Joined by Aubrey Plaza, Patty LuPone, and extra, this supernatural collection blends the horror of Werewolf By Evening with the humor of Hocus Pocus.
PLOT: The notorious Agatha Harkness finds herself down and out of energy after a suspicious goth Teen helps break her free from a distorted spell. Her curiosity is piqued when he begs her to take him on the legendary Witches’ Highway, a magical gauntlet of trials that, if survived, rewards a witch with what they’re lacking. Collectively, Agatha and this mysterious Teen pull collectively a determined coven, and set off down, down, down The Highway…
REVIEW: When WandaVision premiered three years in the past, it ushered within the Disney Plus period of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. A singular collection that explored the MCU in a method by no means earlier than seen on the large display, WandaVision was a direct tie-in to Physician Unusual and the Multiverse of Insanity. Introducing the Darkhold and the thought of the Scarlet Witch, the collection additionally showcased the breakout character of Agatha Harkness. Performed by the good Katherine Hahn, it was shortly introduced that the witch villain would get her personal spin-off. Agatha All Alongside connects the supernatural components of the MCU with a enjoyable, horror-tinged idea that performs like a cross between the tone of the MCU’s Werewolf By Evening and the sassy humor of Disney’s fan-favorite Hocus Pocus. With an excellent ensemble of actors taking part in a ragtag coven, Agatha All Alongside is a enjoyable foray into a distinct facet of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that doesn’t require data of the comics or the previous movies and collection to take pleasure in it.
Agatha All Alongside debuts tonight with two episodes adopted by weekly premieres, and it concludes with a two-episode finale proper earlier than Halloween. I received the possibility to look at the primary 4 episodes of the collection for this overview and really feel assured that the collection has a enjoyable components that can carry it by way of to the collection finale. With out divulging any spoilers, I can say that Agatha All Alongside opens with a return to the pretend tv collection spell that certain Wanda Maximoff and Imaginative and prescient by way of the a long time of iconic sitcoms however now has Agatha locked in a mix of True Detective and Mare of Easttown. At first, I used to be nervous that the shtick that made WandaVision distinctive wouldn’t work a second time, however the spell is shortly damaged and units Agatha (Katherine Hahn) on the trail to seek out the Witches’ Highway. The Highway is a legendary place the place Agatha believes she will regain the powers stolen by Wanda. Regardless of her notorious legacy, Agatha should assemble a coven of witches prepared to hitch her. Joined by a teen acquainted named Teen (Joe Locke), Wanda units off to drag her group collectively.
With a credit score sequence filled with references to popular culture witches by way of the ages, Agatha All Alongside strives to be a darkly enjoyable outing that’s decidedly inside Marvel’s wheelhouse however goals for a wider audience that might not be comprised of comedian e book aficionados. As Agatha collects her coven-mates, we meet potions witch Jennifer Kale (former SNL castmember Sasheer Zamata), fortune-teller Livia Calderu, protector witch Alice Wu-Gulliver (Ali Ahn), and fellow Westview sufferer of Wanda Maximoff, Sharon “Mrs. Hart” Davis (Debra Jo Rupp). Aubrey Plaza performs Agatha’s nemesis and inexperienced witch, Rio Vidal, and her path to becoming a member of the coven is best left unsaid. Due to Agatha’s previous atrocities towards witches, her escape from Westview places the sinister Salem Seven (Okwui Okpokwasili) on observe to hunt her down and kill her. The primary two episodes present Agatha’s escape and journey to take the coven on the Witches’ Highway, with the next episodes diving into the duties they need to all full to regain their powers. This journey means we get to be taught backstory information for the entire witches and be taught of the previous occasions that led to Agatha turning into the despised character everybody within the collection is aware of her to be.
Non-comic followers could also be considerably confused by references to Scarlet Witch and Mephisto, the latter a significant character that Marvel stalwarts have been ready to see and who might seem in Agatha All Alongside. Nonetheless, this ensemble makes it simple to shortly perceive the overall construction of witch society within the MCU. Kathryn Hahn continues her whipsmart supply because the caustic Agatha and likewise has the primary nude scene in Marvel Studios’ historical past within the first episode. The connections to WandaVision are important, and watching that collection proper earlier than Agatha All Alongside would enhance your background data, however it’s pointless. I might not even contemplate this collection to be a comic book e book or superhero present, however positively extra of a horror-themed comedic collection. The components follows the characters finishing duties, every of which is catered to their skillset and exhibits that Agatha might not be totally evil. The visuals vary from horrifying designs that aren’t for the faint of coronary heart. I discovered a few surprisingly darkish designs to be a lot scarier than I anticipated from a collection like this, but it surely nonetheless goals to be inclusive of a teen and older viewers. The primary 4 episodes skew in the direction of a extra mature viewers with some creepy moments and extra mature subject material, however nothing that the common thirteen-year-old can deal with.
Created by WandaVision showrunner Jac Schaeffer, Agatha All Alongside is directed by three filmmakers, every of whom helms three episodes. Schaeffer directed the primary two and the seventh episodes whereas additionally writing two chapters. Rachel Goldberg (Gen V) and Gandja Monteiro directed the remaining episodes. The collection boasts a number of aesthetics that vary from surreal to downright scary. The particular results work appears to be like good all through the collection, with some artistic digital camera work including to the eerie really feel of the Witches’ Highway places. Laura Donney, Cameron Squires, Giovanna Sarquis, Laura Monti, Jason Rostovsky, Gia King, and Peter Cameron wrote the episodes alongside Schaeffer, with a number of of them coming back from scripting WandaVision. The collection boasts new music from Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, together with the important thing “Ballad of the Witches’ Highway,” which is essential to the collection narrative. Music is essential to the collection as a lot because the sometimes top-notch manufacturing values Marvel Studios has been identified for over time.
Agatha All Alongside is a pleasant change of tempo from prior Disney+ MCU collection. Whereas some might level to the predominantly female-led forged and inventive group being a cause this is not going to attraction to a large viewers, I might counter that followers of horror and spooky fare that doesn’t depend on gore or disturbing imagery however nonetheless manages to be exceptionally creepy and unsettling are in for a enjoyable shock with this collection. Kathryn Hahn by no means disappoints, and her probability to dig into Agatha’s backstory in a method much like how Tom Hiddleston explored Loki in his namesake collection is a enjoyable tangent to the ever-growing MCU. Agatha All Alongside is a pleasant entry for brand spanking new followers and longtime Marvel followers alike to take pleasure in a fascinating collection that boasts stable particular results, creepy visuals, crackling dialogue, and a novel foray into the supernatural that can have ripples for the Marvel Cinematic Universe for years to return. Agatha All Alongside is a stable outing from the uneven current phases of the MCU that works as a result of it doesn’t require a backlog of analysis to take pleasure in it.
Agatha All Alongside premieres with two episodes on September 18th on Disney+
