If you thought that WandaVision was too slow or boring up to this point: 1. What’s wrong with you? Have you ever seen a television series before? And 2. You won’t think that after this week’s episode. The show is designed to be mysterious, let it be mysterious, folks. Outside of that coalition of idiocy, this week’s episode continues the intrigue and mystery of the past two episodes. If “More Than Meets The Eye” was the theme of the first two episodes shown, “The Mystery Continues” should be the tagline for this third episode.
More cracks in the façade of Wanda and Vision’s seemingly beautiful new life are forming. Agnes goes from a nuisance to a more sinister feeling character. Following the looks of trailers, that transformation continues throughout the season. The other characters go from happy-go-lucky idiots to people who are in on something that the audience isn’t. Finally, we get a reveal at the end that could shake the core of the MCU. In the middle of it all is still that blend of light humor and homage to the classic television series of our past.
The entire proceedings of episode three are filled with the key theme of transformation. Wanda can go from smiling and bubbly to quiet rage and fury on a dime. Vision showed throughout the first two episodes that he can change from the bumbling fool human to the godlike, infinity stone wielding, practically omnipotent being in a flash. It’s clear that this reality that Wanda and Vision are occupying is fraying and deconstructing around them as we get farther into the season. Vision doesn’t quite question his reality here, but we can see that’s coming from the trailers for the show.
A Sense Of Dread Bubbling Up
Without delving into spoilers for the episode, the ending of this one builds up quite a bit of tension. It’s part of the masterstroke that Marvel hit with this show. The happy-go-lucky era of television from the 50’s all the way through the 90’s juxtaposed with the narrative that Wanda and Vision are dealing with in this world of theirs. It works incredibly well and after seeing this episode, I was left with a strong feeling of wanting to know what comes next. It’s just a different type of Marvel property and I think people have to get used to that.
It’s the first Marvel TV series, so it has to find its footing and the right pace. Remember, this wasn’t originally set to be the first TV series released on Disney+. But Marvel and Disney went ahead with releasing this one first. So, give the show time to breathe. Let it expand upon its ideas, and let that tension build. The best stories take time to tell and this one is no different. Not everything needs to be a gargantuan action fest. Marvel might have set that precedent with the previous films, but this fourth phase is a new era.
WandaVision Episode Three Leaves You Wanting More, In The Best Way
So if you leave this third episode with more questions than answers, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s the third episode, not the ninth. We’ll have plenty of answers to come later in the show. For now, just enjoy the ride. Just don’t trust your surroundings, your reality might not be what it seems.
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