‘WandaVision’ – ‘The Series Finale’ – Review
Well, we’re here. After 9 weeks of sensational long-form storytelling on Disney+ we’ve reached the conclusion of WandaVision and the journey of growth through decades of television of Wanda Maximoff…..and ‘Episode 9’ ‘The Series Finale’ is absolutely MARVELOUS!
The battle lines are drawn, and a face-off is imminent as Wanda Maximoff (Elizbeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany), have to face off against the powers of Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn) and White Vision, in order to save their family and their home of Westview.
Right from the start ‘Episode 9’ of WandaVision, ‘The Series Finale’ starts with a BANG, and the action mounts up quickly as Wanda and Vision have to face off in a full-on fight with both Agatha Harkness and White Vision. While director Matt Shankman has teased out his ability for filming action throughout the series, he really goes for it here as a director, and the result is a full-on magical, witch-android battle that fills up the screen with plenty of heavy hits. Shankman keeps the energy exciting, and it’s a hell of a lot of fun to see that the chain has been taken off of Wanda and Vision, two of the Avenger’s most powerful characters, and their powers lead to some pretty exhilarating moments within ‘The Series Finale’.
Stepping up to the line and putting her guard up is Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff, and this episode is a very big moment for her. Over the events of the previous eight episodes, and a multitude of story arcs that have been seen in decades of past television sitcoms, Wanda has come a long way as a character. Whether it be as a wife, a mother and now in ‘The Series Finale’ a witch and sorcerer, we’ve seen considerable growth in her character, and her rising above the pain, anger and depression that have trapped her for so long. Her actions in ‘The Series Finale’ are those of a woman accepting her destiny and her power, and it’s exciting to see her unleash the magnitude of her powers.
While there’s considerable action that Wanda takes part in during ‘The Series Finale’, including a no-holds-barred witch fight between Wanda and Agatha, it’s Olsen’s performance when connected to the growth of her character that really grabs the audience’s attention. That growth can be surmised as Olsen moving from the character of Wanda Maximoff into that of The Scarlet Witch, a fabled magical deity with powers that trump those of the Sorcerer Supreme himself. And this transformation for Olsen really shakes up the future possibilities of the MCU. Throughout this series, Olsen has brought considerable depth to Wanda Maximoff, and we’ve grown to love her as a character even more as an audience, and in ‘The Series Finale’ we find her at both her most powerful and her most human. And this expression of her character is an absolute tribute to Olsen’s performance.
Alongside Olsen’s performance in ‘The Series Finale’, actor Paul Bettany also has a considerable presence in the episode in what can only be described as ‘a meeting of The Visions’. Facing off against his ‘new self’, the duel between Vision and White Vision, is intense, calculating and philosophical in nature, and leads to some very interesting insights for fans of the character, alongside just where he sits inside the MCU. Like Olsen, Bettany has gone through a lot in this series as this character, and he’s brought his A-game to every single episode of the series to date. In ‘The Series Finale’ we find out what the events of this series have ultimately meant to Vision, and it’s an eye-opening revelation for audiences.
While the action and special effects of ‘The Series Finale’ are impressive and certainly grab your attention as a viewer, its essentially the series love story that fully wraps you up in the events presented. All along WandaVision has been about the love story of a woman and the android she turned into a man. Throughout this series, we’ve seen these two characters grow together through marriage, the creation of a home and the making of a family, and the joy it has given them, and this episode is really focused on the love that is shared between these two characters. There’s a lot of emotion on display in ‘The Series Finale’, and the most heartfelt moments come from those shared by Wanda and Vision in this episode.
In relation to Wanda’s appearance as the Scarlet Witch, it is hard to say anything, without running the risk of spoilers. But we will say that Wanda’s transformation into this legendary Marvel character will take the audiences’ breathe away. Design, performance and special effects are all rendered perfectly in the translation of the Scarlet Witch from the pages of Marvel comics to the fully actualised presence of the MCU, and your heart will race a whole lot faster after you see her powers brought to life. Added to this is the punk-rock, goth edge that Olsen also brings to the character and the Scarlet Witch is definitely going to be an unpredictable presence within the MCU. Added to this are a few Easter Eggs placed throughout the episode, and well, let’s just say things are about to get interesting for the MCU going forward.
‘The Series Finale’ brings a complete conclusion to WandaVision….but there are some very bittersweet moments to this ending. Mostly this lies with the emotions of Wanda letting go of her past self and the life she built for herself inside of Westview, and the acceptance of her new life as the Scarlet Witch. The emotions get heavy, and the closing moments of this episode nearly had us in tears due to the conviction of Olsen and Bettany’s performances. The final moments of this episode were ultimately the right way to bring this narrative to a conclusion and you felt the power of this story upon its completion. Plus it also wouldn’t be Marvel without a post-credit scene….and on this, all we’ll say is BRING ON THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS.
WandaVision has shaken up the MCU right from the start, and it leaves it in a very exciting place going forward. While the events of our own reality have made things difficult over the past year, a show like WandaVision offered the perfect escape and the resulting presentation is a tribute to everyone involved in bringing this fantastic series to life. Where we go next is anyone’s guess, but things are about to get even more exciting within the MCU…and Wanda Maximoff aka The Scarlet Witch will be there to take us along for the ride.
WandaVision is available to stream on Disney+
Image: Walt Disney Pictures
