‘Agatha All Along’ nails the technique that made ‘WandaVision’ great
In 2021, Marvel Studios launched its first television show, WandaVision, on Disney+, paving the way for a slew of canon MCU series. The show was a massive success, and now, Agatha All Along is building on one of WandaVision’s most impressive narrative techniques.
One of the things I adored when watching WandaVision was its unique approach to visual storytelling. Wanda, having finally snapped under the weight of her grief and trauma, creates a self-contained world in Westview, New Jersey, a world inspired by the American sitcoms she loved to watch as a child. The show skilfully took us through the history of sitcoms by paying homage to ’50s black and white sitcoms like I Love Lucy and more modern shows like Malcolm in the Middle.
WandaVision’s distinctive approach allowed the narrative to feel fresh as it moved through different methods of storytelling, as well as allowing the costumes and set design to keep changing. Critics praised the show for this unique way of paying homage to the sitcom genre, and now its spin-off, Agatha All Along, is taking a page out of its book (not the Darkhold though, thankfully).
It’s a world of your imagination
Agatha All Along picked up where WandaVision left off. Agatha was still trapped in Wanda’s spell, though she had moved on from sitcoms and entered the genre of gritty crime thriller instead. Stuck believing she was a cop, viewers saw Agatha play into all the stereotypes of the dark, sarcastic, female detective, exhausted by her work while carrying a world of pain.
Kathryn Hahn nailed this aspect of the show, giving a performance that was somehow both subtle and a parody at the same time. It wasn’t until two new characters showed up that Agatha finally broke through Wanda’s hold on her and shed the spell placed on her. However, the shifting aesthetics had only just begun.
Agatha and her newly formed coven are now on the Witch’s Road, a winding path that will test them all. These tests manifest in the form of houses on the road, houses that, so far, appear to be tailored to each witch. After episodes three and four, it’s become clear that each episode will have a distinct visual theme, with the houses matching the vibe or emotional turmoil of one witch or another.
In episode three, the witches entered a dreamy beach house with a soft pastel color scheme. The coven, too, was given a makeover, their wardrobe matching their new environment, transforming them into cardigan-wearing wealthy socialites. In the fourth episode, the witches entered a new house, one that took them and the audience back to the magical (in this case, literally) musical scene of the ’70s. The vibe and the costumes were everything.
New looks are coming
I hope that this trend continues for at least a few more episodes. We have a few more witches to get through, and I am incredibly excited to see what Agatha and Rio’s houses look like. As a big fan of costume and set design, I have to say that I love Agatha All Along and its mission to bring us something visually unexpected with each episode.
I wonder who will be the focus of next week’s episode? Perhaps Patti LuPone’s Lilia Calderu? Agatha’s upcoming test will likely be the last before the finale, so here’s hoping we get something good!
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