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the-shared-brain-in-retrograde · 2 years

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WandaVision

A joint review...

We’ve got a confession - we have thought long and hard and discussed our options, and we still have no idea how best to tackle our tv show reviews. So come with us now on a magical journey of chaos as we do our best and try not to become overwhelmed by content.

It’s safe to say that we like this show very much. Becks has just said ‘It was a good start to the Marvel tv shows, because it was so different but it wasn’t shit.’ Which sort of sounds like she’s throwing shade at the other ones (Cass side-eyed her phone hard at this point) but I’m sure that’s not what she meant. It is different though, and it’s just well thought out and excellently put together, and we love it.

The show asks that you take a leap of faith and just go with the flow bro, because it starts with a strong commitment to the vintage aesthetic. For much of the first episode, you do feel like you could just be watching a 50s sitcom ala Bedazzled. (We fucking love the Bedazzled vibes by the way, we’d happily do a stint as suburban witches). It is confusing, as you know that there must be something else to it, but in the first episodes you only get a hint of things being wrong so you’re not at all sure how it’s going to unfold. But it’s confusing in a fun way - and it’s nice to have a little light hearted fun from time to time. Before we get smashed in the feels again by all that lovely trauma.

What we can agree on is that we wouldn’t want our boss to come round for dinner. When we say our boss, we mean Cass’ boss (well her bosses boss, sort of an awful man really). At this stage, there is only one person that Becks would like to have round to dinner, and that is dear Jimmy Woo. She’s gone a bit feral in her notes and repeatedly got ahead of herself with demands as to when Jimmy will appear. It would be nice to have him to dinner as well, because he seems a lovely man and could entertain us with some close up magic.

We also agree that breakfast for dinner is good. So there.

Cass: Which decade is your favourite of all them?

Becks: Well I really like the modern one where she talks to the camera, because I relate to that. (Presumably, Becks has a camera-crew following her at all times). But I also like the 60s one, where the magic act goes wrong and it’s a bit slapstick. And I like the 50s one.

Cass: I think there is something quite comforting about the older eps. I do love the 60s one. I love the humour and the men's gossip group posing as the neighbourhood watch. And just everything that comes out of Agnes’ mouth. Definitely not the 70s one though, because the accelerated pregnancy weirds me out.

For pure enjoyment purposes, the second episode is our joint favourite. We love the talent show magic act, we like Vision going a bit funny, and Becks lost her mind and screeched IS THAT JIMMY?! when his voice came through the radio, and it was, so that is also nice. What we don’t like though is that bee-keeper emerging from the sewers. It’s just all very nightmarish, and if we were Wanda we would absolutely rewind that part too. It’s also a very nice touch when she finds the helicopter in her bushes and it’s in full colour against the black and white. The whole way they keep adding little unsettling elements is just really nice.

Onto the 70s, and isn’t Monica’s blue eyeshadow magnificent? Well done to the make up department, 10/10. Cass doesn’t like this episode on account of the pregnancy bit making her think of aliens or parasites growing uncontrollably inside you (which is probably a personal issue that she will have to work through at some point, or maybe not, who knows), so we will refer to Becks’ notes. We do agree that we hate the patronising doctor. Stupid man. We’re glad his holiday was ruined. Becks also thinks it’s really good how they start to show Wanda’s perception of this weird reality is crumbling, and how you start to realise she is the one in charge. Poor Monica is blasted out of town, but at least now we know someone will get to the bottom of what’s going on. Becks also had a third false alarm over potential Jimmy, but never fear, he is coming!

We follow Monica out of Westview and into a flashback that starts to give us some missing pieces of the puzzle. We haven’t seen this side of the blip before really, with people coming back on-mass and the confusion of it all, none of them knowing where they are or what is going on. The chaos comes through here in a way that it didn’t in Endgame, which Becks has just wisely announced makes sense as it’s a whole programme about chaos. It also maybe explains why so many of our avenger friends are having to work through grief in Phase 4. So we can’t really blame Wanda, even as the events of this episode start to unfold.

We suspect Hayward is a wrong ‘un from the off. Unfortunately we can’t prove anything at this stage, and apparently proof is quite important when you’re throwing accusations around, so we’ll just have to remain vigilant and gather evidence to be able to say ‘told you so’ at a later stage. However, for now let us say he gives off Big Dick Energy, and not in the way he might wish. He is the reason that Monica is sent to Westview in the first place though, and therefore the reason her path crosses with the fabled Jimmy Woo. We can all rest easy now that we see his sleight of hand magic practice has paid off, and the episode all feels a bit like Supernatural or the X Files as they try to work out what’s going on at Westview, so that’s nice. (We’re basing this on vibes alone, neither of us have ever watched an episode of the X Files. Please don’t yell at us in the comments. One of us was too busy with 15 seasons of Supernatural and the other only watches the first three Captain America films on repeat. We’re learning every day and will try to do better in future.)

