Previously in the Marvel Cinematic Universe…
We took an emotional journey through Wanda Maximoff’s past in Episode 8 of WandaVision, which aired on Disney+ Feb. 26. Josh Stamberg, Julian Hilliard and Jett Klyne joined the main cast.
As always, spoiler alert, not just for WandaVision, but also for events throughout Phases 2 and 3 of the MCU. You’ve been warned.
Last week, Capt. Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) attempted to reenter the Westview anomaly while Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) decided to take a personal day. As the episode ended, a new twist villain was revealed: Agnes (Kathryn Hahn), who is actually Agatha Harkness (awesome evil witch name, by the way).
This week was all about the past. The episode opened on Agatha, who was accused of crimes concerning her witchcraft. Throughout the episode, Agatha took Wanda on a journey through her past, from the deaths of Wanda’s parents to being radicalized by HYDRA and getting her powers to the aftermath of what happened in Lagos in the events of Captain America: Civil War and most recently in the MCU, retrieving Vision’s (Paul Bettany) corpse from S.W.O.R.D. (Sentient Weapons Observation Response Division).
I’ll be honest, I was crying for parts of this episode. Wanda being my favorite character, of course I know all about her backstory and the tough life she’s led up until this point, but seeing it on screen instead of just hearing about it was something else entirely. I also got to learn new things about Wanda, like how sitcoms were her favorite thing when she was a kid. This piece of Wanda’s backstory answered the question of why Wanda turned her life with Vision into a sitcom.
Something else I enjoyed about this episode was the conflicts I saw. Throughout Marvel history, there have been so many different storylines and redemption arcs, but Wanda’s has by far been the most powerful for me. She’s lost everyone she’s ever loved: first her parents, then her brother, then her lover. In one of her flashbacks she has this episode, she and Vision have a conversation about grief and Vision is the one to bring her back from the edge. With Vision gone, she has no one to save her. It’s no wonder she created this whole sitcom world for her and Vision–she couldn’t lose anyone else.
The other major aspect I enjoyed was the mid-credits scene. These are a staple to Marvel films, whether they occur mid-credits or post-credits. These scenes are one of the many things that tie the MCU films together. This scene is one that actually felt like a bit of a letdown to me. What was happening in it, I feel should have happened earlier. However, the placement of this scene, at the end of the second to last episode, makes for so much anticipation for the final episode.
WandaVision has been a journey for me as I see each new episode and learn more about a character who hasn’t gotten nearly as much attention as she deserves and I can’t wait for the finale.
