Overall, these past nine weeks watching “WandaVision” have been delightful and made me excited about Fridays again. But all good things come to an end, and although the series finale delivered the anticipated pay-off, there were some loose ends and wasted opportunities that affected the final rating of the show. I give the show 4.5 stars, and it would’ve been a solid five if not for my personal dislikes of some elements from the season finale.
Episode nine picked off immediately after episode eight, with a violent confrontation between Wanda and Agatha Harkness, where we learned that what Agatha really wanted was to absorb Wanda’s chaos magic and become more powerful herself.
There was a lot to unpack from the episode so here’s a list of the most interesting moments:
- The Darkhold
Agatha introduced the Darkhold during her fight with Wanda and said the Scarlet Witch had an entire chapter dedicated to her. This was all setup for “Doctor Strange 2” as it’s rumored that Wanda will make an appearance in it and most likely as an antagonist, because Doctor Strange does not approve of people meddling with dark magic on their own. Agatha even claimed that the Scarlet Witch is supposed to be more powerful than the Sorcerer Supreme, AKA Stephen Strange. This entire scene was the ideal setup for a Doctor Strange cameo… so when it didn’t happen I felt very disappointed on that missed opportunity.
- Vision vs White Vision
The producers succeeded at making White Vision look terrifying and empty like a sentient weapon. The fight with Hex vision packed the classic Marvel-style fight in the air, changing scenarios and breaking stuff, but surprisingly ended with words. Vision attacked White Vision with an analogy that made White Vision reconsider his entire existence. Marvel did a solid job at explaining the “ship of Theseus” and this enabled a satisfactory resolution for the conflict. When White Vision flew away with the Hex Vision’s memories, it was safe to assume he will make another appearance in the future.
- Monica and … Ralph
This scene answered many of our past questions but in an underwhelming way. When Monica overpowered Quicksilver, she learned that his real name was Ralph Bohner, not Pietro Maximoff. Yeah, Marvel pulled off a silly boner joke instead of introducing the multiverse and the X-Men crossover that everyone wanted. It turns out that Pietro was just a regular dude who got his abilities from Agatha and looked like Evan Peters. This scene was slightly disappointing when compared to all the amazing fan theories that surfaced after Pietro’s appearance on the show. But maybe Marvel just wanted to mess with us all along and see how people would react to the possibility of a crossover, and now they know we want it more than ever, therefore encouraging FOX to go through with the idea.
- Wanda vs Westview
When Agatha released the residents of Westview from Wanda’s spell, they manifested all the hate and disdain they felt towards the Scarlet Witch, forcing Wanda to confront the collateral damage caused by her hex. This was a great moment for her character, and also showed the fantastic range of Elizabeth Olsen’s acting skills, as we saw her guilt and despair come to the surface yet again. This show turned her into one of my favorite characters in the MCU because of how human and flawed she is, but also determined to defend those she loves.
- The Scarlet Witch
My favorite moment form the episode was when Wanda defeated Agatha using the same runes Agatha had used in episode 8. This showed that Wanda was a quick learner and used her wits as much as her sheer power. Then the dramatic transformation into the almighty Scarlet Witch was a visual delight, especially because of the iconic comic book costume with the headpiece.
- Hayward the child-killer
We all know government officials can be shady, but no one is shadier than Director Hayward, not even Agatha Harkness. The man emptied an entire clip of his gun on Tommy and Billy without flinching, and the two kids would have died if not for Monica. I never liked his character and he wasn’t even an interesting villain like Agatha, so it was satisfying to see Darcy crashing her truck against his, and then the FBI arresting him. Hopefully he doesn’t return to the MCU but I understand his role was necessary to move the plot in the show.
- The Skrull
The first post-credit scene satisfied the storyline of Monica’s character, as the Skrulls working with Nick Fury in space recruited her to serve in future mission. This will tie later with “Captain Marvel 2” and give us more content of our favorite S.W.O.R.D. agent.
- Goodbye
The most emotional moment of the episode was when Wanda and Vision put their kids to bed while the hex is fading all around them. This was a crucial point for Wanda’s character as she was finally able to let go of her family, her dreams, and accept reality for what it was. She said goodbye to Vision, who was still unsure of who or what he was, but Wanda reassures him he is the person she will always love. It was a heartwarming moment and very fitting in the grand scheme of the show. Our two protagonists had complete and complex character arcs, which is unusual in the MCU.
- Wanda’s retreat
Our beloved Wanda went on personal vacation far into the mountains where no one could disturb her. It seemed like she was at peace at last, but then we learned she took a nice book to read on her retreat—the Darkhold itself—and is slowly learning all of its secrets. This was another way to setup the events of “Doctor Strange 2” where we can expect to see a more seasoned and powerful Scarlet Witch.
