The new Marvel series on the block, WandaVision has certainly piqued the interest of superhero fans all around the world. The show portrays life after the Blip, the catastrophic event caused by Thanos’ snap. As Marvel fans know, Wanda got the short end of the stick as she lost several of her loved ones throughout the years, including Vision. WandaVision begins with a sitcom-style plot featuring Wanda and Vision. The title implies that Vision would be a major character, but Marvel took it a step further by showcasing Wanda and Vision behaving as if nothing happened. Things eventually start to unravel, with strange and inexplicable events occurring all around them. This leads to a shocking climax that no one could have predicted.
The pacing of the show is on the slower side but after the first two episodes, the plot really picks up and viewers can see a lot of different elements embedded in the storyline. That is a factor many can appreciate and enjoy. The variety of plotlines that the show manages to juggle, while still maintaining a Marvel-like narrative is something that has to be appreciated. We saw romance, drama, action, tragedy, and even some light 90s style comedy, which is not easy to balance in a single TV show.
Another feat Marvel pulled off is how integrated the whole Marvel Cinematic Universe is. Numerous minor characters from films such as Ant-Man (Jimmy Woo) and Thor (Darcy Lewis) appear in the show without altering their identities in any manner. Furthermore, the creativity in which the protagonists are depicted in the show is un-rivaled; after all, what does a Marvel show and a 90s sitcom have in common?
The storyline improved dramatically after the first few episodes, but the first few episodes, especially the Pilot, were a letdown. Not that Marvel can’t produce a sitcom; it’s just that they’re known for their action-packed films, which are much more compelling. While we were treated to mind-blowing technological breakthroughs that are unlikely to occur in real life and dramatic battle scenes that Marvel masterfully conducts, it was the final two episodes that remotely even resembled the Marvel we know and love. So WandaVision cannot be considered an incredible Marvel show; instead, it was a show about Wanda’s personality and how she dealt with all of the obstacles, mental and physical, she faced. It was a more character-driven show than a narrative propellor.
WandaVision undoubtedly linked to the MCU in so many ways, such as Wanda’s backstory. We get to see how her abilities developed, and the WandaVision finale also lays the groundwork for Marvel’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. I won’t mention anything else because I want to keep this as spoiler-free as possible, but the finale is one to look forward to.
Even with the excellent preparation and implementation of the plot, there are plenty of aspects of the show that remain unanswered. Each episode of the show poses a slew of concerns. There is so much happening over the course of nine episodes that there isn’t a single moment where you can look away from the show, and it isn’t necessarily the positive kind of engrossment. Sometimes, you scratch your brain, wondering what happened to people and plot points that were just there an episode ago.
WandaVision is also one of those series that you can’t stop watching halfway through. Furthermore, if you are watching after all of the episodes have been launched, it is most likely a show to binge, because no matter which episode you watch, you will not understand anything until the end. Weekly audiences, on the other hand, say that the suspense between episodes is unlike any other. And if you still need another reason to start watching it, we get to see Vision after that tragic scene in Endgame.
Now, if you are a die-hard comic book lover, WandaVision will probably not meet your standards. When the show was already airing, weekly fan predictions overshadowed the build-up to the broadcast of the episode. Theories, with valid bases and huge margins of possibility, were mostly just theories and many fans were disappointed. One particular fan theory is about the villain Mephisto, a demon from German folklore that is tied to not one but three Marvel superheroes: Doctor Strange, Spider-Man, and Wanda/Scarlet Witch. While Easter eggs in WandaVision hinted at his presence, he did not appear at all. Fans are still optimistic that Mephisto will surface eventually, paving the way for a villain that rivals Thanos (more heartbreak yay!).
WandaVision, like every other series, has its ups and downs. I won’t say it’s the greatest Marvel show but it is a pretty refreshing show with a very unique plot-line. WandaVision does it all, with less violence and a more emotional plot that also has Marvel’s epic battle scenes that make you wonder how people can survive in cities full of ruin. So, the next time you’re in the mood for a light superhero tale with actual character development, look no further than WandaVision.
