Shaken by the sudden appearance of Agatha Harkness (Hahn), and her dangerous witchcraft powers, Wanda is forced to relive her past in order to find the root of her magical abilities and just how she came to craft the Westview Anamoly. And for Wanda, these are some very hard and devastating truths that she has come face to face with.

While WandaVision, for the most part, has been a bubbly, happy-go-lucky, decade hopping sitcom with plenty of comedy, and a few thrilling surprises here and there, director Matt Shankman takes a darker turn in ‘Previously On’. With the arrival of a new big bad in Kathryn Hahn’s Agatha Harkness, Shankman gets to explore a different side of the MCU’s magical realm, in the form of the dark and grimy practice of witchcraft. And he takes the audience directly into the horror genre in ‘Previously On’. It’s a stark contrast to what has come before, and this horror-tinged element gives the series a serious edge, and you never know what’s coming around the corner as Wanda has to re-live her past.

Pulled away from the fantasy of her sitcom life, Wanda Maximoff is back to her usual Sokovian self, including her thick European accent, and we get to see the events that shaped her as a woman and as a hero. There was a beautiful childhood, marred by death and destruction at the whims of unexpected collateral damage, her exposure to the Mind Stone and its effects upon her, alongside her first romantic moments with The Vision (Paul Bettany), and her actions following the blip. All of it is a very heavy toll for her to grapple with, and the emotions come heavy and fast in ‘Previously On’.

Two of the episode’s key moments include her original romantic meetings with The Vision, and her final interaction with his corpse, following her return after the blip. In these moments we see Wanda at her most vulnerable, and Shankman showcases how the love that was built between Wanda and Vision is the result of their isolation and loneliness, and that together they were able to find happiness in one another that truly gave their lives meaning. The episode’s most pivotal and heartbreaking scene is where Wanda visits the original Westview, a now broken, dilapidated town following the events of the blip and the site where she would have built a home with Vision. This moment is wrapped up in emotion and will have you in tears thanks to the power of Olsen’s performance and its significance for Wanda’s character.

Part of what makes this episode so interesting is the way in which Shankman showcases how television, and therefore fantasy, has shaped Wanda’s life through the series that she consumed as both a child and a young woman. Shankman explores how the concept of narrative storytelling can be a cathartic, healing activity and how our nature to dive into stories allows us to escape from our everyday troubles. Shankman’s thematic exploration of the power of storytelling through media is incredibly interesting to watch, and it further gives us more insights into Wanda Maximoff as a character that long-time MCU fans will be incredibly interested in.

Stepping up in a big way in ‘Previously On’ is Kathryn Hahn as new big bad Agatha Harkness. A powerful witch practised in the dark arts, Agatha can trace her lineage back to Salem, Massachusetts, and her dark powers make her a compelling and dangerous new villain within the MCU. Hahn shows a completely different side to herself as Agatha, and she’s dangerous, spiteful and incredibly jealous of Wanda’s sudden power, and in her view ‘lack of claim’ to witchcraft. Vindictive and angered by Wanda’s abilities, Agatha revels in Wanda’s past trauma and Hahn gives her a menacing ‘narration’ that follows each past moment of Wanda’s life with sadistic glee. Hahn keeps audiences on their toes in ‘Previously On’, and Agatha is a villain who is sure to really shake up the MCU.

‘Previously On’ is a very big turn for WandaVision, and the growth of Wanda Maximoff within the MCU. Its closing moments will have you on edge thanks to the revelation about Wanda’s identity and we can firmly say that the Scarlet Witch is on her way. Where we go next in WandaVision is anyone’s guess, but the stage is set for a massive showdown, and you won’t want to look away for a second.

WandaVision streams every Friday night on Disney+.

Image: Walt Disney Pictures

The post ‘WandaVision’ – ‘Previously On’ – Review appeared first on SpicyPulp.

Following the shock ending of ‘All-New Halloween Spooktacular’ where Wanda got a tad overwhelmed and the Westview Anomaly, better known as The Hex, went completely haywire, Wanda has been left exhausted….and is in need of a much-needed break. But while Wanda lounges around the house and tries to relax, Vision is now back to his regular self and is starting to piece back his past with some startling revelations.

We’ve entered the mid-2010’s now and director Matt Shankman shifts the tone of WandaVision to that of the mockumentary family-sitcom style of Modern Family, with Wanda coming to terms with the events of the last six episodes and here she begins to reflect on them. The style and comedy of the mockumentary family-sitcom plays well in Shankman’s hands and he has a lot of fun with a series of ‘new’ cast members who have entered the suburbia of Westview, and we get to see these characters in a brand new light. Shankman’s use of quirky comedy keeps things interesting and it’s great to see a modern flavour of TV comedy injected into WandaVision.

Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda Maximoff has been through a lot over the course of WandaVision. Whether it was cementing her love for Vision, building a home, raising a family or reuniting with her beloved brother Pietro, she’s been at the forefront of the show and has had to deal with a lot. There’s also her stance and protection of her ‘dream life’ and this aggression and anger have taken a serious toll on her and we now find her exhausted and a little bit shook up.

The unique style and progression of ‘Breaking the Fourth Wall‘ allow Wanda to sit back and come to terms with who she now is, and for the first time we get to see her directly speak to her audience. Olsen does a terrific job of making Wanda vulnerable in ‘Breaking the Fourth Wall’ and there’s a real honesty to her performance in this episode. It’s also a refreshing point-of-view for the character as we see the toll of her powers on her and this has definitely left Westview on the fritz. Olsen really clarifies Wanda’s own perspective in this episode and audiences get an idea of what she’s really been going through which is something we haven’t seen before.

‘Breaking the Fourth Wall’ is also the first time that we haven’t seen Wanda and Vision together in an episode of WandaVision, and just as Wanda is dealing with her own issues, so is Paul Bettany’s Vision. Stuck together with a new friend, Vision undergoes a bit of a depth analysis to understand just where he came from and how he came to be here. The revelations make him sit-up and take notice, and Bettany strikes a terrific balance in the classic dramedy styling of the mockumentary family-sitcom style.

Also stepping up this episode is Kathryn Hahn’s Agnes, Wanda’s default best-friend and nosey neighbour who can’t stay out of her life. And there are some startling revelations for her here. Like Wanda, the audience gets to see Agnes point-of-view for the first time and it’s interesting to see a third party comment on the nature of Wanda’s life, especially someone from within the ‘series’ itself. Hahn gets to steal the show in ‘Breaking the Fourth Wall’ and fans will be wide eyed at the performance that she gives with this one.

While I don’t want to slide into any kind of spoilers in this episode, I will say that ‘Breaking the Fourth Wall’ takes a shocking turn in its final moments and boils over with a dark and menacing tension. Everything has so far been a blissful escape for Wanda, but this surprise is about to flip the series on its head entirely. Something witchy is in the air, and in these final moments, we get to see what I can only surmise as the first moments of connectivity between WandaVision and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. And this revelation is going to make things very interesting in the next episode.

We’re we go to next in WandaVision after such a dramatic turn in the events of ‘Breaking the Fourth Wall’ is anyone’s guess, but we’re now firmly on the edge of our seats with this one.

WandaVision streams every Friday night on Disney+.

Image: Walt Disney Pictures

The post ‘WandaVision’ – ‘Breaking the Fourth Wall’ – Review appeared first on SpicyPulp.