Agatha All Along plunges into the whimsical yet dark world of Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn), and the first two episodes establish a captivating foundation for what promises to be an entertaining series.
The show begins similarly to its predecessor, WandaVision, with scenes set in a fabricated reality. However, this time it’s Agatha who finds herself immersed in a television show—not a sitcom, but a gritty cop drama. In an almost-comedic Mare of Easttown style, we meet Agatha and her former friend/now enemy Rio Vidal (Aubrey Plaza). There's a Jane Doe at the murder scene, naturally. We aren't shown her face, but a hint of scarlet hair in the morgue hints that the body belongs to Wanda.
Agatha catches a burglar in her home, and he bolts when she confronts him. She gives chase, but he gets hit by a car driven by Mrs. Davis (Debra Jo Rupp), another familiar face from WandaVision. Agatha "arrests" the burglar—referred to as Teen so far—and interrogates him in a hilarious, theatrical manner. When he questions why she keeps staring at a painting, the one-way mirror in the interrogation room flickers, revealing the painting. The teen starts chanting, prompting her to cuff him and escort him to a makeshift holding cell—which turns out to actually be Agatha's closet.
It’s only when Rio arrives and uses her powers to break the illusion that Agatha comes to a startling realization: she’s been ensnared in the remnants of Wanda’s Westview spell. Agatha rips off her clothes, morphing into different versions of her sitcom persona from WandaVision (such a cool way to show the transition back to her real self!) before finally stepping out of her house completely naked, much to the shock of her neighbors. Herb (David A. Peyton) comments that she’s become “a bit too casual with your boundaries” and explains that she’s been a resident of Westview for three years, but recently she's been bitten by the True Crime bug. It seems Wanda's spell may have only worn off very recently, and I'm sure we'll soon find out why.
In the second episode, Agatha and Teen drive around in search of new witches to join her coven. They’re racing against the clock because Rio—who Agatha has persuaded not to kill her until she regains her powers—has tipped off the Salem Seven about her whereabouts, and they are formidable and frightening foes. To regain her powers, Agatha must walk the Witch’s Road. Using the allure of power to recruit new allies, they assemble a band of outsiders, friends and.. frenemies.
The coven’s new members are: Candleshop proprietor Jennifer Kale (Sasheer Zamata), psychic Lilia Calderu (Patti LuPone), Alice Wu-Gulliver (Ali Ahn) the daughter of a witch and Mrs. Hart, who isn’t a witch at all, but makes up the numbers needed to open the trapdoor to the road.
Kathryn Hahn truly shines in her role as Agatha, delivering a performance that’s both hilarious and haunting. Her chemistry with the supporting cast enhances the narrative's depth and fun. Aubrey Plaza makes an excellent friendly foe in Rio, and I'm very intrigued to learn more of the history between Agatha and Rio.
The first two episodes of Agatha All Along skillfully blend humor, mystery, and a touch of darkness, setting the stage for an exciting journey ahead. Both Marvel fans and newcomers will find much to enjoy in this one. I'm so excited to see the rest of this show, it's the spooky fun we all need right now!
