As a seasoned viewer of Marvel’s cinematic universe, I must admit that the latest episode of WandaVision has left me utterly spellbound, much like Agatha Harkness herself. The way the writers have seamlessly blended elements from various time periods and pop culture references into this narrative is nothing short of bewitching.
When the TV series “WandaVision” deviated from its original format for a major unveiling, it split into two distinct parts. The first part encompassed the time when the show could explore its unique, sitcom-like worlds, while the second part required it to connect back to the Marvel Cinematic Universe that had originally spawned it. This separation was an inevitable consequence, but one that left me feeling a bit let down; despite all the grand Marvel themes and superhero elements, I found myself more captivated by “WandaVision” when it focused on the personal story of a remarkable woman dealing with the mundane challenges of grief.
As it unfolded that Agatha All Along was going to unravel the mystery behind Teen’s situation, I found myself feeling quite anxious. After all, I am a fan of flashback episodes; however, one from Marvel could either elevate or ruin a series more than any other factor.
It’s fortunate that Jac Schaeffer wasn’t compelled to make Billy Maximoff’s episode into an unplanned Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. storyline this time. Instead, the team working on Agatha gets the opportunity to clarify how Billy Maximoff ended up in Teen’s body and reveal more about Billy Maximoff as an individual. Furthermore, we catch a peek into William Kaplan’s perspective, the kind boy from Eastview whose bar mitzvah themed around magic served as the beginning of Billy’s metamorphosis.
In her directorial role, Gandja Monteiro skillfully manages to intertwine the supernatural aspect of “Familiar by Thy Side” with the deeply personal story of Billy, without losing sight of either. She meticulously captures every significant moment on William’s big day, from his nervous anticipation under his blue yarmulke (the only blue adornment in this episode) to his shy smiles and slender shoulders, beautifully portrayed by Joe Locke reminiscent of a Heartstopper. This moving depiction stirred strong emotions even before it was confirmed that William’s tragic fate was crucial for Billy’s survival.
In the given scenario, Lilia, who seems to be a psychic hired by the Kaplans for the night, notices a looming danger for William in his damaged life line on his palm. Despite her attempts to keep her composure, she appears quite distressed. She consoles unfortunate William, telling him he’s transforming into a new person (which isn’t far from the truth), but in a rush, she creates a protective symbol or sigil and slips it into his pocket. For now, this somewhat eerie scene seems to be the closest we get to supernatural occurrences on the show, as I haven’t seen Patti LuPone displaying her full powers yet. However, until Patti unleashes her abilities or it is confirmed that Jen and Lilia are no longer with us, this suspenseful episode will suffice.
In this scene, I was curious about how Wanda’s emotional collapse led to the current version of Billy we see. However, this episode’s revelation is far more heartbreaking and grim than I could have anticipated. While Wanda’s disenchantment dispersed the bar-mitzvah celebration, it was the parents’ desperate attempts to help their son cope that ultimately led to tragedy. After the car they were in slid off the road and collided with a tree, William died, allowing Billy to take control of his body. Adelstein and Dizzia deliver powerful performances as they portray two loving parents who unknowingly grieve for a deceased child.
Rapidly, the title “Familiar by Thy Side” enlightens us about how “William” discovers his true identity as Billy. Much like many adolescents, he feels distinct from others; however, this uniqueness stems from a unique circumstance: he is actually the spirit of a child conjured by a witch grieving her intelligent robot husband. The only memory he recalls before waking up in the hospital is uttering “Tommy!” while gasping in his wrecked car, which proves to be of little use. Fortunately, a somewhat shady Reddit user named Ralph (also known as Evan Peters, Agatha’s fake Pietro, “Fietro,” and “Bohneriffic69”) whom he and Eddie meet in a parking garage, sheds some light on the mysterious events that transpired beneath the odd red dome.
In a different scenario, Billy Maximoff’s tale would have been an individual Disney+ series, with each hint leading to his true identity given its own standalone episode. Given the current circumstances, it’s merely part of the Agatha All Along enigma, and events are rapidly coming together. Despite the abrupt change in pace compared to last week’s episode, I find myself more accepting this time around; “Familiar by Thy Side” could be the longest episode yet for the series, but it still clocks in at a manageable 42 minutes. Network dramas often resolve murder mysteries within less time, and given the well-crafted nature of this episode, Agatha might have benefited from maintaining this pace throughout.
In simpler terms, Ralph, with his hat full of interesting tidbits, casually shared some intriguing details. For example, he mentioned that Wanda and Vision had twins, one of whom has the ability to read minds like Billy, causing him great anxiety since the accident. This is also why Ralph can’t conceal his intense dislike for Agatha – he detests her as much as Jennifer Kale does – due to her manipulation of him for experiments related to Wanda. He advises Billy to steer clear of this “ancient witch who could potentially cause trouble,” as Billy might be emotionally scarred, but he’s still not suitable for mature audiences.
Billy swiftly disregards Ralph entirely without delay. Instead, he hurries home and performs a quick Google search, and when that doesn’t work, he conducts a reverse image search to piece together the clues related to Agatha on his own. This scene, reminiscent of a detective, is accompanied by Lorna Wu’s rendition of “The Ballad,” which we’ve been anticipating. Hearing it play on Billy’s record player (as expected) further cements the belief that (a) it is excellent, and (b) I deeply regret not hearing it presented in such detail before Alice’s trial. Let’s revisit the original version of “The Ballad” prior to its cover!
Based on obscure pages of “Brujapedia,” it appears that Billy has discovered information suggesting Agatha’s presence in various places, such as Salem, the Titanic, and even with Dolly Parton’s partner. Additionally, there are rumors about her possibly knowing something related to a road mentioned on his favorite record. Eager to verify this himself, Billy heads straight to Westview to meet Agatha personally. However, the truth is… it’s pretty much what you’d expect for a witch experiencing a mental breakdown.
As Wanda drew everyone into her television-inspired realm, she isolated Agatha, compelling her to enact her own soap opera scenarios solo. This left Agatha spewing out tired catchphrases and aiming her fake garden hose at anyone who approached, making her performance even more over-the-top. Kathryn Hahn’s portrayal of Agatha in this context was particularly impressive, as she managed to make her character appear even grumpier and more flamboyant than before. Billy found himself charmed by Agatha’s act until she suddenly kicked him unexpectedly, reflecting the unpredictable nature of their relationship. Despite this, Billy attempted to free Agatha from the spell using incantations he discovered in a book, and surprisingly succeeded on his first try.
Transitioning back to the current scenario, we find Agatha struggling out of a disgusting heap, determined to confront the boy she’s now certain is Maximoff. (This twist makes everything much more engaging.) It’s unsettling and a bit melancholic to witness lifeless Billy shattering his symbol after spending so much time with charming William and his enigmatic magical heir, who was eager to uncover his true identity so his lover could love the authentic self. To echo a popular culture reference unfamiliar to both William and Billy, there’s a shift inside him, something is not as it used to be. However, Billy recoils when Agatha, projecting her own past trauma onto him, passionately argues that Billy should not feel guilty for anything he’s done while merely trying to live.
She finishes by saying, “That’s what defines you as a witch,” her genuine grin prompting an inability for Billy to reciprocate. If being a witch means that, he might not embrace it. Yet, if it’s the key to reuniting with his twin brother, he’ll endure it, and so our journey persists on the path.
The Snarkhold-overs:
In addition to Lilia, it turns out that Alice and Jen have played significant roles in Billy’s life without them knowing. Alice is the police officer who was stopped by William’s panicked father, while Jen is a popular YouTube personality known for her flawless complexion. It would have seemed far-fetched, even on a fantasy show, for Jen to be his ER doctor or anything similar, but compared to other possibilities, it’s still quite amusing.
• The set design of William’s room versus Billy’s is excellent, from the stark color schemes to the shifting posters (Houdini and adventures like The Wizard of Oz and The Black Cauldron that clearly influenced Agatha All Along for William, The Craft and Carrie for Billy). Easter eggs for days, I’m sure.
The runner-up is her line, “I’ve… uhhHhHhhHh… taken care of my fair share.”)
It’s worth mentioning that in the scenes from the pilot when Agatha clearly spotted Rio, Billy was nowhere to be seen at Agatha’s house. This has been observed.
You and your mother share a similar trait, which can be quite troublesome for both of you. Could you please clarify what this shared trait is?
“I negatively impacted Wanda and Vision’s children and also caused harm to a dog, which unfortunately passed away prematurely, due to actions taken by the individual named Bohnerrific69.” (Rest In Peace, Sparky)
Read More
- W PREDICTION. W cryptocurrency
- PENDLE PREDICTION. PENDLE cryptocurrency
- AAVE PREDICTION. AAVE cryptocurrency
- PRCL PREDICTION. PRCL cryptocurrency
- AEVO PREDICTION. AEVO cryptocurrency
- Top Gift Ideas for Your League of Legends-Obsessed BF on a Budget
- NUUM PREDICTION. NUUM cryptocurrency
- ARDR PREDICTION. ARDR cryptocurrency
- DFL PREDICTION. DFL cryptocurrency
- SHX PREDICTION. SHX cryptocurrency
2024-10-17 17:55