Four episodes in and WandaVision is becoming my favorite thing out of the MCU. Like, ever. I’ve been a diehard MCU fan since the first Iron Man, and I’ve been a Marvel comics fan all my life. That said, I’m also a huge fan of old sitcoms, as well as anything that could even remotely be considered “Lynchian” (coined after the surreal film director, David Lynch). So, when WandaVision was first revealed to be coming to Disney+ and it looked to combine both old sitcom aesthetics and Lynchian elements, well, the first thing I thought was, “This show is MADE for me!”
But apparently, it’s not made for everyone since I’ve seen a number of people complaining that they don’t like WandaVision, with some people I’ve talked to and seen online even saying that it is “painful” to watch. This got me wondering. Yes, it’s very different from anything ever seen in the MCU before, but “painful” to watch?
Well, I think all of that may have changed with Wandavision's most recent episode, “We Interrupt This Program,” since so much was recently revealed. While I loved the mystery set in place with the first three episodes, I think Episode 4 is the one that might be the gamechanger for people who are still on the fence. So, with more of the MCU fanbase possibly now on board, here are just 5 things that I absolutely love about the first MCU show to come to Disney+.
WandaVision Is Not Afraid To Take Huge Risks For Several Episodes
As I mentioned in the intro, I talked to a lot of people about WandaVision, and quite a few of them told me that they needed the show to start answering questions soon or they were going to jump ship, and I understand. Modeling the series off of old sitcoms from different decades was a massive risk! For one thing, just think of the MCU fanbase. Sure, there are a ton of adults who love The Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy. But there are probably just as many kids who have never even heard of shows like I Dream of Jeanie or The Dick Van Dyke Show, which WandaVision is obviously pulling inspiration from. Hell, there are plenty of adults my own age who never vegged out on Nick at Nite growing up and caught these old sitcoms.
So, for WandaVision to tell this twisty narrative that may or may not have something to do with the famous House of M storyline is a super bold move. And while it may have been an even bolder move to not have that huge reveal in Episode 4 about what’s really going on with Monica Rambeau and S.W.O.R.D., I think a lot of people really would have checked out before the end of the season if this information was held from them until the season finale. MCU fans may be patient, but some of us may not be that patient to go a whole season of not knowing what’s going on.
It's Expanding The MCU In Sneaky, Clever Ways
One common complaint I kept hearing about WandaVision for the first three episodes was, “What’s the point of all this?” as quite a few people I talked to weren’t satisfied with all the little breadcrumbs this show was dropping. And while I’m fine with broad strokes, especially when it comes to something as mainstream as the MCU, I really appreciate just how sneakily clever WandaVision is in expanding the MCU without banging us over the head.
There was of course the little S.W.O.R.D. logos you’d see popping up every now and then. And of course you had Randall Park’s character Jimmy Woo calling for help on the radio, which some keen fans caught even before the big reveal in Episode 4. And then, there’s the little “glitches” in the world that you just know must have to do with Wanda’s instability following Vision’s death in Infinity War. There’s just so much, and I love that a lot of our suspicions were confirmed in Episode 4. I’m super excited for whatever little details the show has in store for us next.
It's Making Wanda And Vision Much More Well-Rounded Characters
I’m going to be frank. Before WandaVision, I honestly thought that Scarlet Witch and Vision were the two lamest characters in the MCU. It’s just that they weren’t really given much to work with before. For instance, I never really knew what Scarlet Witch’s powers fully were in the MCU. They were never fully explained. And Vision was just kind of there. So, when I heard that the first MCU show on Disney+ was going to feature both Wanda and Vision, I thought, really? Why couldn’t we get The Falcon and The Winter Soldier instead? Because those are two the characters that I’m actually interested in.
But lo and behold! WandaVision has actually made both Scarlet Witch and Vision much more interesting characters. I still don’t quite know what all of Wanda’s powers are, but I love that these episodes are saying so much about her trauma. Having sitcoms from different decades replicate her mental instability (I’m thinking that the more recent sitcoms with dysfunctional families like the ones found in Roseanne and Married…with Children will represent her fracturing mind state) is brilliant. And her memory of Vision falling apart the farther we get into the season (Dead Vision is creepy!), amplifies just how subtly good his character was in Age of Ultron. Did I mention how much I love this show?
It's Making Formerly Smaller MCU Characters Into Major Ones
And then, you have Kat Dennings’ Darcy Lewis, Randall Park’s Jimmy Woo, and Teyonah Parris’ Monica Rambeau (with Monica just being a wee one played by Akira Akbar in Captain Marvel). All three have major roles in Episode 4 and possibly beyond. I really love this since there are so many lesser seen characters in the MCU (Luis from Ant-Man, anyone?) who I’d love to see with bigger roles in the future.
And WandaVision is giving us that opportunity. Another reason why I love this is because it’s expanding the MCU even more, not just with its heroes in tights, but also with its heroes on the sidelines. As a Marvel fan all my life, this show’s seriously reminding me of the comics I grew up with since you’d see all kinds of characters flitting in and out of each other's comics. It just adds even more to the universe at large.
It's Just Really Great To Finally Have A TV Show Directly Connected To The MCU
Finally, can I just say that it’s great to actually have a TV show that is legitimately connected to the MCU? Sure, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Netflix Marvel shows would reference events in the broader scope of the MCU, but WandaVision is directly connected to the movies. (Hell, Episode 4 even starts with people coming back from the blip).
This has really been a dream of mine ever since the MCU became a thing. I’ve wanted the universe to leap off the big screen and onto the small one, and now with WandaVision, it looks like I finally have my wish. It doesn’t hurt that all 4 episodes so far have been absolute bangers.
But in the end, all that really matters is that WandaVision is exceptional, and I just can’t wait to find out what happens next. But what do you think? Is WandaVision your cup of tea? Sound off in the poll or the comments section down below either way!
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