The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been expanded with several series on Disney+ over the past three and a half years. But none have been able to hold a candle to WandaVision and its poignant exploration of grief through the lens of sitcoms. Now the spin-off series Agatha All Along continues the WandaVision legacy and descends into the darkest magical depths of the MCU.
On September 19, 2024, Agatha All Along launched on Disney+ with the first two of a total of nine episodes. And I can already tell you one thing: The mix of horror and humor is anything but typical Marvel fare.
This is what awaits you in the magical Marvel series Agatha All Along
Agatha All Along begins similarly to WandaVision with an unexpected genre excursion for the MCU. However, the first episode does not feature a sitcom setting, but a dark crime story. Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn) lives in a distorted reality and walks as Detective Agnes O’Connor on the trail of Mare of Easttown – and even gets a series intro à la True Detective.
But the mysterious murder of an unknown woman is just a ruse. In a sequence in which Agatha peels off her many sitcom personas from WandaVision, she is able to break free from her spell and finally be her sarcastic and unpredictable self again. Now the actual series beginswhich can be described as a mixture of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and Escape Room.
For three years, Agatha was under the spell of the Scarlet Witch – and is freed thanks to a nameless fanboy (Netflix heartstopper Joe Locke). With his idol, the young gay magician wants to enter the path of the witches, which promises incomparable power. Even the exhausted Agatha cannot say no. But first the duo must found a coven in order to be able to enter the legendary path of magic.
Agatha Harkness does not have the best reputation. Clairvoyant Lilia (Patti LuPone), potion mixer Jennifer (Sasheer Zamata) and magical department store detective Alice (Ali Ahn) join her only reluctantly and for different personal reasons. And do you remember WandaVision character Mrs. Hart (Debra Jo Rupp)? She is also roped into the circle, although she has no magical abilities and is completely clueless – and an absolute scene stealer.
Agatha All Along is damn entertaining
That sounds pretty weird for an MCU series. What do Marvel fans have to prepare for? Quite simply: If Horror camp, queerness or musicals make your heart beat faster, then you’ve come to the right place. Otherwise, you might not be so happy with Agatha All Along. Nevertheless, I can only recommend this series surprise to you. Because just like the eponymous “evil” witch, the Disney+ series is unpredictable in the best sense of the word.
Instead of different sitcom genres, Agatha All Along finds a new trick for episodic games. The path of the witches consists of different levels and tests that in the form of dangerous escape rooms which put the witches in different settings and costumes.
In addition to scattered horror sequences and a dark atmosphere, the series focuses primarily on comedy moments and bizarre ideas. For example, the witches are sometimes wine-drinking housewives in cosmetic surgery craze transformed or have to break a curse with a spontaneous concert. Whether the dissimilar witches hurl biting insults at each other or harmonize in (so far two) musical scenes: the inventiveness of Agatha All Along knows no bounds and is extremely entertaining.
As a troublemaker, Agatha smuggled herself into the garish sitcom backdrops in WandaVision and attracted all the attention with her nonchalant manner. This does not change in the Agatha spin-off. But only now does the manipulative witch become a multidimensional character whose pitch-black heart can also be softened. Every moment in which Agatha’s theatrical facade Loss, regret, compassion and even love flash through is a real highlight.
Agatha All Along is the queerest Marvel series on Disney+ yet
The MCU and queer representation have a complicated relationship. Remember the deep narrative about Loki’s bisexuality and the exciting stories of lesbian superheroes America Chavez and Valkyrie? No? That’s because they don’t exist. While the MCU has introduced more LGBTQ+ characters in recent years, their queerness has been little more than a side note. But Agatha All Along does things differently.
When Agatha Harkness and her opponent Rio Vidal (Aubrey Plaza) collide in battle for the first time at the end of the first episode, the homoerotic tensions are hard to miss. However, instead of luring us with an attraction that is never expressed, it is clear by episode 4 at the latest that the main character’s core conflict arises from a queer love story.
Agatha and Rio have more in common than just a past love. As in WandaVision, the spin-off also tells a story about dealing with loss. Of course, we don’t want to spoil what it’s about at this point.
With three central LGBTQ+ characters, Agatha All Along has more than any other MCU project before it. But this is not a Marvel series with queer characters, but a queer series with Marvel characters – from the theme of a group of outsiders who come together to form a (dysfunctional) chosen family to the crazy camp humor of the witch’s road trip.
Whether Agatha All Along is as moving and outstanding as WandaVision will only become clear at the end of the nine episodes. But it is already clear that the spin-off breaks all conventions of what a typical Marvel story should look like.
The Marvel series Agatha All Along has been broadcast weekly on Disney+ since September 19, 2024. The basis for this series check are the first four episodes.