I just finished episode 3 of WandaVision and while I like the show overall, I'm starting to see the seams in the show. It is trying to walk a very fine tightrope, balancing funny sitcoms and superhero mystery stories. And it doesn't always work.
Fortunately, WandaVision always pulls itself out in time. Let's dive into episode 3 and see what worked and what the end of the episode means for the future.
Spoiler alert, of course, for story points and possible spoilers based on online speculation and leaks in the third episode of WandaVision.
So the major topic of this week's episode is super-speed pregnancy. Revealed at the very end of episode 2, Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) are having a baby, and things begin to escalate from the moment episode 3 begins.
And this time, Brady Vision makes an appearance. Yes, from the iconic Brady Bunch house staircase to the design of the opening credits, Westview has clearly evolved. And it is clear that Wanda herself is to blame.
Wanda's power to alter reality was on full display at the end of the second episode, when she distorted reality, adding color and perhaps her own unexplained pregnancy. Yes, I am saying: humans and synthozoids cannot procreate and I do not want to hear from any doctor about when a man loves a woman.
And I should have expected this to all take place in one episode, since Wanda's pregnancy was shown so quickly after it was discovered. Before we know it, the doctor is coming to check how far Wanda has grown. Then, in a scene typical of "Bewitched," Wanda uses her powers to paint the nursery and assemble a crib.
Of course, Wanda's having a twin reminds her of her own past, thereby giving a clue as to why this is happening. Wanda's mention of her twin brother Pietro gives her neighbor Geraldine (Teyonah Parris) a chance to show that she knows more than she is willing to admit.
This suggests what we have already surmised: Geraldine is actually Monica Rambo. Wanda then notices that Geraldine/Monica is wearing a necklace with the S.W.O.R.D. emblem that Wanda previously saw on the beekeeper's uniform and on the toy helicopter. This is reason enough to believe that Monica was sent to a retro reality for a mission.
The situation comedy element of WandaVision is fun, but not always a hit. When Paul Bettany gets a chance to show off his comedic chops, the series picks up steam, but you can see the pattern visually: 23 minutes of situation comedy, with a mysterious plot that unfolds at the end, rinses, whisks, and repeats.
Those who know Scarlett Witch and Vision from the comics will be pleased to see that Wanda is pregnant not only with young Tommy but also William. In the comics, these characters actually existed: William grew up to be a Wiccan (with powers similar to Scarlet Witch's) and Thomas is super fast, like Wanda's late brother Quicksilver.
We continue to see what tug-of-war there is over this reality in which Wanda lives. And remember: Vision is not with her. Vision died in Avengers: Infinity War.
While Wanda was essentially able to rewind time after saying "no" in Episode 2, the odd and similar moment of conversation between Wanda and Vision in Episode 3 seemed to be controlled by someone else. Was this the outside hand that was watching the monitor at the end of Episode 1? We don't know that.
What we do know, however, is that Wanda can kick people out of Westview. No, not kick them out, but kick them out of that reality. When she asked Geraldine to leave, Monica went through a kind of rift in reality and landed outside the actual Westview.
Several modern cars crowd around Monica, and the fact that this scene is shown in ultra-wide aspect ratio leads us to believe that Monica has returned to our modern moment. These cars, one might guess, are driven by other S.W.O.R.D. agents; has FBI agent Jimmy Wu (Randall Park) been transferred to S.W.O.R.D.?
This is the most likely theory. Wanda after "The Avengers": it is believed that Wanda was still mourning the loss of Vision after "Avengers/Endgame". No one knows what happened afterwards, but it is possible that her grief led her to bend reality as a coping mechanism.
The family-building sitcom aspect of Wanda Vision highlights the possibility that Wanda is trying to build a life she has only seen on television, a life she never lived herself.
Nevertheless, it is also possible that she is there under duress. Recall the mysterious radio transmission in episode 2." Who is doing this to you, Wanda?" a voice was heard saying, "S.W.O.R.D. may be trying to free Wanda from someone else's clutches.
And one last thing. Why were Agnes (Kathryn Hahn) and Herb (David Payton) willing to cut into the wall and divulge the truth about Westview? They seemed to be against S.W.O.R.D. as they tried to discredit Geraldine by saying she was homeless.
These are the questions we continue to channel again.
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