“Breaking the Fourth Wall” was a game-changer episode of WandaVision across a number of fronts. On the story side of the equation, we received confirmation as to just who nosy neighbor Agnes really is (confirming the suspicions of just about everyone – including me). On the theme-side of things, well, after spending 6.5 episodes in the sitcom inspired world created by Wanda, it’s clear we aren’t in Kansas anymore. The change of the color scheme and filming technique at the close of the episode pulled us clear out of the land of sitcoms and into a more traditional, MCU-esque visual style. We’ve officially entered the endgame of the series, and things are truly starting to pick up as we race toward the finale.
This week, our sitcom time period was the early 00s, with The Office and Modern Family the clear inspirations (with the talking heads and the incredibly close mimicry of The Office‘s theme song – although the opening credits were in the style of Happy Endings, a great sitcom you should definitely check out). We also were treated to Wanda sporting the late 90s/early 00s “frazzled mom with a messy ponytail/two strands of loose hair framing her face” hair style. As it appears we won’t be spending anymore time in the sitcom universe, well, I was happy to see so many perfect touches to cap off our final decade. And while I doubt it was the real goal of the piece, I hope that this quick hit look at 70 years of US sitcom history inspires some to check out the real versions of the sitcoms parodied in the series. There are some really wonderful shows from the 50s, 60s, and 70s that I suspect people my age and younger never had the chance to look into. But Bewitched, I Love Lucy, The Dick van Dyke Show, and Mary Tyler Moore are well worth a look. And I was delighted to see Marvel and Disney deliver a series that really tried to explore some non-traditional means of telling this very specific story. I was nervous as to what they would come up with when the series was first announced, but I’m absolutely a convert to the smart touches within each episode, and how the series was unafraid to stick to its chosen framework despite also needing to tell a tale that would reverberate within the MCU.
Now, onto the MCU side of things. Several key developments occurred within “Breaking the Fourth Wall” that will be crucial moving forward. First, while WandaVision is absolutely a series built on the exploration of Wanda’s grief following the events of Endgame, it’s also an origin story for Monica Rambeau – and a really cool one at that. After choosing to enter the Hex for a third time, Monica now appears to have her energy absorption/manipulation powers that her comic counterpart possesses. However, rather than being hit with extra-dimensional energy, it certainly looked like Monica in the MCU willed herself into taking on her powers by refusing to be repelled by Wanda’s barrier. Her perseverance in pushing through saw multiple versions of Monica appear until the final, super-powered version emerged within Westview. So often in superhero tales, the hero gains their powers through an outside force or accident. Here, Monica willingly took the risk to herself by re-entering Westview, and then refused to be denied passage through the barrier by her own grit and determination – thereby allowing the Hex to complete her transformation and allow her powers to take root. Maria and Carol would be really proud of who Monica grew up to be, and I cannot wait to see how she is utilized moving forward within the MCU.
Now, on the villain side of things, yes, Agnes is really Agatha Harkness. And it appears that Agatha has been interfering in Wanda’s world since the beginning of the series. But here’s where things get a bit murky (and I’ll delve into some theories at the end of the review): Agatha has been both an ally and an antagonist for Wanda throughout her comic existence. But she’s never been an out-and-out villain. Which means either this version of Agatha is far more black hat than gray, or perhaps there’s someone or something else involved. I would be perfectly content with Agatha turning out to be the “bad guy” (insomuch as her manipulations changed things within Wanda’s own morally questionable actions), but knowing the MCU (and knowing how annoyed a vocal subset of the fanbase will be if there isn’t a real Big Bad at play here) I wouldn’t be shocked if we find out there’s more going on here than Agatha manipulating things. After all, we still need to know WHY she is doing what she’s doing. Either way, I’m thrilled that the excellent Kathryn Hahn finally gets something more to do – and that she will presumably be involved in the MCU in other ways moving forward, considering how interconnected Agatha is to both Wanda and other Marvel characters that Disney now has the rights to.
With no more sitcoms to parody, Wanda and Monica captured by Agatha, and Vision (and Darcy) aware of the artificiality of their sitcom reality (which, let’s face it, was already unraveling even before they became aware of things – whether because Wanda was losing control or because Agatha was inserting her influence more and more), we’re in the endgame now. I can’t wait to see what happens next.
WandaVision Theories/Easter Eggs:
— Ok, so we know Agatha is here and exerting her power over Wanda’s sitcom life. If you think back to earlier in the series, Agnes mentioned that she hadn’t been in Westview long, which either means she recently moved to the town with no ulterior motive (yeah, I didn’t think so either) or she chose Westview specifically to lure Wanda there for the site of her breakdown. I’m assuming it’s the latter and we’ll find out why Westview at some point in the future.
— Another interesting thing Agatha let slip: She told Wanda that Wanda isn’t the only magic user in Wanda’s little fantasy. This seems to point to the MCU not ret-conning Wanda into a mutant, but rather, keeping her powers in the realm of magical ability. This also means Wanda likely won’t be the catalyst for the mutants appearing within the MCU – unless Peter somehow lets slip that he’s really a mutant and that mutants are a thing in his universe and that causes Wanda to wish them into being. But that’s messy and weird, and if there’s one thing the MCU is not, it’s messy. Plot threads are tightly woven in and out of stories over the course of years, so bringing in mutants in one fell swoop would be a bit much.
— Speaking of other universes, I suspect you caught that creepy looking book in a place of honor in Agatha’s oddly swamp-looking basement? Well, my guess (and many others’ guesses) is that the book is somehow linked to the Nexus of All Realities (which ties nicely into the Nexus commercial mid-episode). Perhaps it’s what Agatha used to open a gateway to the former Fox X-Men universe to snag Peter. Another reason to think we’re working with the Nexus of All Realities? The comic version is located in the Florida Everglades, and well, Agatha’s basement certainly looked pretty swampy for New Jersey. Oh, and the next Doctor Strange film, which Wanda will be involved in, is called Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
— One more Agatha item and I’ll move on. Anyone else think it’s strange we haven’t met Agnes’ husband Ralph yet? Sure, if could be a reference to the sitcom trope where you hear about a spouse and never meet them. But could WandaVision still have one more big reveal left for us? After all, the twins are missing and we know how they were created in the comics . . . Just a theory.
— Here’s a fun one: Monica Rambeau eventually becomes Captain Marvel in the comics. Now, sure, her rank in SWORD is Captain, so it makes sense that everyone would refer to her by that moniker, but it’s a simple Easter Egg to link to her potential future role within the MCU as well.
— If you’re wondering which classic sitcom the Agatha All Along credits were based on, that would be The Munsters. Fitting, no?
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