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WandaVision Episode 8 Review

Ever since WandaVision started, fans have been relentlessly asking questions about it. Is someone controlling Wanda and making her do this? How the heck did Pietro and Vision come back? Is Agnes really Agatha Harkness? But do you know what the biggest question has been? It’s how did the event dubbed the “Westview Anomaly” start, and how did Wanda’s powers start acting like they were on steroids? Not one knew the answer to those last two; not even Wanda.

That changes with the penultimate episode. Naughty Agatha makes Wanda take a trip down memory lane that reveals the truth about the Westview Anomaly. And that’s only the start of the bombshells we get this week.

*MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!*

We Learn About Agatha Harkness’ Past.

Even before we learned who she was, Kathryn Hahn’s role as Agatha Harkness has been the breakout role of WandaVision. She can go from serious and threatening to pleading for mercy to deliciously evil and hammy at the drop of the hat; her reveal song “Agatha All Along” went viral and hit the top of the charts on iTunes. But who is she, exactly?

Like in the comics, Agatha’s a centuries old witch who lived all the way back in Salem. However, in the MCU, her coven turned on her when she started using powerful dark magic. When they tried to kill her for it, she killed them instead. By accident.

While Agatha hasn’t outright stated her goal for messing with the Westview Anomaly, I have a theory. Remember the Yo-Magic Commercial? I think Agatha’s trying to leech off of Wanda, the most powerful magic user she’s ever seen, and drain her magic power for herself. I mean, if I was a power-hungry lady, that’s what I would do.

But that doesn’t answer the question: what is the Westview Anomaly, and how did Wanda create it?

It’s Always Been Wanda

For years, everyone thought that Wanda got her powers from the Mind Stone, one of the six Infinity Stones. And we bought that idea so easily; hell, I thought the Westview Anomaly was the result of her Infinity Stone based powers evolving. However, this episode revealed something big. It seems that Wanda’s always had latent magic powers in her. On the night her parents died and that shell lay in her living room, it never went off. Wanda thought it was defective; however, Agatha think she used magic to make it happen.

As much as I hate to admit it, Agatha might be right. At one point in the comics, Wanda was said to use very powerful magic. Now imagine that power being permanently juice by an Infinity Stone. Suddenly, the fact that Wanda can warp reality becomes very feasible.

Wanda’s Life of Trauma

So, when the Westview Anomaly was created, why did Wanda make it based off of various sitcoms? Because those sitcoms were her security blanket in an otherwise hellish life.

As it turns out, Wanda’s dad was a fan of old American sitcoms, and he would have the family sit down and watch some every now and then. Seeing how the characters in those shows only had to deal with silly, easily solvable problems made her want to have that kind of life. Instead, the universe seemed to want to continually screw her over. And when she found out about what S.W.O.R.D. did to Vision’s body, she seemed to steal it before creating the Westview Anomaly.

Or did she steal Vision’s body?

Hayward Started Everything

Hayward lied to everyone from the beginning. He made it look like Wanda stole Vision’s remains against his wishes, brought him, and created the Westview Anomaly. But he lied to everyone, and this episode proves it.

In one of the biggest twists to this miniseries, we learn that Wanda never broke into S.W.O.R.D. HQ; Hayward let her in so she could see what they were doing to Vision. She wanted to take his body, but only so she could lay him to rest; and Hayward refused, and gave her the idea of creating a fantasy life where Vision was alive.

The Vision we’ve seen in WandaVision isn’t the real one! He’s a construct created by Wanda’s magic, which is why he can’t survive outside the Westview Anomaly. But if that’s true, then what about the real Vision? It turns out, Hayward’s using all the events going on to get a hold of some of Wanda’s power so he can bring Vision back to life as an emotionless weapon. And he’s succeeded.

In the short time I’ve know Director Hayward, he’s proven to be a callous, deceitful, trigger-happy jerk. Now, he’s willing to risk the lives of everyone in the Westview Anomaly to test out his unholy new toy? That’s messed up on so many levels! Worse, if the comics are anything to go by, then the newly returned Vision will possess no emotions whatsoever. He’ll be a pitiless weapon, the kind that he sought to prevent himself from becoming.

The Big Finale Approaches.

So, to recap, Agatha’s revealed herself to be an evil witch. She’s holding Tommy and Billy hostage and is trying to exploit the power of the Westview Anomaly for her own purposes. And now Hayward’s sending Wanda’s real undead ex to off her. So, yeah, next week’s finale should be pretty amazing to watch.

I honestly have no clue how things are going to turn out, but I can imagine a lot of jaw-dropping moments and some good old fashioned fighting between heroes and villains. It’s gonna be great.

As for this episode, I never thought I’d say this, but I think there was too much exposition for me to deal with. After last week, it felt like this episode fell a little flat for me. Though, to be fair, this show has a pretty high bar to begin with.

I Give “Previously On…” A 3.5/5

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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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