Agatha All Along

This takes place after the events of WandaVision and Dr Strange Multiverse of Madness. I am rating this after watching episode 7 and I look forward to watching this every week. The first episode starts off in a bizarre fashion and I think might cause some viewers to abandon ship early, however the writing is very clever and the time jumps that go back and forth add a delightful twist to every episode. It's hard to trust the negative reviews on this because the Marvel fan base has become as bad as the Star Wars fan base so take it with a grain of salt.

I think the casting is pretty good and Kathryn Hahn does a splendid job reprising the Agatha Harkness character all in all I think of you like a darker mystery and enjoyed WandaVision then you will probably like Agatha all Along as well.

I am saddened by the people downvoting this show simply because of a character's sexual orientation. It's not even the highlight of the show; it is just referenced.

Anyway, judging by the duel-episode premier, the show is enticing. It's a bit goofy with its humor, but what Marvel project hasn't dipped into that silliness? The vibes of the show are perfect for the Halloween season. I am excited for the continued expansion of magical beings in the MCU.

My only concern would be whether or not the teased surprises in store will actually be surprising, but this is a general worry due to past MCU Disney+ shows. They just don't seem to stick the landing, but--damn--does this one have a promising start.

I am having a good time so far. Hahn, Plaza, and LuPone seem to be enjoying themselves, as well! While it may not be as serious and heavy as Falcon and the Winter Solider, it certainly is miles ahead of She-Hulk's absurdity for the sake of absurdity.

I came in to Agatha All Along with no pre-conceived ideas or having done any looking in to the back story. So, it wasn't until I was deep in and watching Episode 6 (?) that I realized that it had a connection to the Marvel Cinematic Universe - WandaVision in particular. I felt scammed and peeved.

Well, having gotten engaged in Agatha All Along, I paused it and had to watch WandaVission. While WandaVision has some critical element as back story to Agatha All Along, it is pretty tangential (and - IMO - a much lesser show than Agatha All Along).

Well I finished E6, then dove in to E7-E9 and have to really give the show credit. The acting is superb across the board, with Hahn as Agatha being a standout. The sets have an off beat, original perspective as the show moves along. Most of all, the trials the characters go through and their growth is well done. The show keeps an engaging, adult story line, none of the usual sugar coating where everyone ends up ok in the end.

While I don't think the connection to the MCU was necessary, it is what it is. And, it does not detract unduly from the overall show. I would likely watch a season two if in the offing.

When "Agatha All Along" was announced as a spinoff to the acclaimed WandaVision, expectations soared. How could anything live up to the vibrant, genre-bending magic of its predecessor? The answer: by conjuring a show that embraces its own quirks, doubles down on emotional storytelling, and takes viewers on a spellbinding ride down the legendary Witches' Road. Marvel Studios and creator Jac Schaeffer deliver a series that feels simultaneously intimate and expansive-a darkly whimsical tale with Kathryn Hahn's devious charm at its center.

Plot and Characters: A Coven of Misfits Picking up three years after "WandaVision", the show begins with Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn) still trapped in her Agnes persona, living a humdrum life as a Westview police detective. It's a gritty setup with a supernatural twist, as a Jane Doe case and the arrival of Joe Locke's mysterious Teen catalyze Agatha's journey to reclaim her identity and power. Alongside her is an eclectic coven: Patti LuPone's diviner Lilia Calderu, Sasheer Zamata's potion-wielding Jennifer Kale, Ali Ahn's haunted Alice Wu-Gulliver, and Aubrey Plaza's enigmatic Rio Vidal (aka Lady Death). Each character brings a distinct energy, and their uneasy alliance is rife with tension and begrudging camaraderie.

Kathryn Hahn continues to dazzle as Agatha, infusing every line with delicious wit and layered vulnerability. Her scenes with Aubrey Plaza are a highlight, their simmering chemistry electric as they navigate a past steeped in betrayal. Plaza, playing the sardonic, chaotic Vidal, commands attention, especially when her true nature as Death is revealed in Episode 7. Joe Locke's Teen provides a surprising emotional anchor, and his mysterious connection to Agatha hints at the deeper wounds she carries.

Themes and Tone: A Witchy Adventure with Depth Jac Schaeffer's magic lies in balancing spectacle with substance. While the Witches' Road is a visually surreal marvel, complete with vivid colors and practical effects that evoke an '80s horror vibe, the series shines brightest when exploring its themes. At its core, "Agatha All Along" is a story of redemption, self-discovery, and power. It doesn't shy away from the darker roots of witchcraft, confronting themes like misogyny and generational trauma while celebrating the strength of its female characters.

