Wandavision - Episodes 3 Spoiler Review

 Wandavision episode three titled Now in Color is very good, Wandavision has created a new entirely different part of the MCU.  In my review of episode 1 and 2, I noted that I was not connecting entirely with the setting of those episodes.  Part of my issue is that I did not watch black and white sitcoms a lot, and I was not a fan of what I did see.  The magic show part of episode 2 was fantastic, it was really funny, but episode 1 was kind of boring.  Now in episode 3, Wandavision is mimicking sitcoms of the 1970s to great success and laughs.  Now in Color picks up where episode 2 left off, Wanda is "magically" pregnant, and the show is now in color.  I was not born until the early 1980s so I did not grow up watching 1970s sitcoms and so I did not catch all of the homages paid to the sitcoms of that decade.  The episode still did not answer any of the big questions about what is going on yet, but it did give us plenty of glimpses of weirdness.  The setting of the show is a town called Westview, which we now know is actually a real town, but we still do not know too much about the people we have met who live in Westview.  We got more of Geraldine, Herb and Agnes in this episode, all of them seem to have moments of clarity, but before we can learn more the characters seemingly revert back to their cheery selves.

WHAT HAPPENED IN THE EPISODE

The episode starts with Wanda and Vision as they appeared at the end of episode 2, though we got another stylish opening credits scene with a 1970s feel.  Wanda is being checked by the town doctor, who confirms she is pregnant and that she is about 4 months pregnant (even though it is has been 12 hours).  Vision escorts the doctor out; the doctor tells Vision he and his wife are about to leave for vacation.  Vision sees his neighbour Herb using a hedge trimmer on a cement wall, Vision remarks this to Herb and Herb acknowledges Vision is right, but he continues cutting through the wall with his face frozen.  Wanda is experiencing her baby kicking and the mobile in the baby room comes to life (her powers are out of control).  Wanda then experiences false labor contractions, and the kitchen goes haywire and the power goes out.  Vision has a moment of clarity where he realizes things in the town aren't right, but before he can finish his thoughts there is a glitch and he goes back to being positive.  Wanda's water breaks and then it starts raining inside the house, another commercial starts, this time it is for Hydra Soak.  Vision goes to get the doctor because Wanda is now in labour, Wanda is alone and hears something going on in the baby's room but before she can investigate the doorbell rings.  Geraldine is visiting Wanda because Geraldine needs to borrow a bucket, Wanda is trying to hide her pregnancy, but her powers are manifesting things, like coats and a stork.  Geraldine is talking about her job, while Wanda is watching the stork and trying to keep Geraldine from seeing it.  Wanda tries to make the stork disappear, but nothing happens.  Wanda is finally unable to keep her contractions from Geraldine, Vision gets the doctor who was experiencing car trouble and hadn't left for vacation yet.  Wanda is about to give birth and the whole house is in chaos as her powers are going crazy, Geraldine is helping her is able to deliver the baby just before Vision and the doctor arrive.  

Geraldine takes the doctor to the kitchen while Vision and Wanda bond with the baby, but Wanda is not done yet there is another baby.  The two babies are now okay, and the doctor is walked out again by Vision, the doctor says he doesn't think he can go on vacation because small towns not easy to escape.  Vision sees Agnes and Herb outside, Agnes asks if Geraldine is with Wanda,, Herb and Agnes tell Vision she has no family or home, they say she came here because but they can't finish the sentence.  Agnes tells Herb to stop talking and she goes back to being her cheery self and leaves, Herb says goodbye and leaves too.  While Vision is outside Wanda is singing to the babies and tells Geraldine that she had a twin brother named Pietro, Geraldine looks confused then says he was killed by Ultron.  Wanda is upset with Geraldine for saying he was killed and tells her to leave, Wanda then notices that Geraldine is wearing a necklace with the S.W.OR.D. emblem, Wanda asks about the symbol and asks who Geraldine is, but Geraldine does not answer.  Vision comes back inside, and Geraldine is gone, Wanda says she left, she had to rush home.  We are now outside the town at night and we see Geraldine come flying through a wall of static surrounding the town.  As Geraldine is lying on the ground, we see her being approached by the military and we see that a base has been set up outside the town as the episode ends.

FINAL VERDICT

I really enjoyed the episode, I found it very funny while also getting a better sense of what is happening.  We are not given hard answers yet, but I think Wanda has gone crazy and she has recreated an idyllic life for herself.  The people in the town are trapped in there too, they seem to be under a trance, and anytime they start to become lucid they fall back into the trance.  Vision even has a moment of clarity, but before he can say what he thinks there is a glitch (likely caused by Wanda).  Wanda seems really happy, but anytime she is faced the unhappiness in her past she seems upset and uses her powers to reset things.  The doctor made the weird comment about small towns being hard to escape from, and Agnes stops Herb from telling Vision why Geraldine came here.  I am trying to think if Agnes is aware of what is going on and trying to control things, or if she is just like all the other people in town.  Geraldine as we know is actually Monica Rambeau who works with S.W.O.R.D., I think she was able to get into the town (likely in the helicopter), but once she got in, she entered the trance similar to the other people in the town.  I am sure next episode we will get more answers in regard to what is going on, inside and outside of the Westview.

The episode had a great pace to it, I never felt bored and the light tone of the episode made the weird moments stand out.  I have always felt Paul Bettany (Vision) was a great actor, but I am surprised by the performance we are seeing from Elizabeth Olsen (Wanda).  Olsen and Bettany have great chemistry and both are hitting the comedic parts just right.  Olsen has surprised me with her dramatic performance she has not been given a lot to do in the MCU films so far, I hope she will be given more to do going forward.  I am really enjoying the premise of the show, each episode covering a different decade of sitcom television.  The set design, the costumes and the comedic gags are all great, a lot of care and detail has gone into this show.  I know some fans are not enjoying the show, I think if this was not the first MCU material we have seen since Spier-Man: Far From Home it would have been better received.  There is no action, and little in the way of MCU world-building so far, this show was supposed to have been the fourth MCU property since Spider-Man.  We should have seen Black Widow, Eternals in theaters and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier on Disney Plus before Wandavision.  Fans have been craving for MCU and I think Wandavision, though a great show is scratching that itch.  I really hope Black Widow does not get its release date pushed back again, if theatres might not be open I at least Disney will put Black Widow on Disney Plus for rental.  I would rather see it in theatres and I still might later in the year, but I don't want to keep waiting.  If they push Black Widow, then we will likely see at least one of three other MCU films debuting this year moved to 2022.  Wandavision is off to a great start, but I am waiting to start seeing some of those mysteries solved.  Join me next week for a review of episode 4 of Wandavision.