WandaVision Ep 1-9 Ranking
"Your power exceeds that of the Sorcerer Supreme. It’s your destiny to destroy the world." - Agatha to Wanda
(Spoiler Warning!!)
Since Marvel Studios has released four Disney+ shows so far, I thought it would be fitting to rank the episodes of each of them. The last series of the MCU in 2021 will be Hawkeye premiering on November 24th. It gives me enough time to rank each series, then a Hawkeye backstory and prediction. I’ll rank episodes from highest to lowest while talking about my feeling about them. I may talk about some more than others. With that said, let’s talk Wandavision once again!
(1) Episode 5 - On a Very Special Episode…
Oh, this was a very special episode! The episode was the first time the series had to balance between sitcom and real-time. It did it so well that I wanted more of each. I enjoyed the era since it was more of a feeling that I was used to when I was a little kid. The eerie hints of the mystery were intriguing. It kept hooking you in. Agnes acting like they were in a scene was freaky or how she didn’t care about Tommy and Billy changing age. Wanda coming out of the Hex with her accent was lovely to see and hear. A menacing Wanda to SWORD and Monica was startling. I mean, it made her look more like a villain. Vision finally finding out something was wrong in Westview without Wanda there to edit it out was top tier. The acting from Asif Ali was astounding when he switched from a sitcom character to his real self. It felt like we were getting closer to what was going on in Westview, but we still had to wait. The division between Vision and Wanda gave me goosebumps. The first time they argued, and I took Vision’s side. He needed answers like the rest of us. The episode ended with a SURPRISING guest appearance. I thought Agnes was going to be at the door, but it was someone with silver hair. It had to be Quicksilver, but it wasn’t Pietro. At the time, I was wilding when I saw Evan Peters’ Quicksilver. It was the icing on the cake.
(2) Episode 8 - Previously On
I’m a sucker for emotionally driven storylines; episode 8 was all of that; it made me tear up. Reliving Wanda’s past trauma that we only got to hear of was worth it. We saw her family and why the show is based around sitcoms. There was so much more, though. The stark missile, a potential hint at her being a witch all along, Strucker’s experiment, the first moment of love for Wanda and Vision, and the reason behind Westview. I’m telling you, it was so emotional. What made it even better was Elizabeth Olsen’s acting. I felt for her. The callback to Avengers: Infinity War when she can’t feel Vision anymore broke me. We learn that she created the world around her because of grief, and not only that, she created Vision. You know insanely powerful she is? Good God. This is all chaos magic; the episode officially called her the Scarlet Witch! I was hyped to the max. The mid-credit scene was mind-blowing to me as well. My first knowledge of Vision in the comics was White Vision and to see him in live-action was crazy!
(3) Episode 9 - The Series Finale
The final episode of the series was basically the third act of a movie. There wasn’t much action throughout the series, and I was okay with that. They went all out in this one, though. White Vision v.s. Vision. Agatha v.s. Wanda. Tommy, Billy, and Monica v.s. SWORD. It was a treat to look at it. Wanda found out she was causing so much pain to the people of Westview that she had to decide whether to end her happy life or save the people. I enjoyed most of the episode. The one thing I didn’t like was Fake Pietro being an actor name Ralph Bohner. Oh, that hurt. White Vision and Vision’s conversation about the ship of Theseus was well done. It made perfect sense. Wanda finally becoming the Scarlet Witch; it is her destiny. Her new look is breathtaking; it gave a nod to the comics while looking modern. The headpiece is wow. She unleashed something greater that she doesn’t know yet. The ending was emotional like the previous episode. The writers want to make you tear up, I swear. It was a good ending, in my opinion. The mid-credit scene set up either The Marvels or Secret Invasion. The post-credit scene showed us Scarlet Witch reading the Darkhold while in her astral form searching for her children. Doctor Strange’s theme played in the background, and it gave me chills.
(4) Episode 6 - All-New Halloween Spooktacular
The intro of this episode was my favorite of the series. It was so catchy, plus the 90s feel was comforting. It is a Halloween special, so everyone had their comic-accurate costumes on. I get so giddy about that. Scarlet Witch looked mad stunning, don’t get me started. Pietro and Wanda’s chemistry felt better in this episode than in the movies, which is weird, but I loved it. Vision’s investigation gave us a look at how Wanda’s magic doesn’t quite work all over Westview. It was sad to find out some people couldn’t move or were in a loop. We found out Hayward’s been doing some shady stuff, but what’s new? Tommy and Billy gain their powers. The commercial was the darkest in the series but made sense for the people of Westview. Vision coming out of the Hex and nearly dying again was heartwrenching. All he wanted to do was help the people. Wanda expanding the Hex was a boss move. At the time, she didn’t care about what happened to others as long as she got what she wanted. Happiness. To be fair, she didn’t know what she was doing. The last shot of her eyes was beautiful.
