So I guess we can all agree I was wrong in my prediction, in my review of episode five I suggested that maybe Wanda was not controlling everything. Episode six titled All-New Halloween Spooktacular! was another solid episode, but I did not enjoy it as much as I enjoyed episodes four and five. One of the most interesting things about Wandavision to me is that it keeps you guessing and theorizing. Each new episode will give you answers to old questions and then create a lot of new questions in the same episode. I do not think anybody has a solid idea of what is happening, and I think that is something that I have not seen since Lost came out. I also am not sure what to make of Pietro, we got to spend a lot of time with him in this episode, and I am not sure if he is good or bad (more on that later). We got a better look at Hayward, and similar to Pietro it is hard to label him as completely bad, but he is definitely not a good guy. There is a rumor that there will be a secret tenth episode that we will see, I looked into this and I am leaning towards thinking we will only see nine episodes. The phantom tenth episode rumors started when a talent agency published some information on one of the actors in Wandavision listing what episodes the actor appears in. In the now removed post it listed episodes 4,5,7,8,9, and 10, but the actor appeared in episode six so it might be a mistake they made not putting six, but maybe there is an episode 10 and Disney made them remove the post. We will see if there will be a bonus episode, I will happy if we get one, but I do not expect one.
ALL-NEW HALLOWEEN SPOOKTACULAR! RECAP
This episode starts with the usual recap of what happened before, though this one shows clips from Avengers: Age of Ultron, specifically Aaron Taylor-Johnson's Pietro getting killed. The actual opening of the episode is an homage to Malcolm in the Middle, the opening credits are styled after that show. The opening is Billy and Tommy talking to the camera alla Malcolm in the Middle style. The boys talk about Pietro while he is sleeping, and he wakes up and starts speeding around the house chasing the boys. Wanda comes downstairs in a classic comic book inspired costume of the Scarlet Witch and Pietro talks about the time when they were kids, they went trick or treating and got typhus, which Wanda replies that is not how I remember it. Pietro suggests she has repressed traumatic memories. Vision appears in a Vision inspired costume (less impressive than Wanda's) made up of green tights with yellow boxer shorts and a yellow cape. Pietro says Vision looks like a traffic light; Vision thinks his costume is meant to be a Mexican Luchador wrestling costume. Vision tells Wanda he cannot join her, Pietro and the kids trick or treating as he has to be on neighbourhood watch duty. Wanda gets irritated and starts to say you're aren't supposed to do that, but she catches herself and tells him it is the kids first Halloween, and he has to be there. Pietro says he can be a father figure and he can take Vision's place. Pietro takes Tommy and get matching costumes (Tommy grows up to be Speed with matching abilities to Pietro's).
We join Monica outside Westview where she is engaged with Hayward in an argument about his attempt to kill Wanda. Hayward chastises Monica believing she has too much compassion for powered individuals due to her connection to Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers). Hayward says the people that left (disappeared after Thanos' snap at the end of Infinity War) still have the luxury of optimism and that they don't know what is was like the last five years. Monica accuses Hayward of using the blip as an accuse for being a coward. Hayward retorts that it was a good thing Monica was not around for her mother's death because he doesn't believe she has the stomach for the line of work she is in. Hayward asks for Monica, Jimmy Woo and Darcy to be removed from the base. Monica and Jimmy disable their guards and are on the loose.
Wanda, Pietro and the kids are trick or treating and Pietro admits he looks different than her brother, he then takes the kids to maximize their candy intake (using super speed to steal everyone's candy). Wanda is talking to Herb who is on neighbourhood watch duty, Wanda suggests Vision can help him since he is on duty too, but Herb says Vision is not on duty. Wanda seems confused and Herb asks her if there is anything he can do to help and if there is anything she wants changed. Vision is off in another part of town exploring and he sees kids, but he also sees people stuck in a loop of doing the same movement over and over again. We get another commercial for Yo-Magic, it is claymation style animation, the commercial has a disturbing ending. Wanda and Pietro argue, Pietro says everything he did was what she wanted. Pietro says he was being shot in the street like a chump and then he heard her calling and he knew she needed him. Tommy and Billy arrive and Tommy speeds off using super speed for the first time, Wanda says Tommy can explore his super speed but that he needs to take his brother with him, and they are not to go past Ellis avenue.
Darcy, Monica and Jimmy are determined to find more information on Hayward, Darcy tries to hack into Haywards devices. They see Hayward is tracking Vision's movements in the Westview. We join Vision as he reaches a part of town where everyone he sees is frozen in place, he takes to the air to get an overview of Westview and he sees a car stopped with its headlights on. Vision sees Agnes in the car, and she is frozen too, he starts talking to her and she says she is lost. Vision touches her head pulls her out of her mind control, Agnes says that Vision is an Avenger, and he has no idea what she is talking about. Agnes asks if she is dead and Vision asks why she thinks she is dead and she replies that he is dead. Vision places her back under the mind control and she drives away, we see that Vision is at Ellis avenue. Visions walks towards the barrier. Monica and Jimmy go to meet Monica's engineer contact and Darcy tries to stop her, Darcy says that Hayward has Monica's blood tests, and it shows her DNA is being re-written on a cellular level. Darcy says that the cause was Monica entering and then exiting the hex, Darcy says Monica can't go back inside. Monica says she has seen lots of lab results and she is going to help Wanda and she will not stop. Darcy lets Jimmy and Monica, but Darcy stays behind to get past Hayward's final firewall.
