AGATHA ALL ALONG. © 2024 MARVEL

Agatha All Along

I wasn’t sure what to expect from Marvel/Disney’s latest show, or how to talk about it. Separating one piece of the vast Marvel Universe from the rest can be a challenge; after all, you can’t really discuss Agatha the show, without acknowledging Agatha the character’s origin in one of Marvel’s (IMO) best shows, WandaVision, and Agatha All Along does require some knowledge of the ending of Dr. Strange and Multiverse of Madness.  So, given the reliance on existing continuity — much like the rest of Marvel’s properties these days — can Agatha be judged on its own merits or flaws? 

Yes and no. 

Warning: Some light spoilers ahead for the first 2 episodes.

After the events of WandaVision and Multiverse of Madness, Agatha is left depowered and abandoned in Westbrook by the Scarlet Witch.  We first encounter her in a sequence that recalls the sitcom narrative of WandaVision with a true crime twist. It’s a delightful callback to the source material and a decent intro to some of the supporting cast. Once the spell is broken and Agatha is back in the real world, the plot kicks off in earnest with her quest to regain her powers by assembling a coven and walking the legendary and deadly Witches’ Road, while evading enemies who have long been waiting for an opportunity to take her down now that she’s vulnerable. 

What I liked:

The plot feels familiar and comfortable, but not tired. Since we’re dealing with witches and roads, Wizard of Oz immediately comes to mind. Only instead of Tin Man, Lion, and Scarecrow, Agatha (Kathryn Hahn) is surrounded by witches representing different elements, including a sketchy clairvoyant played perfectly by Patti LuPone, a sealed witch with legal trouble (Sasheer Zamata), and the daughter of a witch who went missing when she attempted the Road (Ali Ahn). The group is completed by Mrs. Hart; not a witch, but Debra Jo Rupp reprising her role from WandaVision, and Joe Locke as a mysterious teen who Agatha occasionally calls “Toto”.  

The simple plot gives the cast the necessary room to play off against each other, and that’s where the show really shines. This version of Agatha is more nuanced; she’s exposed while not abandoning the bravado and cunning that makes her compelling. She’s not afraid to be cruel to accomplish her goals, and Hahn makes it all very fun to watch. 

This is important, because Agatha as a character needs to be fun to watch even when she’s torturing our heroes, punching teenagers, or threatening harmless nice ladies. She’s not a “good” character, but

’s she’s good at what she does, and she does it with style. So much so that even when it’s bound to end badly, the audience can’t help but root for her. When she inevitably gets her powers back, her role in the Marvel U will probably alternate between hero and villain depending on the story; at least that’s how it should be. Agatha needs to be bad to be fun, and Agatha All Along works because the witches she surrounds herself with are at least slightly morally ambiguous.  There are no heroes here, but Agatha is he only one with the distinction of “coven-killer”, and I can’t wait to see if that’s a legacy she will outgrow, or live up to. 

As more members of the coven are introduced, Agatha’s world grows and expands from her on-screen origin in WandaVision, hopefully giving us more than another TV adaptation of comic stories. This is unfamiliar ground, although it has the expected easter eggs and references for die-hard comic fans scattered through it.  

The coven, including the bamboozled Mrs. Hart, has great chemistry. While none of the witches are the easiest characters to immediately sympathize with – immortal, all- powerful beings rarely are – they are all interesting with clearly defined goals and personalities, and I find myself looking forward to seeing where they end up, for better or worse. 

Aubrey Plaza as Ro Vidal gets just enough screen time to establish her as part of Agatha’s past coming back to cause her trouble; whether it’s good or bad trouble, we’ve yet to discover, but it’s delightful to watch. 

Things that didn’t quite click with me, or things I’m keeping a closer eye on:

• As stated earlier, the plot is simple but that may not work as a negative… yet.
• The Salem Seven — a group that appears to be out to kill Agatha — makes their first appearance as generic, black-robed figures doing standard spooky stuff; if you’re looking for scares or darker spells than something you’d find in, say, Practical Magic, you might be left wanting

Final impression:

With just two episodes in, Agatha All Along is off to a good start, having well established the stakes, cast, antagonists, and several mysteries to unravel on way down the Road. If you enjoyed Agatha’s campy villainy in WandaVision, you’ll probably enjoy her as an antihero out to reclaim her former glory. If you’re a casual Marvel fan, enjoy dark fantasy, spooky themed stuff, Halloween vibes, or witchy-core in general, there’s a lot here to love. If you’re looking for continuity heavy stories, complex plotlines, or morally upstanding characters, this might not hold your attention. 

It remains to be seen if Agatha can carve its own identity and become seen as something other than a spin-off set in a neglected part of the Marvel Universe, and that may be a harder path than any Witches’ Road.