REVIEW: WandaVision, Season 1 Episode Five 'On A Very Special Episode'

REVIEW: WandaVision, Season 1 Episode Five 'On A Very Special Episode' 

Originally published in February 2021, here are my thoughts on WandaVision's fifth episode 'On A Very Special Episode'.

I know I keep saying this with WandaVision, but the attention to detail in this series really is outstanding. This episode is partly set within the realms of an 80s sitcom, and it really does feel like watching something from the 80s. I just love how they not only dress the set, and use 80s props and costumes, but also as with the 50s, 60s and 70s pay attention to the aspect ratio too. They could have very easily taken the lazy option and just given us an 80s sitcom with the same aspect ratio as the segments that take place outside the hex for more consistency in the picture, but instead we have ever-changing aspect ratios, and it's all the better for it.

And my God, this show just continues to be so funny. You have some genuinely great sitcom material with Agnes' (Kathryn Hahn) suggestion to name the family dog 'sparky' because the plug socket sparks when the dog gets near, and the kids suddenly ageing fast to the point where they are ten years old, which is a really neat little dig at how TV has that weird tendency to be inconsistent with kids' ages when they are a part of a show's cast (I mean, I was only talking to someone else on Twitter about that the other day). I've notice it happen most frequently on Coronation Street, a show where I swear Asha Alahan has been sixteen at least twice already, and it makes this joke in WandaVision a meta-gag that even Deadpool would be proud of.

The best aspects of this show, however, are when the sitcom just stops and you get these really unnerving moments. There's something unsettling about a laugh track just suddenly stopping as Vision (Paul Bettany) questions the world, or the credits rolling as they have a marital dispute, only for them to totally disappear as the argument nearly turns into a fight. It gives a clear indicator to the audience that this world isn't right, and a subtle hint at the sinister underbelly underneath the sitcom trappings. There's foul work at play here, the question is what and when the truth will reveal itself to Vision.

The most disturbing moment in this episode however takes place at Vision's workplace, where he receives a message on a computer from a certain organisation outside of the Hex, and uses his powers to communicate with one of the sitcom 'characters' on a different level. When the man basically reveals that he's scared, and in pain, it's easily the most eery sequence in WandaVision this far in. These are people who are being tortured and trapped in this world, forced to play these sitcom personas with no sign of escape. It brings to mind all kinds of possibilities, like just what being in the Hex could be doing to their mental state of being, and who is holding this control over them. It's a genuinely creepy thing to envisage for sure.

I really like Monica (Teyonah Parris), Jimmy (Randall Park) and Darcy's (Kat Dennings) dynamic. They're like excitable fans trying to analyse and come up with theories, even to the point where they debate over who is most powerful between Wanda and Captain Marvel. It's like they are the visual representation of internet fan forums, which brings to mind other classic MCU characters such as Coulson and Fitz and Simmons. They're a trio who perhaps deserve to have their own show together, where they explore the various mysteries of this grand shared universe. The ultimate representation for those of us who are avid viewers of the MCU!

The surprise appearance of Evan Peters' Pietro at the end of this episode is a really cool nod to the fans. It's a clear statement of the path that the MCU is taking, and feels like clear set-up for future events in Phase Four and beyond, which we know concerns the multiverse. It will be interesting to find out in the weeks to come just how the X Men quicksilver crossed over to the MCU, as currently this is the first time that a multiversal crossover has ever taken place within this shared universe (NB: It is later revealed that it isn't the X Men Quicksilver, but actually a walking boner joke).

Overall, 'On This A Special Episode' is another masterstroke of ingenuity for WandaVision. It's an episode that promises a bright future for the MCU, whilst also giving us these really creepy glimpses into the stunning undertones of the Hex sitcom world. The trio of Monica, Jimmy and Darcy are also a genuinely great pairing of personalities, and one that I hope we see again in the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. On A Very Special Episode is a show that is one of the shared universe's most successful entries to date, and I for one cannot wait to see more of Evan Peters' Pietro.

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What are your thoughts on WandaVision's fifth episode? Let me know in the comments.