WandaVision Season 1 Episode 8 Review: Previously On
Sarah Little
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Throw out everything you thought you knew about WandaVision because everything has changed.
WandaVision Season 1 Episode 8 was the most emotional installment of the series yet, as it explored Wanda's grief after losing her parents, Pietro, and Vision. It showed what Marvel could do when it is at its best.
Overall, "Previously On" was what fans were looking for. It answered many questions, poised a few more, and delivered in ways that make the whole series come full circle -- setting the show up for an epic finale.
Wanda was the star of the hour, as was her grief.
In her element, Elizabeth Olsen masterfully showcased Wanda's complex emotions as Agatha forced her into reliving her most tragic memories. From the bombing in Sokovia to the day she saw Vision's body at S.W.O.R.D., Wanda's life has not been easy.
Vision: Wanda, I don't presume to know what you're feeling, but I would like to know. Should you wish to tell me. Should that be of some comfort to you.
Wanda: What makes you think that talking about it would bring me comfort?
Vision: Oh, see, I read that the-
Wanda: The only thing that would bring me comfort is seeing him again. Sorry. I'm so tired. It's...It's just like this wave washing over me, again and again. It knocks me down, and when I try to stand up, it just comes for me again. And I...It's just gonna drown me.
Vision: No. No, it won't.
Wanda: Yeah. How do you know?
Vision: Well, because it can't all be sorrow, can it? I've always been alone, so I don't feel the lack. It's all I've ever known, I've never experienced loss because I have never had a loved one to lose. But what is grief, if not love persevering?
Her grief was bound to overcome her one day, no matter how strong she is. Wanda's sadness just happened to create her own little fantasy world, thereby trapping thousands of innocent citizens.
But this in no way makes her the villain of the story. If anything, Wanda's journey to the past is proof of her innocence. She didn't mean to trap Westview or recreate Vision; it just happened.
Wanda is more powerful than she ever knew. After all, she is the Scarlet Witch.
One could infer at the end of WandaVision Season 1 Episode 7 that Agatha was behind the mischief in Westview, including its creation.
But that's not the case at all.
Wanda's power and her grief are what trapped Westview. Agatha was just curious as to how she did it. She must have sensed Wanda's anguished scream and traveled there to discover what was happening.
Unfortunately for her, Wanda didn't know how she did it, either.
To Wanda's knowledge, she got her abilities from HYDRA's experiments. What she didn't know was that she was born with them.
Many of the MCU characters get origin stories, and, finally, we are getting Wanda Maximoff's.
WandaVision managed to change the script of something we thought was the truth since Avengers: Age of Ultron premiered six years ago.
By the end of the episode, you realize it was all a bad dream. None of it was real.
Wanda
The second Avengers film told us that Wanda and her brother, Pietro, received their powers from the Mind Stone. We had no reason to believe otherwise until the eighth episode of WandaVison.
Even though she didn't know it at the time, Wanda had her powers when her home got bombed.
Thanks to Agatha, we now know that Wanda used a probability hex to prevent the Stark Industries missile from detonating. Wanda, though she doesn't know it, is quite strong as the Scarlet Witch.
Wanda has always been one of the most interesting MCU characters, but she never got the screentime she deserved until now.
She is complex, one of the strongest Avengers, and she now has an interesting backstory.
Wanda: Where are my children?
Agatha: 'Where are my children?' Oof! That accent really comes and goes, doesn't it?
Wanda was assumingly born with her powers, which means that her encounter with the Mind Stone just fully awakened them in her. And her abilities have been growing ever since she saw the image of the Scarlet Witch during the HYDRA experiments.
This new reality changes the MCU fabric and is bound to affect the universe for TV shows and films to come. The "myth" of the Scarlet Witch is just beginning.
If that doesn't make you revel in the writing and production of WandaVision, I don't know what will.
My guess is that we won't know Wanda's true lineage until we see her pop up again on Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness.
But knowing that there's so much more to explore with her character makes us eager for her future in the MCU.
Wanda: I know you have him.
S.W.O.R.D. Agent: I'm sorry, but like I said-
Wanda: Please...Please. When I came back, he was gone. His body. And I know he's here. He deserves a funeral, at least. I deserve it.
For now, Wanda and Vision have a lot on their plate with a town to save and two villains to take down.
Agatha Harkness and Tyler Hayward are two completely different evils, but they are both huge threats.
Agatha is a strong witch who was able to render Wanda powerless. Oh, and she also is holding Wanda's kids hostage. Hayward holds authority and is trying to paint Wanda as the bad guy. And he has managed to bring Vision back online.
Both pose a danger to Wanda's world, and it's up to her and the Vision she created to stop them. How they are going to do so escapes me.
Hayward used Wanda's lingering magic in the drone from WandaVision Season 1 Episode 5 to reactivate Vision's original body, as seen on the signature Marvel mid-credits scene.
Besides the awful fact that Hayward has now done what he accused Wanda of doing, he has a powerful weapon in his arsenal that will definitely cause even more problems.
We are bound to see a Vision versus Vision face-off à la Cap's on Avengers: Endgame. The question is whether or not one of them will survive.
After all that Wanda has suffered, it would be nice to see her reunite with Vision for good and settle down in a house where they can grow old. But that seems unlikely.
According to Agatha, Wanda is a user of Chaos Magic as the Scarlet Witch. She is capable of spontaneous creation, as witnessed by her reanimation of Vision.
It's an understatement to say that this is a dangerous power for someone to have, but if anyone were to have it, it's a good thing that it's Wanda who does.
I can't feel you.
We were made to believe that Wanda stole Vision's body from S.W.O.R.D., and that's how he came back to life. In reality, she accepted that she couldn't bury Vision and left the facility on her own.
Wanda is an extraordinary individual, even without her powers. She knows right from wrong, and she can make tough decisions. She knows Vision wouldn't want to live like this, and she's going to have to grieve him once more.
What did you think, WandaVision Fanatics?
How heartbroken did this episode leave you? How psyched were you about the Scarlet Witch reveal? Are you disappointed that the introduction of fake Pietro didn't mean more?
Did you enjoy the reveal of Wanda's obsession with sitcoms? Do you have any guesses as to who might guest star on WandaVision Season 1 Episode 9?
Let me know in the comments!
WandaVision airs Fridays on Disney+.
Sarah Little was a staff writer for TV Fanatic.She retired in September 2021.