As if to balance out the joy of Jimmy Woo (Becks just wailed WOOOOOO, totally overcome, and sounding like a ghost on a gentle fairground ride) we have to put up with another character whom we intensely dislike in this episode, Darcy Lewis. Cass was so bitterly disappointed the first time she watched this programme and Darcy showed up. She’s just the worst, and we can’t adequately explain why, it’s just vibes. Very negative vibes. Also, we don’t buy that she just walked in there and figured it all out in seconds. She’s annoying and boring and thinks she’s funny when she isn’t, and we hate her.

We’re getting out of the light-hearted fun and more involved in the trauma now as we enter the 80s. Cracks are starting to show in Wanda’s illusion, the fact that ‘in a real magic trick everything is fake’ is starting to shine through, and Vision is beginning to question what is going on around him as he realises that all is not what it seems.

Vision as a character is a strange one. We’re fond of Paul Bettany, but we do find Vision to be quite a bland character. Also, in Infinity War his relationship with Wanda seemed to materialise out of the blue, and Wanda aged up dramatically compared to to Civil War, so it all felt a bit confusing and we weren’t quite sure what she saw in him. It is nice to be able to spend a bit more time with him in this series, and actually get to find out some more about him for a change, but he doesn’t ever really seem as well developed or interesting a character as Wanda herself.

We both got furious when Hayward refers to Wanda as the victimiser, because it’s clearly just not true and she’s been through so much that it seems a horrible thing to accuse her of when she’s repeatedly been victimised herself. It’s also at this stage that Hayward outs himself as a baddie (TOLD YOU SO) by gathering up all the guns in the vicinity like baddies are wont to do. And then Wanda comes out and tells them all to clear off, and looks amazing in her coat and beautiful hair, and turns the guns on him which we agree is very cool, and we love Wanda.

We also love Agnes on babysitting duty. Should she be left in charge of children? No. Do we love to see it? Yes. Becks was once again moved by the Victorian attitude to child rearing displayed when she suggested dosing them with hard liquor for a bit of peace and quiet. Cass is getting concerned by how often Becks refers to the Victorians as pinnacles of child rearing and labour, but neither of us have children so we don’t need to get too worried about it just yet.

Pietro turns up and everything goes a little bit meta. He seems to know what’s up, and they have a little knowing aside about the drastic change to his appearance that feels a bit like breaking the fourth wall. It’s very much a sign of poor Wanda losing her grip on things, especially alongside the little snippets of him and Vision dead which keep bleeding through. All perfect themes for a Halloween episode.

We love the Halloween episode, because we love to see American Halloween. It has long been a dream of ours to visit America over Halloween (perhaps New England) and experience it first hand. It does raise questions though, mainly what with everyone always so involved in Halloween who is giving out the sweets? From what we’ve seen, everyone is at parties but someone must have stayed home otherwise it would just be lots of kids fruitlessly ringing the doorbells of empty houses. Could it have been exaggerated for cinema? Surely not! Answers on a postcard please.

Incidentally, should anyone wish to invite us to experience an American Halloween, then we will gladly accept. We have no sense of self preservation or concerns about visiting strangers houses when offered sweets, and despite it’s recent efforts Fresh has done nothing to change that. Possibly the opposite, but again that’s a personal issue. Also, Becks says we’re very good at parties. Although Cass isn’t sure who she’s comparing us to. So anyway. Call us!

Becks: sings* You can always find me in the kitchen at parties...

Cass: *also sings* Eating all your little sweets and dressed up as a witch!

Vision goes on a spooky little fact finder to the outskirts of town, and everything just goes all wrong. Although disturbing, we did enjoy Agnes’ outburst where she just screams ‘DEAD’ repeatedly, made even better when we find out she’s been faking it the whole time and made a conscious decision to be unhinged. Top marks Agnes. Then Vision tries to leave and starts disintegrating, and it’s awful, feels like the snap all over again, but Wanda saves the day and even dresses everyone up as the circus so that they can join in the party. Thoughtful Wanda. And sassy.

By Episode 7 everything is coming apart at the seems. Wanda’s ‘I’m fine’ monologue is brilliant - even though she clearly is fine it does lift the episode somewhat. Agnes reveals that she ‘did actually bite a kid once’ and we can believe it. Vision also shines in the interview sections and his bits as he tries to get across town and is continually thwarted by his magical wife are a delight. Cass wouldn’t mind watching all of the other shows do special episodes filmed in this format. She imagines Loki would be particularly entertaining.

The Monica and Jimmy team up is a duo that we wouldn’t mind seeing again. They are a delight. Becks is making noises that suggests she’s gone on a pleasant mind trip down fantasy lane to a branch of the multiverse where this is a thing. So that’s something to occupy ourselves with in future.

