WandaVision — Series Review
by KJ Proulx
This is the type of series that was ripe for disappointment right off the bat. Black Widow was supposed to be the next film to be released after Avengers: Endgame, but instead, the schedule needed to be shifted, thus having us receive WandaVision first. Marvel expanding their world and continue their franchise with a television series felt like a massive leap forward and I have always felt nervous about it, given that asking fans to both see movies in theatres and watch series’ on Disney+ may turn out to be a bit much when going back to restart the franchise. Thankfully, those fears were put to rest after viewing WandaVision, at least for now. If you have followed this franchise from the very beginning and are eager for more, here’s why WandaVision demands your attention.
After the events of Avengers: Endgame, this franchise could’ve chosen hundreds of places to start with each character. Beginning small and weird in a black and white sitcom setting was not what I expected, but it felt refreshing after such a massive climax. The first few episodes are really meant to be enjoyed as a sitcom, as things around the main characters slowly begin to reveal themselves. This series begins with Wanda and Vision living a classic dream sitcom life, but as each episode progresses and time periods change, along with revealing the outside world and what is really going on, there is never a dull moment here.
It’s difficult to pinpoint just one or two great performances here. This is the best that both Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany have both been in this franchise, bar none. There are a handful of sequences toward the end of this series that brought me to tears, simply due to their commitment to these characters. Outside of these incredible performances, even the townspeople around them were unnerving. There are one or two scenes in particular where I found the way a performer would switch back and forth between personas to be very well-done. The way this series plays out and reveals new things wouldn’t have worked unless everything about this suburban town felt authentic, and it absolutely did.
If you haven’t seen any pieces of the story that lead up to this series for these two characters, I really can’t recommend checking it out because the emotional backbone with these two characters is why I loved the series overall. The series builds to a scene that I both wanted and was very satisfied with, so any questions that have yet to be answered I’m sure will follow throughout the franchise. On many occasions, I believed this series was going in a much bigger and weird direction than it did, but I also believe that this was just a taste of what is to come, so I also appreciate it for holding back too.
I could dive into so many details about why this series was so great, but I don’t wish to ruin it for viewers, but rather express why they should check it out. Overall, I believe WandaVision exists to lay the groundwork for a much grander story that will play out in films to come. With that mindset, I thought everything about this series was fantastic. From the clever riff on sitcoms to the introduction of possible alternate realities, to the look and feel of watching an actual Marvel film on the big screen, I had no complaints really. This was something that really hadn’t been done before and I have to commend them for that. It may be hard for some viewers to latch onto this story at first, but again if you’ve seen the films that preceded it, the emotional impact that the final episode has will be totally worth it. Especially for fans of this franchise, I can’t recommend WandaVision enough. All episodes are now streaming on Disney+.
Rating: 4.5/5
Check out the trailer below:
