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Original Review (based on the season’s first three episodes handed to press)
Marvel delivered an unprecedentedly successful superhero universe that culminated in the record-breaking Avengers: Endgame (Spider-Man: Far from Home is actually the last movie of the Infinity Saga, but let’s ignore that). With the first overarching story ending after twenty-three films, the MCU now begins a new Era. Basically, Phase Four is truly another Phase One, where viewers will meet new heroes to root for. However, there are dozens of Avengers still in the game, including the astonishingly powerful Wanda.
Television will play a massive role in the upcoming saga, with miniseries starring key superheroes having a significant impact in the movies. Obviously, this raises the question: do viewers need to watch the TV shows in order to understand and follow the films? I believe so. Some series might not have as much impact as others, but WandaVision will undoubtedly affect Wanda’s path in the MCU. From being one of the most powerful Avengers to the possibility of Wanda being the next big villain, this character has limitless potential. In addition to this, Elizabeth Olsen is arguably one of the best actresses in the franchise, and honestly, of her entire generation.
Therefore, even though I always try to keep my expectations as moderate as possible, I couldn’t help but feel extremely hyped for WandaVision. The series is as weird and mysterious as I expected it to be. In the first three episodes, the viewer is placed inside a black-and-white sitcom, where it becomes super clear that everything that’s happening is occurring inside Wanda’s own reality or something similar that she’s definitely responsible for. Having in mind what happened to Vision in his last movie, it seems that this series will heavily deal with sensitive matters, such as grief, depression, and unhealthy escapism. However, these first episodes are pretty much set in following the comedy route.
Boasting tons of references to the respective period of classic television, WandaVision is much more hilarious than I ever anticipated it to be. Several seemingly easy yet efficient jokes about Wanda and Vision’s powers and their nature are the ones that bring out the most generous laughter (impeccable writing from Jac Schaeffer). In this regard, I have to praise Kathryn Hahn (Agnes), whose performance as the “nosy neighbor” is wonderfully funny. Teyonah Parris doesn’t really interpret her real character yet (Monica Rambeau), but her display is rather interesting. The rest of the cast is pretty good, but it all comes down to Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany, who are beautifully charming and amusing together.
Their chemistry is even more palpable now that they’re the protagonists of their own story. It’s a strange feeling watching Bettany portray Vision again, but his terrific performance comes to demonstrate that the viewer’s connection with the character is as humanly compelling as any other. However, Olsen is the real star of the show. I admit that I might be a bit biased since she is one of my favorite actresses working today, but Olsen proves why she’s worthy of bigger roles in Hollywood outside of the MCU. An unbelievable emotional range, excellent comedic timing, exquisite expressiveness, and an impressive capability of drastically and quickly changing styles. An Emmy nomination wouldn’t be surprising.
The main storyline revolves around Wanda’s apparently ideal life with Vision. How? That is the intriguing mystery, which exponentially receives more clues after each episode. A certain symbol points to an organization that will undoubtedly make Marvel fans scream with excitement, right from the very first episode (if you look closely, you’ll find it). This is the first MCU content since July 2019, so the stakes are inevitably high as Matt Shakman must fulfill the mission of bringing back the enthusiasm for the respective universe. Shakman and Schaeffer employ weirdness and unconventional storytelling that transform the series into an extremely captivating story, even though the main answer for what’s happening seems quite clear.
Technically, Christophe Beck’s score is the standout. From the timely sound effects of classic television to specific songs that play during certain moments, Beck delivers a score that elevates the overall show. The opening credits are unique and always different, referencing various Eras of television (shoutout to Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez for composing the theme music). As for the rest, terrific editing from Tim Roche, Nona Khodai, and Zene Baker. The visual effects look seamless even in black-and-white, and Jess Hall’s cinematography cleverly resembles sitcoms attributes. Outstanding production design (Mark Worthington) as well.
All in all, after only three episodes, WandaVision proves to be as weird, mysterious, and exceptionally captivating as it intends to be. Matt Shakman and Jac Schaeffer deliver a surprisingly hilarious show with just the right amount of hints to what’s truly happening. Even though the global answer seems rather predictable, creative storytelling builds an atmosphere of uncertainty and puzzling doubts that will leave viewers craving for the next episode. From the gorgeous black-and-white to Christophe Beck’s brilliant score, Wanda and Vision’s apparently ideal life is surrounded by technical attributes that pay homage to the Era of classic television. Paul Bettany, Teyonah Parris, and Kathryn Hahn are all fantastic, but Elizabeth Olsen is the indisputable star, showing her undeniable acting talent that might very well earn her an Emmy nod. As the first MCU content in more than a year, WandaVision conquered my full attention for the remaining episodes, which surely hold impactful revelations. It’s still unclear the real influence it will have in the films’ realm, but I can only assume it’s significant. Do not miss it!
Post-Finale Review (based on the remaining episodes and the entire season)
The following six episodes couldn't be better. The decade-spanning homage to sitcoms continues, but it exponentially decreases its attempts at humor and silly slapstick. As expected, a much more dramatic, emotional storyline takes hold of the narrative, each episode coming closer to give the viewers answers to the dozens of questions raised by the previous episodes. A few more puzzles arise with the introduction/revelation of characters who will definitely leave the audience incredibly excited, but it's the focus on Wanda's feelings that ultimately elevates this miniseries to some of the best content in the genre of superheroes.
The study of Wanda's grief and what she did to deal with the loss of the ones she loved the most is by far the most mysteriously fascinating aspect of the entire show. Even though most of Wanda's actions seem quite predictable from the get-go - especially in a non-detailed perspective - the storytelling choices and paths that Matt Shakman and the team of screenwriters come up with are quite imaginative. Every single viewer will remember a specific sentence forever since it's so powerful that it can even work as a healing mechanism to many people going through pain similar to Wanda's. Brilliant writing, from the pilot to the finale.
One massive advantage of one-season series is their immunity to ridiculously illogical, absurd fan theories and social media pressure, simply because it's already finished before the first episodes airs, so there's no way of the show getting influenced by the public's opinion. It's fun to theorize with friends and attempt to figure out what's truly happening, but when it reaches the levels of excessive fanboyism, it becomes dangerously annoying and hurtful to fans themselves. People create the most ludicrous theories surrounding characters and storylines based on incredibly ambiguous and subjective "clues" that are far from being remotely significant. Consequently, irrealistic expectations lead many of these fans to an impending letdown once the finale comes around.
Fortunately, I stayed sane and kept my expectations grounded, waiting patiently for the show to amaze me. The finale is a near-perfect ending to an utterly impressive series that will impact the future of the upcoming MCU series. Many viewers - mainly hardcore fans - will find it disappointing due to the inevitable dismissal of hyped theories, but overall, WandaVision will end up as a positive experience for a significant majority. I really only have minor issues with a particular episode where the overwhelming fan-service risks the logic of its presence, Josh Stamberg's annoyingly cliche character, and a certain outcome left a bit too vague for the series finale.
WandaVision is truly some of the best content ever seen in the genre of superheroes. From the mysteriously unconventional storytelling that never ceased to be incredibly captivating to the beautiful homage to decade-defining sitcoms, Jac Schaeffer and Matt Shakman approach grief and the different ways people handle it in an undoubtedly impactful manner. Despite the main narrative following a predictable path, the theory-inducing side stories and secondary characters throw the audience in loops of constant doubt, ultimately generating a surreal amount of hype for the next episode. The series never loses focus of its emotional core, which is connected to one of the greatest pros of one-season shows: these can't be influenced by absurd fan theories and online pressure. Both Elizabeth Olsen and Wanda prove they're part of the strongest members of the MCU, with the actress delivering an Emmy-worthy performance (shockingly outstanding range) and the character showing her true power prompted by her solitude and persevering love. Paul Bettany, Teyonah Parris, and Kathryn Hahn are magnificent as well, but in the end, it was Wanda's show all along.
Rating: A
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