"But what is grief, if not love persevering?"
Director: Matt Shakman
Starring: Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Kathryn Hahn, Teyonah Parris, Josh Stamberg, Randal Park, Kat Dennings
# of Episodes: 9
Where Available: Disney+
Rating:
The reason I loved WandaVision so much was that it transported me into another universe. I honestly don't blame Wanda for wanting to create an entire town of her own protected by magic to get away from the sadness that is the outside world. Every day in 2021 so far has felt extremely repetitive, so having that episode of WandaVision to look forward to at the end of the week made a HUGE difference! I hope that WandaVision broke that repetitive pattern for all of you, and if you haven't watched it yet, let that be the reason to convince you to.
WandaVision blends the style of classic sitcoms with the MCU, in which Wanda Maximoff and Vision - two super-powered beings living their ideal suburban lives - begin to suspect that everything is not as it seems.
It is almost impossible to write a review about WandaVision without repeating what thousands of theory videos and articles have already said. It took me a couple of days to start writing this review because I needed time to process my emotions. In the end, the main point that I want to get across here is that you DO NOT need to be a Marvel fan to watch Wandavision.
I have not read one review saying this and that makes me really sad. It feels like Marvel fans are gatekeeping this show and pushing away possible viewers if they do not know every single fact about the MCU. To those reading this who aren't giant Marvel fans, don't let the fact that you haven't seen every Marvel movie turn you away from watching WandaVision. (If you really want to be in the loop before starting, then I would recommend watching Age of Ultron, Infinity War, and Endgame) The creators of WandaVision did an amazing job at giving background information when introducing characters and talking about past events so that viewers coming in cold don't get confused. No matter how much you know about Marvel, whether it is a little or a lot, you will be crying after the last episode no matter what.
Opening up Tik Tok and Youtube after each episode came out on Friday was one of the best parts of the WandaVision experience. Reading about everyone's theories and explanations for Easter eggs is something the whole internet is doing together. I haven't felt this interconnected with such a large group of people since watching Jane the Virgin and saw every girl on Instagram trying to predict what was going to happen next.
I wanted to quickly mention the budget for this show: each episode had a rough budget of 25 million dollars. That brings the total budget of WandaVision to around $225 million, which is absolutely INSANE! The budget alone tells you how confident Marvel is in the success of this show and how much they know you are going to like it.
WandaVision would not have been NEARLY as amazing and heartbreaking without the stunning performances from Elizabeth Olsen (Wanda) and Paul Bettany (Vision). Olsen was asked to be a sitcom wife, a mom, a superhero, a witch, and a woman who was so overwhelmed by grief that she almost destroyed the whole world. The emotion that she brought to the table is truly unmatched in any other Marvel movie, and I can't wait to see what they do with her next! When it comes to Vision, there is literally no other person in the world who could have done it better than Paul Bettany. I have been a fan of Paul Bettany for the longest time (The Knight's Tale is one of my top 10 movies of all time), so to see him continue to grow as an actor in the biggest movie franchise of all time has been a true pleasure. Not only are they amazing actors on their own, but as Wanda and Vision, their chemistry is undeniable. Olsen and Bettany are a power duo that you won't want to miss.
If I could describe the vibe of WandaVIsion without getting into any spoilers, I would say it combines the themes of The Twilight Zone and The Truman Show. Do with that information what you will. Each episode itself is based on a popular sitcom from a different decade. For example, Episode 1 is based on The Dick Van Dyke Show while Episode 7 is based on Modern Family. Episode 1 was also filmed in front of a live studio audience! Not only is this idea of sitcoms essential to the plot (you will just have to watch the show to find out why), but it allowed the crew to experiment with techniques from old sitcoms that would not have been possible with any other TV show.
To end this spoiler-free section of my review, I want to quote the title of NPR's WandaVision review: "WandaVision Season 1 Proves Great Superhero Stories Are Just Great Stories, Period." What started as an origin story for Wanda Maximoff was just the beginning for one of the most powerful beings in the Marvel universe: The Scarlet Witch. I cannot wait for what's in store for Marvel Phase 4!
Quotes:
"But what is grief, if not love persevering?" - Vision
"I have what I want and no one will ever take it from me again." - Wanda
"Today, we will lie to you, and yet you will believe our little deceptions because human beings are easily fooled due to their limited understanding of the inner workings of the universe." - Vision
"So you're saying the universe created a sitcom starring two Avengers?" - Jimmy Woo
"I've always been alone, so I don't feel the lack. It's all I've ever known." - Vision
"And they lived happily ever after." - Vision
"A family is forever. We could never truly leave each other even if we tried." - Wanda
SPOILER SECTION:
This "spoiler section" is mostly for me as a place to jot down all my theories and questions I have for the rest of Phase 4!
What is the cleanup like after Wanda destroys the hex? What is the FBI supposed to do now? After finishing Episode 9 I just wonder what the aftereffect of the hex is going to do to Westview. Not sure if this is going to be answered in future movies but we shall see!
I hope that in the future we get an explanation of how Wanda actually did all of this. In the last 2 episodes, Agnes was trying to figure out how Wanda got her powers, yet Wanda didn't even know how to control it. The post-credit scene in Episode 9 gave us some answers. Wanda fled Westview to some faraway place to read the Darkhold and study her magic, since the Darkhold has an entire section dedicated to the Scarlet Witch. What does this mean for the new Doctor Strange movie coming out? Will Wanda be our villain in Phase 4, or will she learn to use her dark magic for good?
The internets Agnes theories are correct, but will its Mephisto theories be?
Will Billy and Tommy be coming back? Marvel has begun its casting for the Young Avengers, and I do not doubt that we will be hearing about the actors playing older Billy and Tommy (Wiccan and Speed) very soon. Their last moments in Episode 9 really hurt my soul, and their screams in the post-credit scene gave me hope that we will see them again soon.
WHAT HAPPENED TO VISION? SOMEONE, PLEASE TELL ME BEFORE I CRY! Wanda created Vision 2.0 for the hex, while Vision's REAL body was with a SWORD. SWORD then used this real body, now White Vision, to try and fight Vision 2.0 and get Wanda to destroy the hex, which backfired. Vision 2.0 has no memories from before the hex, but he knows that his real body does, so he restores those memories in White Vision. White Vision flys away after getting his memories back and we do not see him for the rest of the last episode. Then, when Wanda finally destroys the hex, Vision 2.0 is destroyed along with Billy and Tommy. She is right where she started: no vision. However, WHITE VISION IS STILL OUT THERE, which means Paul Bettany still has a job:) I am VERY excited to see where Marvel takes White Vision and Wanda in the future!
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