WandaVision: We Interrupt This Program
The Game-Changing MCU Series Gets Better Every Week
I’ve just finished re-watching Episode 4 of WandaVision, and I have one question.
Who is writing this stuff? Seriously. Because frankly, I am in awe.
Narratively, it has me reaching for a thesaurus. There are only so many times one should describe something as brilliant. Has it been called innovative yet? Intelligent? Does anyone have a better thesaurus I could borrow?
Here’s a high-level look at what Marvel has accomplished this far into the season.
There will be mild spoilers. You have been warned.
Episode 1- Filmed Before a Live Studio Audience:
It’s the first glimpse into the MCU since Spider-man: Far From Home. And it’s… a sitcom?
No. Better. It’s a mystery disguised as a sitcom. The audience is left with more questions than anything else.
And 1950s Wanda is adorable.
Episode 2- Don’t Touch That Dial
The series doubles down on the sitcom premise, and the results are pure magic. That’s mildly humorous to anyone who has seen the episode.
The scenes with Dottie along with the beekeeper at the end only deepen the mystery. “Who is doing this to you, Wanda?”
1960s Wanda is somehow even more charming.
Episode 3- Now in Color
This is subjective, but I rarely enjoy sitcoms episodes portraying childbirth. It works here. Remember, WandaVision is a mystery disguised as a sitcom, and that mystery involves superheroes.
Wanda’s reality begins to crack here. The scene with Geraldine/Monica surely made fans scream at their screens, lamenting that they had to wait another week for answers.
1970s Wanda? She’s intimidating when she breaks character.
Episode 4- We Interrupt This Program
The series starts over in a sense.
We’re treated first to Monica right after the Blip returned everyone that Thanos snapped away. It’s both tragic and enticing.
From there, we walk through what happened in the real world during the first three episodes.
We learn that Wanda is not intimidating. She’s terrifying.
And it’s brilliant. Oops. There I go again.
In a sense, Episode 4 is Episodes 1–3 again. Only this time, we have Darcy, Jimmy Woo, and their co-workers asking all the questions we’ve been asking. This shows that Marvel has been deliberate about setting the questions up. It gives the viewers a sense of trust that we will receive answers.
You know the questions:
- He’s dead, right?
- So you’re saying the universe created a sitcom starring two Avengers?
- Why hexagonal shapes?
- Why sitcoms?
- What am I looking at?
- Is Vision alive? (We seem to have an answer to that at the end of the episode. But I promised only mild spoilers.)
Oh, and the most important question of them all:
Maybe I can get that coffee now? — Darcy.
You could make the argument that one could watch Episode 4 first. It’s a new beginning. That’s kind of a Star Wars thing to do, isn’t it?
However, unlike Star Wars (where the only logical order is 4, 5, End of 1, 2, 3, 6, Rogue One, Solo, 7, 8, and 9) the viewer’s entertainment is optimized by watching in the order Marvel is giving us these stories.
[I’ll admit that 4, 5, 2, 3, 6, Rogue One, 7, and 9 is an arguably valid order for Star Wars as well. But it’s not the time for a philosophical debate on whether or not 1, 7, and Solo should exist.]
Some of the most compelling stories are where you only know what is happening after a second viewing. Or a third. Marvel is giving us exactly that.
And, we’re watching the same sitcom that Darcy and S.W.O.R.D. are watching. It’s a self-contained meta. And it’s brill… hang on.
It’s ingenious.
A final thought.
There’s no doubt that if you’ve watched this far, you can’t wait for more. Nor should you have to. Here’s a sneak peek at what’s coming next.
Scott Hughey would like to trade his thesaurus for a Time Stone so he can jump into the future a few weeks and just binge-watch the entire season.
Want to read more about WandaVision? Look no further:
