PREVIOUSLY ON RECAP
The episode starts with a purple Marvel logo (the color of Agatha's magic), we are going back to the year 1693 in Salem, Massachusetts. Agatha is being dragged to a post and magically bound to it. Agatha is accused of breaking her coven's rules and practising the darkest of magic, her coven starts chanting, and they hit her with their magic, but it turns on the coven and they start to die one by one. Agatha's mother is the leader of the coven, and she attempts to stop Agatha, but Agatha is able to overpower her mother's magic and kills her. We come back to the present and Agatha is talking to Wanda, Wanda tries to use her powers, but nothing happens. Agatha then subdues Wanda with her magic and reveals that she used a basic protection spell by placing a rune on each of the walls, the spell will make it so that Agatha is the only one who could use magic. Agatha chastises Wanda for not knowing the fundamentals of magic. Agatha admits that it was her that created the fake Pietro (Agatha calls him Fietro), Agatha is trying to understand how Wanda is able to do what she is doing. Agatha is taking Wanda on a journey through Wanda's past so she can learn how Wanda got so powerful.
The first stop in the trip down memory lane is with the Maximoff family (before the Stark bomb), we see that her father sells DVDs. Wanda picks an episode from The Dick Van Dyke show, we now have an understanding of where the idea for Westview came from. There is an explosion leaving Wanda and Pietro trapped staring at a bomb for two days. We get the first clue that Wanda might have had powers as a child, Agatha says Wanda used a probability hex to keep the bomb from going off. Agatha doesn't believe Wanda using a hex is the same as what Wanda did with Westview. Agatha next takes Wanda to Wanda's time with Hydra and her exposure to the mind stone. Wanda is placed in a room with the mind stone, we learn that nobody has survived direct contact with the mind stone. Wanda approaches the mind stone, it flies toward her, and it breaks apart revealing the yellow stone inside, it explodes and Wanda sees an image of a woman (dressed in the traditional comic book costume of the Scarlett Witch). When the scientists watch the recording, they cannot see what happens, the tape skips over the incident. Agatha brings Wanda to the events right after Age of Ultron, Wanda is struggling with the death of Pietro and Vision tries to comfort her. Vision and Wanda watch an episode of Malcolm in the Middle, Vision wants to know what Wanda is thinking. Wanda confesses to being so tired; she says it feels like a wave keeps coming and knocking her over, she feels like she is going to drown. Vision doesn't think so, he says it cannot be all sorrow, Visions says "what is grief, but if not love persevering". That comment seems to make Wanda think, she then seems at ease and they enjoy the show.
Agatha brings Wanda to see Wanda visiting S.W.O.R.D. headquarters to see Vision's corpse (after the events of Endgame), she is granted access by Hayward. Wanda meets Hayward, Hayward shows Wanda the lab where they are disassembling Vision. We see Vision being cut and torn apart, Wanda just wants to bury him, but Hayward suggests Wanda might want him to bring him back to life. Hayward says he can't let her take Vision, but he will let her say goodbye. Wanda breaks the glass and enters the room; Hayward instructs his troops to fall back. Wanda approaches Vision's body, she uses her powers, and nothing happens she says, "I can't feel you". Wanda leaves S.W.O.R.D. HQ and drives away, she heads to New Jersey, to a town called Westview. The town looks run down; we see the residents of Westview (who will be characters in Wanda's show). Wanda stops at an empty and she takes a property deed out of her pocket and it has a note on it "to grow old in" written by Vision. This empty lot is where Vision planned to spend the rest of his life with Wanda. Wanda crumples to the ground in grief, the grief explodes out of her and starts changing the town, we see Vision reform. Wanda and Vision are now in black and white kissing on their couch. We see Wanda is standing on a television set with Agatha clapping in audience seats. We hear Billy and Tommy screaming for help, Wanda runs outside and sees Agatha using her magic to choke the twins. Agatha, says Wanda is very dangerous, Agatha says Wanda is being capable of spontaneous creation. Agatha says Wanda is using chaos magic-making Wanda the Scarlet Witch as credits roll. There is another post-credit's scene where we Hayward getting ready for his operation that he was about to launch during episode seven. Hayward says they took apart and put Vision back together many times, they used all kinds of energy and nothing brought Vision back online. Hayward now will use the drone Wanda disabled using her powers to try and bring Vision (now white) back online, and it works we see Vision moves his hand and look down at it.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I am both excited and dreading the finale; I am excited to see what happens, but I am scared the ending is going to have me curled up in a ball and crying. Vision has long been shown to be a true hero, his conversation with Ultron being one of the best examples of this. Vision confronts Ultron and Vision tells Ultron "humans are odd, they think order and chaos are opposites and try to control what won't but there is grace in their failing... a thing isn't beautiful because it lasts, it is a privilege to be among them". That is an incredibly thoughtful statement, and it confirms why Vision was able to pick up Mjolnir, he is indeed worthy. Vision in Previously On tries to comfort Wanda after Pietro is killed, Vision comments that "what is grief, but if not love persevering". Vision has an interesting perspective on things, he sees humans for what we are, but he can appreciate the good things in humans too. Vision's statement about grief confirms that there is more to him than just a walking computer. We are likely nearing the inevitable conclusion of the story; Wanda confronts her grief and accepts that Vision is dead. If Wanda accepts her grief, then that will mean the end of the Westview hex bubble, and that means no more Vision. I am not looking forward to a future with no Vision in the MCU, he has become one of my favourite characters. Paul Bettany is such a great actor, and he is a lot funnier than I expected. Betanny is a proven dramatic actor, and I think in the finale we are going to see him and Elizabeth Olsen giving amazing performances.
