she doesn’t outpouring to caput arsenic instantly as, say, Sabrina the Teenage Witch (not featured here) oregon Maleficent (also bizarrely absent). What gives?

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