WandaVision | TV Premiere

Last week Marvel finally launched their long-promised expansion of MCU Avengers from film to television on Disney+. I have to say I’m digging WandaVision. And Marvel choosing this particular title for launch is a genius move.  

The show so far is following a classic TV sitcom format. And the first two episodes pay homage to crème of the crop. Episode one shows newlyweds Wanda and Vision entertaining Vision’s boss and his wife. If you’re a fan of classic TV, you know Rob and Laura Petrie hosted the best dinner parties on The Dick Van Dyke Show. And so the set is nearly a ditto copy of the Petrie house. The boss is a stodgy, balding man reminiscent of Rob’s producer Mel. Kathryn Hahn plays cheeky and helpful neighbor ala Millie, helping Wanda prepare dinner for unexpected dinner guests. And while all this is enjoyable in and of itself, something is going on beneath the surface. Wanda and Vision don’t seem to recall where they met or when they moved into town.   

By episode two, we’ve moved from The Dick Van Dyke Show to Bewitched, and strange occurrences begin to make Wanda question what is actually going on. There is chatter on the radio directed to her personally. There is a red and gold toy helicopter in her rose bushes in an otherwise black and white world. The pullback at the end reveals someone is watching WandaVision in a security bay. And of course, there’s the off-camera voice pleading with Wanda. 

Marvel has confirmed that the show takes place after the events of Avengers Infinity War. With that in mind, is Wanda suffering a mental break? Has she shut down and become catatonic, unable to reconcile the reality of loss with the life she wanted? Or, has someone gotten a hold of her? If so, is her current state self-induced preservation, or is she being tormented? And the biggest question for me is to whom does the voice asking her questions belong? Is it a fellow Avenger, or a yet unknown to us S.H.I.E.L.D agent? Or maybe not a friend but not necessarily a foe either? But so far, I think it’s a friend, and someone we know. Perhaps another Avenger with an upcoming TV show of his own? I think that would be a remarkable way to connect the MCU. 

I’m intrigued and looking forward to the upcoming episodes. WandaVision is definitely more than just a retro kitsch show. Here’s hoping the mystery unravels satisfactorily this season.