After four-and-a-bit episodes cycling through mildly entertaining sitcom tropes,
WandaVision has finally come good. Episode five, standing head and shoulders above the others, featured a revelation that will have major implications for the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and might just resuscitate waning interest in the series itself (just me?) as it enters its final third.
In the episode, Wanda’s constructed reality faced threats inside and out. The FBI agents sent a drone into Westview to speak to her (it didn’t go well) and Vision himself questioned Wanda about her power over their lives, resulting in a bit of floaty superhero arguing that led to nothing. But then, a surprise visitor showed up at Wanda and Vision’s home. Drumroll... It was Quicksilver, Wanda's brother. But not the MCU Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) who was killed by Ultron in
** Warning: This review contains spoilers for the current episode of WandaVision **
Last week’s WandaVision welcomed us back to the real world, where we met the real Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) and saw organisation SWORD’s attempts to breach Wanda’s (Elizabeth Olsen) reality. We’ll admit, it wasn’t our favourite, becoming a bit of a familiar detective show after three episodes of the surreal sitcom. Thankfully, we’re back to our usual programming this week. Sort of.
We’ve now progressed to an 80s family sitcom complete with subtext laden theme tune (“we wanted a world with a vision of what life could be”). Wanda and Vision (Paul Bettany) are wrestling with parenthood, trying to get the twins to sleep. Agnes (Katherine Hahn) arrives to help before stalling, asking if we should “go again” when Vision isn’t fed the lines she expects. Wanda quickly corrects things but Vision is suspicious, more so when the twins suddenly age up to 5.
Yeah, so I was afraid of that: Vision’s (Paul Bettany) dead body is walking around Westview. That’s just one of many disturbing revelations in “On A Very Special Episode,” the fifth installment of
WandaVision. Captain Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) is recovering from her traumatic experience in Westview, and acting S.W.O.R.D Director Tyler Hayward (Josh Stamberg) isn’t making it easy for her. He’s more than just a clueless government honcho, overly consumed with protocol. He’s cruel, playing footage of Monica’s humiliating performance as “Geraldine” from “Now In Color” while they’re in a public briefing.
How 'WandaVision' Made Itself the Perfect Anti-Binge Watch
In eschewing traditional streaming logic, Disney Plus is dropping its big shows weekly - and it works.
Caroline Framke, provided by
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SPOILER ALERT: This piece contains spoilers for the first five episodes of “WandaVision.”
If “WandaVision” had dropped its entire season all at once instead of teasing its mystery out over weeks of storytelling, what would we make of it?
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I asked myself this question a lot while watching the first three episodes I initially had to review, and then even more once the fourth episode (“We Interrupt This Program”) dropped. After three episodes of sitcom parodies laced with creeping unease, “We Interrupt This Program” left behind Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) in order to connect the series back to the Marvel Cinematic Universe from whence it came. Friendly neighbor “Geraldine” was revealed to be Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris), a S.W.O.R.D. agent who disappeared five years ago after Thanos snapped away half the universe in “The Avengers” movies. What’s more, Monica and Dr. Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings of “Thor”) realized in the fifth episode (“On a Very Special Episode…”), the sitcom world the show first introduced is some kind of metaphysical projection rooted in Wanda’s powerful grief.
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WandaVision episode 4: Disney Plus show's Easter eggs and Marvel references
We get answers, plenty of new questions and one truly horrifying image. Listen - 02:36
At least I don't have to type "Geraldine" any more. Marvel Studios
The first three episodes of WandaVision jumped from decade to decade as Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) lived a lovely sitcom life in the idyllic-but-bizarre town of Westview. Episode 4 of the show, now streaming on Disney Plusgave us a dose of Marvel Cinematic Universe "reality."
*This article contains spoilers for “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers: Endgame.” If you have not seen one of these three movies and consider yourself a Marvel fan, exercise physical and emotional caution.
With the earth-shattering, tear-jerking, adrenaline-boosting and utterly smashing finale to Phase III of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, fans have awaited Marvel Studios’ introduction of the next generation of avengers.
“WandaVision” kicked off Phase IV on Jan. 15 with three episodes starring Wanda “Scarlet Witch” Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and her synthezoid boyfriend, Vision (Paul Bettany). The two live an idyllic suburban life in the town of Westview, New Jersey, trying desperately to conceal their superpowers.
How ‘WandaVision’ Unlocks Marvel’s Storytelling Potential Richard Newby
[This story contains spoilers through episode four of Disney+’s
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is not as it was before. The fourth episode of
WandaVision, “We Interrupt This Program” gave audiences a look at a post-Blip world, the first such look since
Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019). The Spidey sequel provided a humorous look at what the return of those erased from existence by Thanos’ snap looked like from a high school perspective, and also gave a glimpse at some of the problems faced upon their return, such as the housing crisis faced by Aunt May (Marisa Tomei). But with the exception of the Avengers’ absence, not much appears to have fundamentally changed in the five years between the end of
With nearly half of the first season behind us, Marvel is getting fans ready for the back half of WandaVision with an intriguing new trailer.
The show follows Wanda Maximoff a.k.a. Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) as they settle down in the mysterious town of Westview.
Throughout the first four episodes, fans have seen this couple presented through the tropes of 1950s, 1960s and 1970s sitcoms, with the trailer (via Marvel YouTube) showcasing a shift into the 1980s and 1990s, plus their version of Halloween.
New trailer: With nearly half of the first season behind us, Marvel is getting fans ready for the back half of WandaVision with an intriguing new trailer