Review: WandaVision

  This will be a *mostly* spoiler-free review of the MCU's WandaVision, streaming now on Disney+. If you haven't yet watched it and want to experience it all genuinely for yourself, I recommend doing that first before reading further. If you are on the fence about it and you need some encouragement - read on!

  We're now a couple weeks out of the finale of Marvel's grand episodic experiment that is WandaVision, and I have certainly had some THOUGHTS on the show which I will try to coherently share with you today. 

  Marvel has always been a bold endeavor, simply by nature of its decade-long run with interconnected stories spanning multiple movies and series both on the big and small screens. But Marvel's first genuine venture into the television universe is possibly even bolder. It takes everything you think you know about Marvel and turns it entirely on its head. 

  "WandaVision blends the style of classic sitcoms with the MCU, in which Wanda Maximoff and Vision - two super-powered beings living their ideal suburban lives - begin to suspect that everything is not as it seems."

  If you don't know much about the title characters (Wanda and Vision respectively) than you can follow a basic MCU history of the two here in order to brush up on the characters before diving into the show. 

  When we catch up with the characters of Wanda and Vision, we are transported into a black and white, 1950's style world with a catchy theme song, old timey special effects, and even a live studio audience to chuckle at the multiple suburban mishaps that seem part and parcel with this type of television. As Wanda and her synthezoid husband muddle their way through an afternoon and evening of crossed wires and grouchy dinner guests, the audience may be wondering what on earth is happening here?

  Especially if you've checked out the recap above and know (SPOILERS) that Vision is certainly very dead, this idyllic suburban reality may come across as strange at first and, if you hang around long enough, almost a Twilight Zone level of creepy as the audience slowly awakens to the knowledge that something is very, very wrong in Westview, New Jersey, and there is someone behind this uncomfortable and familiar sitcom world. 

  Each new episode rings in a different decade in American sitcom history, from 1950's I Love Lucy style, to a typical 2000's mockumentary, the audience is guided through this homage to sitcom television, each episode rife with Easter eggs, oddities, and an undercurrent of tension as the audience is frequently reminded in the subtlest ways that something is very, very wrong. 

  While Wanda and Vision are dancing through the decades and playing house, the audience receives glimpses into the lives of a completely different set of characters who are hard at work to understand and deconstruct what exactly is happening in Westview. Some of these are new to viewers, like Captain Monica Rambeau and Director Hayward of SWORD. While others are old friends, Agent Jimmy Woo (from Ant-Man) and Darcy Lewis (of Thor). Each of these individuals is on their own personal quest into Westview, desperate for answers to the anomaly of this strange TV universe, and some with their own motivations. But they are not the only ones who may not be acting entirely upfront. Westview's own citizens are more than a little dodgy at times, and even Wanda herself, powerful as she is, is not entirely sure of them.

  As we rip through television history at what often feels like a break-neck speed for both audience and characters, we experience nostalgia, heartbreak, humor, huge 'aha' moments, and some super meta content for the eagle-eyed viewer. Coming to the super-charged finale after some surprising twists and turns, WandaVision watchers can be sure that not only will they be experiencing something totally unique and original, but also getting a good dash of good old everyday Marvel content. There is really something for everyone in this show.

  Personally, I absolutely loved WandaVision. I have always had a soft spot for Wanda's character, particularly as Elizabeth Olsen plays her, and it was so, so nice to see her get to shine in her own show alongside Paul Bettany's Vision. One of the biggest problems with the MCU as a whole is that there are so many amazing characters who get sidelined by the larger plot at hand, one of them being Wanda over the last 4 movies she was part of, and I was definitely excited to see her in her own show. 

  I watched weekly as episodes were released alongside my siblings and I am so thankful that we did. Though I'm usually a binger, having to wait a week and theorize alongside the rest of the internet was super exciting and it made the cliffhangers stronger and more agonizing to deal with. I can recall at the end of one episode where all five of us audibly shouted "NOOO!" when the credits rolled. With the average of 30 minute runtime, the end of each episode came way too fast. 

  Watching the first two episodes which were released together, we were all more than a little confused, and it was such a fun experience to have each week reveal more and more of the mystery until the epic finale in which Wanda got to really shine and step into her alter ego as The Scarlet Witch.

  There is a multitude of things I loved about the show, and some things I still haven't quite come to terms with. It was awesome seeing Wanda's children Billy and Tommy, on the big screen, the "recast" of Pietro, the old characters like Darcy and Jimmy coming back, a flashback episode of sorts where we get a behind the scenes look at Wanda's life, and so many more hilarious and heartbreaking little details through every episode. 

  I laughed, I cried, it moved me, Bob (a VeggieTales reference, for those who may be unaware). 

  To summarize, I would have to say one of the main reasons I enjoyed this show so much was its mismashed content. It was a mixed bag of sitcom bliss, trauma and grief, horror, an unexpected crossover, magic, and of course Marvel goodness. Not everyone likes the blurring of genre lines, but for me, this was cinematic gold and a huge draw of the show. If you want to see something totally original, totally epic, and totally moving, WandaVision is the show for you!

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LET'S TALK.

  Have you watched WandaVision yet? What were your thoughts? What more obscure Marvel character would you like to see get their own show? Do you love classic American sitcoms or are you more here for the more regular Marvel content? Let me know in the comments below!