Agatha All Along

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.

I love exploring this little corner of Marvel. It doesn't relate much back to the larger MCU but I don't think they ever led anyone to believe it would.

It's a great Halloween witch story very much in the vein of Hocus Pocus. It's silly, campy, quippy, but still with an edge that keeps you on your toes.

Kathryn Hahn excels and really drives the bus here, allowing everyone else to shine in their own way.

This is only after the first two episodes but really I don't have any complaints. The action could use some tighter choreography, that was my one note.

Whether Wanda returns by the end or not, I don't think it matters! This show enchants all on its own.

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.

Plot

A spell-bound Agatha Harkness regains freedom thanks to a teen's help. Intrigued by his plea, she embarks on the Witches' Road trials to reclaim her powers and discover the teen's motivations.

Cast

Kathryn Hahn, Aubrey Plaza, Ali Ahn, Patti LuPone, Paul Adelstein, the always adorable Debra Jo Rupp and a cameo from Evan Peters! No cast problems here.

Verdict

Love it or hate it nobody can dispute that the MCU has accomplished something truly astonishing. Am I a fan? Yes. Am I a blind fan who defends it senselessly and claims it's all great? Absolutely not. Some is incredible, some is dire, it's a mixed bag and that's simply inevitable and should not be frowned upon. Taste is subjective, I didn't like Dr Strange, Black Panther or several others that were critically acclaimed for example.

Agatha All Along follows the fascinating Wandavision (2021) and I'm shocked it actually exists. Think of all the high profile Marvel heroes that have failed to get their own movie/show and yet Agatha Harkness has?! Very unexpected but I wasn't against it, this could have turned out to be a wonderful surprise I thought. I was wrong, but not entirely.

You see I like Hahn, she just tends to do movies I don't enjoy and her over acting style comparable with Kristen Wiig can get old fast. Sadly that's here in abundance, however the shows writers seem to tug the character and her personality left and right so dramatically throughout the shows 9 episode runtime that sometimes she's more bearable than the others. Thankfully a fantastic support cast manage to balance the tone out, except Locke who is for the most part awful. Yes he improves as the show progresses but overall I found him somewhat annoying and you can't have two annoying characters, especially when essentially they're the dual leads!

The show flips from marginally above average stuff to quite enjoyable, it keeps your attention, it kept me intrigued and yet at all times it felt like something entirely unidentifiable was missing and that frustrated me all the way until the very poor finale.

Agatha All Along is a passable watch, it's a novelty addition to the MCU, an acceptable companion piece to Wandavision but don't expect it to make a lasting impression.

Rants

This is one of those IMDB credits that you don't want to delve into the 1/10 reviews because you know exactly what you're going to find. Let's break it down, female lead, gay side lead, almost every character in the show is some description of LGBT, lots of diversity throughout and you can even see a trans lives matter banner in the final episode. Yep, the "Anti-woke" brigade love this one and reading their drivel, vitriol and absurd justifications for their intolerance is infuriating. Live and let live people, don't get upset about things where there is no victim. Think of your blood pressure if nothing else!

The Good

Great cast Some really enjoyable moments It's "Different" and the industry needs more of that

The Bad

Some characters can be a tad annoying Doesn't flow as well as it should Dreadful finale.

First, I find it interesting that people could leave one star reviews on a show that hadn't premiered yet. Looks like some are a bit pre-biased.

Be that as it may, the show is not the be all end all and it's not the meaning of life, but it's fun and it's very interesting and I can't wait to watch the rest of the series. Joe Locke is perfect casting as expected, Kathryn Hahn is amazing as always, and I'm looking forward to meeting the rest of the coven. It has the right notes of spookiness, especially for the Halloween season, and I think using the same exterior for the house in Bewitched from the 60s is an awesome call back. I'll be here every week.