Last time: We got a glimpse of life outside Westview and got some answers. A grown-up Monica Rambeau returned from being snapped (or “blipped”) and went back to work for her (now deceased) mother’s organization SWORD. She met up with Agent Jimmy Woo over a missing person case that turned into a missing town when no one had ever heard of Westview, NJ. When she got sucked into Westview, SWORD called in for reinforcements – including Darcy Lewis, who found the signal to watch the sitcoms Wanda and Vision had been living. They tried to get in touch with Wanda but nothing worked. Monica then got tossed out of Westview and told everyone that it is all Wanda.
But is it? I mean, this is Marvel and they are masters of the twist at this point.
I have feeling this iconic line for All About Eve will be applicable until the show ends:
Everywhere you look/Everywhere/There’s a SPOILER!
(Sorry. Couldn’t resist)
We’re back in the sitcom world of Westview but now it’s clearly the 80s. Wanda and Vision are busy rocking fussy twins, trying to get them to sleep. They have a moment where they find their rhythm together and almost get the babies to sleep. But then they start crying again so Vision goes to get them pacifiers. Once he’s gone, Wanda says she’s tired and needs to take a shortcut. She orders the twins to go to sleep but they keep crying. This confuses her and she wonders why they won’t do what she wants them to do.
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| (Finding a rhythm) |
Vision returns with the pacifiers and they place them in the twins’ mouths. It works – for a few seconds. They spit them out and start crying again. Both parents are at their wits’ end and don’t know what to do.
Enter Agnes.
Apparently Wanda and Vision never keep their doors locked as she just storms in…though I guess that was pretty stereotypical of the sitcoms of the time. How many times did Urkel or Kimmy Gibbler just barge into the Winslow or Tanner house? At least she rang the doorbell so Vision has time to hide himself until he can change into his human façade. She says she was on her way to jazzercise when she heard the twins weren’t sleeping. Vision asks who told her that and she says her ears did – she heard them. She knows how fussy babies can be and so she’s there to help with the twins. Wanda is thrilled but Vision has new dad panic, reminding her of all the things to do to take care of the babies before deciding that may it’s best if they just do everything. Agnes hesitates before turning to Wanda to ask if she should say her line again. Wanda is confused and tells her that everything’s fine, thanking her for helping with the twins.
Vision pulls Wanda aside and asks her about Agnes’ strange moment there. Wanda waves it off as Agnes being Agnes but Vision is concerned. As Agnes does some stretches around the twins, he continues to press her about the moment but she ultimately chalks it up to them being tired new parents. She says that they are tired and that Agnes is just being neighborly. They should accept her help, even if she’s looking for the dark rum for the twins.
The crying then stops and they bask in the silence. They go to check on the twins…only to find the bassinettes empty. When they wonder where the twins went, two little voices come from behind them. Vision and Wanda part to reveal the twins are now about five years old. Agnes, who is sitting on the passthrough while drinking, says that you can’t control children – no matter how hard you try. Wanda and Vision hug their now school-age children in a heartwarming moment.
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| (Guess the dark rum ended up being for Agnes after all) |
This time, the credits start with a nod to Family Ties as it appears Wanda is using her magic to paint a family portrait. It also includes a reference to Growing Pains with pictures of everyone has children (including doctored “pictures” of Vision as a child) and then some clips of them having fun in the park a la Full House. It’s really eighties and really perfect.
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| (Little Vision!) |
After the credits, we return to the temporary base outside Westview. Monica gets an X-Ray as we hear her debrief with Director Hayward about her time inside the bubble. She can’t remember much from when she entered it until Wanda blasted her out. But she does remember how much pain she was in as Wanda appeared to suppress her memories.
Jimmy and Darcy greet Wanda as soon as her X-Ray is done. They say there’s a meeting with Hayward and pants are required. She goes to get changed as Jimmy introduces her to Darcy. Darcy says she’s been watching the show and enjoyed her part on it. The doctor comes back and says there’s something wrong with the machines so they need new scans but Monica is done with tests and leaves with Jimmy and Darcy.
