The Savior Of The MCU? It Was Agatha All Along
Kathryn Hahn In Agatha All Along (2024). Credit: IMDB
With most of Marvel’s recent ventures turning out to be blunders, I was terrified that the highly-anticipated Agatha All Along would follow. Not even divination could’ve predicted how much of a comeback this show has been.
Picking up around three years after Wanda’s hex enveloped Westview, Agatha has been stuck as the town’s “nosy neighbor.”
Leading the charge is none other than Kathryn Hahn herself. Making a flawless return as Agatha Harkness, fresh out of the Scarlet Witch’s spell, Agatha struggles to regain her powers and control over life while several demons of her past come back to haunt her. She embarks on the Witches Road, a legendary path that promises a witch’s greatest want at its end.
I feared Agatha would fall into the same issue I took with Loki in his television show. I found him very difficult to root for because it was impossible to discern his genuine feelings from his trickery. Although Hahn is deliciously irreverent, selfish, and conniving, she also lends a genuine heart and vulnerability to Agatha, endearing her to the audience.
Accompanying her is a stacked cast of casters to accompany her on The Witches Road, each bringing their desires, personality, and quirks along the way. We have:
Patti LuPone, Debra Jo Rupp, Kathryn Hahn, Ali Ahn, and Sasheer Zamata in Agatha All Along (2024). Credit: IMDB
Joe Locke’s unnamed Teen (whose true identity and potential are kept secret at the start of the show), Debra Jo Rupp’s Mrs. Hartt (who is still very much recovering from her imprisonment in Wanda’s hex), Sasheer Zamata’s Jennifer Kale (a potion witch who has been bound, having her power taken from her), Ali Ahn’s Alice Wu-Gulliver (a witch dealing with a generational curse), Patti Lupone’s Lilia Calderu (a witch with a talent for tarot), and Aubrey Plaza’s Rio Vidal (simply a green witch, if you believe that). Each of these actresses gives all of themselves to these roles.
For me, the standouts are Locke’s Teen & Plaza’s Rio, which each are important pairings to Agatha, as they each symbolize aspects of her past. They both play their characters with a commitment and tenacity that matches Hahn but are complete opposites of each other. Respectively, Teen acts as Agatha’s angel, representing the good parts of her, who she could be, and maybe who she once was. Rio is Agatha’s indulgence, almost teasing her, baiting her to give in to her impulses and darker tendencies. This provides such tension and interesting variations of chemistry between all of the cast as they all navigate their way to “glory at the end” of the Witches Road, more or less working together as a coven.
Kathryn Hahn & Joe Locke in Agatha All Along (2024). Credit: IMDB
Through each witch’s trial, the audience is presented with a digestible episodic format. With gorgeous set dressing, costumes, and a plethora of practical effects, each episode has its payoff, but always with intriguing implications for the season as a whole. Like the stops on the Witches Road, each episode fits together like a puzzle, until it reaches its satisfying two-part conclusion. Glorious, indeed.
Although the dialogue, particularly of the younger characters, sometimes leaves something to be desired, it can more or less be chalked up to camp, which fits with the show’s tone well. For the few cringe lines thrown in, the show makes up for it in spades, with clever and witty twists and meaningful exchanges between the characters.
To underscore this, brilliant music comes into play. The score and original songs are by a team of musicians, including Christophe Beck, Michael Paraskeves, and the returning duo from Wandavision, Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez (yes, the minds behind the every-catchy “Agatha All Along” and “Wandavision!” themes). The series is spearheaded by the cryptic, poetic “Ballad Of The Witches Road,” which has a prominent canon role in the show itself, serving as the guide the witches follow to traverse the Road. It is presented in several versions, including a True Crime version, Rock Cover version, and even a Sacred Chant version.
Kathryn Hahn & Aubrey Plaza in Agatha All Along (2024). Credit: IMDB
Using the song as a motif for not only the story, but the episode names themselves, is such a smart move. It keeps the audience paying attention, while also keeping them guessing. Looking at the lyrics, maybe you could find a clue or a hint for the next episode, after all, it is right in front of you. Despite your best predictions, I guarantee Agatha All Along will still manage to surprise you.
But what does it rate on the Rotted Pumpkins Scale?
So yes, I sing high praises for the latest installment in the MCU, which seems to have had a cosmic kick in the ass, probably from Agatha’s purple blast. Hopefully, this momentum will continue as we move forward. Let this be a sign, Marvel, give us more horror-adjacent projects!
