REVIEW #418 Agatha All Along (Season 1)

SYNOPSIS

Set after the events of ‘Wandavision’ Agatha Harkness recruits unlikely allies for her quest to regain her former powers.

REVIEW

It’s hard to believe that Agatha All Along is the MCU show with the lowest budget thus far! Not only did it look better than a lot of recent Marvel movies but it also had an impressive script that incorporated the more supernatural side of the franchise too, a side that hasn’t actually been seen too often in live action. Kathryn Hahn truly thrives as the sociopathic, all-powerful witch Agatha and when you combine that charisma with Aubrey Plaza’s captivating energy, it creates an enjoyable duo that steals the spot light in any scene they share together. Above anything else, what I loved about the show is how it wasn’t afraid to embrace the horror tropes that are inherent to any plot points that involve the supernatural! It had grotesque creatures, freaky antagonists and a pretty dark tone that acted as a juxtaposition for the often camp and lighthearted nature of the acting and dialogue, creating a nice balance between the two. It fills me with excitement because the MCU has the opportunity to really double down on that dark tone for R rated projects such as Blade (when it finally gets back on track). 

Now let’s discuss the show with some spoilers in mind. Firstly I think Marvel and the show made a big mistake in their marketing by essentially revealing Billy as Wanda’s son, way before the big reveal. I felt like it was common knowledge before the show even started and it would have been a lot cooler to have discovered that for the first time during the big reveal. I’d also have to criticise the ending, I really didn’t enjoy the fact that Agatha comes back as a ghost, they should have really committed to that big finale and had her fall on her sword, materialise the redemption arc and show the bravery to kill the titular character of the entire show! Unfortunately it follows suit, as Marvel continuously seems to ruin their big sacrifice moments with meaningless revivals, diluting the impact of any such sacrifice going forward. But nonetheless I thoroughly enjoyed it, Agatha All Along balanced the inclusion of LGBTQ themes in a natural and organic way, introducing some wonderfully diverse characters that can have a big impact on the franchise as a whole, but wasn’t so in your face that it felt like they were ticking a box. So credit goes to the writers for a good job well done.

Overall Rating: (7.5/10)

Thanks for reading.

Film Review Club