A Beginners Guide to WandaVision
This story contains spoilers for “WandaVision”
WandaVision, the first of many Disney+ original Marvel licensed projects to be released on the streaming service this January, finally came to a close on March 5. The show caught the attention of all viewers, ranking 13th out of all television programs on its opening weekend (Forbes) with a unique flair of juxtaposed oddball humor and serious tones that keep audiences on their toes.
The show centers on two of our favorite Avengers post-Endgame, Wanda Maximoff, aka the Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), and Vision, (Paul Bettany), living their ideal life together in a sitcom-ish world where everything isn’t all what it seems.
Each episode takes place in a different decade, paying homage to everything from “I Love Lucy” to “Modern Family”. As each episode unfolds, you learn more and more about why exactly they’re stuck in a sitcom as sinister forces start closing in.
WandaVision allows fans to take a look at the real world consequences of the infamous Thanos snap and the traumas that our heroes have suffered, allowing a very human perspective on Earth’s mightiest heroes.
This article will focus on the basic plot, the iconic commercial bits, episode ratings, music, characters, all with student input.
If you haven’t watched WandaVision already, be warned: Spoilers incoming!
The Show
Basic Plot
Taking place just merely weeks after the events of Endgame, Wanda Maximoff and Vision are seen living the perfect suburban life in a town called Westview. There are only three problems with that. One, Vision is dead. Two, it’s in black and white. Three, as of the first episode, they are stuck in the ‘50s rather than 2023.
You almost forget these glaring problems when you see just how happy Wanda and Vision are. The humor, the laughs and the playfulness of our undercover Avengers with their neighbors seems so natural. That is until it jolts you out of the sitcom world and into a state of unease with uncomfortable pauses and exchanges between characters.
These pauses and exchanges are purposefully revealing that the residents of Westview are more like puppets rather than people of their free will.
As the show progresses, these awkward exchanges happen more frequently, which causes Vision to become a little more suspicious of what exactly is going on. We see at the end of episode two, that it is Wanda controlling reality around her and shaping things to her ideal world, but she’s not the only one manipulating her surroundings.
At first we take these slip-ups as a sign of Wanda spinning out of control and her mentality deteriorating through the stages of grief; however, it’s revealed that the nosy neighbor is the infamous witch Agatha Harkness and has a hand in making Wanda’s perfect life miserable.
But just as the couple trips on television tropes, things start to fall out of place; just as you think something major is about to happen, they leave you hanging with a screen reading: “Please Stand By.”
Unlike most Streaming Videos on Demand, (SVODs), the show’s episodes aired on Fridays rather than having the whole season posted at once, like Netflix does. Being more like traditional TV, the wait for a new episode was one of patience.
Independence Junior Josie Binkley, explained that she “liked how it was a show that left a lot up to the imagination… and connected people throughout the weeks with everyone discussing with complete strangers about what they thought was coming next.”
While WandaVision had fans counting down the days for each Friday, it also led to quite a Twitter storm with wild theories and misinformation taking ground everywhere. The most infamous rumor being spread by “news accounts” saying the last three episodes were an hour long or posting fake cast rosters for future episodes.
WandaVision Commercial Guide
This show cuts deep into MCU lore and has loads of references to the expansive comic book world that centers around WandaVision. Some of the most standout parts in the earlier episodes were the commercial bits, filled to the brim with references with everything from the Hydra organization to a Stark Enterprises toaster. Of course, these commercials have deep layers and interpretations.
With just about everything in WandaVision, there is so much that can be broken down–layers upon layers of complexities relating to the Marvel universe. The commercial bits are treasure troves, populated with hidden meanings and tons of easter eggs. There is even a popular theory that each commercial is an infinity stone, though that’s up for debate. Was there anything I missed?
Did you catch all the references? Click here for a more in depth look at the references from WandaVision.
Episode Rankings
Although WandaVision ranked overall an 8.3/10 on IMBd, each episode left fans yearning for Friday to bring the next episode. The anticipation of the show was a great way for fans to air theories, as wild as they were, and to really appreciate the next episode.
Episode 1: Filmed Before a Live Studio Audience (7.3/10)
Episode 2: Don’t Touch That Dial (7.8/10)
Episode 3: Now in Color (8.2/10)
Episode 4: We Interrupt This Program (8.9/10)
Episode 5: On a Very Special Episode… (9.2/10)
Episode 6: All-New Halloween Spooktacular! (9.0/10)
Episode 7: Breaking the Fourth Wall (8.6/10)
Episode 8: Previously On (9.1/10)
Episode 9: The Series Finale (8.6/10)
If you want to read a further breakdown of each episode click here.
Student Takes on WandaVision
Student Theories
The best part of watching WandaVision was not knowing what to expect; after all, every episode was a new reality. In this section, I asked my peers for their predictions for the highly anticipated finale.
Characters
Marvel knows how to make even the smallest characters huge; in this mini-series, WandaVision brings together some of our favorite supporting characters into bigger roles, all while expanding the established universe.
The characters of the Marvel Universe are some of the most recognizable in today’s culture. Here’s a look at some of the most important characters from WandaVision, and Indy’s takes on them.
Music
Thanks to the catchy openings that almost every episode came with, WandaVision was filled with amazing and unforgettable songs. Christophe Beck, who you may know from his work on the Frozen and Ant-Man movies, composed the music for the show.
Here are three of the most unforgettable tracks from the show.
It was “Agatha All Along”
Hands down, Agatha All Along is a fan favorite. Written by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, Agatha All Along finally reveals Agnes as Agatha Harkness. As the scenes unfold showing Agatha’s meddling throughout the series it pays homage to the “Munsters” with it’s upbeat tones and spooky lettering. Upon its release for episode 7, it reached Billboard’s Digital Songs Sales chart, ranking 36.
Agatha All Along (From “WandaVision: Episode 7”)
Episode 2 opening: “”WandaVision!”
Written by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez.
Although this song consists of only the repeated word WandaVision, was stuck in fans heads and became a popular TikTok sound. The opening channels 60’s TV vibes accompanied with an opening sequence reminiscent of Hanna-Barbera’s “Bewitched.”
WandaVision! (From “WandaVision: Episode 2”)
End Credit Song: “Wanda’s Theme”
Unfortunately, this song means that another episode has come to an end and fans have to wait another week for the next episode; however, it’s tone and ambient sound is hard to forget. Composed by Christophe Beck and written by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, Wanda’s theme is the perfect background music for fans who are trying to process what they just watched and gives them just enough inspiration to make wild theories for what the next episode has in store.
Wanda’s Theme (End Credits from “WandaVision”)
WandaVision has set the bar high for future projects, but luckily we won’t have to wait much longer with Falcon and the Winter Soldier hitting the Disney+ streaming platform on March 19, followed by Loki releasing on June 11.
However, this isn’t the last we’ll see of WandaVision as it is sure to make an appearance at this year’s award shows, already snagging some Director’s Guild of America nomination.
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