The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been on a path of mediocrity, one where the 17-year-old franchise prioritizes quantity over quality. With a glut of shows on Disney+ and up to three films released annually, the MCU was in dire need of a pause. Thankfully, this year’s “Deadpool and Wolverine” received glowing reviews and surpassed $1 billion at the box office, signaling a welcome return to form. This success suggests that releasing one film and premiering one television show per year might be the right strategy for the billion-dollar franchise moving forward.
On the TV side, “Agatha All Along”—the 13th scripted series produced by Marvel—premiered on Sept. 18. Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn) returns with her usual eccentricity, joined by a new cast of equally quirky characters. Westview, where Agatha remains imprisoned under a spell cast by the Scarlet Witch during the events of “WandaVision,” also returns. Three years later, when characters from Agatha’s past break her out of her magical prison, she vows to “get back on top” and reclaim her stolen powers by walking the mythical Road of Witches. To achieve this, she must gather a new coven of witches, including the nameless Teen (Joe Locke), empire mogul Jennifer Kale (Sasheer Zamata), strip mall fortune teller Lilia Calderu (Patti LuPone), mall security guard Alice Wu-Gulliver (Ali Ahn), and “WandaVision”’s Mrs. Hart (Debra Jo Rupp), a reluctant neighbor.
Aubrey Plaza (“Parks and Recreation,” “Legion”) also makes an appearance as Rio Vidal, a witchy rival from Agatha’s past, who seems eager to see Agatha buried six feet under. With this setup, “Agatha All Along” adopts a tone reminiscent of “Charmed” or “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” offering a refreshing change from Marvel’s usual formula of superhero origin stories culminating in third-act CGI battles. While there’s still room for those familiar elements to appear later, it’s a relief that, so far, the show strays from conventional MCU tropes.
Jac Schaeffer (“WandaVision”) returns as showrunner, bringing back the meta, self-referential humor that worked so well in “WandaVision.” Episode one opens as a clear satire of police procedural dramas typical of FX or NBC, with Hahn playing a tough-as-nails cop married to her work. Schaeffer’s callbacks to “WandaVision” are welcome and establish a tone familiar to fans. Hahn shines once again as Agatha, delivering her signature dry wit and charming humor.
It’s too early to tell how the ensemble cast will fare alongside Hahn, but it’s exciting to see television legend Patti LuPone (“Witness,” “Beau Is Afraid”) back on screen, alongside “SNL” alum Sasheer Zamata. As of now, time will tell how these new characters fit into “Agatha All Along,” as they barely get any screen time in the first two episodes. The biggest mystery for audiences to unpack is the Teen, played by Joe Locke (“Heartstopper”), who follows Agatha like a fanboy but is unable to reveal his true name due to an unseen spell. Locke’s performance leaves much to be desired, and it’s unclear if casting him in a Marvel role for his second major acting gig was a wise decision.
Can Agatha Harkness magically save the MCU?
As both a Marvel fan and a skeptic, it’s uncertain where the show’s journey will take us. Agatha Harkness was never a character fans clamored to see return, but now that she’s back, audiences are left asking, ‘Who is this for?’
‘Agatha All Along’ seems to answer that question with: ‘Fans of witch dramas like “Charmed.”’ For those seeking more traditional superhero fare, Agatha’s adventure might not be the right fit. However, for fans yearning for fresh material from the MCU, Agatha may be just what we need.
