This show is meant to be binged, every single episode ends with a crazier cliff hanger than the previous one. Or maybe not to be binged, so we can go crazy over each new episode for a week. This entire episode was crazy good. Just when you think this show can't get any crazier or more awesome it does something unexpected that changes everything. I mean sure the ending of the episode was what blew everyone away, but the entire episode was crazy and crazy good. Also, I'm glad the episode isn't just a sitcom, because it would have been boring to return to that state. The S.W.O.R.D. action outside is also really interesting. It does suck that the episode is so short even though it super packed with revelations.
In case you missed the headline spoiler warning for WandaVision.
This episode is brought to you by Family Ties and Full House. The esthetics, the 80s style and the family problems. The episode opens with Wanda trying to put Tommy to sleep and Vision trying to put Billy to sleep. They are both failing miserably. Wanda looks really tired, but she still updated her house from the 70s to the 80s so she still had some time to kill apparently. It is kind of funny that Vision tried to read to Billy "The Descent of Man" by Charles Darwin as the twins are mutants in the comics, the next step in human evolution. Plus this show is the descent of Wanda into madness and lack of sleep won't help anything. Wanda and Vision have a nice little touching moment when they both rock to babies while standing, trying to get them to stop crying. They are a much happier version of a tried mother and father then real parents.
Unfortunately, Wanda has reached her limit, she really wants the babies to stop crying. Wanda asks Vision to get pacifiers, basically she asks him to leave so she can use her magic on her kids when he is gone. She knows she shouldn't but she does it anyway, only it doesn't work. Her magic doesn't work on the twins. We saw that in the previous episode when she was pregnant and she tried to get rid of the animated stroke, but the stroke brushed her magic off. The twins literally laugh at her when she uses her magic. She's surprised that they don't do what she wants. Her view of life has become significantly distorted. But like Agnes says later on, you can't control kids. But Wanda is in despair. The moment that she says she needs help aunty Agnes shows up. Right on cue. Probably because Wanda summoned her. Wanda doesn't understand that motherhood is actually difficult, not ideal like in sitcoms where parents have all the answers.
Unfortunately, there is a glitch in the Matrix. Agnes breaks the forth wall, kind of. Vision has a small panic attack that breaks the perfect reality and Agnes response is "should we take it from the top?", like a scene that went wrong and now has to be done all over again. Worse than that is that Agnes looks really worried when this happens, like she doesn't want Wanda to reverse time, and Wanda actually doesn't. When Wanda starts laughing in a fake manner Agnes joins with her own fake laughter. Agnes' behavior makes Vision really worried, Wanda brushes it off, but he is not convinced. Yet again, time doesn't reset so that power seems to be gone. Maybe because the twins have arrived and their magic is stronger, or they have taken the time magic with them. Vision is seriously worried about Agnes and everything around him.
It will get worse. The twins don't fall asleep, Billy (Baylen D. Bielitz) and Tommy (Gavin Borders) are now five year olds. While their parents were arguing, they age up. They are walking and talking. I have to say that I know that Billy/Wiccan is the more popular character, but Billy/Speed really stands out more in this episode. I mean he gets almost all of the talking lines. They are cute kids. And it appears that they aged themselves up. So they have powers, just not their comic book powers. Wanda and Vision recover quickly and welcome the older kids.
Then there is the opening song. I usually don't comment on them, but this was disturbing. First there is the red pen that glows with Wanda's powers that paints over her and Vision's black and white image, which is creepy. Not too far from reality where she animated him. There are also so many puns and hidden meanings to the lyrics. "A Vision of what life could be," "nothing can phase me if you're in my heart", "we're making it up as we go along". Wanda seems to be doing just that, making things up as she goes along. But the picture segment is cute, especially the cake with five candles to squeeze five birthdays into one. It is cute at first glance, not cute under closer inspection.
Then we switch to S.W.O.R.D.. Monica Rambeau is going through tests and the results show nothing, like she doesn't exists or maybe she is super glowing. It's hard to tell. Either this hints that she is getting her powers as she is a superhero in the comics, or she's not actually there. There is something disturbing about it. Could the outside be a fake reality as well? It could be an illusion within an illusion within an illusion. The worst part for Rambeau inside Westview was that she could feel Wanda's grief even when she was controlled. It was painful. That's just terrible. Wanda is suffering more than we previously knew. We see a flash in Rambeau's mind in which Wanda is wearing the clothe she wore to Tony Stark's funeral and she is crying like hell. I guess this is right before she stole Vision's body. But where was Clint? Where were the Avengers? How could they just leave her all alone in her grief? She didn't have five years to process Vision's death, she had only a few days since the blip. We also see Wanda inside her bubble reality in her 70s clothe crying. I guess that her meeting with Rambeau brought out all of the grief for her dead twin. But it also means that there are flashes in which she is aware of the horrors of what really happened and that this isn't real. She doesn't have a happy life. Wanda is sharing her subconscious grief with everyone, probably in an attempt to lessen it. Poor Wanda and poor everyone. I think only Rambeau can see it clearly because it is mingled with her own grief for the death of her mother. A lot of grief going around.
