Compared to last week, we are treated with much more of an “answers episode” in Episode 7, tying together a few loose ends, but also introducing and leaving wide open a new plot twist which suggests it has some future answers itself.
Wanda is clearly feeling guilty—and almost hungover—over expanding the Hex the night before. There are several references, including our commercial, to depression and needing to be left alone. The guilt first mentioned last episode seems to bubble over here, and the mockumentary-styled sitcom aspect is the perfect light to show Wanda losing it. Her physical appearance is notably disheveled, and her interviews are more sad than funny, including her repeatedly assuring the cameras that she is fine. At one point, the off-screen cameraman asks her, “Do you think it’s what you deserve?” Items around the house randomly change into different decades versions of themselves, and Wanda is confused by this and doesn’t seem entirely sure how to solve the problem. We are perhaps seeing Wanda losing more control over her created reality, which is something that has been building each episode. It may or may not, however, be related to the big reveal at the end of the episode.
We also learn that Darcy made it through S.W.O.R.D.’s final firewall before she entered the Hex. The big secret Hayward had been hiding is that S.W.O.R.D. was actually trying to rebuild Vision’s body as a sentient weapon before Wanda stole it. This explains why they were tracking Vision, not Wanda, inside the Hex, and certainly explains Hayward’s hostile motivations and reckless tactics toward Wanda. We learn that S.W.O.R.D. has some sort of plan in action that did not end up taking place in this episode. Vision himself gets some answers of his own. After he freed Darcy of the Hex’s mind control, she explains to him his origins and demises, something Vision seemed to be pleading for time and time again throughout the series.
Meanwhile, Monica decides to reenter the Hex. She initially had a complex, armored vehicle to protect her, but it couldn’t get through the energy wall. Undeterred, Monic decides to charge it on her own. We get an Antman-like trippy sequence while she is inside the energy field, but it all leads to the spawning of Monica Rambeau’s powers when she makes it to the other side, without being subjected to the mind control. All we have seen so far of the powers, though, are her altered vision of the energy space around her, and—essentially—her ability to take a hit. She tries to warn Wanda of Hayward, but Wanda still doesn’t trust Monica yet and the two almost go head to head before Agnes sweeps in to take Wanda to her home under the guise of taking care of her.
This, of course, leads to our big reveal that it was “Agatha All Along”. Wanda discovers the very creepy basement of, of course, a witch, where Agnes reveals that Wanda isn’t “the only magical gal in town” and that her name is actually Agatha Harkness. We get a montage of Agatha throughout the decades messing things up in the community. Some are relatively benign, like intervening in the magic show from Episode 2, but they seem to progress thereafter and include creating or giving instructions to, the fake Pietro, who tried to ask too many questions, and manipulating Vision into trying to leave the Hex, which almost led to his demise. She even killed Sparky.
From this, it’s unclear what Agatha Harkness’s goal in Westview is yet, or even how she came to be in Westview in the first place. Given that several of the manipulations involve Vision, she could have some connection to S.W.O.R.D., but right now she seems to be very much her own entity of chaos. In creating Pietro’s character, she clearly was interested in learning from Wanda how she created Westview. So perhaps Agatha’s true goal is to become more powerful in magic herself.
To that point, the extent of her powers is also unclear. Her manipulations that we see are relatively minor “tricks”, save her role in Pietro. However, what was most interesting was that she seemed to be able to enter or alter Wanda’s mind and “broadcast” to her the “Agatha All Along” music video. This all probably will lead to an epic showdown between the two witches, with full powers on display. It is, of course, hard to imagine Wanda not having the extreme advantage at this point.
VERDICT
3.6 Darcy Is Probably Fine, You Can Stop Worrying for Nows out of 5
The episode didn’t seem to take full sitcom advantage of the mockumentary style, which many viewers were probably excited for. It has some truly funny moments, mostly with Agnes and Vision, but otherwise, it was used as a device to expose Wanda’s suffering—this was phenomenal use of the interview style, but it did make the sitcom feel choppier than usual. It was exciting to get more answers to this generally mysterious series, and the episode was more straightforward and to the point. The Agatha Harkness reveal, though, ended the episode on a high note and cliffhanger which did not disappoint.
ONE-SHOTS
- Is this the last we’ve seen from Billy and Tommy in the series?
- The anti-depressant commercial was one of the few commercials that hit the episode and situation right on the head, little analysis needed.
- Honestly, Agnes/Agatha easily had the best performance in the sitcom aspects of the episode and Kathryn Hahn shined in those moments.