“Agatha All Along,” the 11th Marvel Television series on Disney+, just wrapped up its first season last Wednesday. It’s been getting good reviews, and it has gotten better as it progresses.
There is one main thing holding me back from enjoying it fully — I have to remember or rewatch nine episodes of 2021’s “WandaVision” or pay attention to a thorough recap. After that, I need to do the same for 2022’s “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.” It also helps to know more about Scarlet Witch in the comics and other characters like Mephisto, Death (Marvel version) and Wiccan.
On my social media feed, one person raved about episode seven and proceeded to watch an explainer to be able to appreciate it more. For the pilot, I actually went to watch an episode breakdown on a YouTube channel called “New Rockstars.” This is where a host or commentator points references, Easter eggs and relevant scenes from past shows.
“Agatha All Along” has Kathryn Hahn, Patti LuPone and Aubrey Plaza playing witches, which should be a draw this time of year, especially in the places where the leaves change color, the temperature drops, and it’s all about ghosts, pumpkin spice and haunted houses.
Patti LuPone ultimately steals the show as Lilia Calderu, who in the series is a Sicilian witch with the power the read oracles. If you think she’s great here — go watch her in season two episode three of “Penny Dreadful.” The episode is called “The Nightcomers,” it’s basically just Eva Green as Vanessa Ives and Patti as the Witch (or ‘cut-wife’) of Ballantrae Moor together in a cottage. I haven’t seen witchy TV in recent years that can come close. And you don’t need to do homework to find the magic.
One of the things everyone can gravitate toward is the “The Ballad of the Witches’ Road,” written by the award-winning lyricist tandem of Kristen Anderson Lopez and Robert Lopez. Bits and pieces of lyrics make up some of the episode titles. Episode four features a full rock band version of the song with LuPone and Hahn joined by other cast members Sasheer Zamata, Ali Ahn and Debra Jo Rupp.
Joining the cast of femme fatales is Joe Locke (from Netflix’s “Heartstopper’) who plays a key character initially known as Teen. Prior to the finale, the Marvel nerds have successfully guessed who he really is.
The show is also happily queer, when Agatha gives a confounding response to a question, she punctuates it with: “You want straight answers, ask a straight lady.” As OUT magazine put it, she’s “Agaytha all along.” I personally love the end credits which includes clips of animation from the old TV show, “Bewitched” (tweaked to make the witch Agatha), Fairuza Balk’s Nancy floating from 1996’s “The Craft,” the annual Witch Paddle, prints of Salem witch trials, the witch from Snow White going under the floorboards, a Raven, images from the Wizard of Oz, tarot symbols and more. It’s quite a delicious montage.
Ultimately, I do like witches, covens, spooks, lore and comedy but can I please have something where I don’t need an explainer video each week?
Be the first to comment