Warning! This review contains major spoilers for Agatha All Along episode 5.
Despite its inevitable links to WandaVision, Agatha All Along's first four episodes felt refreshingly separate from the MCU, as Kathryn Hahn's titular anti-hero pulled together a coven and set off down the Witches' Road. But this is a Marvel project after all, and it'd be naïve of us to think that it could've been all camp comedy and show tunes…
Episode 5, titled 'Darkest Hour, Wake Thy Power', is the most disappointing, generically genre chapter so far, as it moves the plot along at breakneck speed and culminates in a reveal many saw coming – though it still has its merits.
With the Salem Seven, who are supposedly the children of the witches Agatha killed back in 1600s Massachusetts, closing in on the group, Teen (Joe Locke) suggests they put some serious ground between themselves and the murderous septet by "hexenbesen". In short, he wants them to take to the skies. "Brooms have been co-opted by the holiday industrial complex as an absurd emblem of our culture," Lilia hilariously berates him, highlighting what a delight Patti LuPone is in this show. "Worse yet, they're an obvious symbol of female domesticity." Sasheer Zamata's Jen follows up with a zinger of her own: "And they're basic." This show is undoubtedly at its best when it's embracing its cast's spellbinding wit and chemistry.
The flying sequence is fun, as the series leans into Agatha All Along's specific, Halloweeny iconography – one gorgeous shot glimpses the coven's silhouette against a glowing red blood moon – even if the CGI is a little ropey, but we're not given enough time to really enjoy it. Almost as soon as they're in the air, Agatha and co encounter a hovering member of the Salem Seven, which causes them to crash land and make a run for the nearest shelter. Inside, they realize the next trial is kicking off – and this time, it's Agatha's.
Chaos magic
Donned in '80s-style slumber party get-ups, more stunning, eye-catching work from costume designer Daniel Selon, the gang work out that they'll have to commune with the dead this time around, thanks to a ouija board not-so-subtly flinging itself out from the cabin's games corner. The séance takes a swift turn, though, when they disobey the rulebook and remove their hands from the planchette mid-chat; Agatha gets possessed, her late mother Evanora returns as a hateful ghost, Alice dies trying to protect Agatha from a spirit, and Hahn flexes her stellar Debra Jo Rupp impersonation. It's thrilling and amusing as the writers and production designers pay homage to horrors like Poltergeist and The Exorcist, albeit a little chaotic.
Release date: October 10, 2024
Available on: Disney Plus
Showrunner: Jac Schaeffer
Runtime: 32 minutes
It's rushed, undoubtedly, because the main crux of episode 5 is the unveiling of Teen's true identity. Devastated by the fact that Agatha seemingly perverted Alice's protection spell and absorbed her power, fatally draining her in the process, the youngster tearfully confronts the sarky sorceress and delivers quite the blow: "So that's what it means to be a witch? Killing people to serve your own agenda? No, not for me." "Are you sure?" Agatha whispers, as she slinks into the crook of his neck, "You're so much like your mother."
With that, 'Teen' uses his secret powers to take control of Jen and Lilia, who then grab Agatha and throw her into a mud pit. She sinks out of sight, right before Teen, who we can assume is Wanda Maximoff's son Billy from the comics at this point, blasts Jen and Lilia into the same ditch. With the camera panned back onto Teen, a magical crown, similar to the one the Scarlet Witch wears, starts forming around his forehead, confirming who he is.
Follow me, my friend... or foe?
It's one heck of a dramatic cliffhanger, after being kept in the dark on Teen's backstory in previous episodes, and Locke skillfully switches between sweet and sinister. That said, it's all a bit cheesy – that on-the-nose Billie Eilish needledrop? – and hardly a jaw-dropper given how widely it was rumored that's who the Heartstopper actor was playing. Not that the series itself can necessarily be blamed for how perceptive Marvel fans are, mind, and besides, perhaps its predictability is the point? Indulge in a quick search of the Agatha All Along hashtag on Twitter and you'll find a cauldron-full of fans suggesting that the whole episode was actually a vision of clairvoyant crone Lilia. It checks out, admittedly, when you consider that the installment opens with her waking up from a premonition and how, later on, she tells Teen: "I read people, I read time". It would be quite impressive (and looking back on WandaVision, unsurprising) if it turned out showrunner Jac Schaeffer and the others behind the show are deliberately toying with the audience's loudest theories.
It's one heck of a dramatic cliffhanger, after being kept in the dark on Teen's backstory in previous episodes, and Locke skillfully switches between sweet and sinister.
For now, it looks like Billy will be the baddie going forward, which could pave the way for Agatha to take on a more sympathetic, complex role, like former MCU villains Bucky Barnes or Loki. Episode 5 certainly hinted at Agatha being a product of her tragic past, with her mother claiming she was "born evil" and saying she "ought to have killed [her] the moment [she] left [her] body". Later, when Jen and the rest go to ditch her, Agatha whimpers, "I can be good". I guess we'll just have to wait and see if that's true…
One character whose morals remain a mystery are Rio Vidal's. Here, we get our best look so far at Rio's softer side, as she defends Agatha from Evanora and the coven's judgement. But the character's violent swings between grinning imp, leather-clad assassin, and guilt-ridden ex-lover are starting to get pretty jarring, made all the more so by Aubrey Plaza's charismatic yet occasionally out-of-place performance. She's notably absent at the end of episode 5 – might we get less of her in the coming ones? It wouldn't be the worst idea.
In short (and it really is short at just 25 minutes), while it's far from perfect, 'Darkest Hour, Wake Thy Power' is a serviceable episode that bridges the gap between Agatha All Along's kooky first half and its second, which looks set to be more serious and emotionally charged, which much higher stakes. These characters are such a delight to be around that a slight dip in quality can't knock us off course that easily.
Agatha All Along episodes 1 to 5 are streaming now. Ensure you don't miss a thing with our Agatha All Along release schedule.
For more on the wider MCU, check out our guide to all of the upcoming Marvel movies and shows or get up to speed with our breakdown of the Marvel timeline.
