WandaVision S1 Finale: By the Book

What happens in Westview. Stays in Westview.

Whether for a nine-episode one-off show on Disney+ or a decade-long drama, finales are hard to pull off in a satisfying way. In some ways, fans don't want finales to be just another episode, but it's important not to get too far off track and, instead, stay focused on the task at hand. Avengers: Endgame, for example, had a lot of ground to cover, but the time-travel story served as the perfect highlight-reel mechanic while providing closure on most major storylines and character arcs.

Amidst all the nods to other corners of Marvel and the mystery element early in the season, the heart of WandaVision had a truly sorrowful story to tell. It'll be interesting to look back on this season several years from now to see if side attractions hold up or prove to just be distractions, because the finale was a good reminder that this season was about Wanda dealing with her grief. The final scene with Wanda and "Vision" together while inside the hex gave great metaphorical and literal parallels to the arrival of the end. Both Wanda and Vision realize they can't hold onto what isn't real. For Wanda especially, who earlier had to watch her kids and Vision get torn apart in one of the most intense scenes of the season, learning to acknowledge her pain instead of forwarding that pain to the people of the real Westview proved to be the biggest challenge she had to overcome. It may not be the most surprising story for the fans, but it's a rather beautiful (and necessary) character moment for Wanda.

Honestly, my initial gut reaction is the season would've been better off without the X-Men fake-out and some of the other, more subtle easter eggs that really don't serve a purpose other than fan service and feeding the theory machine that is Reddit. Yes, I like stuff to connect to other stuff; that's why the MCU is one of the greatest events in the history of entertainment. And I genuinely had fun getting carried away with thinking of the possibilities (I still think story about people's blood getting affected by being in the hex could open the door to a new era of X-Men stories). But I hope I don't look back on the show later and think it wasn't worth it after all (I'm sure I won't).

But we all know Marvel's style is to set up future projects, and boy did we get that! The Skrull from Captain Marvel (and Spider-Man: Homecoming) comes to recruit Spectrum/Monica Rambeau. "Hear you've been grounded. He'd like to meet with you," she says. Looks like Rambeau is going to meet Nick Fury! That's exciting, but it also makes sense because, if Monica is going to play a prominent role in Captain Marvel 2, well, she'll need a ride to leave Earth first, right?

Speaking of Monica, it was a touching moment when Wanda runs into her after destroying the hex. Monica's sympathy and willingness to understand why Wanda did what she did was the perfect note to close their interaction. Monica saying she would've brought her mother back if she had Wanda's powers was a nice touch.

The second post-credit scene shows Wanda isolated in a mountain wilderness akin to Thanos at the end of Infinity War (such a beautiful, refreshing shot that felt freeing after all the tropes of sitcom camerawork). Wanda walks into her cabin sipping a hot drink. Around the corner in the other room we see....the Scarlet Witch! She's perhaps in another dimension reading the Darkhold book really quickly while floating in the air, a la Doctor Strange. Agatha piqued Wanda's interest in her own heritage and the true nature of being the Scarlet Witch. Learning that the Scarlet Witch is "not born, but forged," and the convenience that she doesn't need incantations (a convenient explanation for how she's been using her powers to this point if not for the backstory in the comics) were nice little nuggets. The namedrop of the Sorcerer Supreme was fun, too.

This opens the door to a great possibility for the character in the future. Agatha mentioned a prophecy foretelling that the Scarlet Witch will destroy the world. It would be fun to see Wanda straddle the line begin good and evil. Maybe someone like Doctor Strange will help her learn, but at the same time, maybe he'll be the one who needs to stop her.

Agatha's fate felt short-changed, and it would be a shame not to see Katherine Hahn reprise that role again. But honestly, I wouldn't be sad if that was the end of her story, either. Her jealousy of Wanda never truly hit home, the great line "I'm here to take power from the undeserving" notwithstanding. The final fight between her and Scarlet underwhelmed as it felt more Harry Potter and less Marvel. But we finally get to see the true Scarlet Witch outfit, and it was awesome!

Agatha is still alive at the end, so it's possible we see her again. If Scarlet Witch and Strange team up, Agitha may need help going after them. Maybe this will be a way they can bring back Mordo, the guy who once helped Strange but now seems to be his enemy? He also doesn't like people who are "unworthy," much like Agatha sounded.

Notes:

-The Wizard of Oz spoof was pretty funny. I mean, anything that deals with two witches is practically obligated to do something like that, right? But the shot of the feet after the car crash was quite good. I wonder if they called the town Westview (and mentioned an Eastview) literally because of the Wicked Witch of the West/East.

-When Agent Woo was brought in front of Hayward in handcuffs near the beginning of the episode, I would've bet money that he recorded what Hayward was saying about his master plan. Hayward would've been making the classic mistake that, coincidentally, was discussed by Ultron in Age of Ultron.

-Learning that Pietro was actually Agatha's husband was such a dud. What a waste of the character.

-I really appreciated the line Wanda says regarding how the people see her now even though the hex is destroyed. She always seems to get triggered about her perception, especially since Captain America: Civil War, but I could sense a little bit of growth for her in that moment.

-The other Vision from the post-credit scene in episode 8 turned out to be merely a vehicle to leave the door open for a return of the true Vision character himself. The conversation the two Visions have about the thought experiment on identity metaphysics was brilliantly nerdy and befitting for the characters. Vision's may not be doomed after all if he can continue on through this new version of Vision that, of course, is comprised of a lot of parts from the original Vision.