The following article contains spoilers for WandaVision episode 6
It had to happen eventually. WandaVision has been building narrative steam ever since its first two episodes gave viewers more than a few mysteries that would have answers down the line. The fourth episode, “We Interrupt this Program,” broke from the show’s consistent sitcom format in order to clear up what exactly had been happening outside of Westview. Following that, “On A Very Special Episode” introduced older versions of twins Billy and Tommy, revealed that Wanda is in fact in control of everything, showed Vision’s growing discomfort with everything going on, and pretty much blew everyone’s minds with a big reveal in the episode’s final minutes.
So after all of that and waiting yet another week to dive back into the story, what did WandaVision‘s sixth episode, “All-New Halloween Spooktacular!” have to offer? Unfortunately, not much of anything outside of a very solid Malcolm In The Middle style opening credits sequence and a potentially important moment between Agnes and Vision. Otherwise, this episode, aside from some understandably predictable reveals, mostly just seemed to be setting things up for next week, raising more questions than it wants to actually answer.
As previously mentioned, this episode starts off with an almost pitch-perfect take on the opening credits from Malcolm In The Middle, even going as far as using the same font for the credits. The feel of the episode is not far off either, replicating the style of a late-nineties/early 2000s single-camera sitcom right down to the fourth-wall-breaking narration, cut-away gags, and ska-inspired soundtrack. These elements even give the audience the first hints of conflict in the story, as Billy says that his parents haven’t exactly been arguing, but they have been acting “different.”
The “new” Pietro also gets a chance to shine in the episode. Evan Peters provides plenty of chaotic “cool uncle” energy to the character, setting him apart from both Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s version from Age Of Ultron, but also the one Peters previously played in the X-Men movies. He seems to be fully aware of what Wanda is doing, and doesn’t hold back in discussing it with her. This may have been what prompted Wanda’s second vision of death in the series (after that rather disturbing scene in the third episode with Vision’s caved-in head).
As there were in the previous episode, there are also glances at life outside of Westview, as S.W.O.R.D continues its surveillance of Wanda. Acting Director Hayward is getting more aggressive in his command, ultimately throwing the dream team of Darcy Lewis, Woo, and Monica Rambeau off of the compound (which doesn’t exactly work, as expected). The three discover that S.W.O.R.D is keeping their eyes on Vision more than anything else, and are prepared to meet him when he finally breaks free of Wanda’s forcefield. Unfortunately, it appears that being inside is what is keeping him alive, as he begins to come apart and shut down after leaving.
While a lot of these moments provided that sort of MCU entertainment that fans have come to expect, this episode, unfortunately, felt a bit empty after last week’s huge reveal of an entirely different Pietro from an entirely different, previously-thought unconnected franchise. That ending sparked a ton of online discussion. What did this mean for the MCU? Is it finally connecting to the X-Men universe? Was this just a bit of fun casting to throw fans’ excitement into overdrive? It was the kind of big cliffhanger that makes the week between episodes feel all that much longer. When episode 6 finally arrived, it didn’t really answer those questions as much as it just created more. If Wanda didn’t bring Pietro to Westview, who did? Why does he look different? Why is he aware of everything that is going on?
Elsewhere in Westview, Vision is clueing in on the scope of Wanda’s control. It appears that if she herself is not in a specific area of the town, then everything gets put on hold, with the citizens either repeating their actions on an infinite loop or otherwise completely frozen. All except for Agnes, who appears to still be able to speak and function, but is experiencing some kind of brain fog. Vision clears this up, only for Agnes to talk about his history as an Avenger (something Vision can’t remember) and his death. She eventually drives off and Vision is left to head toward the boundary. This scene feels like it should be important, but it’s honestly hard to tell if there is anything deeper in Agnes and Vision’s exchange. She is dressed like a witch, which may be a hint at her hypothesized identity (that of Agatha Harkness), but right now, there’s not quite enough there to come to a solid conclusion.
Back in the real world (at least, the MCU’s version of the real world), Jimmy Woo and Monica Rambeau set off to meet Monica’s “guy,” who could be the previously mentioned aerospace engineer. Unfortunately for the audience, that meeting will have to wait for another time. Simultaneously, Darcy hacks into Hayward’s files and discovers that he has some sort of plan codenamed ‘Cataract,’ which could very well be a reference to Vision (both are terms referring to the human eye, of course). Like everything else in the episode, though, these details and threads are left hanging (for now).
In the final moments of “All-New Halloween Spooktacular!,” Wanda uses her power to extend her boundary even further, swallowing up the entire S.W.O.R.D base and Darcy (tellingly, the field office is turned into a circus, and many of the agents end up as clowns). Then the credits roll, and everyone watching knows they’ll have to wait another seven days to hopefully get some answers to the questions posed in episode 6. It’s hard not to feel a bit disappointed.
While WandaVision is definitely still a quality product with great performances and sharp writing, “All-New Halloween Spooktacular!” definitely felt like the series first-ever filler episode, one where the show seemed to just spin its wheels and get things ready for next week. Hopefully, episode 7 can deliver some big reveals while also continuing the sharp and accurate satire of the episodes that preceded it.
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