Monica is a bit foolhardy rushing through the barrier for the millionth time, but it does give her some badass super powers of her own, and after all the shit with Hayward we think she deserves them. We also really like how she sees Wanda for who she is and keeps trying to reach her, because she recognises her own grief in her and genuinely wants to help.

But the truth of the matter is we love a villain, and so there is no-one in his whole show that we enjoy as much as Agnes, aka Agatha Harkness. We. Fucking. Love. Her. Her villain reveal is absolutely brilliant. The first time Cass watched that episode she instantly wound it back to re-watch Agatha All Along, because we can all agree that it’s perfection. Even the dog death didn’t put Becks off her, and that’s saying something.

Becks: I had that song stuck in my head at work the other day.

Cass: For some reason, I had My Old Man’s A Dustman stuck in mine.

Becks: *wheezes* Where did that come from?!

Cass: No idea. I only know one verse. It was awful.

Anyway. We know all the words to Agatha All Along, and if called upon could probably perform it at a neighbourhood talent show.

Becks: Are you saying my potato act is not good enough?

Cass: I wold never trash talk your potatoes.

Agatha also has a brilliant witchy basement and a brilliant witchy backstory. Becks has just said ‘all she’s really wanting to do is help Wanda’ which seems a suspect statement but Cass can’t really argue because we have so many reasonable excuses for villain behaviour stored up between us that we could probably set up shop and sell them at this stage. Anyway, as part of her ‘helping’, Agatha forces Wanda to confront her past traumas, the better to move on and also conveniently remember how she managed to create this Stepford Wife-esque world in the first place. We appreciate the back story because it does fill in some gaps and also make a lot of things make sense. She’s then planning to steal all of her power for her own, but only because she has proper training and knows how to use it responsibly, we’re sure. No ulterior motives, what on earth is Wanda making all this fuss about.

We love Wanda though, so we don’t want to see her sucked dry of power. We also think it’s really horrible that she had to see Vision’s body all chopped up and being used for parts. We couldn’t help imagining ourselves in that situation, and want to make it clear (Steve Kemp, if you’re listening) that we have a pact to avenge each other should we ever end up in this situation. Which given our previous statement about not minding whose house we go into is potentially more likely than we anticipated at the start of this review. This whole thing has been as much a learning lesson for us as it has for Wanda. The flashback to Vision and Wanda hanging out at the Avengers Compound is quite sweet, and Vision’s bit about ‘what is grief if not love preserving’ does make Cass go a bit misty-eyed if it gets her in the right mood.

In true Marvel style, everything then escalates and ends with a big fight. Regrettably, Cass has written ‘nothing like a bit of girl on girl’ for the second review in a row. We love Wanda’s quick thinking with the runes, she’s such a smarty and on balance we’re glad she wins. But we’re also glad that Agatha isn’t destroyed, and we’re going to get to see more of her in future. We just love witches okay? Also it’s nice to have it confirmed that Wanda is more powerful than Doctor Strange, because we reckon he would hate that and as he causes nothing but bother we would like to give him some bother back.

We should really mention the creepy white Vision that Hayward Frankenstein’d together here. We don’t like him at all, his eyes especially give Becks the heebie-jeebies. The two Vision’s fighting all feels very multi-versy as well, but it is definitely the politest fight that we have ever witnessed in the MCU so that’s something.

Wanda’s storyline is horribly sad, and we both really hope that this starts to improve for her. She’s left very alone at the end of this show, carrying even more loss than before because her children are now gone too. In a way, it is cathartic that she is able to say a goodbye to Vision, but it doesn’t lessen the grief of the fact that he is gone. We do really care about Wanda, and would love to see her rejoin the rest of the scattered avengers and build a bit of a family there again for herself. There’s so much grief in Phase 4 and it would be nice for her to be able to find a bit of happiness.

It was really nice to revisit this show, especially because knowing what happens means that you watch the whole thing with a different perspective and enjoy it in a different way. It’s a lot of fun, we love the commitment that went into the style of the different eras as much as the commitment that went into Wanda’s character development. As much as there is such sadness in the show there is also a lot of fun and inventiveness, and it did feel quite different for the MCU at times, which was nice. As May approaches, Cass is really looking forward to seeing Wanda again in Multiverse of Madness. This is a sentiment that Becks can’t quite get behind, her rage over Doctor Strange and his fuck up ways sadly outweighs her love for Wanda, and frankly I imagine she will watch the whole thing with a face like thunder and a lot of tutting. Still who knows, maybe it will change her mind about him entirely. But Becks can really hold a grudge, so we doubt it.

We’re reviewing Shang Chi next, a film we both agree is excellent and not just because there are dragons! Don’t touch that dial!

love Becks and Cass

#wandavision #wanda x vision #wanda maximoff #vision #agatha harkness #it was agatha all along #jimmy woo #monica rambeau #the scarlet witch #mcu #marvel cinematic universe #film review #movie review #elizabeth olsen #paul bettany #katherine hahn

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