I am hopeful that we get closure on most of the outstanding plot threads, I know we will get closure on the Wanda and Vision plot (it's the show's title). I am not sure if we will learn more about Hayward, I am curious if we will get a better idea if he will be an antagonist or he will join our heroes. Will we see Monica use the full range of her new powers, and will we see why she seems to clam up whenever Captain Marvel is mentioned. The reveal that Agnes was indeed Agatha Harkness was not a surprise, but we still do not know anything about her besides the one flashback we saw. Will we learn more about Agatha, will she be a character who will have more appearances in the MCU. I am also very interested in learning more about Fietro (fake Pietro), will we learn if Evan Peters was just stunt casting or is it the beginning of something bigger. Who is the mystery engineer, was it actually Major Goodner, or is it a character we will meet in the finale or a future film or series. I wanted to know who the missing person is, Jimmy Woo was on the case looking for someone in witness protection who has disappeared. What was the orange glowing book that was in Agatha's basement, was it the Darkhold or possibly a book taken from the library at Kamar-Taj. Based on the end of episode eight, I am thinking that Wanda is indeed a nexus being, making her one of the most powerful beings in the MCU. I don't expect everything to get wrapped up neatly, I'm sure Marvel will want to leave some mysteries unsolved.
One of the best things about Wandavision being a weekly series is the fan theories being bandied about between each episode. It is fun after each episode to sit and try and think up new theories based on the episode I just watched. I am sure Kevin Feige (President of Marvel Studios, architect of the MCU) is also having a lot of fun with the fan theories, but I also suspect the theories also make him nervous. Feige knows the ending of the show, and when some of the theories start getting some heat online, I am sure it makes him nervous because of how fans might react when the ending is revealed. The Star Wars franchise has had a very tough time with fan theories, Episodes 8 and 9 were not received well by fans because the fans had theories that did not pan out in the movie. The Star Wars films, also were not well received (more to do with episode nine in my opinion) was because the films deviated from what fans expected and wanted. Wandavision, since episode one has spawned more fan theories since Avengers: Endgame. Feige, I am sure is happy with the way Wandavision has been received, but I am also sure he is worried with how fans will react to the finale. Expectations have been built up through eight episodes, and I have a bad feeling the finale will leave fans wanting for more. There was a rumor of a secret tenth episode, I am confident there will be no tenth episode, but now for some fans they will be expecting another episode. I do not know how all of these plotlines will wrapped up in a single (possibly only 40 minute) episode. Kevin Feige recently hinted that some of the Marvel series will have more than one season, I do not think Wandavision will be one. With Doctor Strange 2 coming out in 2022, I don't think there will be a way to have Wandavision season 2 filmed and aired before the Doctor Strange sequel comes out.
Wandavision is a fantastic show and addition to the MCU, even if the finale does not give fans what they want it will still be a great show. Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany have been fantastic, and I hope they get the critical appreciation they deserve for their performances. I have no clue what the finale will deliver, but I am very excited. The only thing I am certain of is that there is going to be some very emotional moments in the finale, if you are a fan of Vision then you may find the finale a tough episode to watch. Join me in a few days for my review of the finale, thank you for reading.
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