Spoilers, Easter Eggs, and Satisfaction: WandaVision Recap 2
SPOILERS AHEAD
To the utter relief of Kasey Corra’s family and friends, Marvel’s WandaVision has ended. Every Friday since January 15, fans have logged into Disney+, desperate to pin down more answers and verify the conspiracy theories that had arisen since the week before. Read our recap of the first few episodes here for a rundown of Marvel’s COVID-19 adjustments and our first impressions of the series.
The sitcom-centered theme faded as the line between Wanda’s reality and the outside world blurred, resulting in the long-awaited end-credit scenes and battles that Marvel is notorious for. The show revisited iconic moments in a flashback episode that clarified some fan questions and made everyone cry at least once.
Audiences are applauding Marvel’s execution in accurately and realistically capturing the process of grieving, particularly in the last two episodes. WandaVision takes place immediately after the events of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, meaning Wanda was dumped back into the world after “the Snap” to face the reality that her spouse, the Vision, was dead by her own hand (but it wasn’t just her — Thanos killed him once too. The timeline is complicated). During her time in the MCU, Wanda Maximoff lost her parents, brother, and now her spouse, meaning WandaVision almost had no choice but to take a deep dive into Wanda’s past — full of lingering grief and regret. The flashback episode mentioned above addresses her reactions to each major loss in her life, showing her development from a scared young girl into a super-powered lady with trouble connecting to others. Wanda is seen in denial at first and then doing whatever she can to try to restore her world to how things “should have been.” In Wanda’s journey, grief is treated as a natural emotion. This element of portraying Wanda’s humanity evokes sympathy in the audience while dismantling any attempts to demonize her character.
A common complaint among WandaVision viewers was that the show didn’t air all at once. Netflix bingers are used to whole seasons releasing at a time, and it was hard to wait during the weeks in between for content that involved torturesome suspense. Fans agreed that the “Please Stand By” message that appeared on the screen at the end of each episode was the most hated image of the year. Rumors that the last three episodes would be an hour long were dashed when they aired for only 30-40 minutes, disappointing many hopeful fans. Each episode left viewers with more questions than they had before watching it, so there were valid reasons for wishing for more content at each release.
That being said, we have decided that the weekly release dates were the best decision Marvel could have made (easy to say once the wait ends). Each episode was filled with easter eggs and heartbreaking scenes, and the days between Fridays allowed ‘emo’ edits, conspiracy theory videos, and minute-by-minute breakdowns to circulate the Internet fandom. Since no one knew what was coming next, everyone speculated together, and those prediction-conversations among friends made many nostalgic for the post-Infinity War and Endgame fandom.
Many fans hoped for a cameo by another Avenger in the finale, and, although their hopes were unfulfilled, it was hard to be unhappy with episode 9. A beloved astrophysicist ran over the most detested character with her van, we got the most amazing costume change, and a detailed theological discussion about the Ship of Theseus made everyone’s head hurt (but Mrs. Elrod would have loved it). Wanda’s devastating goodbye to her children and to (hex) Vision had us in tears, but her character resolution and seemingly healed demeanor by the end of the episode promises big things for her character in the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
Despite our collective ache for more Wanda content, most are satisfied with WandaVision’s wild ride and its completion. The fandom is gearing up for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier in less than two weeks, which will focus on the newly-star-spangled-and-shielded Falcon — who has taken on the mantle of Captain America — and his exploits with the enhanced sad-boy supersoldier Bucky Barnes. Where WandaVision’s two title characters were popular, they weren’t the obvious choice for a solo series, whereas The Falcon and the Winter Soldier brings two fan-favorites to the table that are sure to hook even more fans. Although a whole week without any new Marvel shows will be tough to bear, WandaVision’s raving success proves that Marvel can thrive on both the big and small screens.
Kasey Corra ‘22, Co Assistant Editor-in-Chief & Emma Barry ‘22, Features Editor
