REVIEW: WandaVision, Season 1 Episode Eight 'Previously On...'

 REVIEW: WandaVision, Season 1 Episode Eight 'Previously On...'

Originally published in March 2021, here are my thoughts on WandaVision's eighth episode 'Previously On'.

Despite the fact we got an episode halfway through which did away with the comedy elements, it still feels weird to watch a WandaVision episode without the sitcom format. The sitcom homages have become such a vital component of this series' format,that by this point, you've kind of got used to it. Eight episodes in, however, and the sitcom formula is now over. Now we're onto the more traditional Marvel fare.

Which obviously is not a bad thing in the slightest. I've been watching this franchise since 2008; I find these films and shows a hell of a lot of fun to watch, as a piece of light escapism, and I've always been impressed by the consistent quality between each entry.

WandaVision is no different. This series has been absolutely spectacular, and this episode is no exception. We get so many cool moments here; in fact, this episode just gets going at a rollicking pace from the very beginning. Honestly, there could have been a whole episode about 'Agnes's (Kathryn Hahn) backstory alone. Seeing the Marvel universe during the Salem witch trials, and learning of how 'Agnes' betrayed her own coven hooked me right away. This is something we hadn't seen in the MCU before, and it's so interesting that I would be open to seeing more of it. Perhaps the upcoming Eternals movie, or the Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) solo film rumoured to be in development could give us more of that largely unexplored area of the MCU?

But this episode isn't all about 'Agnes'. Its main singular focus is on Wanda, as we see her backstory through the guidance of 'Agnes'. It's almost like a twisted version of It's A Wonderful Life, only instead of the Angel Gabriel you have 'Agnes' acting as a sort of therapist for Wanda's grief, guiding her through various events during her past. Wanda has not had it easy, and Agnes really does seem to enjoy exploiting that potentially for her own gain.

I loved seeing Wanda's childhood. Seeing her and Pietro as kids, and their relationship with their parents, was great. There were so many nods to where Wanda got her sitcom ideas from for her fabricated reality here too. We see how she used to watch The Dick Van Dyke Show and Bewitched on VHS, and how even select scenes such as the bed sequence were directly lifted from these shows which she enjoyed. Even the adverts get an explanation, with devices and events within these flashbacks that directly relate to the ads from the WandaVision transmissions.

There's just so many nods too for longterm viewers of the MCU. Everything from seeing Strucker's experiments on Wanda in action to what feels exactly like a deleted scene from Captain America Civil War (where Vision (Paul Bettany) gets a profound line about grief) really delivers some lovely little Easter eggs to Wanda's other appearances in the MCU. It's a treasure trove for viewers who have been following this franchise from the very start.

I really do hate Hayward (Josh Stamberg) even more after this episode though. He really has been despicable to Wanda, seeing Vision as nothing more than a 'sentient weapon' and desperate for his vibranium. He doesn't even seem to care that Wanda just wanted a funeral for Vision, which is a fair point given that Tony Stark got one. That jerk just smeared Wanda's name, and twisted her image to seem like she was the villain, when in reality she was just grieving.

I really felt for Wanda when she first arrives in Westview also. The way she just has a total mental breakdown and unleashes her power shows just how much her past has affected her, and Elizabeth Olsen plays it perfectly. It's such a tragic performance, and you feel the full effect of what Wanda has been going through, because they have got such a capable and incredible actor behind the portrayal.

Overall, episode nine of WandaVision - as with the rest of this series up to this point - was another masterpiece within the machine that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It boasts two of the greatest performances in the MCU with Elizabeth Olsen and Kathryn Hann, and gives some wonderful moments for those of us who have watched entries in the MCU from the start, with 2008's Iron Man. This series is one of the MCU's very best forms of media, and makes me really hope that the rumours of a Wanda Maximoff solo film will come to fruition.

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