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WandaVision Episode 9 Review

Well, everyone, it’s finally over. Nine weeks, six decades of sitcoms, twists and turns around every corner, and it’s over. We’re at the series finale of WandaVision. So, did we get everything that we wanted out of the series finale? No, we didn’t. My theory about Pietro turned out to be wrong, but more on that later. But unlike some shows whose series finales can leave us disappointed (*cough* Game of Thrones *cough*), there’s not much to be dissappointed about here. It’s Marvel; we know that there’s going to be more to the story later on, so the story will continue. Ergo, I’m reviewing each part of the finale and where the show goes from here. It’s series finale time.

Wanda Embraces Her Identity…

The whole concept of WandaVision has been that Wanda’s trying to escape from the reality she’s been stuck with. One where her parents are dead, her brother’s dead, and Vision’s dead. She couldn’t deal with that, so she created the Hex. But no matter how much she wants to run from it, she has to learn to accept her reality. What she’s doing to Westview is wrong, and she can’t ignore that anymore. After Agatha continues to prod her and free everyone from her thrall, Wanda finally undoes the Hex. More importantly, though, Wanda chooses to embrace the role Agatha claims she’s meant to fulfill. She is now the Scarlet Witch.

I mentally freaked out when I first saw Wanda’s Scarlet Witch outfit. It’s a perfect synergy of the classic look and what she’s known to wear in the MCU. However, it’s also very dark and foreboding looking. You go, girl!

…But Says Goodbye to Her Family For Now

Ultimately, Wanda manages to come to terms with what’s going on around her. The Hex must come to an end, even though this means saying goodbye to her Vision and sons. They all know what this means, but they all accept this. They understand that this is the only way things can be set right. And with the end of the Hex, Tommy, Billy, and the Hex Vision fade out of existence.

I don’t buy that for a second! I don’t know how, but Tommy and Billy are going to return in some form or another. Having developed powers similar to their mom and uncle, Marvel likely means for them to become the next generation of heroes. The Young Avengers will rise one day, and they will be a part of it!

As for Vision, even though the one Wanda made is gone, he managed to do some good. He managed to talk down the original Vision that Hayward reanimated, and unlocked all of his memories. And then, White Vision left. Like, just leaves and goes somewhere else.

So, the good news is, Vision ended up coming back for real. However, the series finale gives us no clue as to where he’s gone. I have a feeling that we’ll see him in the future of the MCU, though. He’s too good a character to be forgotten.

Jerks Get Punished

There’s not much to say here. The two antagonists of this miniseries, Hayward and Agatha, get what they deserve. Thanks to Darcy and Jimmy Woo, Hayward’s illegal actions (bringing back Vision as a sentient weapon, risking the lives of everyone in Westview) are exposed, leading to him being arrested.

As for Agatha, Wanda gives her a more fitting punishment. While everyone else in Westview’s set free, she will remain trapped in the role she chose: that of the nosy neighbor. A fitting punishment for someone who tried to take power that didn’t belong to her. That said, I know that this is temporary. The MCU will compel Marvel to eventually release her when Wanda needs her. God help us when she’s freed.

Monica Flies Again

As for Monica, she came out of this story better than most. She helped save Wanda at her lowest point, and now she’s got superpowers of her own. And thanks to her help, Hayward’s going to be behind bars for some time. But Monica’s not meant to be grounded forever. In the mid-credits scene of the series finale, Monica’s approached by a Skrull disguised as an FBI agent. According to them, an old friend of their mom needs their help in space.

This is going to set us up for multiple routes here. On the one hand, Monica could end up being in the next Captain Marvel movie alongside her aunt Carol. On the other hand, she could be working with Nick Fury and Talos in the upcoming Secret Invasion series on Disney+. Either way, Monica’s journey to becoming a superhero’s already begun. Her mom would be proud.

By the way, Monica learned that that fake Pietro wasn’t anybody special. He was just some schmuck under Agatha’s control. No Pietro from another universe; just a dude with an embarassing last name.

