The following contains spoilers for episode five of WandaVision.
Fans of the Disney+ series WandaVision might have grown fond of the sitcom format every week, but after the fourth episode, that format shifted. While the audience is still getting nods to sitcoms of the era (in the case of episode five, the ’80s), they’re also getting a look into real-world events. SWORD’s investigation happens right alongside the sitcom-like events of Westview. That makes the episodes a little more dramatic, but it also means the episodes are free to have more overt references to other Marvel Cinematic Universe properties.
Thanks to SWORD’s briefing, the audience learns even more about Wanda Maximoff in this episode. SWORD also gives the audience a handful of comic book nods while Westview gives the audience even more mystery. As the Easter eggs pile up, WandaVision gives us more questions than answers.
For fans who like their episode recaps, the “previously on” sequence in this episode is one to note. Fans don’t just get a quick run down of what happened in the first four episodes of WandaVision; there’s also an obviously changed moment included.
When the audience sees the episode four scene in which Wanda tells Vision that Geraldine left, this version differs from the one in the earlier episode. Instead of Wanda telling Vision that Geraldine had to, “rush home,” as she did in episode four, the sequence has Wanda informing him, “She’s gone. She didn’t belong here.” Is this an example of Wanda editing what makes it to SWORD’s broadcast or just an oversight? It’s hard to tell.
Agnes remains the Westview resident who spends the most time with Wanda and Vision. Here, she doesn’t just pop in to help out Wanda, but to give the audience a few comic book references as well.
When she offers to babysit (or nanny) the twins so Wanda and Vision can get some rest, she refers to herself as “Auntie Agnes.” For fans who have wondered if Agnes is really Agatha Harkness, this reference only reinforces their theory. In the comics, Auntie Agatha acts as the nanny for Franklin Richards during her introduction. That would be the son of Reed Richards and Sue Storm of the Fantastic Four. She also happens to be a witch herself and the one responsible for erasing Wanda’s memory of them.
She’s even there when the twins age themselves up to five and appear in their color-coded ensembles. Each brother wears the color associated with his comic book alter ego. Billy (Wiccan in the comics) prefers red while Tommy (Speed in the comics) prefers green and blue. It’s also Agnes who comes up with the name “Sparky” for the newly acquired dog in the episode. Sparky is the name of the synthetic dog the Vision family has in the comics when they try to make their home in New Jersey. When a neighbor’s dog dies, Vision uses the dog’s brain to create Sparky.
When Monica Rambeau gets checked out after returning to SWORD, there’s something amiss. Not only does she refuse to have more blood work, but her x-rays literally show nothing.
This is likely a nod to her comic book counterpart. She is able to manipulate light rays on the visible spectrum. Monica can bend light around herself to manipulate what people see of her. It’s possible the audience will see her comic book powers on screen before the series is over.
When Jimmy Woo leads SWORD in their briefing on Wanda Maximoff, much of the news footage is reused from previous movies. Fans will recognize Avengers: Age Of Ultron as well as Captain America: Civil War footage. In addition to that, WHiH news network makes another appearance in the footage, just like they did last week. The Daily, the newspaper out of Lagos, is also used in Civil War.
Most of Wanda’s file is information the audience already knows, though there is confirmation that she was born in 1989. Of course, her electronic dossier lists 1988 instead, but that’s likely an oversight. She also isn’t officially known by any alias, like Scarlet Witch, which is hit home pretty hard in the scene. She might pick up the moniker by the end of the series. Likewise, her file lists mental manipulation as one of her powers, but not her reality-bending skills as they’re still coming to light.
Following the SWORD briefing, when Vision discovers the boys have a puppy, he’s also got a newspaper in his hand. That’s the Westview Herald, and there’s an interesting bit of news at the top. The paper notes that there’s more information about the “lights in the sky above Westview.” That’s either a nod to the SWORD presence outside, or there’s something else going on in Westview the audience doesn’t yet know about.
The reveal that Wanda actually stole Vision’s body from SWORD’s headquarters looks to be the deleted scene that would have been the Avengers: Endgame post-credit scene. It’s repurposed here perfectly. It also has a striking resemblance to pages in West Coast Avengers #43 when Wanda forces her way into a lab and sees Vision torn apart on a table.
Another comic book nod in SWORD’s base camp comes courtesy of Darcy Lewis. Darcy refers to the anomaly surrounding Westview as The Hex. The term is a reference to the hexagonal shape that keeps popping up in the show. It might also give comic book fans pause. Scarlet Witch used to primarily function by “hexing” her enemies using her magic in the comics.
The commercials are back in this episode, and this time, Lagos paper towels get the spotlight. Lagos, of course, gets a name check earlier in the episode. It’s where Wanda uses her abilities at the start of Captain America: Civil War, killing several civilians when she tries to end a fight early.
The paper towels are billed as what to use when, “you make a mess you didn’t mean to.” That’s right in line with Wanda’s actions in Lagos leading to the Sokovia Accords. Using a red liquid for the commercial is a nice touch as it implies Wanda has blood on her hands.
It’s hard to call this particular moment an Easter egg since the moment is called out by Darcy Lewis in WandaVision. Pietro Maximoff, Wanda’s twin who died when he turned against Ultron in Sokovia, is “recast.” Aaron Taylor-Johnson played the character in his MCU appearance. Evan Peters appears as Wanda’s “long lost” brother here in a very special cameo.
Peters, however, played the character before. He starred as Pietro Maximoff AKA Quicksilver in multiple X-Men movies for FOX. More than just a bit of meta casting, Peters as Pietro begins opening the MCU up to the multiverse.
WandaVision is currently streaming on Disney+ with new episodes available on Fridays.
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