Marvel’s WandaVision Recap: The First Two Episodes
After what seems like years of hype and anticipation, Marvel’s WandaVision premiere aired last week on Disney Plus. Reviews and reception so far seem to be universal praise from critics and fans alike. Though there has been some confusion on the part of those not familiar with Wanda’s comic book origins and power set. Despite that, the majority of fans seem willing to give the series the benefit of the doubt. Even in the first two episodes, WandaVision sends a clear message: this is not your usual Marvel Cinematic Universe experience. Kevin Feige has promised in the past that what comes next will be a new era of storytelling for the MCU. With just two episodes WandaVision promises to start of Marvel Phase Four with a bang.
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Scarlet Spoilers
The following contains spoilers for WandaVision episodes 1 and 2. If you have not seen these episodes yet, read on at your risk. The Other Identity podcast linked at the bottom of the article also talks about WandaVision episodes 1 and 2 but does so in a spoiler-free manner.
The last time we saw Wanda and Vision, she had used her powers to destroy the Mind Stone giving him life. Thanos then used the Time Stone to bring him back and then removed it from him, killing him again. In Avengers: Endgame, Wanda was brought back but Vision was not. She nearly defeated Thanos herself claiming, “You took everything from me.”
WandaVision picks up sometime after events of Avengers: Endgame with a Dick Van Dyke-style premise. Wanda and Vision are happily married and living in a home. Vision goes to work (though no one seems to know exactly what he does) and Wanda is the stay-at-home housewife. The entire episode plays out just like a Dick Van Dyke episode would with Wanda and Vision attempting to host their first dinner date with Visions Boss’ and his wife.
Everything begins to go awry when the boss and wife attempt to press Wanda and Vision for details about their past. Neither of them can recall where they met, how they met, where they came from, or any other details. When the boss chokes on a piece of food the characters seem to be stuck in a sort of repeat until Wanda commands Vision to save the man. The first episode ends with the camera pulling back from a TV screen, which Wanda and Vision were on, showing an unknown figure watching. The emblem of SWORD can be seen.
Those familiar with Marvel history recognize SWORD as the space-based division of SHIELD. It stands for Sentient Weapon Observation Response Division. Fans will remember that Baron Von Strucker, in Avengers: Age of UItron was trying to turn Wanda and her brother Pietro into weapons themselves.
In the second episode of WandaVision, the homage to classic television sitcoms continues with a nod to I Dream Of Genie. In this episode, Wanda and Vision are going to take part in a community talent show to raise money for the children (of which there seem to be none). The stakes continue to rise as the weirdness grows stronger in this episode. In one scene Wanda finds a red and yellow helicopter toy in the rose bushes, the only thing to be in color so far. At one point a voice comes through a radio addressing Wanda directly, asking, “Wanda, who is doing this to you?”
Finally, at the end of the episode, Wanda and Vision are drawn outside their home by a noise. They then witness a man in a beekeeper suit (with a SWORD symbol on his back) emerge from a manhole cover that previously wasn’t there. Wanda says to herself, “No,” and the scene is rewound back a few moments. Instead of being led outside by a mysterious sound the scene repeats but this time, Wanda is suddenly pregnant. The show, which up until now had been black and white, suddenly gains color and the episode ends.
What Does It All Mean?
A lot of fans, both veteran and new, find themselves confused as to what any of this is supposed to mean. That’s a perfectly normal reaction to have. Even with knowledge about Wanda’s comic past and the potential of her power set, there’s no real telling what Marvel has in store for us. But let’s take a look at what we know and what is possible going forward.
To answer the biggest question people have about what is going on, there’s a famous story-line in the early days of the Scarlet Witch where she uses her reality-bending powers to create the perfect world for her and Vision. After the trauma’s she’s so far faced in the MCU and perhaps not being able to live without Vision, it seems Wanda has done something similar. Whether purposefully or on accident, a universe in which Wanda and Vision are together has been created.
We don’t know what it looks like outside in the real world, but clearly, SWORD is trying to contain whatever the situation or consequences of Wanda’s powers are. That’s why we hear a voice from the other side of the radio trying to talk to her. All of the strange happenings, the time rewinds, it seems like influences from the real world are bleeding over into Wanda’s world and she’s trying to keep things square with her fantasy. Whatever ends up happening will be huge as it will directly set up the premise for Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness.
We’ll know more as the weeks progress, but for now, remember to keep up with episodes of WandaVision on Disney Plus. New episodes release every Friday.
WandaVision stars Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff and Paul Bettany as The Vision. Sign up for Disney Plus to watch all available episodes.
The Other Identity
If you want more on WandaVision, the MCU, or comics in general, check out the Other Identity podcast. Each week Robbie Landis and Ben Morse (former Marvel Alumni) dive into various DC Comics and Marvel Comics topics. Everything from the comic book pages to the heroes on the silver screen, the Other Identity celebrates the fan in all of us. Whether a veteran reader or a new fan of the MCU, the show is for everyone.
This week they talk spoiler-free about their initial impressions of WandaVision. Plus, they talk about romance in comics, when it’s done right, and who the best couples in comics are. Subscribe to their Other Identity feed on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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Feature Image, Screencap of Marvel’s WandaVision Trailer from Disney Plus.