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WandaVision continues this week with its fifth episode: On a Very Episode… After last week’s mould-breaking episode set almost entirely outside of Westview, we return to the status quo here. But how long will things stay that way? Read on to find out!
Since our last visit to Westview, time has moved onto the 1980s, and the show has a whole new aesthetic to match! Wanda, Vision and the guest characters are all sporting delightful 80s hairdos, ready to take part in some more sitcom shenanigans. But, this time, the façade doesn’t stay up for long. Almost as soon as she appears, Kathryn Hahn‘s Agnes is spouting some really weird stuff and, while Wanda seems unfazed, Vision most certainly is.
Momentarily distracted by the sudden aging of twins Tommy and Billy about nine years, Vision soon begins his own investigations into what’s going on in Westview, and learns some shocking truths. Meanwhile, Wanda spends much of the episode with her sons and their new dog Sparky. It’s definitely a less comedic episode than what we’ve seen before, but there are some moments of touching pathos throughout, particularly involving Wanda and the kids.
Meanwhile, outside of Westview, SWORD continues its investigations, with Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings) and Jimmy Woo (Randall Park) being joined by the newly returned Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris). The three make a great team, even if Darcy and Jimmy sometimes stray into territory that’s a little too self-conscious and meta for me.
Talking of SWORD, there’s an absolutely fantastic scene (one of the best in the series so far) towards the end of the episode where Wanda emerges from Westview and confronts them. Elizabeth Olsen puts in a truly terrifying performance here, as her motivations throughout the previous four episodes finally become clear. This is definitely the best moment for her character in her entire MCU history, and bodes well for where the show will take her in the last four episodes.
The episode closes with shock after shock as Vision confronts Wanda about the reality of the situation they’ve found themselves in. After a quick, tensely-directed confrontation (kudos to director Matt Shakman), they are interrupted by the doorbell. And you won’t believe who’s at the door…
It’s a truly thrilling way to end off the episode: an absolute game-changer that left me on the edge and hankering for the next instalment in the series. Seriously… give it to me now!
Overall
While, as with the the last couple of episodes, the sitcom parts of On a Very Special Episode… aren’t quite as strong as they were early on in the series, there are so many other components in play now that this really doesn’t matter all that much. Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany get lots of chances show off their impeccable acting skills, while Parris, Dennings and Park continue to prove themselves great performers too. Overall, this is a fantastic episode.
WandaVision continues next Friday, with a new episode dropping on Disney+ at midnight PST.
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