Monica and Jimmy drive away, while in Westview Wanda and Pietro have another bonding session. Pietro keeps challenging Wanda, he asks where all the kids were hiding before, Pietro suggests she did not want to traumatize them, so she kept them sleeping until now. Pietro says things are better now for the people of Westview, Wanda asks if Pietro thinks that what is going on is wrong. Pietro is impressed with what is happening, he says it is a big leap to do all of this compared to what she could do before. Pietro asks how she did all of this, Wanda again says she doesn't know how she did it, all she remembers if feeling all alone, empty, endless nothingness. Wanda turns to Pietro and sees him dead with bullet wounds. Darcy succeeds in breaching Hayward's firewall and sees a special project code named Cataract. Hayward sees that Vision is approaching the barrier and orders his men to move out. Vision tries to cross the barrier and as he does it appears as though his body is being ripped apart and being sucked back into Westview. Vision asks for help; he says the residents of Westview need help. Darcy asks for Hayward to do something and help Vision, but Hayward just watches as Vision is being ripped apart. Billy senses his dad is in trouble (using his magic powers) and he goes to find his mom to tell her dad is in trouble. Pietro says not to worry as her dead husband can't die twice, Wanda then blasts Pietro for his callous remark. Wanda gets Billy to give her more details and Wanda freezes everyone and uses her powers to expand the hex to get Vision back inside it's boundaries. Monica and Jimmy see the hex expanding and speed up, Darcy is handcuffed to a truck and she enters the hex, Vision is saved, and the base is turned into a circus inside of Westview with S.W.O.R.D. agents being turned into clowns, Hayward managed to escape as the episode ends.
SPOOKTACULAR THOUGHTS
One of the most frustrating parts of watching Wandavision is that we have to wait a week to see the next episode. This episode confirmed I was wrong about Wanda not being the one who is doing everything in Westview, but I am still convinced there is another potential villain involved. Wanda has now said a few times she is not sure how it all started; she has already proven she cannot be taken at her word. I know there is a growing concern that Wanda is turning evil, she is responsible for the suffering of the people on Westview who are forced to be her puppets. Pietro's presence in this episode loomed large, he seemed capable of speaking his mind, and he possessed knowledge of events that occurred after his death. Pietro's did not seem to be the Pietro of the MCU, he seemed more interested in causing trouble, rather than helping Wanda deal with her grief. Pietro gave her his approval for what she is doing, I don't believe the real Pietro of the MCU would do this. Pietro also made that incredibly callous remark about Vision already being dead. The theory I have heard is that Pietro is actually Mephisto, at first, I did not see it, but after some repeat viewings I can see how it is possible.
Vision has shown in the last two episodes that he is a true hero, he is angry at Wanda for putting the innocent people of Westview under her control. Wanda avoiding telling Vision what is actually happening is only making things worse. I think Wanda knows Vision would not agree with what she is doing, but Vision feeling like she is doing something wrong makes him lie to her so he can investigate the town. Vision notices that the town is wrong and his conversation with Agnes (more on that in a sec) probably confused him even more. Vision's attempt to leave the hex was very sad to watch, I get the feeling Vision cannot exist outside of the hex and that is why Wanda is trying to keep up the facade. Agnes could be just an innocent visitor to Westview who got trapped there when Wanda created the hex. Agnes gave a good performance, but I am still not sure if she is an innocent bystander or if she is someone of interest. Vision being told that he is dead will lead to a confrontation between him and Wanda, I know that will be an intense fight while also being very sad.
Hayward is just a jerk; we still have not had confirmation on how bad of a guy he actually is. Hayward seems to be having a power struggle with Monica, Monica was probably considered the heir apparent to S.W.O.R.D., but Hayward took her place when she disappeared. I have been saying for a few weeks that Hayward could simply be a bad guy who will do anything to keep his power, but I wonder if him being a villain might be a red herring. I do not think Hayward is a good guy, but neither was Nick Fury who as a leader of an organization like S.W.O.R.D. and S.H.I.E.L.D. secrets are necessary. Hayward's project Cataract suggests by the name that it is research in a way to destroy Vision, Hayward had the chance to help him, but he just watched as Vision slowly fell apart. Monica as we saw has been changed by her exposure to the hex, I believe we are seeing the birth of a new hero. Monica in the comics is a superhero known as Photon, and I think we will see her with powers before the end of the series. Monica seems almost desperate in her desire to help Wanda; Wanda has dealt with her grief by creating a fake life. Monica is dealing with the grief of her mother's death by pouring all of herself in an attempt to help Wanda. I hope we meet the engineer in episode seven, I am trying not to get too excited by this, but I can't help it.
This episode had a little bit of everything, it was funny, some action, heartbreaking moments and it set up next weeks episode. An aspect of the show that I love is how the characters on the show will ask the same questions the audience is asking. Wandavision has given a lot more depth to the central characters that I never expected we would get. I think the episode was a lot of fun, but it also had a lot of heart. Vision's arc in the episode was sad, I cannot see a way in which Vision is alive by the end of the series. I hope I am wrong about Vision's fate, but part of Wanda's redemption could be her ability to deal with her grief. The twins now have powers, and I am excited for their future in the MCU, with three episodes to go I wonder if they will grow in age again and be part of the Young Avengers team. Join me for my review of episode seven, which will be up in a couple of days.
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