But this is Monica Rambeau and she springs into action again immediately. Even though her test result are none existing. She goes to a briefing that explains Wanda. Agent Jimmy Woo and acting Director Tyler Hayward give us the brief history of Wanda. Director asshole makes Wanda appear to be the bad person. Sure it seems like she is the villain here, but she was an Avengers and being team Cap doesn't make her a villain in our eyes. Lagos was an accident, but it is not treated as such here. Like Agent Woo says, everything that Hayward says is an oversimplification. Also, they make a comment that she doesn't have a nickname, but she will soon, but the Scarlet Witch is not a witch yet. Again Dr. Darcy Lewis says what we the audience think and calls Hayward what he is, a dick. Darcy and Woo are basically saying everything that we the audience are thinking. Hayward calls Wanda a terrorist, what a freaking exaggeration and Rambeau calls him out on it. It is funny that she says Wanda put up her own quarantine. We are all in quarantine. With Wanda, in our imagination and physically thanks to COVID.
There is also another part that proves that both Hayward is a villain and that there is something extra wrong. Hayward shows them images of Wanda kidnapping Vision's corpse from S.W.O.R.D. in what looks like right after Starks funeral. I guess her peaceful expression when she was talking to Clint was a pretend. She's wearing the same clothes from the funeral. What looks different is Vision. He is dismantled, completely. Wanda could have reassembled him with her powers I guess. But it also means that S.W.O.R.D were experimenting on Vision when they weren't allowed. I am pretty sure he is Stark Industries property, and they say themselves that in his will Vision didn't want to be used as a weapon after his death. It looks like exactly what S.W.O.R.D was doing. I don't think that Wanda would go against Vision's wish if she had a choice and Rambeau looks like she's not buying Hayward's story. Also, Sokovia Accords are still a thing? Why? They should have thrown it in the garbage after the blip.
Then it's back to suburbs of hell. Tommy and Billy found a dog and are washing him in the sink. The scene of Wanda finding it out is so cute. Also, it is kind of disturbing that the soap the kids are using to wash the dog has a brand that's called "joy". There is not real joy in Wanda's life, just fake joy. I think that the boys created the dog. There is no collar, and dogs are an essential in family sitcoms. Well, in some of them. The kids really want to keep the dog, but Wanda says that taking care of a living creature is a big responsibility. Does she realize that she has to take responsibility over living creates? Like her kids, or the entire town. Wanda warms up to dog pretty fast. Vision walks in looking human. He is starting to get the hang of this fake reality, realizing when Agnes is going to come before she actually does. Not only does he predicts Agnes arrival, he is suspicious that she brought a dog paddle, which apparently, they need. Agnes is totally spying on this house.
The dog scenes are cute and troubling. The dog licks the electric socket like he is trying to die. Wanda uses her powers in front of Agnes for the first time, creating a dog collar out of nothing, but still old fashion, sitcom special effects. Vision is upset that Wanda is using her powers in public, it is not what they agreed upon. Also, where is the Wanda who just wanted to fit in? That seems long gone. She even suggests that Vision will stop wearing his human disguise which is even more disturbing. Vision realizes that Wanda is keeping something from him, like the fact that he is dead. Wanda's behavior is constantly deteriorating.
At least the twins are adorable. They really want the damn dog. But Wanda and Vision don't agree, saying that they are too young, they need to be at least ten years old to properly care for an animal. The twins look at each other conspiratorially and age themselves up. Their parents are not happy. Agnes makes a joke about it, but we are beginning to realize that she knows a hell lot more than she is telling.
Then we switch back to S.W.O.R.D. Rambeau really wants to reenter Westview. I don't think she realizes that Wanda is beyond reason. She knows an aerospace engineer who could create the theoretical vehicle she needs to do that. Is it Reed Richards or is it Riri Williams, or are we going to get Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. cameo with Jemma and Fitz? The guessing is so much fun. It is hilarious that agent Woo gets everyone coffee as Darcy complained in episode 4 about the lack of coffee. Darcy explains that Rambeau can still loss her memories again as she reenters the Hex, short for the hexagon anomaly. Also, a fun Easter egg as in the comics Wanda's powers are called hex powers. Woo wonders who the twins are, but Rambeau explains that they are real, everything is real, and Wanda is recreating reality, not creating it out of nothing. Yes, Wanda is insanely powerful.