Can’t Wait To See What’s Next

We shouldn’t be asking whether the series the finale to WandaVision was good. Instead, we should be asking about what’s next for the MCU. This is only the first step to Phase 4 of the MCU, one that’s going to include a new Spider-Man film, the Black Widow film, and so many miniseries and shows. But above all, it’s going to be building up to one movie that everyone can’t wait to see: Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. This show’s going to tie directly into that upcoming movie. It’s not known how she’ll affect it, but Wanda’s going to be playing a role in the next Doctor Strange movie. The question is whether or not she’ll be a hero or villain? I’m honestly hoping for the former, but the latter would be interesting.

Either way, this was a fitting sendoff to the first big show of 2021. Thanks for the memories, WandaVision. But question: what happened to that S.W.O.R.D. Agent that got in through the sewers?

I Give “Series Finale” a 3.9/5

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So, last week on WandaVision gave us a lot to deal with. Pietro’s back from the dead, Wanda’s fully aware that she’s created a sitcom world for herself and told S.W.O.R.D. to stay the hell away. Tommy and Billy are tweens. All the people of Westview are trapped in their own bodies. Did I mention Pietro’s back?

If the last episode blew the Internet’s mind, then this episode throws into a vat of acid. Three things you need to know about this review, people. Firstly, I’m going to unpack as much as I can. Second, major spoiler alert. Thirdly, this episode is peak 90s-2000s and I love it. It’s the millennial sitcom’s time!

Pietro Knows

So, you know how some shows have that character who’s aware of the medium they’re in and actively calls out the tropes? This episode sees Pietro establish himself as that guy for this fake sitcom. He knows that his role is to be an agent of chaos and disruptive influence in Westview because that’s what Wanda wants. So he plays the part, and plays it perfectly, even bringing up the sitcom formula: “Big Guy has a conflict. Twins need a father figure for the night. Don’t sweat it sis. I got the old XY chromosome.”

Pietro fits his role so perfectly, it’s unsettling. Made even more so by the fact that he’s aware of his death, and how he’s suddenly come back. It’s crazy. I’m not even sure if this is the real Pietro or is someone else; an imposter?

Tommy and Billy Have Powers

The title says it all: Tommy and Billy have inherited powers from their parents. Tommy’s got his uncle’s super-speed, and Billy got his mom’s Mind Stone based powers.

This is a big deal as it is, but it could also lead to long-term consequences for the MCU. In the comics, Tommy and Billy become the superheroes Speed and Wiccan. The fact that they have powers only affirms that whatever happens at the end, they’re going to have a role in the future of the MCU

I Don’t Trust Hayward

After the stunt he pulled last episode, any trust I had in Hayward’s good intentions was strained. After this episode, though, it’s gone completely! He makes it clear he’s determined to take down Wanda no matter what, and benches Monica, Jimmy, and Darcy when they object. Then, we learn that he’s found a way to track Vision in the Hex, but kept it a secret! He’s up to something!

Here’s my new theory: he doesn’t actually care about saving Westview. He just wants Vision back for some ulterior motive. I don’t know how S.W.O.R.D. got his body, but I don’t think they had the best of intentions with it. And given how this episode saw Hayward care more about Vision than anyone’s safety, he’s not done with him yet.

The Hex Expands

During the whole episode, Vision takes the opportunity to explore more of Westview and learns some disturbing things. For starters, anyone who isn’t in Wanda’s field of view is trapped frozen in place. Literal background characters without any roles to play. Now partially aware of what’s going on, Vision tries to leave the Hex to get help from S.W.O.R.D, leading to a very disturbing moment in which we see him begin to disintegrate in front of everyone.

So, in response, Wanda expands the Hex. That’s right, she grows the area of the Westview Hex, enveloping the S.W.O.R.D. base and most of the personnel in her fake world.

This is bad. Really, really bad. If Wanda’s capable of expanding the Hex like that, then there’s no telling how far she could take it! What if it gets to the point where she tries to cover the entire world in her spell?

Is Wanda Fully Responsible?

There’s an interesting question that’s been going around since the start of the show: is Wanda the sole person responsible for what’s happening? Her powers have never been this strong before, and while they reached similar levels in the comics, that was because they got juiced up by outside sources. I think the same thing may be happening here.

The evidence? This commercial. While all the other fake commercials have been about key moments in Wanda’s life, this isn’t, and it’s far darker.

I think someone, or something’s, sucking on Wanda’s powers for their own benefit. This would make sense since even Wanda doesn’t know how the Hex came to be. Or this could all be pure conjecture on the fans part. Either way, things are getting insane.

Things are Falling Apart

As we inch closer and closer to the finale for WandaVision, we see Wanda’s attempts to create her dream life begin to fall apart. Regardless, everything’s going to end up coming to a head, and it’s going to chance the MCU.

By the time the dust settles, I think we’re going to be looking back at one of the craziest things Marvel’s ever done. I loved this episode, and its Malcolm in the Middle vibes and sense of humor, and eagerly await to see where things go from here.

I Give “All-New Halloween Spooktacular” a 5/5

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WandaVision Episode 4 Review

We interrupt this program of your weekly dose of WandaVision to bring you this important news bulletin: I TOTALLY CALLED IT ABOUT WANDAVISION!!

No, seriously. I was right about my theory about the show: Wanda’s created a sitcom fantasy world to live out her dream life with Vision, who is still dead! The truth. Will. SHOCK YOU! Prepare for spoilers from beyond this point.

S.W.O.R.D. and the Rambeau Family

The episode starts off concurrently with the events of Avengers: Endgame, as we learn that Monica Rambeau (who we last saw as a kid in Captain Marvel) was one of the people Thanos snapped away, only to come back. In the chaos that followed, we learn a sad truth: Maria Rambeau, died of cancer in the five years between Infinity War and Endgame.

It was lightly touched upon in Spiderman: Far from Home how the actions of Thanos and their reversal had unimaginable socio-political fallout. Families were torn apart, never to be put back together. Jobs were lost, homes were lost. It’s just flat out cruel. I hope that, in the future, the MCU will explore the social fallout of “the Snap,” but for now, Monica has a job to do.

Quick background: S.W.O.R.D. is a sister organization to S.H.I.E.L.D., but the former focuses on threats from deep space. In-universe, Maria Rambeau founded it after Captain Marvel. But after the events of Thanos, they switched focus to dealing with sentient weapons and AI. Which is what leads Monica to Westview, New Jersey and for this to happen.

We Interrupt this Program

As a result of Monica’s disappearance, S.W.O.R.D. and every branch of the armed forces show up. And as the events of the previous episodes progress, they piece together everything that’s going on.

Firstly, we learn that all the characters are, in fact, the residents of Westview. They’re unwilling actors in this “show”. Secondly, any attempts to enter Westview result in objects or people conforming to the setting of the show. Finally, we confirm something that I already knew: Wanda’s fighting against any incursions into her perfect life. Case in point, she throws Monica out of the bubble world.

I’m still not sure if Wanda’s aware of what she’s doing, but on some level, she knows. She knows that Vision is dead, but she’s in denial. And that denial has led to her creating this sitcom world for herself, complete with a reanimated Vision. It’s a sickening sight to behold, and I won’t show you the image.

What’s the Plan Now?

So, now that S.W.O.R.D. knows that Wanda’s the one behind this sitcom, what will they do now? They have to find some way to interrupt this program and turn everything back to normal. But that’s the thing: I don’t know how.

No, seriously. I knew going in how this came about; it’s resolving it that I’m in the dark over. I mean, I have a few ideas, but that’s about it. I do know one thing, though: as WandaVision heads into the 1980s, things are going to keep falling apart even further.

In the meantime, I recommend you watch this show. It’s the first big show of 2021 and it needs to be nominated for an Emmy ASAP!

I Give “We Interrupt this Program” a solid 4.8/5

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