While "Echo" turned out well, this is another show that had some questioning Marvel's decisions in what projects to greenlight. While Kathryn Hahn was a highlight in "WandaVision" as Agatha Harkness, could the character lead her own series? As only the second MCU series to drop on Disney+ this year, "Agatha All Along" is a reminder of what made Marvel successful in the first place by taking a lesser-known character and giving them a compelling story.
As the show begins, we find Agatha still under Wanda's hex living in Westview as "Agnes". But between Wanda's death in "Multiverse of Madness" and an infiltrator making her question her reality, the hex is broken as Agatha reawakens but still depowered. With old enemies knocking at her door, Agatha assembles a coven of other troubled witches to travel down the Witches' Road where those who reach the end will be granted their hearts' desire. So in a way, another couple of good names for this show among all the fake ones they announced during production would be "How Agatha Got Her Groove Back" and "Agatha: Witches' Roadtrip."
Much like "Multiverse of Madness", "Agatha" is a direct follow-up to "WandaVision" both in story and in structure. The first episode alone plays out with "Agnes" living life like a TV show (albeit in her own head), this time being a crime procedural, before becoming Agatha again. The different setting approach "WandaVision" used is also applied to the trials our coven faces along the Road, placing them in different environments and clothes that evoke a certain aesthetic. My favorite out of this came in episode four where it eventually played out like a well-done music video. It's also worth mentioning that Wanda is looked back upon like a Boogeyman to the people of Westview, even three years after she took over the town; it shows how much Wanda's actions have left an impact and continue to do so within this series.
What sets "Agatha" apart is how it digs into witchcraft, displaying it as another kind of magic in the MCU and how their culture has been co-opted by mainstream society. There's also some horror elements present that make it so right to drop around Halloween. The type of horror used is varied and likewise has varying degrees of success. The final episode also offers a Shyamalan-like twist that will make you want to rewatch from the beginning to pick up on the clues that lead up to it.
What sets "Agatha" apart is how it digs into witchcraft, displaying it as another kind of magic in the MCU and how their culture has been co-opted by mainstream society. There's also some horror elements present that make it so right to drop around Halloween. The type of horror used is varied and likewise has varying degrees of success. The final episode also offers a Shyamalan-like twist that will make you want to rewatch from the beginning to pick up on the clues that lead up to it.
It goes without saying Kathryn Hahn still kills it as Agatha, this time delving into her backstory and putting her on a path of somewhat redemption. She's also surrounded by a great team of characters with the ones that really stood out to me being played by Joe Locke and Aubrey Plaza; in another similarity to "WandaVision", these are two characters whose true identities are a pivotal part of the story so I'll be avoiding spoilers regarding that.
Joe Lock plays a teenager who aspires to be a witch and is the one who frees Agatha from her hex in hopes of being taken on the Witches' Road. The relationship between him and Agatha is a highlight as we kind of see him go from fanboy to apprentice, reminding me at first of Eda and Luz from "The Owl House". Things take a turn halfway through though, bringing a real game-changer to the rest of the series.
Joe Lock plays a teenager who aspires to be a witch and is the one who frees Agatha from her hex in hopes of being taken on the Witches' Road. The relationship between him and Agatha is a highlight as we kind of see him go from fanboy to apprentice, reminding me at first of Eda and Luz from "The Owl House". Things take a turn halfway through though, bringing a real game-changer to the rest of the series.
I knew when Aubrey Plaza was cast for this series that her and Hahn would be a dream team. Even on her own, Plaza brings the chaotic nature she's known for from her past roles with a touch of tenderness underneath.
I won't pretend "Agatha All Along" is for everyone. It's different and a niche entry, but I found it overall to be fun and entertaining, ending on a note where I'm interested to see where some characters go next. At the very least, I recommend it to the MCU completionists and fans of Hahn and Plaza.
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