Spoiler Warning!
“Agatha All Along” came out in September of 2024, with spellbinding storylines that made it the perfect precursor to the Halloween season. Succeeding the events of “WandaVision,” the MCU show blended comic zaniness with genuine heart, exploring themes of rediscovering lost identity, free will and fate and complicated maternal relationships, all through a lens of magic and witchcraft. With directors Rachel Goldberg, Gandja Monteiro and Jac Schaeffer, it followed Agatha Harkness with a reluctant teen familiar and slapdash coven during their journey on the Witches’ Road. To get to the end, they had to face trials that tested their magical know-how and ability, as well as their capacity for teamwork and compromise. The show had as many twists as The Road itself, so read on with the warning that this article contains spoilers.
Ivy – “Agatha All Along” carried me through the fall. While I laid on the couch at home, recovering from a medical procedure, the series was a bright spot each week. My new favorite Marvel series features Kathryn Hahn as Agatha Harkness, Aubrey Plaza as Rio Vidal/Death/The Green Witch, Joe Locke as Teen/Wiccan/Billy Kaplan, Patti LuPone as Lilia Calderu, Ali Ahn as Alice Wu-Gulliver, Sasheer Zamata as Jennifer Kale and Debra Jo Rupp as Mrs. Hart. The cast has incredible chemistry and executes the magical, mysterious flashbacks throughout the series especially well.
Kaylee – “I tend to watch sitcoms that ended years ago, animated shows that came out closer to the other end of the decade and niche superhero shows, so watching something with relevant actors and a hot storyline was a breath of fresh air. I loved Kathryn Hahn when she originated the role of Agatha in “WandaVision,” and I had never seen Joe Locke play an American character before. I was thoroughly surprised and delighted by how the actors bounced off of each other. The interactions between their characters highlighted the contrast in their experiences, creating a dynamic that reminded me of some of the relationships I have with teachers and mentors. The show was dark and playful in a way I really enjoyed, and all of the actors did a fantastic job in bringing this story to life.
Ivy – The majority of this series worked well for me. “The Ballad of The Witches Road” effectively expanded the excitement surrounding the show because it can be listened to on streaming services like Spotify. The hit was written by Jean Christophe Beck, Robert Lopez, Kristen Jane Anderson, Michael Alexander Paraskevas and Andrew Asemokai. The song reinforced the theme of a mother’s desperation to protect her child. From Agatha and Rio to Alice’s mom, traditional female roles in society are challenged. Each cast member helps to redefine what it means to be a “witch.” Hahn showed the depth of her dynamic talent and brought the magic to life. Locke’s “Teen” character being revealed as Billy Kaplan was a plot twist that tied “Agatha All Along” back to the events of “WandaVision.” Ultimately, the two finale episodes were my favorite part of the series. Nicky was the twist that defined Agatha and Rio’s relationship—a blade through a cold, black heart. Where are the lines between love, life and death? The emotions, tension and character background reached beyond my highest expectations.
Kaylee – This series was very intriguing to watch. I was hooked from the first episode, eager to discover where each “plot hole” would lead. It was impossible to predict what would happen next because the show hid each character’s backstory until the later episodes. “Agatha” also didn’t shy away from killing off supposed leads, which added stakes to the story because no one was safe. The cast was electric, with huge personalities that perfectly balanced out every scene. I also enjoyed the final episodes of the show the most, because if you paid attention to the previous episodes, the payoff was well worth it. The tension was heightened, the stakes climbed and the plot delivered, culminating in an ending that fulfilled all of the character arcs and made me want another season.
Ivy – Getting into what didn’t work so well, the gap between “WandaVision” in 2021 and “Agatha All Along” in 2024 was long enough that I initially missed some of the smaller details. Appearances and references to Ralph Bohner (played by Evan Peters) required a memory jog, but rewatching “WandaVision” before “Agatha All Along” would solve this issue. Similarly, I thought that a Salem Seven flashback would have been beneficial for reminding the audience of those characters. A potentially intentional loose thread was the dead body that Agatha found in the woods while she was living as a detective in Westview post-Wanda. Who was that?
Kaylee – While some parts of the show were confusing and others were hard to follow, if you stick it out, I think it’s worth a watch. However, this is not a show to watch while multitasking, as the finale is much more satisfying if you build up the little details throughout. It was an empowering experience to see such a female-heavy cast, with women playing protagonists, antagonists, and whatever chaotic neutral role Agatha plays. At the end of the journey, I did enjoy the series, and I’ll definitely be rewatching it and adding “The Ballad of the Witches’ Road” to my playlists.
“Agatha All Along” is a series that will go down in Marvel history. From Golden Globe nominations to setting the record for the highest audience retention rate from a Marvel series, Agatha’s bewitching intrigue has captivated audiences. With rumors of a second season and ties to other recent Marvel projects, “Agatha All Along” is well worth a watch, a good cry and a rewatch.
