Through grief and loss, the Scarlet Witch rises

Sol Garcia | THE RIDER

For eight weeks, “WandaVision” had the world caught in a spell. Everyone was talking about it, whether out of love or aggravation. Twitter was full of never-ending, fan-made theories, and while it may not have lived up to everyone’s vision, the show beautifully told the story of a grieving, young woman who has lost so much. 

On Jan. 15, the first two episodes of “WandaVision” were released on Disney+ to introduce the highly anticipated series. The rest of the seven episodes were released every Friday through March 5. 

Taking place after “Avengers: Endgame,” the show is the first in Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and begins with reality-bender Wanda Maximoff and her new, synthetic robot husband Vision moving to a small town named Westview. The couple seem to star in a black-and-white sitcom in the 1950s and tackle marital issues, such as impressing Vision’s boss. The first episode reveals something sinister at the end, though.

We are not the only ones watching “WandaVision.” The sitcom is actually a show within Marvel’s show, and an anonymous viewer is watching the couple. What makes the story more unsettling is neither of the two seem to have any memories prior to Westview.

In the next episode, Wanda, played by the talented Elizabeth Olsen, and Vision, played by the supporting Paul Bettany, continue to try forging a happy life in their new town–now in the ’60s. They even perform a magic act together, but marriages come with challenges. In this episode, we get to see just how great Wanda’s powers can be when it comes to rewriting reality. 

By the third episode, viewers get more context as to what is really going on outside Westview. Luckily, for those who hate watching in black and white, this episode and the rest of this series are in color. 

Warning: Spoilers ahead!

As the first adaptation in Phase Four of the MCU, “WandaVision” had to succeed–and it did. 

The detailing in “WandaVision” is magnificent, starting with the recap. If you hear every single “Previously on WandaVision,” narrated by Olsen, you can hear the enthusiasm decreasing as Wanda’s sway on the story is spinning out of control. Most notably, however, are the commercials during the episodes, representing a significant event in Wanda’s life. The ode to the different decades was also pleasing to see, and Wanda’s Sokovian fortune teller outfit was definitely a nod to the comic books that fans needed to see.

Her outfit in the finale tied it all together, especially since her corset was raised higher, something Olsen wanted. Monica, Darcy and Jimmy, all supporting characters in previous Marvel movies, working together added even more excitement. The most surprising element, though, was the well-executed framing of Wanda throughout the series. Was she simply a woman drowning in sorrow, or was she becoming the next MCU villain? 

Once again, Olsen has brought life to the young heroine and has shown she can act a range of emotions from admiration to agony. Her co-star, Kathryn Hahn, who plays nosy Agnes, also shows off her skills. She plays the chatty neighbor so well and plays wickedness even better when Agnes is revealed to be after Wanda’s magic. 

While some people are upset the show did not follow some fan theories, “WandaVision” was not about Mephisto or Doctor Strange. The story was about Wanda Maximoff, a character who has lost her parents, her twin sibling and the love of her life. In a flashback, Wanda is clearly experiencing depression, and in a refreshing take, the scene seemed genuinely authentic. It was not forced with the underlying message, “It’ll get better if you try to be happy!” “WandaVision” was about Wanda overcoming her grief to become the amazing, incredibly powerful Scarlet Witch. 

With that said, there were a few visible faults.

For one, “WandaVision” began rather slowly. If the series was not part of a major franchise, viewers may not have been so motivated to continue watching. 

Still, that was not the prime failure. It was what they did with Pietro’s character in the show. What would have been an amazing introduction to the X-Men in the MCU was wasted for a sexual innuendo. A major letdown. 

Apart from that, fans will anxiously await Scarlet Witch’s return in Doctor Strange’s next movie, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” coming next year. Until then, Marvel fans can watch “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” on Disney+ or reread Marvel comics.

“WandaVision” receives the sunny rating of: ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼. 

Reviews are based on five suns.

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Sol Garcia

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