Category: Features

As WandaVision has proven time and time again, sometimes, things are not always as they seem. Even outside of Westview. Over the course of Marvel Studios’ hit show, we’ve seen a number of things that seem to be out of place here and there. An American sitcom through the ages starring two Avengers. Two characters that somehow have been revived, one of them bring in the wrong face from possibly another universe. People with suppressed personalities and Wanda inside everyone’s head. As Vision would say, it seems that something is clearly very wrong inside of Westview. But that doesn’t exclude the outside world as well. Recently a small mistake was pointed out to our fellow contributor Lizzie Hill by Twitter user @Cameron16549707.

The image and tweet refer to Episode 5 of WandaVision; “On A Very Special Episode…”. The detail mentioned by this fan truly is interesting. When we go to analyze the scene, as we can observe below, for just a split second, we can see Dottie’s name on the S.W.O.R.D. document in the Alias section.

 

 

In the next shot, when Monica pulls back out, we can see the information written on it and we can notice very blurrily Dottie’s name and the checkmark for the Sex on “Female”, which corroborates that the sheet does indeed belong to Dottie (or at least, it’s what was intended). What makes this all the odder is that the image of the person on Dottie’s sheet is Dennis the Mailman, not Dottie per see.

 

Why this is important

 

The devil is always in the details and that certainly includes Marvel Studios. Now, let me just shoot down those Dennis is secretly Dottie theories because I don’t think that’s what’s happening here. This certainly seems to be a case of Marvel Studios making a small mistake, hoping fans might not notice, and it’s almost certainly what was going to happen. It’s been nearly a week since Episode 5 aired on Disney+ and no one seemed to notice until very recently but it makes it all the more interesting.

If anything, it convinces me even more that Dottie may have a much larger role to play in this show than we previously thought. If we analyze Dottie’s sheet for a second, she doesn’t have a legal name, similar to how Agnes doesn’t have one either, and the fact that Marvel Studios went out of their way to CGI Dennis’ image and ID onto the sheet so fans wouldn’t notice makes Dottie’s role in WandaVision all the more mysterious and intriguing. I had previously hypothesized that Dottie may have actually been the sorceress known as Arcanna Jones, given that her husband in the show was known as Phil Jones, a character that already has some history in the comics. But given that Phil Jones was just his alias and that he’s actually Harold Proctor, that theory may have been washed away. Nonetheless, I still believe that Dottie may still serve this series as a sort of antagonist to Wanda who has yet to reveal herself. Who she might be whoever, remains to be seen.

WandaVision has been pretty good about keeping the sitcom elements of each episode true to the era they take place in. As I noted in my first piece analyzing the changing eras of Westview, the only thing that’s truly bothered me about it so far is the 1950’s episode being modeled largely after The Dick Van Dyke Show, which didn’t premiere until 1961. I bring this up because I’ve seen a decent amount of criticism and confusion surrounding the era Westview is supposed to be set in during Episode 6, and the answer to all of this explains the timeline not only for this episode but the one I myself complained about a few weeks back.

Explaining the Eras
By starting in the 1950s, WandaVision had seven decades to cover to reach the “present-day” given that the late 2010s and early 2020s in the MCU are kind of fuzzy due to the Blip, and people like Wanda who were snapped away haven’t experienced anything beyond 2018. But with only six era-themed episodes, it wasn’t exactly clear how they’d handle that matter. There was a lot of speculation that the 2000s and 2010s would be covered together in the same episode, or that we’d only see the Westview characters in the present-day once the sitcom bubble burst.
The answer to this little conundrum turned out to be neither of these scenarios, as we found out during this week’s “All-New Halloween Spooktacular!”. The episode had elements of both the late 1990s and early 2000s, and the final sitcom era (which will presumably be covered in next week’s episode) looks to be focused on the late 2000s and 2010s. This sectioning off of time periods explains the things that some viewers have pointed out as anachronistic, like the cinema showing 2004’s The Incredibles and what is most likely the 1998 remake of The Parent Trap starring Lindsay Lohan.

Why A Little Bit of Anachronism Works
Admittedly, this episode does lean more into the early 2000s than the late 1990s as evidenced by things like the Malcolm and the Middle theme song homage, characters – particularly kids – breaking the fourth wall, cheesy sound effects that accompany certain movements, and even the claymation-style “Yo Magic” commercial are all hallmarks of this time period much more than the ’90s. But some things could be seen as fitting with both “sides” of this era, like the Dance Dance Revolution-style game the twins played that first debuted in 1998 but became even more popular in the 2000s. And we did get one shot of what was most likely the actual 90’s in the form of the Halloween flashback of Wanda and Pietro as kids (assuming it was a real flashback).
Ultimately, Westview seems to operate under similar rules to ABC sitcom The Goldbergs. That show is set in the 1980s but doesn’t make an effort to introduce technology and pop culture touchstones in the order they debuted in real life. Every episode is introduced as taking place in “1980-something” and anything that was around in the ’80s is fair game to show up at any time, and WandaVision is doing the same with each era it covers.

