As a newcomer to the Marvel Universe, I didn’t understand WandaVision at first. During quarantine, I binge-watched some of the Marvel movies like Captain Marvel and Black Panther. Even though the stories weave together, I could not for the life of me finish the earlier ones like all of the Iron Man and Spiderman movies.
A stark contrast to the traditional action-packed sequence films, WandaVision begins as a syrupy sweet, black and white episodic sitcom. A happy family and quirky town, Wanda, husband Vision and their twin boys live in a white picket fence neighborhood. The very first episode things are not as cookie-cutter as they seem during a dinner for Vision’s boss Mr. Hart. Mr. Hart chokes on his food and as Mrs. Hart repeats, “Stop it, stop it, stop it…” everyone is still until Wanda tells Vision to help him. Its effect is immediate and unnerving. Quickly things turn strange as we realize Wanda created a world as a way to cope with her grief over her deceased husband.
The final episode: “The Series Finale” is emotional and heartwrenching. I waited until I had to write this blog before finishing the season because I knew WandaVision was going to make me cry. Every good book, show or any story that comes to an end I drag out which is probably why I can’t sit through a movie.
The hollow goodbye between Wanda and Vision meant to give the audience hope as they say, “We have said goodbye before, so it stands to reason…we’ll say hello again,” we know, as the audience and the long-time fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that they will meet again only in the afterlife.
What I liked best about WandaVision is that it steps away from ordinary Marvel storytelling. When Wanda says, “I don’t understand this power…but I will,” it sets the tone for the next season. This show is strange enough to work and I can’t wait for the second season.
