WandaVision is a Ballsy Experiment in Viewer Patience

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death; neither Wanda nor Vision can remember their past but neither are overly concerned about it; Wanda simply rewinds time to avoid something unpleasant that encroaches on this shared dream state. And that doesn’t include the more overt places where the outside world peeks in, or the myriad of Easter eggs sprinkled in.</p><p id="6961">It is compelling and mysterious and, yes, weird.</p><p id="b169">The premise is unique, and Marvel has certainly earned the goodwill to stretch creatively. The problem, at least so far, is the pace. The entire first two episodes are exactly what they present themselves as: 50's era sitcoms. They are engaging, and oftentimes funny, but clues about what’s really going on are few. You are given just enough to confirm that yep, something is very wrong.</p><p id="4a00">For me, as a fan of the comics with pre-knowledge of what may be coming, I am content to see the mystery unravel in its own time. But for my wife and daughter – both big fans of the MCU – there wasn’t enough here to engage with. They were bored, almost angrily so. After all, they’d come in expecting something familiar. That was the promise made by the Marvel title sequence and its soaring score. And they were gamely onboard with the crazy premise, until it ran the entire runtime of both episodes.</p><p id="4d6c">They didn’t want to watch some bizarro sitcom starring Marvel characters – they wanted a Marvel show. That need not be super-powered fisticuffs, but something a little more grounded, a little more real. Even a few short scenes would’ve helped get them fully onboard.</p><p id="3953">Marvel has always done a great job of making their films approachable to casual moviegoers while winking at their more passionate fans. But <i>WandaVision</i> inverts that careful alchemy and is thus far something only fans with inside knowledge or copious amounts of patience can appreciate.</p><p id="c615">I have no doubt <i>WandaVision</i> will ultimately payoff its mystery in satisfying fashion. But I wonder if I’ll be watching alone by the time w

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e get there.</p><p id="bd5a"><i>If you found this arrangement of words pleasing, consider joining my <a href="http://eepurl.com/gGYaQz">email list</a>.</i></p><p id="dc9a">Related stories:</p><div id="a05f" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/the-mcu-must-grow-beyond-the-avengers-878d96802280"> <div> <div> <h2>The MCU Must Grow Beyond the Avengers</h2> <div><h3>Even as it moves into Phase 4 (and beyond), the MCU is keeping one foot in the past.</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*[email protected])"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><div id="09a6" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/releasethesnydercut-doesnt-address-the-real-issue-2d332ac1e1a0"> <div> <div> <h2>#ReleaseTheSnyderCut Doesn’t Address the Real Issue</h2> <div><h3>Or, why DC will never catch Marvel</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*xptBT10FqIVm93ctZgKwzQ.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><div id="09ab" class="link-block"> <a href="https://writingcooperative.com/which-mcu-character-are-you-717a1cdd7401"> <div> <div> <h2>Which MCU Character are You?</h2> <div><h3>Unconventional writing inspiration</h3></div> <div><p>writingcooperative.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*Dofxg7UmfBZQoCM_g7xBPg.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div></article></body>

Marvel has rightfully earned our trust, but how long will casual fans stick around?

And now for something completely different. Image: Marvel Studios

WandaVision is weird.

That’s no surprise. Anyone who’s even glimpsed the marketing knew it was going to be different. If you are a comic fan and aware of certain storylines concerning Wanda, you’re probably fully onboard. If you aren’t and tuned in just to see some Marvel goodness, there’s probably a good chance you won’t stick around till the end.

The first two episodes are presented in black and white and are strongly reminiscent of Bewitched: a laugh track punctuates jokes that often have to do with keeping our heroes’ powers hidden from their mundane costars. It is quite literally an old school sitcom.

The schtick is accompanied by the fleeting but strong sense that something isn’t quite right. And of course, we know shit’s messed up. Last time we saw Vision, Thanos was ripping an Infinity Stone from his forehead in Infinity War, an act that seemed to leave him quite dead.

He looks pretty darn dead to me. Image: Marvel Studios

As for Wanda, she returned in Endgame and kicked Thanos’ ass with a vengeance but seemed a bit, what’s the word… crazy. Unhinged.

So we come into WandaVision with this bit of meta knowledge as our only real clue that something is amiss, a sense reinforced by discordant moments that disrupt the show’s happy harmony like misplayed piano keys: a woman smiles, unconcerned while her husband chokes to death; neither Wanda nor Vision can remember their past but neither are overly concerned about it; Wanda simply rewinds time to avoid something unpleasant that encroaches on this shared dream state. And that doesn’t include the more overt places where the outside world peeks in, or the myriad of Easter eggs sprinkled in.

It is compelling and mysterious and, yes, weird.

The premise is unique, and Marvel has certainly earned the goodwill to stretch creatively. The problem, at least so far, is the pace. The entire first two episodes are exactly what they present themselves as: 50's era sitcoms. They are engaging, and oftentimes funny, but clues about what’s really going on are few. You are given just enough to confirm that yep, something is very wrong.

For me, as a fan of the comics with pre-knowledge of what may be coming, I am content to see the mystery unravel in its own time. But for my wife and daughter – both big fans of the MCU – there wasn’t enough here to engage with. They were bored, almost angrily so. After all, they’d come in expecting something familiar. That was the promise made by the Marvel title sequence and its soaring score. And they were gamely onboard with the crazy premise, until it ran the entire runtime of both episodes.

They didn’t want to watch some bizarro sitcom starring Marvel characters – they wanted a Marvel show. That need not be super-powered fisticuffs, but something a little more grounded, a little more real. Even a few short scenes would’ve helped get them fully onboard.

Marvel has always done a great job of making their films approachable to casual moviegoers while winking at their more passionate fans. But WandaVision inverts that careful alchemy and is thus far something only fans with inside knowledge or copious amounts of patience can appreciate.

I have no doubt WandaVision will ultimately payoff its mystery in satisfying fashion. But I wonder if I’ll be watching alone by the time we get there.

If you found this arrangement of words pleasing, consider joining my email list.

FanFare

WandaVision is a Ballsy Experiment in Viewer Patience

Marvel has rightfully earned our trust, but how long will casual fans stick around?

The MCU Must Grow Beyond the Avengers

Even as it moves into Phase 4 (and beyond), the MCU is keeping one foot in the past.

#ReleaseTheSnyderCut Doesn’t Address the Real Issue

Or, why DC will never catch Marvel

Which MCU Character are You?

Unconventional writing inspiration