For the Children! Ever since the Disney Plus Expanding the Universe documentary hinted at the arrival of Wanda and Vision’s twins in WandaVision, fans have eagerly awaited the MCU debuts of Wiccan and Speed and this week, in Episode 6, we saw Tommy and Billy’s powers come into play for the first time. While the episode made great use of the super speed of both Tommy and his “uncle Pietro”, it was the awakening of Billy’s powers that really hit hard…and might be a key to what’s happening in the series.

The events surrounding the birth of the twins in Episode 3 were certainly abnormal, up to and including the fact that nobody, including Wanda, knew she was having twins. When Tommy arrived, several minutes went by before Wanda became aware that another bun was in the oven and there was something very disconcerting about Wanda during his delivery. I can’t quite explain it, but we all watched it and we all know what I mean. So to some extent,  Billy was the bonus baby but with the nature of the twins already in question, I’m beginning to wonder if he was actually there all along or if his birth was a function of Vision choosing to name the first baby Tommy.

As I discussed last week, there’s something very strange about Agnes’ interest in the Maximoff twins, an interest that predates their conception and became very obvious in Episode 5. No offense to Tommy or to fans of the character, but as cool of a character as Speed is and as much as I look forward to seeing him develop over the next several years in the MCU, Billy has always kind of outshined his brother in the comics and it’s possible that a similar fate may be in store for the twins in the MCU. In the comics, Billy is destined to become one of Earth’s most powerful mages, the Sorcerer Supreme of Earth and, eventually, the all-powerful Demiurge, a being essentially responsible for maintaining the universe. Short version: Billy is fated to wield an enormous amount of power. And with great power comes great effort by those trying to steal it. And this episode showcased that, even if it was a bit more subtle than we’d like. While Tommy ran around with his asshole uncle, Billy’s ability to sense that his father was in danger was a far more impressive display of power for a kid who only found out he had powers in that moment. As cool as super-speed is, precognition and clairvoyance are the types of abilities wielded by witches, warlocks and make him a prime target for any power-hungry baddies out there.

In the comics, Billy’s powers were lusted after by Loki but I don’t think that’s the case here. As Arlyn Murphy mentioned in her Primer, it’s becoming more clear that while we are made to believe Wanda is in control, that she’s not actually the one in the driver’s seat, which means someone is using her power and, at this point, I think they’re using it to get to Billy’s. Who was talking about Wanda having kids before Wanda had kids? Who has been responsible for Billy (and Tommy…sorry Tommy) choosing to age up, making him old enough to begin to realize his power and “speed” him on his way to becoming omnipotent? All signs point towards Agnes being the power-hungry witch pulling the strings and out to either take Billy’s power for herself or manipulate him into using it for her (maybe that’s what is going on with Wanda?). Of course, this could be going totally down the wrong path, but with only 3 episodes left to go, we’ll all find out together very soon.

 

 

 

After last week’s bombshell ending of the episode of WandaVision, all eyes are on this week’s episode, which is perhaps the one fans have been looking forward to the most: The Halloween episode. Ever since fans got their first glimpse at Wanda and Vision wearing the classic comic costumes, fans have been pondering the possibilities of how that episode might play out, since it’s been an episode that’s been teased the most in trailers alongside the 1950’s episode. And now that we know that Wanda and Vision are going to be accompanied not only by their kids; Billy and Tommy, but also the recently revived Pietro Maximoff (portrayed by Evan Peters), one can only wonder what exactly might happen on this episode. And it is exciting. So let’s begin.

 

The Theme Song

Undoubtedly, the dynamic duo of Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez have not missed with the theme songs of each episode. They’ve nailed the scoring of each era to a tea. There was something very interesting to note about the “nature of the lyrics.” At first, the songs start out as very bright and joyful. But as the episodes progress, you notice that the songs start to take a more sinister tone. For example, in the most recent episode, you have lyrics like “Crossing our fingers, singing a song. We’re making it up as we go along.” At first, their nature seems to be about how Wanda and Vision are inexperienced in being parents, raising a family and they’re making it up as it goes along. That’s the face value of the lyrics. But if we think about it in a deeper sense, it’s possible that they’re trying to send us the message that from here on out, whoever is behind the WestView anomaly (the primary suspect being Wanda) is making up this reality as it goes along. So there is a chance that the next episode might follow suit with this style of lyric. Making a song that can have a double meaning but it’s definitely much more noticeable and blunt than its predecessor.

 

The lyrics seem to follow the line of addressing what happened in the last episode. For example, Episode 3 is about “We’ve got something cooking”; referencing Wanda’s pregnancy at the end of Episode 2. Episode 5’s theme had to do with the kids and their birth and how they’re making it up as it goes along. So, if Vision has become aware of what Wanda is doing by the end of the last episode, then there is a possibility that the next theme may be about ignoring distractions like what might be outside of WestView’s barriers or anything that might cause Wanda’s reality to break.