Hayward begins the meeting by saying that Wanda is not the victim but the victimizer. He asks Jimmy to give a briefing on Wanda’s backstory but cuts Jimmy off to stress Wanda’s former association with a terrorist group and how dangerous she is, citing Lagos as an example. Jimmy and Monica protest that she’s not a terrorist and remind him she is an Avenger. But Hayward reminds Monica that she said she was in a lot of pain and was under Wanda’s control, so that fits his definition of terrorist. Darcy calls him a dick as Hayward continues on with more of the story.
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| (Jimmy does not approve) |
Apparently this all started about nine days ago, when Wanda stormed into SWORD headquarters and stole Vision’s body from them to bring him back to life. Jimmy notes that it violates the Sokovian Accords while Hayward notes it also violates the Vision’s living will, which stated he did not want to be used as a weapon. He tells everyone to be on guard – they are dealing with someone who is dangerous.
But Monica, Jimmy and Darcy all agree that Wanda isn’t dangerous. They know there’s more to the story but they aren’t sure how to get their answers. Darcy also wonders what Vision will do when he wakes up and realizes what Wanda has been up to.
We return to Westview and the current sitcom. Tommy and Billy stand at the kitchen sink, which is full of soap suds. They talk about getting something clean so their parents will let them keep it and I think we all know where this is going. Wanda enters the kitchen and says she doesn’t miss the crying but asks if they had to learn to walk. She realizes they are standing rather close to the sink and asks what they are hiding. They insist nothing until someone sneezes…and then barks. She tells them to move and asks what a dog is doing in the kitchen sink. One twin quickly replies the doggy paddle while the other asks if they can keep it.
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| (Mom sense tingling) |
Wanda takes the puppy out of the sink and says that she’s sure someone is looking for their dog. But when she checks him, she finds there’s no collar. The twins say he was outside, all alone and crying. Oh, just give them the puppy. They are too cute! Wanda even looks like she’s crumbling even though she does say she’s not sure if they are ready for such a big responsibility.
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| (Who can say no to these faces?) |
Vision enters, his human façade already up, and asks about the puppy. Wanda asks him why he’s in his façade and he says he has a feeling they may have some unexpected company. Cue Agnes, who enters through the backyard with a doghouse in tow – something Vision notes. Agnes asks if they’ve named the dog yet and they find him sniffing around the electrical outlet. One of the twins suggests “Sniffy” and when the outlet sparks, Agnes suggests “Sparky.” The twins look at Wanda in askance and she uses her magic to create a collar, which alarms Vision and he pulls Wanda aside. He asks her why she just did magic in front of Agnes. Wanda says it’s fine – Agnes didn’t even notice when the twins aged up. He reminds her that they agreed to hide their powers and Wanda says that she is tired of hiding. Vision says that usually they are of one mind but they are far apart at the moment.
The twins break the tense moment, asking about the dog. Vision and Wanda get on the same page, agreeing that the boys can’t have a dog until they are at least ten years old. The twins look at each other and their parents realize something is about to happen. In a flash, they age up to ten years old and once again, Agnes doesn’t blink. It looks like Sparky can stay!
Back at the SWORD base, Darcy and Monica did some calculations and Monica figured there was a way for her to get back in there without losing her identity. She believes she knows an aerospace engineer who would love a challenge like that but Darcy asks if she really wants to go back in there. Monica says she does because she believes if she can talk to Wanda, she can get her to stop. She believes Wanda is the key and Jimmy agrees, saying she was the only Avenger who could’ve destroyed Thanos on her own – though maybe Captain Marvel could’ve done it as well. Monica pointedly ignores any reference to Captain Marvel, so there’s clearly some history between her and Carol right now.
