Agatha All Along (Disney +) (2024)

Y'know, I KNOW she killed Sparky and all, but if you ask me Wanda's punishment for Agatha falls under cruel and unusual. Especially considering Wanda is no freaking saint herself.

I thought it was good, but it being good did not remotely make me trust it. 3 1/2 stars.

The Ballad Of The Witches' Road is also a pretty amazing song.

That was good enough to make me optimistic. I think good things could be in store. 4 1/2 stars.

I dislike that Agatha is so selfish and conniving she doesn't drink the poison. The show had her do that to add a conflict with the group, but is she stupid? SHE wanted the damn Witches Road filled with Trials in the first place, judged by indeterminant supernatural beings! Does she really think she can so blatantly cheat and get away with it? If she does, that is bad writing.

Her empowering Jenn comes out of nowhere at the end and feels entirely unearned too.

I also dislike the fact that it's almost screamingly telegraphed Teen is this missing son Agatha gave up for the Book of the Damned. I would have less problems with it if this wasn't just the first episode this kid was really brought up, but the first moment it was too.

I'll give the episode a gentleman's three stars out of five. Mostly because just because I disliked the hints, doesn't mean I read them correctly. My judgment of the episode will be firmer and fairer at the end of the season. For whatever that's worth. 3 stars.

"Teen" is Wiccan/Billy Maximoff and Aubrey Plaza is Death (a little late to romance Thanos...)

Agatha seems to really care about Teen. I am very leery that Rio noticed that.

When Lilia tells Rio she won't forget what she said in the booth, Rio growls at her. I love the suggestion that the Green Witch is feral.

The rock version of the Ballad is inferior to the showtune version. There, I said it.

The ending was entirely ambiguous. I don't remember if I suspected Teen was her son or not (once the reviews are out, I forget them) but the question raised to me is that if he isn't, how does Rio know that?

I thought it was solid. This is the point where the Marvel Studios TV stuff seems to slide, and it hasn't done that yet. 4 stars.

Whatever else the show is, it is PROBABLY not about the redemption of Agatha Harkness. I almost could have bought she couldn't control her power when she killed Alice. But the look on her face as she said the thing to Teen about his mother means she is pure evil. That's a little disappointing narratively, but frankly I think television spends a little bit too much time attempting to redeem characters who don't deserve it. Yes, I'm slightly sad Agatha is steaming pile of dogshit as a person. But she fucking killed Sparky. Why the fuck SHOULD I root for her to "come around"?

Kathryn Hahn does a pretty good Debra Jo Rupp, but it seems to be adding insult to injury.

It's a spooky show, but both the stuff with the Salem Seven and the ending show the series REALLY leaning into the horror elements for the first time. There is no tension released by a quip or a sight-gag. It dark horror movie happenings and they are relentless. And I don't necessarily object to that.

I am not certain I will love this series when it over. As a rule, I don't respond to darkness and nihilism in entertainment. And of course, that might not be what this show is at all. What I can safely say is the show is unique in that I have no theories. There is no part of me willing to go out on any sort of limb and offer a theory as to what is happening. That is unusual for me. I could fucking do that with TWIN PEAKS for Christ's sake! The fact that this show is something I wouldn't bother speaking for is unusual in that it means it is completely unpredictable. I have mentioned before I do not dislike predictable television. I find it comforting. And I usually make that specific disclaimer because I find unpredictable television so unusual. This qualifies a rare show that is narratively stumping me. I think that's a good thing. At least I hope it is. 4 stars.

Surprised it looks like Jennifer and Lilia ARE dead.

Good update on Ralph. Nice to see Evan Peters again.

I loved seeing what was actually happening in Episode 1 without the filter of the spell Agatha was under. She actually looks kind of pathetic here.

And yeah, the end says this is NOT a redemption story for Agatha. But maybe it's one for Billy Maximoff. I hope so at least. 4 1/2 stars.