They talk about Wanda's powers. How she was never this powerful before. Rambeau reminds Woo that Wanda could have defeated Thanos single handedly if Thanos hadn't started firing at everyone on the surface. She was crazy powerful then, but fired by anger. Woo claims that Captain Marvel came close to defeating Thanos. Rambeau looks odd at the mentioning of Danvers. She's probably angry at her for not visiting all these years. Darcy and Woo notice something odd in Rambeau's behavior when Darcy mention that they both got their powers from infinity stones, but Rambeau changes the topic of conversation. Here is an interesting question: how do they know? How do they know exactly what happened in the battle or exactly how Danvers got her powers? The battle didn't exactly have cameras in it and Danvers' powers are probably super classified so how do they know? Something is fishy. Perhaps Woo and Darcy are actually higher up the food chain then we thought.
Rambeau is smart, her ideas are brilliant. The clothes that she had on while she was in the sitcom and when she was kicked out, are made out of the bulletproof vest she was wearing when she entered the Hex. Wanda simply changed them to fit her reality. Time to send it something that doesn't need changing. An 80s drone into an 80s sitcom, a brilliant idea.
Vision is also brilliant. Computers may not be advanced in the 80s, but he seems to somewhat remember the current time. The computer jokes by Norm are actually really good, despite being sitcom silly. Vision connects to the internet, the old fashion way. I actually still remember those connection sounds of dialing. Vision and the entire office read an email from S.W.O.R.D. about the Maximoff anomaly and high levels of radiation and he grow even more suspicious. When Norm says that none of it is real, Vision understand the pun that has a double meaning. Nothing in this reality is real. Vision uses the power that the mind stone gave him in a way we never seen before and he frees Norm from the influence. Norm loses him mind. She has a family outside that he has to get into immediate contact with. Vision is confused and Norm says that Vision "has to stop her" because she in his head and that everything is her. Like Rambeau he says that it hurts a lot. Notice that he does not use Wanda's name, meaning that there is still a chance that he is not referring to Wanda. When Norm starts freaking out Vision resets the spell which puts Norm in fake reality mode. Whatever is going on in this town, it is crazy and the person behind it is super powerful.
Then we are back to Wanda and the twins. The twins train their new dog Sparky. They do it really well and really fast. I wonder if it is part of their powers. The twins want to show the tricks the dog can do to their father, but he is not at home. They are not fooled when Wanda tries to lie about which day of the week this is. In the end Wanda explains that Vision needed a distraction. He needs more than that, he needs a mind wipe. She explains that they are just temporarily not on the same page, but in the end "family is forever". I have a feeling that won't end well. Their family isn't going to last forever as Vision is dead. On the theme of they will forever be brothers they ask her if she has a brother, and she says that yes but that he is far away. Far away? In the previous episode she acknowledged that he was dead and now she doesn't. Her mental state is spiraling. I know that she was willing to die in Avengers: Age of Ultron after her twin's death, and this is what has become of him? A far memory?
S.W.O.R.D. are not going to be helpful to Wanda that is for sure. Sparky gets scared and barks at the door. We hear airplanes sound and Wanda goes outside to see what is going on. The dog runs out the door and the boys run out after him. S.W.O.R.D. sent an 80s drone and located Wanda and her kids. S.W.O.R.D. sees the images from the drone, but the sitcom doesn't show the drone. Wanda is editing it out, but then again is she? Does she care what others on the outside can see? I am not sure. But then again, the visibility of perfection is an important part of suburb life. When Rambeau says she just wants to talk Wanda's eyes glow red like and she does the creepy head to the side tilt. Director asshole armed the drone and fires at Wanda. Which is as effective as using guns on Magneto. Useless, but it pissed her off. Rambeau is pissed and with good reason. She knows that she lost her chance to appear friendly. S.W.O.R.D. probably had a nasty intension behind it, perhaps Wanda knows some of their dirty secrets. Perhaps S.W.O.R.D. is the new Hydra.
Then comes the amazing part, Wanda leaves her bubble to confront S.W.O.R.D. Seconds after their attack on Wanda, the alarms go off that there is a breach of Hex. It's funny that the television says "please stand by", while the main star leaves the show. Don't they know that it is useless to point their guns on Wanda? She throws the broken drone at Hayward's feet. Priceless. The most surprising think is that she isn't wearing her 80s getup, she is dressed in her Avengers clothe and her accent is back. She does look a bit off, which is strange. Maybe it's just not flattering lighting or something. She says that this will be S.W.O.R.D.'s only warning, they have to stay out of her home. If they won't bother her, she won't bother them. She has tears in her eyes as she is speaking. She refuses to acknowledge the fact that she has taken the entire town hostage. Rambeau steps in and says that Wanda is the one is control. Wanda seems pissed to see her, she activates her powers. Rambeau says that because she is a telepath she knows everything, she choose to bring an agent into her home and help her deliver her babies. Rambeau really tries to convince Wanda that she is an ally. However, Rambeau has nothing to offer Wanda, Wanda has what she wants and she will not let anyone take it from her. In order to show her true warning, Wanda goes all Magneto and uses her powers to make the soldiers aim their weapons at Hayward, but not shoot him. Wanda is boss level like her father Magneto in this moment. It is really impressive, everyone are beneath her godlike powers. To top it all off she uses her powers to wrap the bubble in a red layer of her powers, so now no one will ever go in or out.
