Director: Matt Shakman
Price: $6.99 (Disney+ Subscription)
Release Date: January 22nd, 2021
Reviewer: Soycornholio

Marvel Studios has really upped the ante with WandaVision! For those of you who are not necessarily fans of the Avengers or the MCU, let me be the first to tell you that WandaVison is worth your time to watch.

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Continuing the theme of classic tv sitcoms, episode 3 takes place in what one can only assume is the 70’s. What gives it away? The title sequence alone is a love letter to the Brady Bunch. The fashion is set totally in the ’70s with the long straight hair, the turtlenecks, the plaid, and of course the afros. This episode takes place 12 hours after Wanda finds out that she and Vison are now expecting a baby. After a quick check up from a misogynistic doctor, the married couple is shocked to learn that they are now 4 months into their pregnancy. Let’s pause for a second. 4 months into their pregnancy! In episode 2, they had JUST found out that they were expecting. What are they feeding this kid? Milk from the goat that suckled Zeus? Anyway, as Vision is walking the doctor to his car, a particularly scary scene takes place. Now, something is obviously wrong in the town of Westview. This is evident as Vision observes his neighbor, Herb, using his hedge trimmer to cut into a stonewall. A startled Vision walks back into the house and now sees a 6 months pregnant Wanda (I guess time flies in Westview).

In the next scene, the pair are setting up a nursery for their child. Vision wants their son to be named Billy, while Wanda wants his name to be Tommy. I literally had to pause the show for a second and do a quick Wiki search. Now I know that Wanda had two boys during House of M and I also remember Wiccan. What I did NOT remember, were her son’s real names. It turns out that Wiccan’s real name is William (or Billy for short) and his brother’s name is Thomas (or Tommy for short). Kudos to you Marvel.

As the day progresses, Wanda’s powers are totally on the fritz. Every ache and pain she feels causes something magical to happen. If you have ever seen the tv show Charmed, you can sub out Wanda for a pregnant Piper in the first half of season 5. Every sneeze or eye-roll causessomething magical to happen. At one point, Vision notices something is totally wrong. He tries to tell Wanda this, but she blinks, and time rewinds itself to restart this particular scene.

After her water breaks (causing the pipes to burst), Vision rushes to get the doctor. The doorbell rings, and for the next couple of minutes, Geraldine (Wanda’s neighbor) berates Wanda with a full breakdown of her day. As Geraldine is blabbing away, Wanda hilariously tries to keep her now 9-month pregnant body hidden. This scene could literally be a carbon copy from any Bewitched episode. Just picture it, Samantha is entertaining the Tate’s and Endora is trying to embarrass Darwin (“It’s Darrin mother…”). Or better yet, a young Tabitha is wiggling her nose and causing variousitems to be moved around as Samantha frantically tries to hide this from the Tate’s and Darrin. This same formula is used as a stork appears and Wanda tries to keep it a secret from Geraldine.

As Vision is running back (quite literally) with the doctor, Wanda goes into labor and Geraldine helps her to deliver baby Tommy. You hear the audience track “oohing” and “aahing” as Vision and Wanda share this tender moment. All is well until Wanda lets out a blood-curdling scream and now baby Billy is now born. Ladies and gentlemen, we now have Billy and Tommy! Wiccan and Speed!

Vision (once again) walks the doctor out to the door. Once outside, he notices Herb and their other neighbor Agnes in an intense conversation and walks over. Seeing Vision, Agnes begins to warn him that something is not right with Geraldine. She literally “popped up” out of nowhere. Herb tries to tell Vision what is truly going on but is quickly hushed by Agnes. Simultaneously inside the house, Wanda is telling Geraldine that she was a twin, and she had a brother named Pietro. Geraldine pauses as Wanda begins to sing in Sokovian to her twins. At this moment in time, Geraldine then combines the MCU Movies with WandaVision in the best way possible.

Now sensing something is off with Geraldine, Wanda begins to question her right down to her S.W.O.R.D. necklace. Vison darts back into the house where Geraldine has mysteriously vanished. Wanda tells Vision that Geraldine had to “rush home”. The last scene for this episode consists of Geraldine appearing back in Westview.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Wanda is grieving. I may be the weird one here, but I love it when comic book characters are grieving. You can almost feel their pain through their actions and of course their words. It humanizes the characters in a way that we as the readers, can relate to. In the MCU, Vision is dead. I believe that this has broken Wanda. To comfort herself, she has created this quasi reality, in which Vision is still alive. In this reality, Wanda is completely in control (hence why she was able to rewind time). Now what is really odd, are the other characters. Agnes seems to be Agnes Harkness (a character who is heavily associated with Wanda in the comics). Herb on the other hand…I really don’t know. Some believe that he is the MCU version of Mephisto (a truly evil demon who gives the bulk of Marvel characters hell). If this is Wanda’s creation, how did these two slither into her fantasy? And more importantly, why? What is their end goal? Likewise,with Geraldine. HOW did she end up in Westview, just to be sent back to Westview? Then there are those weird commercials during the show. This episode had a wonderful advertisement for “Hydra Soak! Find the goddess within.” Hmmm…

This 70’s inspired episode, shined. The true beauty of this show thus far is the way Wanda uses her powers. Now she doesn’t point like Sabrina, twitch like Samantha, or even folds her arms like Jeannie. No, Wanda flicks her fingers à la Prue from Charmed. Obvious, but not dramatic. If you are into comics or even the classic romps of a good 70’s sitcom, WandaVision is the show for you.