‘Agatha All Along’ Review: Kathryn Hahn’s ‘Wicked Witch’ Act Casts a Mischievous Spell on This Campy but Enjoyable Marvel Series (LatestLY Exclusive)

Agatha All Along Review: Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) seems to have better luck when it comes to dropping their streaming content around the Halloween season. While I'm no huge fan of their small-screen content, I loved their one-off Werewolf By Night and am really hoping the MCU brings Jack Russell and Man-Thing back on screen soon. Perhaps even in a cameo for the series I’m currently reviewing, Agatha All Along. This WandaVision spinoff, directed by Jac Schaeffer (TiMER), has made a surprisingly strong start in the first couple of episodes released on Disney+ (Hotstar in India). Unlike some of the previous shows, let's hope the MCU breaks the streak and maintains the momentum throughout Agatha All Along’s nine-episode arc. ‘Agatha All Along’ Review: ‘Kathryn Hahn Is Perfection’, ‘Devilishly Good Time’ – First Reactions Call ‘WandaVision’ Spinoff a Fun Return to Westview!

The last time we saw Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn), she was trapped in her mind by a furious Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen), living as Agnes, the nosy neighbour of Westview, for three years. In true WandaVision style, the first episode of Agatha All Along leans into television tropes, drawing inspiration from fictional crime dramas like Mare of Easttown and True Detective, with Agnes playing a beleaguered but brilliant police detective investigating an unidentified corpse.

It takes almost the entire episode for her to break the spell, thanks to the intervention of 'Teen' (Joe Locke), an amateur witch whose real name and history are mysteriously forbidden from being spoken aloud. Quite literally.

'Teen' seeks Agatha’s help to find the mythical but dangerous Witches' Road. Having lost the Darkhold to Wanda, Agatha is also in desperate need of her powers, and she’s being hunted by the Salem Seven, a group of witches seeking revenge for her losing the book. So she agrees to help Teen, but they need to recruit a coven to aid them in finding the path. This leads them to Jennifer Kale (Sasheer Zamata), Alice Wu-Gulliver (Ali Ahn), and Lilia Calderu (Patti LuPone). Agatha even ropes in poor Mrs Davis (Debra Jo Rupp) because they need someone from 'Earth'. What the Witches' Road is and what the Salem Seven plan for Agatha will be revealed over the next seven episodes.

Watch the Trailer of 'Agatha All Along':

Oh, and then there’s Rio (Aubrey Plaza), a powerful witch who poses as an FBI agent in Agatha’s crime-drama illusion, harbouring a reciprocal sexual attraction toward her, while in real life, she wants to kill her.

‘Agatha All Along’ Review - MCU Takes Some Bold Turns

Agatha All Along is the MCU venturing down a path they rarely tread, making a few bold character choices you wouldn’t expect in a Disney+ family-friendly series. There's a nude scene, strong lesbian undertones, and 'Teen', who, according to the show’s Wiki page, will later be revealed as Billy Kaplan, is portrayed as gay and in a relationship.

The Mare of Easttown-inspired first episode left me wishing I could see Kathryn Hahn lead her own sombre detective show. Her chemistry with Aubrey Plaza is sizzling, even if it’s just insinuations at this stage. Even though it nearly tricks you into thinking so, the weird tone and eerie 'glitches' serve as a strong reminder that this is a WandaVision spinoff. WandaVision Review: A Terrific Elizabeth Olsen Owns The Show in Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Weirdest Offering Since Doctor Strange.

‘Agatha All Along’ Review - A Wonderful Cast

Of course, we’re all here to see Ms Hahn work her 'magic' as Agatha Harkness, and she truly comes alive once Agatha regains her original persona, which happens ahead in the first episode. Hahn is, as expected, outstanding as the Wicked Witch (it's no wonder Marvel pushed for this series despite initial scepticism; no one can get enough of Hahn).

In the second episode, she shares a different kind of chemistry with Joe Locke’s character, who becomes something of an apprentice and clearly a draw for the teen audience. While I missed Plaza in the second episode, Sasheer Zamata, Ali Ahn, and Patti LuPone more than made up for her absence. The production design and the score by Christophe Beck add to the enchanting appeal of the show, with an added sense of campiness.

Agatha All Along really picks up towards the end of the second episode. If "Agatha All Along" song brought a devilish charm to "WandaVision", then "The Ballad of the Witches’ Road" (written by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez) adds a haunting and bewitching tone to this new series. Fingers crossed that Agatha All Along keeps the magic alive until the very end.

‘Agatha All Along’ Review - Final Thoughts

Agatha All Along feels like a fresh, daring addition to the MCU’s streaming lineup, offering a darker, more twisted narrative while keeping the franchise's familiar, quirky edge. With a compelling mix of supernatural intrigue, strong character dynamics, and Kathryn Hahn’s irresistibly magnetic performance at its core, this spinoff has plenty of potential to stand out. The first two episodes of Agatha All Along are streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 19, 2024 10:17 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).