‘Agatha All Along’ Is a Significant Step in the Right Direction

 

I have to admit that I came into 'Agatha All Along' with more curiosity than investment, given that both 'WandaVision' and 'Multiverse of Madness' weren't really my cup of tea, so for something that seemingly relied so heavily on Wanda's lore, it was more my love for the comics and the premise itself that lured me in. All in all, the show took a few episodes to find its pacing, and it had a bit of a slow start, but halfway through it won me over and kept me tuning in every week.

It's undeniable that the cast is one of the show's strongest aspects, even when the writing isn't as brilliant, the performances just manage to make up for it. I also liked that there are significant comedic elements, but during the later episodes the story takes some dark and very emotional turns too, and that part of the plot is executed really well, as at that stage you've come to care for the characters and what happens to them. I'd say that for me, 'Agatha All Along' handled the themes of sadness, grief, and complex morality better than the stories involving Wanda, with every single main character feeling both multi-faceted and, to varying extents, endearing.

The MCU has certainly had its hits and misses, but it has undeniably come a long way, much like with most comic book adaptations in general. Seeing the show embrace diversity, and include queer relationships so organically, was definitely another plus. As was having a main cast primarily consisting of women in their 40s, their 50s, 60s and 70s, without their age ever becoming a gimmick. It feels both refreshing and miles away from the time when the only female member of the Avengers was doing the stereotypical torso-twisting, boob-and-butt pose on the poster, and was characteristically called a "mewling quim" by a villain who saw the beginning of his redemption arc before Black Widow saw her own film happen. For a guy reading this, it may perhaps seem like a triviality or not a big deal, but I think quite a few people who grew up loving comic books, despite the constant reminders that this is primarily the turf of straight white men hinting that, as a fan who doesn't fall into that category, you don't really belong, will get where I'm coming from, and why representation matters.

Kathryn Hahn, Patti LuPone, Sasheer Zamata, Ali Ahn, Debra Jo Rupp, and Aubrey Plaza are all powerhouses both in their comedic and dramatic performances, and Joe Locke more than holds his own in his part, acting more or less as the heart of the group. I do have a few nitpicks, as at times it felt that certain characters got more focus than others, and there were a couple of loose ends that warranted a more fitting conclusion, but overall I liked the revelations and the direction the story took, and I think the show stuck the landing.

So I'm glad Marvel is trying different things, and I'm glad that 'Agatha All Along' exists, and I hope we'll see more attempts at doing something different, especially with how much people clearly seem to love this show.