 

Let’s talk about the costumes

We know based on the trailers that Wanda and Vision are going to obtain their classic costume for Halloween. The question still remains about how they actually obtained it. Like, where did the idea for it come from? Is it a “Logan” type of scenario where comics about these characters exist in their universe and they based themselves on that? Could it be tossed aside to a gag like it’s just the first random thing they could find and it just so happens to be their classic costumes? Perhaps there’s an in-universe connection to it, perhaps tied to their personal history.

 

I’m betting on the idea behind the costumes to have some sort of attachment to their personal history while at the same time representing who they are. Like for example, we know Wanda’s abilities are tied to magic and as the episodes have gone on, she’s been less perceptive and more open about her magic use in public, going as far as to showcase her abilities in front of Agnes. So, maybe she dressed as a witch from Sokovia, explaining the weird choice of a headdress rather than wearing what we know as a traditional witch’s hat. Vision could probably be like an updated version of Illusion, with a cool cape and such. This also begs the question about the kids’ costume choice. Chances are that if Wanda and Vision are wearing traditional versions of their costumes, there’s a possibility Billy and Tommy could wear traditional versions of their own costumes as well. We could maybe even see Pietro donning a classic version of his costume.

 

Map-Out

 

In WandaVision, there seem to be 4 main storylines that branch out to the rest of the storylines. We have Wanda, Vision, Agnes, and Monica. So I do this thing called a “map-out.” Essentially, I take the scenes from the trailers as the big puzzle pieces and then try to fill in the blanks with either elements I believe make the most sense based on comics or patterns or ways that can coherently connect one story to another.

Wanda: Wanda’s story is going to keep maintaining the sitcom reality alive. She’ll play out the episode the way she wants to by following the sitcom trope that we’ve seen in previous eras from the other episodes. With this episode being set in the 90s and coincidentally Halloween, I expect Wanda to spend the episode trick or treating with Billy and Tommy, and possibly Pietro might tag along with her so that we may get some sort of exposition as to how he’s back. I however don’t suspect to get anything clear and concrete on who he might be. Given that the kids are growing at an accelerated rate and that we’ve already seen them display powers in the previous episodes, I suspect the twins might start to show their respective powers from the comics, albeit it’ll probably be brief moments, but still a display nonetheless.

Vision: Whenever we see Halloween trailers, we always see Vision on his own, walking around Westview. Given that Vision is a part of the neighborhood security watch from Westview (and basing myself on childhood Halloween experiences in suburbs), this could explain why Vision is on his own during this episode, as he will be looking around the neighborhood to make sure that nothing is amiss since Halloween tends to be a time of mischief in the neighborhoods during sitcoms. It will also give Vision the chance to be doing some investigative work about the WestView anomaly and try to get to the bottom of it all. This will lead him to two places. The barrier of Westview (which I’ll explain later on) and to Agnes in her car.

Agnes: She’s been one of the most theorized characters regarding WandaVision, especially after Episode 4 where S.W.O.R.D. was unable to ID her. Up until last week, she’s served a very “nosy neighbor”/ “side character” trope in the show. But this week might change all of that. We know from the first trailer that Vision will unlock her mind, similar to the way Vision unlocked “Norm”. So, if Agnes is the personality that was created for the sitcom reality, what personality might Vision unearth the moment Agnes is broken free? Based on the trailer, she’ll clearly recognize Vision and ask if he’s an Avenger and if he’s here to help them, them possibly meaning the citizens of Westview. We also know she’ll ask him if she’s dead because he is before laughing maniacally. So, I believe that this episode will reveal Agnes’ true identity, which is possibly Agatha Harkness. Whether or not she is “locked back” like Norm remains to be seen, but I don’t think she’d want to be locked back into Wanda’s spell, so she might leave before Vision has a chance to do so. I definitely see Agnes leading Vision to the barrier as we see in the trailers, which leads me to the final storyline.

Monica: Out of everyone in S.W.O.R.D., the only people who seem willing to help Wanda at this point are the trio of Monica, Darcy, and Jimmy. Everyone else, including Director Hayward, seems to have branded Wanda as the villain and are going in guns blazing to take her down by any means necessary. This contrast in ideals may cause some friction and arguments between them and how to handle this situation. Clearly, Hayward doesn’t seem to care much about trying to help Wanda, given he tried to launch a missile at her and her children in the last episode, so if Monica and the rest do try to find ways to help Wanda, they may just fall onto deaf ears.

There is also the possibility that given that Vision is at the barrier of Westview, he might try to communicate with the people outside of the barrier, giving us our first interactions between Vision and S.W.O.R.D. Thanks to the trailer shot above, we know that Vision may try to penetrate the barrier to see what is outside. I do think it is possible that we may see him go beyond the barrier and see the S.W.O.R.D base outside. What might happen next could quite frankly be anyone’s guess. If he steps out of the barrier, will he look as he normally does in the MCU? Would he be the pale Vision we saw in Episode 4, with the hole in his head? And how might S.W.O.R.D. react? Will they take him away? Will Wanda be able to sense someone left the barrier since she pretty much made the barrier impenetrable in the last episode? Only time will tell when WandaVision airs tomorrow on Disney+.