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| (Monica has an idea) |
Monica is drawn to the pictures on the wall, especially the one of the drone that was turned into a helicopter. She tells Jimmy and Darcy that everything inside Westview is real – including the twins. It then gives her an idea and she goes to find the clothes she was wearing when she got thrown out of what Darcy has called “the hex.” Monica analyzes them before taking Jimmy’s gun and shooting her pants. They aren’t that bad, Monica. But no, it was really an experiment – the pants are mostly Kevlar. Jimmy realizes that Monica was wearing a bulletproof vest when she went into Westview. Wanda says Monica isn’t creating things but manipulating them to fit her sitcom world. So she suggests sending in something that doesn’t need to be changed.
Vision helps his coworkers finish installing their brand new computers. Norm is amazed by everything they can do and it soon gets online. They all receive emails – the same email. It’s one from Darcy discussing her findings about the Westview Anomaly. Everyone in the office reads it out loud at the same time before laughing. Norm insists it’s a joke but Vision isn’t too sure. He uses his powers to turn off the computer before using them on Norm.
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| (Vision knows this isn't right) |
Norm gasps and starts panicking. He asks what day it is and starts looking for his phone, saying he needs to call his sister and father. Vision tries to calm him to get answers but all Norm can say is that he’s in a lot of pain. He also hears “her” voice in his head and he wants it to stop. Vision returns him back to his sitcom self and Norm makes a joke. But Vision is disturbed by what he heard.
At the house, the twins teach Sparky some tricks before asking why their father isn’t there. Wanda replies that it’s Monday and he’s at work. But they counter that it’s Saturday. She tries to convince them it’s Monday but they aren’t fooled. So she says that he had a big project and needed to go in to work. The twins ask if he’s avoiding them and she says he isn’t. She then says that sometimes she and their father fight and they need some space but it doesn’t mean they don’t love each other anymore. Wanda points out that they fight but they still love each other. The twins then ask if she has a brother and she replies that she does but that he’s far away and it makes her sad to not to be able to see him.
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| (Mother-sons bonding) |
Sparky then races to the door and starts barking at it. Wanda senses something is wrong and tells her boys to wait there. She goes to the door and open it. Sparky runs out and everyone gives chase to him.
At the SWORD base, Monica controls a droid that they send into the hex. Because it is old tech from the 80s, the hex doesn’t have to change it. They fly it through Westview until they get to Wanda’s house, finding her outside with the twins. Darcy watches the broadcast and notes that Wanda is keeping the drone out of the shot, manipulating the broadcast like she did with those blips Darcy observed. Monica tries to talk with Wanda but her eyes start to glow. Monica feels Wanda has shut down her controls and Hayward gives the order to fire, which surprises Monica. She thought it was unarmed but Hayward didn’t want to take the chance. The missile is fired and the screen goes blank. Monica is angry that Hayward deceived her but he insists taking out Wanda is the only way to stop the anomaly while Monica is sure that they need Wanda to stop it.
Alarms start ringing and someone says something is happening at the anomaly. Everyone gathers there as Wanda leaves, carrying the disabled drone behind her. She throws it Hayward, saying she believes it belongs to him. He tries to tell her that it was necessary, that she was holding any entire town hostage. Wanda wisely points out that she’s not the one with an army pointing guns anyone. Monica then tries to talk to Wanda, saying that Wanda let her in and so somewhere, she knows Monica is a friend who wants to help her. Wanda, though, starts to engage her powers and uses them to turn all the guns trained on her toward Hayward. He yells at them to stand down while Wanda tells Hayward to leave her and her family alone. She then returns to her perfect world and reinforces the magical barrier.
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| (Damn) |
We then cut to a fake commercial. This one is for Lagos brand paper towels – made for messes that you didn’t meant to make. It’s a clear reference to when Wanda’s powers caused chaos in Captain America: Civil War and I think gives credence to the theory that the commercials all are based on Wanda’s backstory.