This tonal balance extends to the writing, which skillfully marries campy humor with poignant moments. Agatha's transformation back to herself in Episode 1 is a standout-a noir detective peeling away layers of forced personas to reclaim her truth. The show also embraces episodic storytelling, with trials on the Witches' Road that test the coven's unity and personal resilience. From Alice's haunting family curse to Jennifer's struggle to reclaim her bound powers, each arc adds richness to the overarching journey.

Standout Episodes: A Spellbinding Journey Among the nine episodes, several stand out as masterclasses in storytelling:

• Episode 1: "Seekest Thou the Road" establishes Agatha's fragmented identity with a detective noir twist, culminating in her cathartic reawakening.

• Episode 3: "Through Many Miles / Of Tricks and Trials" takes the coven to the eerie Witches' Road Mansion, blending psychological horror with a trial of poison and hallucinations.

• Episode 7: "Death's Hand in Mine" delivers a haunting blend of sacrifice and revelation as Lilia Calderu's ultimate act of redemption unravels her fragmented life, while Rio's shocking identity as Death shatters the coven's fragile trust in a tarot-laden trial of fate and free will.

• Episode 9: "Maiden Mother Crone" wraps up the Witches' Road saga with an emotional finale that leaves Agatha poised for future adventures while resolving the coven's trials in deeply satisfying ways.

Visuals and Style: Practical Magic at Its Finest Visually, "Agatha All Along" is a feast. Its practical effects-a conscious departure from CGI-heavy Marvel fare-lend the series a tactile, almost dreamlike quality. Every magical element, from the fog-draped Witches' Road to the eerie glow of fireflies, was crafted with painstaking attention to detail. The commitment to practical effects extended to action sequences, such as Episode 7's dramatic sword drop, where actual metal blades were dropped from the ceiling with precision mapping, adding an edge of realism and danger.

The Witches' Road, in particular, stands out as a masterstroke of set design. Built twice to achieve the perfect scale, the final version is a rich tapestry of mud pits, mushrooms, and glowing flora-all filmed in-camera to enhance its tangible, studio-bound aesthetic. This hands-on approach immersed the actors in the environment, bringing authenticity to their performances and grounding the fantastical elements of the series in reality. The physical demands of navigating the road's uneven terrain, paired with the magical atmosphere created by fog and glowing mushrooms, enhanced both the storytelling and the visual experience.

By embracing practical effects and studio-built sets, the series pays homage to the golden age of fantasy filmmaking while adding layers of depth to its narrative. This approach makes the Witches' Road feel like a character in its own right-otherworldly, dangerous, and entirely unforgettable. Music plays a recurring role, too, with the "Ballad of the Witches' Road" threading through key moments, adding a haunting resonance.

Final Thoughts: A Bewitching Success While it doesn't quite match "WandaVision's" genre-defining brilliance, "Agatha All Along" forges its own path, embracing its quirks and delivering an emotionally resonant, spellbinding tale. It's a bold entry in the MCU's television experiment, proving that magic doesn't always have to be about explosions and world-ending stakes-sometimes, it's in the characters, the journey, and the haunting echo of a song.

If this truly marks the end of Kathryn Hahn's tenure as Agatha, it's a fitting, triumphant conclusion. But if the final notes are any hint, there's still room for more cackling chaos-and honestly? We wouldn't have it any other way.

Rooted firmly in what made WandaVision an enticing watch, Agatha All Along delivers a familiar viewing experience, but goes about it in its own way.

The premise is deceptively simple--a down-and-out villain on a quest to restore her power. As the story unfurls, we see it's about much more than that, and even Agatha's seemingly straightforward motivations are reframed by the end. The story takes its time with the plot twists, but once it starts, it doesn't let up until the very last minute of episode 9.

Led by a career-defining performance from Kathryn Hahn, the cast works well separately and best as a group. Locke and Plaza are highly engaging as the mysteries of their respective characters centre and recontextualize the narrative.

This is a thrifty production by Marvel standards, as you can sometimes--not very often--tell. The broom riding sequence is janky, and the final confrontation has to mostly take place offscreen. This has an upside as it more or less forces the narrative to zero in on the emotional aspect and make us empathize with these characters. The finale in particular surprised me with how poignant and small-scale they allowed it to be, respecting the core of the show as it offers a solemn and mature look into Agatha's world not often associated with the superhero genre.

Overall, this has been a quality MCU offering that shows not all superhero tales need expensive fireworks to shine.