Wandavision – Episodes 1 and 2 Review

Let me level with you: I don’t know the endgame for Wandavision. I don’t know why Wanda seems to be living in recreations of classic sitcoms (The Dick Van Dyke Show and Betwitched would be the templates for Episodes 1 and 2, respectively, in case you aren’t up to date on your TV history – and if that’s the case, might I recommend checking them out, as they are truly sensational). I don’t know who the mysterious SWORD operative was at the end of Episode 1 and I can’t say for certain who was reaching out to Wanda over the radio (although I’m pretty sure I know who it is – I’ll cover my theories at the end of the review, so feel free to skip to the bottom if that’s what you’re interested in). I do know that we need to watch the series if we want to be fully briefed for the next Doctor Strange film (in which Wanda will co-star) – a marked departure for Marvel TV (past Marvel TV series operated in the same universe as the films, but weren’t considered required viewing to fully grasp elements of the MCU).

So, Wandavision. It’s unique, layering comedy onto characters that are famously bereft of it. It is also allowing Elizabeth Olsen (Wanda) and Paul Bettany (Vision) the chance to have some fun and play actual characters. One of the (very few) failings in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is that the films have failed to fully develop any supporting character who lacks their own film. So, Falcon, Winter Soldier, Hawkeye, War Machine, Black Widow, Wanda, and Vision lack the depth of their fellow Avengers. It’s the price of doing business in the over-stuffed Marvel world – and something Marvel is clearly trying to rectify, considering most of those characters are getting their own Disney+ shows, and Black Widow is getting her posthumous feature film lead debut in 2021. So, it’s great to get a chance to spend some time with both of these characters, even if it’s just homework for another movie (as someone who has seen nearly all of the Marvel films – sorry not sorry I missed out on Thor 2 – I’m not thrilled at the prospect of having to watch TV shows in order to understand movies in the future of the MCU, not that Disney cares). Especially as Vision is, for all intents and purposes, dead.

Sorry about that spoiler for Endgame, but when all the heroes converged to take out Thanos once and for all, Vision was not among them. Or, I suppose he was, as the Mind Stone (the stone that brought Vision to life) was a large part of the proceedings. But yeah, he’s dead and he’s not coming back (barring some real ret-conning of the story and I don’t think Marvel is desperate enough for that quite yet). And if Vision should be dead, I think it’s safe to say that something is rotten in the state of Wandavision. Again, not a large leap with the various sinister moments sprinkled throughout the first two episodes, but that simple fact does tell us a whole lot about what we should expect from the series moving forward.

Yes, it’s fun to watch Olsen and Bettany (along with the delightful supporting cast – particularly the great Kathryn Hahn as Agnes the neighbor and Emma Caulfield as the caustic, but terrified, Dottie) play fast and loose with classic sitcom tropes. And comedy, even of the dark variety, has been in short supply when it comes to either character throughout their time in the MCU, so again, nice to see those facets of each character expanded and explored. But for all of those nice, fun elements, it’s all but impossible to ignore what the show is really about: Solving the mystery of what Wanda is doing in a sitcom world and who put her there.

And here’s where my complaints about doing MCU homework come into play again. I can’t help but assume this entire series is a set-up to tell us what Wanda has been up to since Endgame and to introduce us to new villains/agencies/power players who will be important when Doctor Strange II hits our screens. You can dress the show up as a character vehicle for Wanda, you can let Elizabeth Olsen shine on a larger stage than she usually gets, and you can give Vision fans one more chance to see him in corporeal form before he’s gone for good, but you can’t hide the fact that this series is just another installment in the MCU meant to bridge a gap between films. Will I keep watching? Yes, because like so many others, I’ve been conditioned to watch as much Marvel as I can get (and for all my complaints, the show is still gorgeously produced – and that set decoration is just incredible). But I can’t help but wish there was less Easter Egg hunting and more character development at the heart of Disney+’s first Marvel series.

Wandavision Theories/Easter Eggs

— This first one isn’t really a theory or Easter Egg, but an observation that will likely lead to something further down the line in terms of revealing what exactly is going on. The only time Wanda really broke from her happy homemaker trance was when she was confronted with something that forced her to think about the problems with her happy world. At dinner, it was the myriad of questions about her and Vision’s life together – a life that never existed in this manner and can’t exist in the present due to the events of Endgame. At the end of Episode 2, it was the appearance of the beekeeper, who Wanda immediately recognized as a threat to her happiness and immediately wound back time to erase. Does this mean that Wanda has created this fantasy world, where Vision is alive and they are living blissfully together in the realm of classic sitcoms – where everything can be solved in a tight half hour? Or is that only one element of the answer?

— SWORD: At multiple points in the first two episodes, the SWORD logo is spotted, tipping us off that the Sentient Weapon Observation Response Division has officially become a part of the MCU. Now, what is SWORD, well, we don’t know for certain how it will be utilized in the MCU, but historically it has handled extraterrestrial and space threats to Earth. Think of them as the Space SHIELD. And, with the MCU set to spend more time dealing in space, aliens, and other supernatural elements, well, it’s a fitting time to bring in the governmental agency that deals with those things. Oh, and SWORD also has a history of dealing with mutants and the X-Men, and seeing as Wanda is a mutant (and the MCU now has the rights to all of the X-Men), that’s another interesting link. Usually, SWORD are the good guys, so are they trying to help Wanda? Does Wanda not want their help? Or are they keeping Wanda on lock down, lest she do something cataclysmic in the wake of Vision’s final death? Wanda is one of the most powerful mutants on the planet, and she could cause some serious damage if she isn’t fully in control.

— What About that Beekeeper: Wanda didn’t like the looks of the beekeeper (who was sporting the SWORD logo on his costume). And he was pretty creepy, emerging from the sewer and surrounded by bees. But, if this is a fantasy simulation of some sort, perhaps it’s the simulation that added the bees (perhaps they are meant to represent a buzzing static – like of the radio message)? Marvel, naturally, does have a group of baddies, Advanced Idea Mechanics (AIM), who dress in beekeeper suits – and AIM were involved in Iron Man 3. My guess is that this is another attempt by SWORD to infiltrate the simulation (or whatever it is) and communicate with Wanda. But Wanda is perfectly happy to keep living out her life with Vision and wants nothing to do with their overtures.

— The Voice on the Radio: So, I know that voice was Randall Park, who played Jimmy Woo, the FBI agent assigned to watch Scott Lang in Ant-Man and the Wasp. But what does that mean? Well, I think it means that Woo is no longer with the FBI and is now working for SWORD and has been tasked with extricating Wanda from whatever is happening to her. He certainly seemed pretty insistent that something bad is happening and that someone has her under their control. As a big fan of Park’s, I’m excited to see what else he gets to do as the series continues (hopefully a lot more than just yell over radios).

— The Commercials: For the youths who never lived in a world without TiVo and streaming, commercials used to be big part of television in the olden days. But these commercials, as I’m sure you guessed, weren’t just another hit of nostalgia for the series. They each meant something – or rather, they were meant to remind us and Wanda of something unpleasant in her past. The Toast Mate 2000 was created by Stark Industries – and beeped before the toast popped up. You might recall that a Stark-made explosive device killed Wanda’s parents when she was a child. Seeing that name, even after she has teamed up with Tony in the past, and hearing a beeping sound, were likely meant to recall that trauma. And then there was the Strucker watch. That one is extra nasty, as Baron Wolfgang von Strucker was the Hydra villain who imprisoned Wanda and experimented on her and her brother Pietro, eventually pitting her against the Avengers in Age of Ultron. He was killed by Ultron, but he’s clearly still a part of Wanda’s psyche.