When we return to Westview, Wanda and the twins search the neighborhood for Sparky. The mailman passes by and the twins explain they are looking for their dog. He assures them that their mom won’t let anything happen to Sparky, which sounds ominous given what we know so far about the anomaly and Wanda’s control over it.
They arrive at Agnes’ house and she pops up, holding a small bundle wrapped in a purple blanket. She says she didn’t want to see them until she had wrapped him up, explaining Sparky got into her azalea bush and ate some of the flowers before she found him. The twins demand that their mother bring Sparky back but she insists she can’t do that, even though they believe she can fix dead and Agnes looks amazed at her. Wanda says that there are some things even she can’t do and so the boys look at each other. Realizing that they are going to age themselves up again, she stops them and tells them that they can’t run from their pain. That they need to experience it and learn how to deal with it. So the boys stay ten and Vision returns, hugging them when he realizes that Sparky is dead.
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| (RIP Sparky) |
Next we head back to their house, where Wanda packs up all of Sparky’s things. Vision asks her how the boys are and she says they are still processing everything. After all, it’s not everyday you gain a dog and lose him within hours. She says life moves pretty fast out in the suburbs and suggests they unwind with a TV show.
Vision, though, has something else in mind. He tells her that he spoke with Norm – the real Norm, free from her mind control. Vision tells her that they are in pain and she needs to stop. She insists she’s not doing anything and that he needs to stop. He tells her that she can’t control him like she controls the others and she gives an ominous “Can’t I?” She then goes to bed as the credits roll over the kitchen scene.
He’s not done, though, and follows her out as the credits stop. He wants answers and Wanda tries to pretend that everything is normal. Vision warns her not to lie to him and they end up in the air, staring each other down. He demands the truth and Wanda says that he needs to focus on their family – especially their children. That strikes something in Vision and he asks why there are no other children in Westview. He says that the playground is always empty and he never sees any children around town.
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| (Things are getting tense in the Maximoff-Vision household) |
Wanda deflates and insists she’s not controlling everyone. She admits she doesn’t know exactly what’s going on but that she’s just trying to make the best of it. Vision, though, looks like he doesn’t believe her and when the doorbell rings in the middle of their conversation, she insists she didn’t do that. She then reluctantly gets up and goes to answer the door, stunned when she sees whoever is on the other side. She then whispers “Pietro?” as we see the back of a man with silver hair.
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| (Vision's not the only coming back from the dead!) |
At the base camp, alarms are still blaring and Darcy rushes to grab her notes. She notices what’s happening on the TV and stops, watching. Shocked, she exclaims: “She recast Pietro?”
Back in the sitcom, the camera now reveals the front of the man at the door. It’s not Aaron Taylor-Johnson who played Pietro in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Rather, it’s Evan Peters, who played “Peter Maximoff” AKA Quicksilver in the X-Men movies. It seems we’re bringing the X-Men into the MCU now! Pietro hugs Wanda and seems happy to see her. He then notices and asks who the popsicle is as the show ends.
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| (I guess we have a crossover!) |
Whoa. People had been speculating that Evan Peters was going to show up in Wandavision and it looks like they were right! But is he really Pietro? Or is he someone else?
And is the cameo Bettany was talking about? Because his role seems a bit more than just a cameo.
I’m also enjoying the trio of Monica, Jimmy and Darcy. I wouldn’t mind watching a whole show about them. And I don’t trust Hayward. He clearly has a bias against Wanda and isn’t listening to those who understand superheroes better than him – Jimmy, Darcy and Monica.
The twins are also so cute. It’s going to be interesting to see where they go with them and if they also have any abilities like their parents.
The anomaly is still such a mystery. Monica and “Norm” believe Wanda is the one controlling him but she doesn’t think she is. She seems to be just as disturbed by the breaks, like when Agnes asks if she wants her to take it from the top, but is more willing than Vision to brush them off to maintain her facade. I still think something happened and either Wanda is exploiting it for her own happy ending or someone else is exploiting Wanda’s magic for their own purpose.
Next time: This is Halloween!
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