(5) Episode 7 - Breaking the Fourth Wall
The episode was a mess for Wanda. Everything was falling apart. She couldn’t control what went on in the Hex. It was the most modern style of sitcoms, but I had mixed feelings about it. I don’t know; I just didn’t enjoy this one as much as the others in terms of sitcom style. Hayward only wanted Vision to be a weapon, even though it violated the Sokovia Accords. In her attempt to help Wanda, Monica gained her powers by entering the Hex again. It was visually stunning. Wanda feeling like she was the villain of her own story gave me hope that she would be one, to be honest. I mean, she is close to unstoppable now. Agnes’ secret was revealed. She was also a witch. She was behind all of the things happening in Westview. The talent show, Pietro, and killing sparky. It was Agatha all along! The reveal wasn’t that surprising to me. The day she was cast as Agnes, I knew it had to be Agatha Harkness. The show did her reveal very well, so people that aren’t too familiar with comics were sure enough surprised.
(6) Episode 3 - Now in Color
This is another era that I really loved. The look of everything was top tier, and the intro was done respectably. Wanda’s pregnancy went very quickly, but we got Tommy and Billy. I appreciated the connection to the house. Whatever Wanda was feeling, you could see it around the house. The hints from Herb and the Doctor were alarming. Once Vision started to pick up on it, Wanda edited it out. I thought Disney+ glitched; hats off to them. Monica helped Wanda deliver the babies, and it felt like a happy ending. But it wasn’t. Wanda singing a lullaby was oddly chilling. Monica mentioned Pietro being killed by Ultron, and it was the first time the real world was mentioned inside the Hex. Wanda wasn’t having any of that, though. Once Vision came back inside, Monica was gone. This is when it felt like Wanda was the villain for sure. She kicked her out of Westview. Great ending!
(7) Episode 4 - We Interrupt This Program
I know this episode is so low, but I still enjoyed it. The reason I ranked it so low was that it gave us answers to things we were questioning. I knew most of the answers because of research or context clues. I probably shouldn’t have done that, though. It felt like a rerun but from a different perspective. We learn who was behind the TV from episode one, the colored helicopter, Geraldine, the call from the radio, and the beekeeper. One thing I really loved was the aftermath of the Blip. We saw chaos in a hospital since so many people were returning from the Snap. We saw a little of that in Spider-Man: Far From Home but not like this. This was done way better. I was glad to see Darcy and Agent Woo, especially Darcy, since the last time we saw her was in Thor: The Dark World. The ending was a banger; we got a different version of what we saw in episode three. Wanda used her powers for the first time to kick Monica out. We saw Vision with a hole in his head. It was the same look he had after Thanos took out the Mind Stone from his head. It was appalling. Just like the last episode, the ending was great!
(8) Episode 2 - Don’t Touch That Dial
The second episode upped the hints that something was going on in Westview. The talent show wasn’t my taste, but the mystery was worth it. FOR THE CHILDREN. First, we got a colored SWORD helicopter in a black and white episode. Second, the introduction of Geraldine/Monica. Third, we got Wanda getting a message from the outside world through the radio. I like how they changed Help Me Ronda by the Beach Boys to Help me Wanda. Fourth, Dottie’s blood is in color. Fifth, the beekeeper coming out of the manhole. Sixth, out of nowhere pregnancy. Seventh, Wanda reversing time. All these hints made the mystery harder to crack. You’ll think it is Wanda in full control, not in control, or partially in control. When she said no and rewound, it was intimidating. I wanted more after this episode; I didn’t want to wait a week. It was cracking.
(9) Episode 1 - Filmed Before a Live Studio Audience
I was never into old sitcoms before, but I knew about them. After this episode, I watched some clips of I Love Lucy and The Dick Van Dyke Show. I thought they nailed the parts. The camera work, humor, style, color, and the storyline felt like an old sitcom. I can appreciate that. The ending was the best part of it, though. It gave us a tease that this series isn’t going to be sunshine and happiness. Mrs. Hart saying stop it like she was talking to Wanda instead of her husband was creepy. I loved it. Something odd is happening around Westview. It left the audience questioning what was going on. A good episode, but not like the others.