Hello, dear readers, I expected to be writing a very different topic this week. But due to events out of my control I wasn’t able to get to the subject I had in mind. That being said, the emotionally heavy story of Disclaimer also became a deterrent. However, I may get back to it in the future. But, for now, I would like to touch on something that has been speculated over and over again: the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
As a study in escapism, this genre has given us countless hours of entertainment. In recent years, however, audiences have started to question its validity in the pop culture landscape. Many video essays have droned on about comparisons to musicals in the sixties as both parallel each other in their bloat and over-saturation. When newly-reinstated CEO Bob Iger was brought back to right the ship, he pulled back production on several projects under the Disney umbrella. It’s back to basics time. So when Agatha All Along was announced, I was rather skeptical. This side character from, admittedly, the best of Marvel TV’s shows gets her own spin-off?
From the first episode, we find that this is not a typical show. Reminiscent of Wandavision, Agatha is trapped in Westview in a prestige television funhouse. Sporting a dour soccer mom wardrobe and Philly accent, she plays a detective who is trying to uncover the truth behind a dead woman’s body. With opening credits blending Cold Case and Mare of Easttown, the transition from the conceit in Wandavision seamlessly threads. The mystery is a smokescreen from which Agatha needs to surmise; not murder but a key to her true identity.
It cannot be stressed enough that Kathryn Hahn plays both sides of the coin beautifully. Best known in comedies like Anchorman and the Bad Moms series, her turn toward drama in this first episode may be a surprise. But her care for walking the line between snark and genuine empathy makes this character something special. Much like Elizabeth Olson did for Wanda in the first miniseries, Hahn makes Agatha her own by not beholding to the comics. In those pages, she is an enmity of immense power set up as a foe for our protagonists. In her recent history at Disney, she is now a misunderstood and sympathetic figure filled with pathos as the show darts from scene to scene.
Among the cast, we are introduced to Joe Locke as the young boy who breaks through the spell Agatha is under. It is good to see him find another higher profile roles after the runaway success of Heartstopper. (Note to self: watch season three out now on Netflix.) Aubrey Plaza is hilarious as Rio, an ex of Agatha’s with a bone to pick and a few secrets up her sleeves. Her trademark dry delivery elevates any piece of banal dialogue. I’s happy to see SNL’s Sasheer Zamata and That 70s Show’s Debra Jo Rupp hamming it up with some meatier roles. As welcome as they are, it is great to just see them for a short time in this genre. The standout, though, is Patti LuPone who is at home as Lilia Calleru. Her commanding presence makes for a compelling reason for casting Marvel outside the standard box of the usual suspects. The episode revolving around her has to be the best pieces of television I have seen this year.
Showrunner Jac Schaeffer brings what made Wandavision such a delight among Marvel fans and casuals alike. The time and care she bestows to what could have been superficial archetypes is what’s missing in Marvel. No need to give us empty fan service or stunt casting for cheap thrills. I will not go into too much plot so you can discover as I did. This is just to say the team behind the Frozen music gave us a banger of a track, dedicated to the journey these witches take both figuratively and literally. And you will not hesitate to walk that road with them.
