In 2021, Disney+ started its long series of Marvel Cinematic Universe content with WandVision, a fun show exploring many television sitcom eras. One of the shining elements was the nosy neighbor turned surprise villain, Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn), revealed to be the antagonist through the catchy song, “Agatha All Along.” This song seemed to take on a life of its own, and now we have a TV series named after the song with Agatha taking center stage. After Wanda sentences her to TV prison, we catch up with Agatha, who is now stuck in a true crime police procedural thriller. But she soon realizes that nothing is as it seems.
The first four episodes of Agatha All Along seem to be a precursor for a lackluster series. If there was ever evidence that the MCU’s quality is declining or that Disney+ TV shows are disappointing, look no further than this. An easy complaint a naysayer could have about this miniseries is that “nobody asked for it.” Well, this complaint doesn’t hold much weight because nobody has asked for most of the movies or shows that exist. What matters is if the piece of entertainment delivers on what it promises. I don’t think it does.
The show starts off fully committing to setting each character in a police procedural drama. Much like how WandaVision had the people of Westview playing different roles in sitcoms, this show starts off similarly but in a whole new TV genre. Some of the Westview residents from WandaVision return to this show, too. We also have Aubrey Plaza in one of her three projects coming out in September, with the other two being My Old Ass and Megalopolis. Plaza stays booked and busy, which is to be expected, given how she manages to light up the screen with her personality whenever she shows up.
For a while, I struggled to justify the purpose of this story in the MCU. It seemed like the cast and crew making WandaVision had such a great time doing it that they made this show to work together again. However, the first episode makes the wise choice of pulling back the curtain a little early. We know the crime show is all just a facade for what’s really going on, and there’s a lot more happening that we have yet to discover. From here, the show pulls some humor out of the idea that everything Agatha sees isn’t real and always benefits from a strong lead performance.
Hahn is a funny, talented actress who makes a meal out of her screen time. She has the presence needed to carry a show like this, bringing in fun voices and comedic sensibilities. The issue here is Agatha as a protagonist. She was the villain of the original show, and Agatha All Along does not appear to push her on a redemptive arc. She aims to go down The Witches Road with a few other witches, as it will give them anything they want, but at a possible cost. Given that she’s a villain with probable wicked intentions, there’s no reason to root for her.
Yes, Agatha wants her magic back, but what will she do with it once she gets it? It’s unclear, and it’s not a mystery worth waiting for. The show gives a few entertaining moments to a new character named Teen, played by Joe Locke. Teen also provides another layer of mystery, as we don’t know much about him or his backstory. Another misstep is the decision to bring in a few more witch characters. The writing attempts to give each of these characters a reason to want to go down the Road alongside Agatha, but there isn’t enough meaningful emotion behind it to get you invested in them.
Furthermore, Agatha All Along constantly wants to make you laugh. The aim here is a campy, wacky tone that serves as a more offbeat entry into the MCU. Some may appreciate it for what it is. For me, every attempt at humor fell flat on its face. Marvel movies and shows can be funny. Many of the MCU films that aren’t even considered comedy movies have laugh-out-loud moments. The writing in these first four episodes didn’t muster a single laugh from me. At its best, the show is slightly dull with sporadic fun moments, and at its worst, this strange ’80s music video got caught up in having too much narrative bookending the music.
The comedy is never that funny, and the drama never feels like there is enough weight. Even when something quite upsetting happens to a character, you don’t feel very bad for them, even though a show with better writing would make you empathize with every bit of it. Instead, we’re here with a selfish protagonist who makes bad choices. The only redeeming quality of Agatha is Hahn’s charismatic performance. On the page, she is not fun to watch. Even Plaza ends up sinking into the background of this ensemble. One sequence from the fourth episode is so goofy that it feels like something from a cheap ’80s VHS tape.
As much as I want to like this show, I can’t vouch for it. The show has the characters constantly complaining about all the misconceptions people have about the witches, from their green skin to riding broomsticks. Better writing could have pushed this down a more comedic angle or a sadder one because they’re a group of people misunderstood by the world, and we’d see that play out and how they’re affected by the discrimination. But no, it’s just said over and over again. It feels too weightless as if the story is just an excuse to get the characters to walk into elaborate sets, wear colorful costumes, and sing songs. Even as an MCU defender, I can’t recommend this one so far.
SCORE: 4/10
As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 4 equates to “Poor.” The negatives outweigh the positive aspects making it a struggle to get through.
Disclosure: ComingSoon received screeners for our Agatha All Along review.
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