WandaVision - Episodes 1 & 2 - Review
Marvel Studios have, over many years, proven they can turn the most unknown or obscure comic stars into blockbuster movies. While we have had a number of TV shows, set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they were all done by ABC Television, so what does a show made by the blockbuster makers at Marvel Studios look like, time to find out.
Spoilers from here on!
WandaVision, as the name suggest is all about the characters of Sokovian Wanda Maximoff and Vision, the synthetic android and the unusual world they find themselves in. As the first show begins, we see the pair, approaching their new house in Westview, the town they now call home and, in typical 1950’s style tv, it is campy. So much so that Vision walks through the front door, while still attempting to carry Wanda, who falls to the ground, but still has a smile on her face. The pair go about adjusting to their new lives, using their abilities to complete tasks around the house, or in Visions case the workplace. But while the show is campy, both characters notice that things are not quite as idyllic as they might seem, but whenever something seems to point out how wrong things feel, it quickly turns back around, removing that obstruction from the normal.
The second of the episodes gives the characters more of these moments, including one with a small toy helicopter for Wanda, who is confused as to why it is in colour and everything else is not. Vision meanwhile has decided to join the Neighbourhood Watch, which is more of a group of gossipy men than an actual place to discuss security matters and between the two of them having vastly different experiences, we get to see more of how they can be. The subplot in the second episode is that vision and Wanda are taking part in it local talent show to raise money for a local school and Vision, being an android, who does not eat or drink, but in order to fit in with the neighbourhood watch blokes, chews some gum, which literally gum up his insides, causing him to appear drunk. The reason why this is funny, apart from Vision using his powers in clear view of everyone in town, is because it allows the introduction of another character, who is just as confused as the stars, though for a different reason.
Each episode stands on its own, but there are so obvious and not so obvious connecting threads between them and the following episode. The first, running gag if you will, are the commercials, each themed to the decade the show is imitating, the first is the 50’s the second the 60’s and while each commercial looks fine on the surface there is more going on. Each has a little something happening, for somethings it is obvious, for others it is subtle and spotting them, may provide hint as to what is going on. The other thing to look for is how each show ends, some end with a clearly obvious sign that something is going on, others again, is more subtle and while I don’t know the full extent of things, having also seen the third episode, it puts context around some of the parts of the first and second episodes.
Both Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany are reprising their roles as Wanda and Vision respectively, but it is the addition of Kathryn Hahn that adds a new source of fun and mystery to the line-up. Who Kathryn turns out to be in the end, is still an unknown, but the times when she makes an appearance are, as her character says at one point, a real gas. Debra Jo Rupp better known as Kitty from That 70’s Show was also in a few of the episodes and manages to bring her blend of charming and obnoxious to the show, helping move the plot along. In fact, most of the supporting cast manages that, a testament to the script, but mostly the casts ability to bring it to life, even when they are playing up some stereotypes from era’s gone by. Teyonah Parris plays a grown-up Monica Rambeau and while her first appearance, might not register at first, she slots in pretty easily and yet somehow manages to hint that she is confused.
Even though there is a spoiler warning in effect, I feel like I need to highlight it again here, because the running theme so far at least, is that S.W.O.R.D is in the MCU. At least that is what the show is pointing at, especially with the appearance of Geraldine, the third member of the magic show that Wanda and Vision put on. Everyone know knows S.H.I.E.L.D. and in the comics, S.W.O.R.D. is meant to be their counterpart, rather than looking at issues on Earth, they look towards the stars, I mean their base has been on the moon. What role they will play in the show is anyone’s guess and I am sure many people will do so, but early indicators are bizarre. Perhaps the oddest moment is just how the second episode ends, which points towards a far more deadly impact for how the rest of the series will play out.
Speaking of how the series plays out, each episode is themed to a specific decade, with them basically being a love letter to iconic shows from that era, Dick Van Dyke, Bewitched and so on. The first episodes are in a 4:3 ratio, meaning they are being shown, just how TV shows that were filmed in those days were, a nice touch, but it gets better. Each of the sets look authentic and even between the first two shows, the house that Vision and Wanda share goes through a lot of changes and if that wasn’t enough there is even more. The second episode, which is heavily inspired by Bewitched, features Wanda doing a lot more manipulation of things, a lot of which is to cover up for a drunk appearing Vision, but when it happens, you will see jump cuts and such, exactly like Bewitched used to do. Characters will pause for a moment, while a stagehand would run in and place items in their hand, that same effect is here and as strange as it sounds, I never had any problem with it, whether or not it was due to my seeing older shows a lot growing up.
Of course there are still quite a number of assisted visual effects, not those filmed in camera and a lot of them have to do with Vision, which makes sense given his unique skill set. What I thought was a nice touch, is that when he phases through things, the effect is not clean and modern, it has touches as if it was something they did back in the decade it was filmed in. In addition to that, there are some classic tv tropes, the background being a photo/painting of the neighbourhood, that also help sell the effect of how things are authentic.
Speaking of authentic, we can’t proceed any further, without talking about that fact that each of the episodes has its own, unique song for the opening credits. This is not the same song, with slightly different instruments playing it, no, they are entirely unique and suit each episode to a tee. The songs were written by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, who together have worked on Coco, Frozen and some Disney rides, with Robert also being the co-creator of The Book of Mormon. The pair know how to write and compose a catchy tune and even hours later, I found myself humming the themes, which shows they hit the right spot as that was something shows from that era were known for. The rest of the music was composed by Christophe Beck, who is returning to the MCU having composed both the Ant-Man scores, and the compositions here are solid, there is an undertone of melodic happiness, inspired by the old shows, but there are times when it becomes a little darker and a little heavier, which I liked.
WandaVision is perhaps the most unique thing that Marvel Studios have done and given that they have movies that contain a talking racoon, Norse gods and human salamanders, that is saying something. The first two shows are slow to begin, but lay down some serious groundwork, for the rest of them and given the story they seem to be highlighting, it might just be a massive bold new direction for the Marvel Cinematic Universe and that is a great thing.
The Score
9.0
Review access provided by Disney
The Pros
+Basically a love letter to tv’s shows of years past
+Both Wanda and Vision are a hoot in their new setting
The Cons
-The pace is a little slow to start, though it does pick up
-Episode lengths are shorter than you might have expected
