‘WandaVision’ Series Review — A Risk That Pays Off

After an entire year without a new installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Phase Four kicks off with a brand new miniseries on Disney+. WandaVision is a superhero sitcom starring Elisabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany as Wanda Maximoff and Vision, two superheroes living a suburban life in Westview, when something sinister begins to unfold.

Like with my other series reviews, I will go episode by episode and tell you my thoughts on each one with SPOILERS.

Episode 1: Filmed Before a Live Studio Audience

This was a very nice opener to the series. The sitcom format, complete with laugh tracks, takes a little bit of getting used to given how different it is from the rest of the MCU, but once you get settled in, you get strangely invested in the story and the style they’re going for.

Debra Jo Rupp is a welcome presence, especially given her background in That ’70s Show. Also, the way they pay tribute to the writing style in the 1950s feels very authentic, especially the scene when Vision and Wanda are on the phone, and they’re talking about two different things, but they don’t know that.

Episode 2: Don’t Touch That Dial

The next episode brings us forward to the 1960s, where Wanda and Vision perform a magic act for their neighbors. It’s a very entertaining sequence (as a magician, I’m biased). It’s always interesting to see how Marvel makes their special effects look worse to appear more appropriate for the ‘60s.

We also get reintroduced to Teyonah Parris as “Geraldine,” one of Wanda’s neighbors. The writing once again proves to be pitch-perfect for its setting, especially during the funny “sitcom” moments with the female characters. The beekeeper scene and the radio scenes are intriguing and leave us with questions we want to be answered.

Episode 3: Now In Color

Wanda and Vision arrive in a ’70s sitcom as she goes into labor. This was a very entertaining episode that doesn’t have as many funny sitcom moments as the first two but does a great job with its scenes where Wanda is trying to keep Geraldine from seeing the stork. The delivery of the twins was also handled very well.

My favorite aspect of this episode is how it gives more insight into what is happening. Wanda mentions Pietro Maximoff, and Geraldine breaks character, revealing he was killed by Ultron in Avengers: Age of Ultron. I love how we change from the old 4:3 square aspect ratio to the present-day widescreen 2.35:1 aspect ratio once Geraldine is expelled from the sitcom reality, surrounded by S.W.O.R.D. agents.

This is where the show starts to pick up, and I love that.

Episode 4: We Interrupt This Program

I found this episode to be a very refreshing change of pace for the series’ sitcom format. This episode explains much of the mysteries we’ve seen so far, from the beekeeper to Rambeau’s presence in the film. We got to see the Blip from a different perspective in the opening scene, which was fascinating.

We also see Randall Park's return as Agent Jimmy Woo from Ant-Man and the Wasp (he finally did that card trick!), as well as Kat Dennings as Darcy Lewis, reprising her role for the first time since Thor: The Dark World eight years ago. They step back into their roles perfectly and have a great dynamic.

This is an excellent, satisfying episode that gave us answers and left questions in the air. While the fact that we have all these supporting characters from previous Marvel films working on the same case strains credibility, it’s nice to see them again.

Episode 5: On a Very Special Episode…

Now, I’m biased in my appreciation for this episode because it is largely a tribute to Family Ties, my favorite ’80s sitcom. We have an integration of the sitcom format with the modern-day S.W.O.R.D. investigation into what is happening to Westview, and it is very entertaining.

The writers made a brilliant decision with this episode. At this point, almost all of the questions as to whether Vision is dead and why this is an MCU sitcom are answered. To keep audience members watching, they needed to give them a new surprise.

So along with the sitcom format, we have the introduction of Evan Peters as Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver, Wanda’s brother. My jaw was on the floor.

Episode 6: All-New Halloween Spooktacular!

This is another amazing episode. It’s a Halloween episode, and there’s a lot to dissect about this one. Everything inside the sitcom remains entertaining and mysterious as Wanda tries to figure out what is going on with Pietro and Pietro seems to be one step ahead of her.

It’s a compelling enigma, and as Vision begins to poke around Westview, it gets more and more interesting and unsettling. Everything going on outside of the Hex with S.W.O.R.D. is much less impressive, with our heroes serving as the underdogs confronting the bureaucratic Director Hayward. These scenes with people looking at screens feel a bit familiar.

But the ending sets up the next episode in a very compelling way, as Wanda brings nearly everyone, including Darcy, into the Hex.

Episode 7: Breaking the Fourth Wall

While the show has generally felt like the episodes are on an upward trajectory, with each episode outdoing the last, this episode did not exceed my expectations. It was as good and as interesting as I was expecting, but none of the subplots were as investing as they have been in prior episodes.

Having established that, this remains an entertaining episode. It pays homage to Modern Family and The Office in a charming fashion. I love how we get Monica’s transformation into the superhero Photon, and personally, I’m always a fan of when the MCU goes a bit darker and horror-esque.

That’s what I like about the final sequence, where we get the reveal that Agnes is Agatha Harkness, the true villain of the show. It’s not a big surprise, given that many theorists predicted this, but it leaves the door open for a powerful final two episodes.

Episode 8: Previously On

This was very much an exposition episode; it’s the most unique of the series, as it departs from the sitcom format and features none of the S.W.O.R.D. scenes with Jimmy, Monica, and Darcy. This episode gives a lot of answers for everything that led up to the events of the series.

It goes into Wanda’s past, and it leads to very emotional sequences. Elizabeth Olsen’s performance in this episode is fantastic, and she sells every bit of this character. Where the episode disappoints is how it doesn’t bring the story forward from the previous episode, and the way the exposition is given feels a bit contrived.

The episode leaves things off on a curious note, as Wanda finally receives the title of Scarlet Witch from Agatha, and Hayward has resurrected Vision. It’s a mysterious, powerful episode, but it’s easy to be let down by our own expectations.

Episode 9: The Series Finale

The conclusion to WandaVision is one that generally worked. We finally have Wanda facing off against Agatha Harkness, and she becomes the Scarlet Witch in a truly epic scene. It’s powerful and exciting, and the emotional scenes between Wanda, Vision, and their children hit hard.

Where the finale can be a bit disappointing is how after weeks of speculating about the possible appearances of Mephisto, Reed Richards, Magneto, and the integration of the X-Men into the MCU, the fact that Evan Peters is portraying a random man named Ralph Bohner feels like a disappointing cheat.

The finale never answers what happens to White Vision after he and Vision’s fascinating conversation about the Ship of Theseus paradox. It leaves parts unanswered, and I think our anticipation may have allowed this to feel like a letdown, but overall, it was a satisfying finale.

Overall Thoughts

This was a unique outing for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. They have never attempted a project as ambitious as this. I had reservations about Marvel doing a sitcom, but they did a great job combining it with the style we’re used to.

While the finale's action isn’t among the best Marvel has offered, and Evan Peters's setup ended up being a disappointment, it is an exciting miniseries. It has fantastic performances from Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany, and the supporting cast does excellently.

It’s not my favorite Marvel project, but it was entertaining and a great experience to see each episode and bond with others about it. It explores grief and the character of Wanda in fascinating ways, and I liked it a lot. This was a risk, but it was a risk that pays off.

Grade: ★★★★☆ [8/10, B+]

WandaVision is now streaming on Disney+.