Well folks, season 1 of WandaVision is done. Was it as exciting and awe-inspiring as everyone expected?

Probably not. 

Over the last two months, the suburban adventures of Wanda and Vision have thrown the world into a tizzy. Being Marvel's first big project in a while, it’s only natural that we were all talking about it. The good, the bad, and the downright weird. 

Be warned there are spoilers ahead. 

Post the emotional events of Endgame, this was honestly a welcome addition to the Marvel line-up, a light-hearted sitcom esque show with hints of sinisterism. It felt perfect to ease the heartache fans had suffered at the hands of the two-part Avengers spectacle.

Honestly, it’s a good show. It’s got all the elements to make it a show at par with some of the best television out there.

Action, intrigue, comedy, a slew of interesting characters. It’s a sitcom within an action drama.

While I enjoyed the hell out of it, tuning in weekly to watch the latest episode, it both felt and didn’t feel like a Marvel Superhero extravaganza. Maybe we’ve been spoilt by the movies, or maybe there’s more to it than we thought, or maybe Marvel just decided to fuck with us a little.

The show begins with every episode mimicking an old sitcom. Loaded with easter eggs, and enjoyable moments. In some ways, it kept elements of the comic books, and in many, it rewrote the characters. We learn that Wanda has stolen Vision’s body, brought him back online, and has altered reality to give her a wonderful family life in a small town that seems to be subconsciously under her control. She has her twins, much like the comics. They even dress like Wiccan and Speed.

I never expected this to follow true to the Vision and the Scarlet Witch comics, that would mean melding the X-Men universe into the MCU. Which they should have done. This would have been the ideal vehicle to tie it together.

So, imagine my surprise when Quicksilver from the X-Men universe shows up. My immediate thoughts, they have integrated X-Men. This is perfect. This is perfect. This is…. Agatha?

Shortly after giving Wanda her brother back, we realise with the help of a very catchy theme song that it was Agatha all along.

We also see that Director Hayward lied about Wanda stealing Vision, and has essentially rebuilt him as a weapon. And then he has to fight colourful Vision, and there’s a big moment where they have an intellectual conversation about the Ship of Theseus. 

I was about as confused as bland Vision looks. 

In the comics, Agatha is the witch who teaches Wanda how to control her magic. Here she’s the big bad. In the comics she helps Wanda cope with the loss of her children by wiping her memory. Here she reveals a prophecy of the Scarlet Witch, and inadvertently teaches Wanda about magic while trying to steal all her powers. Which triggers her transformation into her final form.

There’s a lot to love about the show.

The Easter eggs are a fun touch. The direction is extremely fun. The costumes are great, the nod to the classic comic costumes is a lovely trip of nostalgia. And of course, the character dynamic is a joy to watch. The grief, the emotional turmoil of Wanda, the glimpse into her history.

Of course the characters of Agent Woo and Monica Rambeau, Darcy, Hayward.

There’s also a lot to dislike.

All comic fans will have a problem with the story. A gripe we have with every comic book adaptation, why don’t you follow the source material.

The terrible reveal of Quicksilver as Ralph Bohner, although I did laugh at the boner joke. The somewhat underwhelming finale.

But I’m going to give the various disappointments some leeway. And that is primarily because of the fans creating every single theory possible across social media.

From Mephisto to MCU meets X-Men, to Reed Richards, to Benedict Cumberbatch showing us as Doctor Strange. Every single fan theory, not to mention tons of comic books, led us to expect more than what was coming.

And that basically made us mad that Marvel wasn’t delivering what was never actually promised to us. 

All in all, it’s a fun show. I enjoyed it. Even though the finale could have been so much better.

But I also know that I can’t look at this with the same lens I use on MCU movies and I should cut this some slack. Because at the end of the day, any adaptation that helps generate interest in the comics and gets more people reading, is a win for me. 

I’ll give this a 7 on 10. Go watch it if you haven’t. 

Now, excuse me while I go binge something while waiting for Marvel’s next show, The Suite Life of Za… I mean, Falcon and Winter Soldier. 

Words: Anant Sagar