In the past year, many of us have been eagerly awaiting the release of new Disney+ shows including Loki, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, and WandaVision, which was recently dropped on January 15.
The first episode follows two Marvel superheroes, Wanda Maximoff and Vision, as they navigate life as a young couple in the 1950s while keeping their supernatural abilities secret. While this 1950s style sitcom seems like a deviation from the classic action packed Marvel movie, there is much more beneath the surface. For those who pay close attention, there are quite a few easter eggs hinting at a greater conflict than just a last minute dinner party with Vision’s boss.
While the majority of the first and second episodes are small town drama and laugh tracks, there are a few moments where the world seems to glitch out. Whether through weird repetition of words, eerie radio messages, or pops of color that seem out of place in the black and white world, something is obviously amiss.
WandaVision really sets itself apart in the way that the decade changes each episode. It starts in the 50s and takes us through the 60s, 70s, 80s, all the way up til the modern day. While this may seem like a stylistic choice, it does add an interesting aspect to the story. Not only does it allow for a variety of sets and costumes, but it does come into play in later episodes when we see how people and objects change after entering the town. The switch in decades allows for a more noticeable shift between inside and outside the town.
Another interesting addition to the show was the ad in the middle of some episodes. Disney+ doesn’t come with ads, so this may have been a surprise to some before realizing that the ad was a part of the show itself. While the first episode made it obvious with the mention of Stark Industries, some of the later episodes have been more subtle. While watching the second episode, during the ad break an unsettling hydra symbol easter egg can be found. These easter eggs don’t seem to have too much significance to the story, but are certainly fun to point out.
I was hesitant at first to watch WandaVision as it just seemed like a basic drama that just happened to include two superheroes, but after watching the first episode it had me hooked. It is much more than a simple sitcom and I was drawn in by the mystery of it all. You really don’t know what’s going to happen, until it happens. That’s one of the appeals of the show, because the audience wants to know what’s going on, but that information is withheld until everything falls into place.
As a self proclaimed connoisseur of Marvel films, I can honestly say that WandaVision is worth watching. It is the perfect mix of action and thriller with enough twists and turns to keep you glued to the screen. It’s an overall fun show with all the unique characters and subplots, and with the final episode dropped March 5th, this short series is not something you want to miss.
