F E A T U R E – S E R I E S
Shudipto Dip, Tasnia Shahrin
A nonpareil show that gifted us a six-decade-long timeline with nine indistinctive ambiences led us to ask what it means to grieve, be human, and embrace the growth derived from them both. Suffice to say; the show had its fair share of striking quotes, enthralling Easter eggs, and quite literally spellbinding moments. Here we reminisce some of the most appealing moments from the show.
Episode 1:
Monochrome and sitcom happen to be the most plausible combination to kick off what’d turn out to be a psychological descent into madness. The takeaways from this classic yet new style are:
- A tragedy in comedy
As our new couple move into the suburbs and set up their new house, a preoccupied Wanda accidentally smashes a plate on her better half’s head, to which he sighs, unharmed. It is followed by Wanda’s remark, “My husband and his indestructible head” — an ironic throwback to the demise of our Mind Stonekeeper.
- The Futurist
A feature uncalled for — commercials! The creepy adverts came to play chronologically, making the late futurist Stark remembered first in the line of Wanda’s trauma. As the commercial toaster beeps, we are reminded of his ticking bomb that never went off.
Episode 2:
Aired on the same day as the pilot, this episode, titled “Don’t Touch that Dial”, maintained the same secrecy revolving around this reality:
- Multiverse on Mephisto Madness
A failing effort of Wanda to be a ‘fitter-inner’ included her attending a committee meeting. A picky event manager rejects one’s lack of effort as she says, “The Devil’s in the details.” Agnes’ follow-up by a “That’s not the only place he’s in” wink is what led the multiverse to theorise the potentiality of anyone from Hayward to a cicada of being the Devil Mephistopheles.
- The Denial
The ghastly beekeeper in this monochromatic reality did feel out of place, for Wanda if not for us. Wanda enters the first stage of grief — denial, and we never heard the end of him.
Episode 3:
Starting off with a colourised set up wasn’t the only pro of this episode as we witnessed loads of puns revolving around a pregnancy arc:
- “Mum’s the word”
With a fetus of 4 months developing under 12 hours, the couple consulted a doctor, requesting him to maintain discretion. With a literal×contextual double-layered joke, he joins in on the heartwarming news of the upcoming twins.
- No Escape from Reality
As Vision walks the doctor out, he expresses anguish for not having a chance to escape this town. The only way out is dictated by Wanda, as shown in the latter part of the episode via Geraldine. We were contented just getting to see beyond the Hex — the grass carpet of the MCUniverse for the first time.
Special Mention:
- A glitch in the Matrix
Another act of raw denial is seen in Wanda as she abruptly rewinds the part where Vision questions the bubble reality’s recurring awkwardness. This got the audience wondering if the video file’s corrupted or not.
Episode 4:
After the previous three episodes were heavily dependent on mimicking classic sitcoms, this episode begins to tell us what is actually happening, that is, the correct setting of WandaVision. And here are our most favourite moments from “We Interrupt this Programme”:
- “So you’re saying the universe created a sitcom starring two Avengers?”
F.B.I. agent Jimmy Woo (Randall Park) throws this question during this episode, and honestly, it voices all of our thoughts who spent the last two weeks watching WandaVision. Previously, all we received from this series was the ambiguous mimics of classic sitcoms with which we couldn’t connect the dots. Hence, this question marks the opening of this mystery box which makes it pivotal.
- The Unblipping:
When it came to the mighty snap, some of us did wonder what the real world looked like with half of its people gone! This episode gives us our first glimpse at that as Monica runs through the chaos of a hospital that is suddenly filling up with people who had been wiped out for five years. Their re-appearance is a direct reference to Hulk’s snap from Avengers: Endgame.
- A Grotesque Vision:
Let’s be honest, the few moments of a grey, lifeless Vision that looked just like how Thanos left him after tearing the Mind Stone from his forehead (at the end of Infinity War) creeped all of us out. This moment is significant in terms of its cathartic impact as it shows how powerful grief can be. This entire sitcom reality is just a safe haven that Wanda has created to cope with the loss of her lover.
Episode 5:
This episode marks the mid-point of this much-anticipated series, and hence it has some of our favourite moments:
- Wanda vs S.W.O.R.D:
Remember that scene where Director Hayward tries to shoot Wanda on sight? It is one of those fierce MCU moments where the Scarlet Witch reveals her full power and turns the table (or the guns). This was her first appearance outside the Hex, and Olsen’s acting was remarkable.
- “She recast Pietro!?”
…. speaking of family, yes, Quicksilver appears here as the X-Men mutant Evan Peters dropping all of ours jaws. And this dialogue by Darcy’s is surely a historic MCU line. However, in the end, this fake Pietro was actually someone named Ralph and the fact that it was just a dumb joke and bringing Evan Peters was just a shout out to X-men fans was just…awful. So much wasted potential.
Episode 6:
After blowing everyone’s mind with the arrival of a mutant, this episode was much anticipated, specifically to see Evan Peters in action. The following moments captured our attention the most:
- The Costumes:
If you’re someone who is bothered about how much comic book movies have strayed from the original costumes, then this Halloween special will bring you sweet peace. Wanda says she’s dressed up as a Sokovian fortune teller, but in reality, it’s the original Scarlet Witch outfit. Pietro also appears with his Quicksilver outfit, as well as Tommy (Speed) and Billy (Wiccan).
- The Epic Expansion:
When a curious Vision steps out of the Westview barrier and immediately starts to die, his son Billy starts to sense his danger. However, he is quickly saved by Wanda as she drastically expands the Westview boundaries by absorbing the SWORD base as a circus.
Special mentions:
- Tommy and Wanda’s use of the term “Kick-Ass”, a 2010 movie that co-incidentally featured both Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Evan Peters.
- Pietro has a tattoo that says “Mom” on his left shoulder. It can be seen as “MoM”, a reference to the upcoming MCU movie Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (which hits theatres 25 March, 2022, and will tie directly into the events of this show).
Episode 7:
This was undoubtedly the decisive point in the plot progression of the miniseries. Desperate fans seeking new arcs got more than what they asked for:
- Glow like Aunt Carol:
A story (not really) progressing three ways, one needed to let off a little steam. Monica took the job and certainly owned her superhero moments, even just by walking or landing — signing up for the glowing eyes squadron.
- A third glow-eyes:
A confirmed theory not acting out as late as the 6th episode provoked some geeks. But to prove us right, Agnes acted as Agatha all along. The second witch and third sparkle fingers of the MCU, her killing Sparky is what triggered us Wickans.
- Wait for it…
We did wait for a plot twist long enough and left the long credits rolling. But to give an incentive to tolerate this obnoxious amount of screen-time, they switched to the classics with a mid-credit scene. A glimpse of Pietro was cherry on top.
Special Mention:
- Pitching Agatha’s tone down to make the male voice for the videographer is a nice touch. So is using Stan Lee’s birth date on the number plate. A subtle egg, though, is Agnes talking about a mole mark on her back — a nod to witches’ marks back in Salem Trials.
Episode 8:
This episode of the series is quite unique as it does a time-lapse and takes us on a journey to Wanda’s past, revealing moments that make us emotional, such as:
- “Oof! That accent really comes and goes, doesn’t it?”
The disappearance of Wanda’s Sokovian accent has always been a matter of curiosity to the fandom. And that is why, instead of Pietro’s question to her about the accent, we have chosen Agatha’s comments as our favourite for the matter.
- The Scarlet Witch:
How can we not add this scene where after touching the Mind Stone, we see the figure of Scarlet Witch that gives all of us chills and shivers! As well as Agatha’s calling Wanda as “The Scarlet Witch”, which is actually the first time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe where this name has been used.
Episode 9:
The season finale was definitely quite emotional and impactful for all the fans. Apart from the obvious Wanda vs Agatha, Vision vs Vision, and mid/post end credit scenes, here’s what we loved the most:
- “Your power exceeds that of the Sorcerer Supreme.”
The Sorcerer Supreme is the one and only Doctor Strange, who was the most powerful magical being in the world. The mantle of the Sorcerer Supreme was passed down to Doctor Strange after the previous holder of the title of Sorcerer Supreme, the Ancient, Passed away. This reference is also MCU’s way of telling us that we will get all our untold answers in the upcoming Doctor Strange movie.
- “If only you had a little more” — pause for emphasis — “vision”.
Well, as cringey the pun is, the actual joke is on Hayward himself because Jimmy tricking him into confessing his evil plan to F.B.I. is for sure satisfying and a fan-favourite!
- The farewell dialogue:
Vision: “Wanda, I know we can’t stay like this, but before we go, I feel I must know: What am I?”
Wanda: “The piece of the Mind Stone that lives in me, a body of wires and blood and bone that I created, my sadness and my hope. But mostly, you’re my love.”
The ending of the series was surely satisfying, but it did leave us with many questions:
- Where did White Vision go?
- What was the point of Evan Peters being in it?
- Why didn’t Hex Vision tell Wanda he restored white Vision’s memories?
We believe all these riddles will be solved in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, until then, “So long, darling!”
Shudipto is a replicant with the emotional range of a labradoodle.
Tasnia is a proud Slytherin who loves binging on poetry and graphic novels in her free time.