Stories focused on the experience of villains, rather than heroes, have become increasingly prevalent in Hollywood. The recently completed TV mini-series “Agatha All Along” is no exception to this trend.
The highly-rated series, centered around the wicked witch Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn), was one of the most streamed shows in the country during its nine-episode run.
The plot begins three years after the finale of “WandaVision.” In a cliffhanger moment, Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) places a hex on Harkness, trapping her in her own manufactured crime thriller TV show. At the start of the new series, Harkness is quickly broken out of her spell by the young William Kaplan (Joe Locke) and sets off to regain her powers.
Harkness gathers a coven, consisting of herself, Kaplan, three witches — Jen Kale (Sasheer Zamata), Alice Wu-Gulliver (Ali Ahn) and Lilia Calderu (Patti LuPone) — and her neighbor, Sharon Davis (Debra Jo Rupp), to venture onto the mythical Witches’ Road.
The once-acclaimed Marvel Cinematic Universe has lately been criticized for a drop in quality and a lack of engaging plotlines. Some films in the MCU’s most recent phases — namely “Eternals,” “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” and “The Marvels” — have been largely panned by critics. Marvel’s series, on the other hand, has generally fared better, though not without misses like the 2023 “Secret Invasion.”
But “Agatha All Along” — and its critically acclaimed predecessor “WandaVision” — are skillfully crafted to engage audiences by introducing mysteries that unfold as the series progresses. “WandaVision” built its suspense with the ever-changing town of Westview, which jumped from decade to decade in each episode. In “Agatha All Along,” audiences are lured in by the mysterious lore of the infamous Witches’ Road and the circumstances surrounding the death of Agatha’s son, Nicholas Scratch.
While presenting these mysteries, the series perfectly balances light-hearted humor with intense drama. Harkness — a fan-favorite on “Wandavision” due to her villainous yet charming nature — ensures that there is never a shortage of sarcasm and quips throughout the nine episodes in the series. However, such a personality trait also means that more dramatic scenes tend to fall flat.
Despite having a smaller budget, the series boasts visuals superior to the better-funded MCU projects. Unlike the film “Black Widow” — which has scenes that look like they were produced on iMovie — “Agatha All Along” features numerous frames with beautiful cinematography and stunning visual effects.
The series’s cast also has praiseworthy performances. Hahn brings back the charm that made Harkness so popular in “WandaVision.” Aubrey Plaza masterfully brings a sinister nature to the mystifying Green Witch Rio Vidal.
But, LuPone’s portrayal of Lilia Calderu takes the cake, especially in the seventh episode, “Death’s Hand in Mine.” The episode centers around Calderu’s experiences living life non-linearly, which causes confusion but also grants her the ability of foresight. LuPone skillfully depicts Calderu’s initial discomfort and slow acceptance of her life throughout the episode. She makes audiences wish that Calderu had an even bigger role in the series.
Although there hasn’t been word on another season, the series finale’s cliffhanger — in true Marvel fashion — sets the series’s characters up for another mystery to be solved. The upcoming MCU film centered on the Scarlet Witch may also explore the unresolved plot points in this series.
In the meantime, both MCU superfans and those just looking for a weekend binge can appease their appetite for mystery, drama, humor and “magick” with “Agatha All Along.”
Manav is a junior from Indiana, concentrating in International and Public Affairs. In his free time, he likes attempting the daily Connections puzzle or falling down Wikipedia rabbit holes.
