“Who’s been pulling every evil string? It’s been Agatha all along”. Ever since the debut of the beloved sitcom turned superhero mystery, WandaVision, back in early 2021, audiences have been captivated by Agatha Harkness. Fans have waited over three years for the return of Kathryn Hahn as the cooky witch and are pleased with the release of the new Disney+ series Agatha All Along. Already receiving a score of 82% on Rotton Tomatoes, we will see if the show leaves us excited for what Marvel has instore next, or “flying off the handle”.  Throughout the next few weeks, I will look at the latest Marvel show and further investigate what this media piece may hide under its wide brimmed hat.  

Brief Synopsis: 

First airing on September 18th, the highly anticipated spin-off opened with dark, moody lighting, creating a mysterious atmosphere to prepare viewers for what comes ahead. When we meet Agatha in this new tale, it appears as if she has taken on the role of a detective within the town of Westview in an investigation of the death of a woman. Although this turn of events first appeared confusing for fans of the previous show who knew her to be trapped in Wanda’s spell of a “nosey neighbor,” all is soon revealed with the further developments of Agatha’s investigation. It is later revealed, the campy CSI format of the show was just Wanda’s hold on Agatha which she later emergers from, ready to get her power back. The show takes on Agatha and her new coven, including the mysterious “Teen”, as their follow the witch’s road. 

Investigative elements: 

Throughout my first watch through of the first three episodes, what piqued my interest the most were the nods to witch culture across all forms of media. One thing that fans may not have noticed was the similar structure of Agatha’s house. The framework and design of Agatha’s house is actually the spitting image for another famous with Samantha Stephens, who was the star of the 1960s sitcom Bewitched. Additionally, there have been many callbacks to the L. Frank Baum’s Wicked Witch of the West. With throw away lines about a “green witch” and Herb’s line of “really most sincerely dead”, a lyric from the Wizard of Oz film, one can tell the directors had a good time putting in mystical references. 

Unanswered Questions 

Now with three episodes currently out, there are still questions that are leaving people scratching their heads. For instance, who is Agatha’s son Nicholas Scratch? In Episode Three: “Through Many Miles/Of Tricks and Treats”, a fellow witch Jennifer Kale, mentions that Agatha gave up her child for power. Throughout the rest of this episode, we see Agatha grapple with warped delusions, one of which being a bassinet. Similarly, although we have briefly seen groups depicted as “evil covens” and we have seen fights, there is yet to be a newly crowned major villain of Marvel’s latest series.

My Thoughts

Personally, I was hyped for this show when it was in production and when it was released. However, as the show goes on it lacks that same spark that past projects from Marvel used to have. When I was younger (and ALOT more introverted) I used to gravitate towards films and TV shows like the Star Wars Saga, The Avengers films, Harry Potter, etc. They gave me a place to escape from the changing and crazy world. They gave me characters who had in-depth backstories and made me feel like I could relate to them in a weird way. This show just doesn’t have that… or at least yet. As much as I loved Agatha when watching WandaVision, I don’t feel there is a big pull causing me to watch every week. Now don’t get me wrong I don’t hate the show, however it doesn’t have the same charm as television series and movies of the genre used to have. Feels more like a cash grab attempt from the Mouse than a passion project. 

Conclusion 

As this show progresses and continues to be released, we will continue to document it’s intriguing run here on the Forecast. Continuing to theorize and give you the facts about the intriguing mystery throughout the coming weeks.