The 6th episode of WandaVision has finally arrived and it ends with a massive cliffhanger to begin the final 3 episodes. What were the best moments? How does the episode grade out?
WARNING!!! This WandaVision episode 6 review contains HEAVY SPOILERS AND THEORIES about the direction of the series and the next phase of the MCU. Click below for past episode reviews of WandaVision.
- Episode One & Two Spoiler Review
- Episode Three Spoiler Review
- Episode Four Spoiler Review
- Episode Five Spoiler Review
What Worked:
We’ve officially hit the early 2000s Marvel fans! In a shocking development, episode 6 completely skipped 90’s sitcoms such as Friends, Family Matters or Full House. From the punk-rock intro to Billy and Tommy breaking the fourth-wall, it was a little surprising to see Malcolm in the Middle took center stage this week. Given the events that took place with Billy and Tommy quickly evolving into Wiccan and Speed, it was a smart and effective choice.
First up, I thought Evan Peters was terrific. From playing Playstation to shotgunning sodas with Billy and Tommy, Peters really delivered this week. I thought his comedic timing was excellent and his presence was the most intriguing element of this week’s episode. Lastly, did anyone catch the Kick-Ass reference from Wanda when Pietro changed clothes? In case you don’t know, Kick-Ass featured Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who played Pietro in the MCU. The weirder this show gets, the more fun it becomes.
Mutant and proud
With so many questions regarding the X-Men’s arrival in the MCU following the event’s from last week, the pace of this week’s episode unfortunately took a step back. Unlike last week’s episode, this week focused on developing what we already know rather than push the needle forward. In fact, the most interesting moments this week came during small amounts of dialogue between Pietro and Wanda while trick or treating. Major questions have been looming regarding Pietro’s character. Does he remember who he is? How did he get there? Is that even Pietro or is something more sinister in play?
It turns out that Pietro is fully aware of The Hex and he even recognizes how different his appearance is to his sister (MCU Pietro vs Fox Peter). During a touching moment, we learn that Wanda has no idea how it all started. All she remembers is sadness and endless loneliness. “I got shot like a chump in the street for no reason at all and next thing I knew you were calling me,” says Pietro as he recalls how he arrived in Westview. As of episode 6, it’s still very unclear who Pietro is at this point.
If I had to make a guess right now, I’d still predict that Evan Peters’ Pietro character is actually an imposter. He’s not in Wanda’s control and constantly asking her questions. He’s causing Tommy and Billy to wreck havoc across Westview during Halloween. And I don’t know about anyone else, but he simply doesn’t act like the Peter we’ve seen from Fox’s X-Men. It is clear that Pietro and Agnes (more on that soon) are a little too interested in Wanda’s true strength and the gravity of her abilities.
“It was the Wanda Mash! It was a Graveyard Smash!”
As we’ve seen, WandaVision clicks the most when it’s dealing with Wanda’s trauma and the stark ramifications that have resulted from The Hex. That was most evident while Vision takes a stroll towards Ellis Avenue. There were no real scares during this week’s Halloween episode. However, it was hauntingly disturbing to see Vision’s neighbors stuck like a broken record while a tear rolls down a woman’s face. And then we arrive at the most WTF moment of the week… Vision’s dialogue with Agnes in her car.
It was an excellent choice to have Agnes dress as a witch on Halloween, especially with Wanda dressing up as Scarlet Witch. I’ve widely speculated that Agnes will eventually reveal to Wanda that she’s Agatha Harkness, a witch playing the right-hand-woman of Mephisto (the main antagonist). However, that theory certainly became less clear after Vision wakes Agnes up with his powers and Agnes is scared to death of the events that are taking place. Agnes reveals to Vision that not only has he forgotten he’s an Avenger, but he’s also dead.
I’ve had Agnes circled as one of the main antagonists in this series, but this week’s episode has made me pause on that theory. We’ve learned that she’s clearly involved to some extent but there are now more questions than answers surrounding her character. What exactly is her motive? Is it to convince Vision to question everything going on in Westview? During previous weeks, I was certain that Agnes’ endgame included obtaining Tommy and Billy and offering them to her boss Mephisto as a “price” for giving Wanda her dreamworld. After my first viewing of episode 6, I’m not sure what to believe right now.
Vision and Wanda are more tragic than Romeo and Juliet
And then we get to the reveal that Vision will do anything it takes to leave Westview. I came into WandaVision hoping for dark magic, comedy and fun references from previous sitcoms. But the truth of the matter is: WandaVision is a tragedy. As Vision leaves The Hex, pieces of his body are literally being torn and ripped off. Rather than return to The Hex, Vision chooses death as he falls into the fetal position accepting the truth and his ultimate demise.
WandaVision has been terrific, but the seeds that are currently being planted will surely cement these two lovebirds as one of the most epic yet tragic romance stories in any superhero medium. It’s clear that Vision cannot exist beyond The Hex. Therefore, these last three episodes will be truly gut punching when Wanda says her final farewell as Westview comes crumbling down.
We see this even further in this week’s commercial, Yo-Magic Yogurt. A starving young boy stranded on a deserted island obtains yogurt from a shark (yea I know). His inability to open the yogurt eventually leads to his death. It’s clear that the young boy represents Wanda’s mental state of sadness and loneliness. It’s also clear that the boy represents Wanda, the island represents Westview and the Shark as the main antagonist of the show. Who is the shark? I’ve been on the Mephisto train since episode 1, but it’s looking more and more likely that Nightmare is the real villain behind the scenes.
What Didn’t:
I love watching Jimmy, Monica and Darcy together. In fact, I like the concept of the trio being cast out and trying to uncover the secrets of Westview. However, they barely got any screen time which is why they are getting a negative this week. It’s disappointing that there are only three episodes left in WandaVision. I’d love to see that trio more fleshed out given their amazing chemistry. With Darcy entering The Hex and Monica and Jimmy searching for the aerospace engineer (Come on Reed Richards!), it’s likely that we don’t see those three together until the finale. With only 90 minutes remaining in the series, it’s just a tad disheartening that we got yet even more questions than answers this week.
- Is Agnes the fortune teller from the beginning and the true manipulator or simply a bystander?
- Did Agnes intentionally direct Vision towards Ellis Avenue?
- Darcy mentioned that Monica’s cell structure has changed. Will Monica’s transformation into Photon occur in WandaVision?
- Is Director Heyward hiding some kind of massive secret?
- Could SWORD be actually more corrupt than SHIELD?
- Is Heyward more interested in acquiring Vision than saving the people in Westview?
- What was the meaning behind Wanda’s illusion of Zombie Pietro? Is he dead too?
- Could Herb be the main antagonist of the show, possibly revealing himself to be Karl Mordo?
- If Evan Peters is NOT actually from Fox’s X-Men multiverse, then what are we doing here?
- What is the meaning behind The Incredibles and The Parent Trap showing at Westview’s local theater?
- Is Reed Richards about to make his MCU debut next week? How the heck did Disney keep that casting a secret?
Final Thoughts & Grade
Overall, episode 6 was a step back from the last two weeks. I recognize that it’s the purpose of a TV series to make you wanting more. In that sense, WandaVision has been extremely effective. However, the fact is the grim truth that we’re getting closer to the finale with more questions than answers (see above). It seems that the final moments of episode 6 has laid the groundwork for the final three episodes. While I’m excited to see Darcy deal with the inner doings of The Hex, fingers crossed that episode 7 will heavily feature Monica Rambeau confronting her powers and the fans getting a little more clues towards the true antagonist.