Then we switch to a commercial. A heart breaking one. Lagos. "Lagos, for when you make a mess you didn’t mean to". Wanda didn't mean to cause a mess, but accidently many people died. On top of that that mess caused the creation of the Accord and the falling apart of the Avengers. So yeah, she is kind of responsible for disassembling the Avengers.
Then it's back to the suburbs as if nothing happened. Wanda and the twins are looking for the dog that run away when Wanda opened the door. The mail man says to the twins that their mother won't let the dog get far, as if he knows that Wanda can control everything in this town. But she is losing control because the dog is dead. He poisoned himself by eating Ages herbs. I think that dog wanted to die. Everyone are heart broken. The twins are heart broken, they nod to each other, but Wanda sees what they are about to do. She asks them not to age themselves up, but to deal with their feelings of grief and sadness and not run away from them. Something which she is clearly not doing herself. Billy says he is too sad and asks her to bring the dog but from the dead. Apparently, he thinks that Wanda can fix anything. Including the dead. Does that mean that he knows that his father was dead at some point? Because it looks like it. But Wanda says that death is forever, just like family. The kids are not happy with this contradiction and the rules of life. Vision then appears and comforts the boys. Getting a dog was not a good idea after all, it just shows us how Wanda is disconnected from what she did.
Then it's back to the house at night. Wanda is picking up toys with her hands when Vision walks into the house. Vision knows something is wrong. He tells her that he spoke to the real Norm at work. Wanda tries to steer the conversation in another direction, but Vision won't allow it. He notices everything, even the fact that she changes the house every night. He says that she can't control him, but she replies: "can't I?" with that creepy head tilt and his head hangs like she switched him off. It is eerie. Wanda says she is going to bed and the end credit go on screen of their TV show, but this time she can't force the episode to end. I wonder if the twins are causing her to lose her control over this reality. Vision bombards Wanda with questions, but she fakes innocence like she has no idea what he is talking about. He get so angry that he yells at her and flies in the air. She flies as well and says that all of this is for them. She promises him that he doesn't want to know what is outside of Westview, but he doesn't believe her, he wants to make that choice for himself. He is scared because he doesn't know who he is. Wanda tries to convince him that the only identity that matters is that he is her husband and the father of her children. She explains that she is not in control of Westview because she doesn't have that level of power to control everyone at once. And I believe her. I believe she doesn't know how any of this started. Perhaps it all started subconsciously so she can't remember it. Vision should know not to push Wanda though.
The last scene of the episode is a jaw dropper. When Vision says to Wanda that what is doing is wrong, she is saved by the doorbell. Perfect timing makes Vision think that Wanda is the cause of it and doesn't believe her when she says it isn't her causing someone to show up at that moment. But I believe Wanda for a simple reason. The alarms at the S.W.O.R.D. headquarters go off. Usually it is when someone goes out of the Hex, but in this case, I think someone walked in. I don't think it is the same alarm from when Wanda walked out. Wanda looks shocked as she opens the door and Darcy looks equally shocked when she looks at her TV screen. Vision asks who this is, but Wanda doesn't answer, even though we see the silver hair styled like her twin's. Then we see him. From the Fox verse, it is Evan Peters' Quicksilver. Or is it? I don't think that it is him. He does fit. An actual Quicksilver from the 80s, just from a different reality who happens to be sucked into this madness. But that Quicksilver used his powers all the time, and here he doesn't. Maybe because he is being controlled, or maybe cause it is not him. He more of an asshole. Wanda doesn't respond until he says that he is her brother, and when she asks if he is Pietro he doesn’t say yes. Darcy is shocked that Wanda recast Pietro, calling the popular sitcom phenomena of recasting characters in the middle of shows. Still, Quicksilver just does some odd head movement that is kind of a yes and Wanda gives him the lost hug. The episode ends with Quicksilver asking who the Popsicle is. Hinting that he can see dead Vision. I think that Evan Peters was a better Quicksilver than Aaron Taylor-Johnson, so I am thrilled at this development. But Peters usually plays the bad guy, so either he is Mephisto or some other villain possessing this form. But maybe Quicksilver is underneath it all. It could be brilliant.
This episode was brilliant. So much happening in 30 minutes. This is just crazy. It does seem like there are at least two Wanda's here. Sitcom Wanda and evil super powerful Wanda who is probably getting some outside help. Instead of getting answers, it appears we are getting more questions and more mysteries to solve. I love it.
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