After taking time out to revisit the past and retcon Wanda’s history, WandaVision returns to the present to cast one final spell. The series finale is simultaneously unexpected and exactly what many foresaw, using a surprising level of just-out-of-reach darkness to put a sting in an otherwise gently bittersweet tale. It sadly pulls some of its punches, which prevents it from being a true emotional gut punch of an ending, and also delivers possibly the worst joke in the MCU to date. But despite a little unevenness, WandaVision’s spell holds until the final moments, making for an enjoyable last outing with a wonderfully unusual couple.The finale, at its core, is about the birth of the Scarlet Witch and the death of Vision. This makes for an emotionally turbulent finale, but not in the way many will have expected. The legacy of the Scarlet Witch is revealed to be an apocalyptic force foretold in Marvel's book of the damned, the Darkhold, and so Wanda’s transformation is surprisingly haunting. The final end credits scene hammers this home, showing off what a strange, almost horrifying eldritch being the Scarlet Witch truly is. The double Wandas in this scene, acting independently, draws the character as the MCU’s answer to Watchmen’s Dr. Manhattan, which is effective nerd shorthand for what Wanda has become.
This has major implications for the future of the MCU, positioning Wanda as both a potential ultimate-level ally for heroes and a nuclear bomb waiting to detonate. That’s drawn straight from the comics, of course, but in the more contained cinematic version of this universe it works as a curveball. Rather than rising from her trauma and grief renewed, Wanda has embraced a form that risks her progress. This trades a sense of relief and closure for lingering danger and excitement, and is an unexpected and enjoyable way for WandaVision to close.
But this decision, along with Vision’s fate, does make the arc of the show feel somewhat incomplete. With the White Vision’s former memories unlocked, it seems inevitable that the two will be reunited in time. And by framing Vision’s death as a temporary goodbye rather than a heart wrenching farewell, there’s no sense of permanence nor consequence to Wanda’s actions. Perhaps these are all threads to be explored in further Scarlet Witch stories that examine her inner darkness, but it means the central story - one examining the grieving process - is left oddly unfinished. A promise - even a half one - of resurrection only serves to sugar coat the bitter lesson and reduce its impact. WandaVision has been so interesting because of its exploration of such a human quality, and to make this specific thread superhuman feels a misstep.While not as emotionally devastating as it deserved to be, the finale does have plenty of touching moments. The conversation between the two Visions about the nature of existence and a person’s makeup is quintessential of the character, and just about makes up for WandaVision using the rote cliche of heroes fighting their evil reflections. And for the episode’s heavyweight sequence, Wanda and Vision’s final moments are tenderly delivered. One of the season’s biggest questions has asked what exactly Vision is, and Wanda’s explanation of him being her sadness, hope, and love - while perhaps being lacking for Marvel sleuths - effectively drills to the point of the show. This was never a mystery story at all, it’s simply a tale of someone struggling with the memory of a loved one. Magic may have made that physical, but this was all emotion rather than any form of conspiracy to crack.
Talking of conspiracies to crack, it’s impossible to ignore WandaVision’s handling of Evan Peters’ Pietro, who was revealed to be… just some guy called Ralph Bohner. Using Evan Peters for the role and stringing the mystery out over multiple episodes feels like something of an unfair trick from Marvel. In a universe that has built its reputation and reason to be on its interconnectedness, it feels as if fan investment in the multiple worlds of Marvel has been leveraged to create excitement for no payoff at all, and worse still a dick joke to cap it all off. It feels much like Iron Man 3’s Mandarin reveal, but without the actual fun.Quicksilver isn’t the only one who is underserved by the finale. After being one of the show’s most compelling characters for almost its entire run, Monica sadly misses out on a major moment to cap her arc. It’s great that her time in the spotlight is spent saving Billy and Tommy - superhero stories often forget that heroes are there to save people - but that she doesn’t get to unleash all hell on Hayward herself after multiple episodes of building antagonism between them is unfortunate. Similarly, Jimmy and Darcy are provided just fleeting moments, and neither feel as if their stories are truly given a conclusion. Thankfully Monica does get her own post-credits scene, promising more from her, Nick Fury, and the Skrulls in the future.
With little focus on the supporting cast, it meant Agatha had her chance to shine as the finale’s sort-of-antagonist. Writer Jac Schaeffer makes the right call of ensuring Wanda is constantly framed as the show’s actual villain, with plenty of call-backs to her mistakes and the way she’s terrorised the people of Westview. But this does mean that much of Agatha’s fun comes only in the gleefully outlandish performance from Kathryn Hahn, rather than the character’s rather stock motivations and actions. Instead of feeling genuinely manipulative, the moments of adversity came through underwhelming spell slinging. WandaVision has always been about matters of the heart and mind, so this finale would have been better served by cutting much of the action and opting for something more cerebral.Agatha’s actions do, however, bring out the true Scarlet Witch in Wanda, and this makes for one of the strongest costume reveals in the whole MCU. The Scarlet Witch truly feels like a living legend; a force that’s barely contained. Of particular note is the centre of her headpiece, which features a ‘M’ shaped segment that resembles Magneto’s helmet. If WandaVision has taught us anything, it’s not to look too deeply at anything, but this is a lovely nod and wink nonetheless.
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March 05, 2021 at 07:26PM
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WandaVision: Season 1, Episode 9 Review - IGN
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