I've just finished WandaVision episode 3, and while I liked it overall — I'm starting to see the seams of the show. It's trying to walk a very fine tight-rope, balancing funny sitcom shenanigans and a superhero mystery storyline. And that doesn't always work.
Fortunately, WandaVision always pulls itself out in time. So, let's dive into episode 3, looking at what worked well, and what the end of the episode means for what's to come.
Of course, spoiler warning for the storyline points of episode three of WandaVision, as well as potential spoilers based on speculation and leaks online.
- How to watch WandaVision online
- WandaVision episode 4 release date: When is it coming to Disney Plus?
They're having a baby! But how?!
So, the big story of this week's episode is a very speedy pregnancy. Revealed at the very end of episode two, Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) are going to have a baby, and things begins to escalate at practically the moment episode three begins.
And this time, we're in BradyVision! Yes, from the iconic Brady Bunch house staircase to the design of the opening credits, Westview has clearly evolved. And it's kind of obvious that Wanda herself is to blame.
Wanda's power to alter reality was on full force at the end of episode two, as she warped it to add color and possibly her own unexplainable pregnancy. Yes, I'm saying it: humans and synthezoids can't procreate, and I don't want to hear from any doctor about when a man loves a woman.
And we should have expected this would all take place in one episode, since Wanda was shown so quickly after they discovered her pregnancy. Before we know it, a doctor is over to check on how far Wanda is. And then in a very Bewitched moment, Wanda uses her powers to paint the nursery and assemble her crib.
Waiting on "Ultron" — MCU enters Westview
Of course, Wanda having twins is reminding her of her own past — and thereby giving us hints about why this is all going on. Wanda mentions her twin brother Pietro, and that gives neighbor Geraldine (Teyonah Parris) the chance to show that she knows more than she's admitting.
Which hints at what we already surmised: Geraldine is actually Monica Rambeau. And Wanda notices that Geraldine/Monica is wearing a necklace with the S.W.O.R.D. emblem that Wanda had previously seen on the beekeeper uniform and toy helicopter. This is enough reason for us to believe that Monica was sent into the retro reality, on a mission.
While the sitcom elements of WandaVision are a joy, it's not always a hit. The series thrives when Paul Bettany has a chance to show off his comedic chops, but you can see the pattern visually. You get 23 minutes of sitcom story with mystery plot advancement on the end, and rinse, lather and repeat.
Those familiar with Scarlet Witch and Vision from the comics will have been happy to see that Wanda was pregnant not just with young Tommy, but William as well. In the comics, these characters actually existed: William grows up to be Wiccan (with similar powers as Scarlet Witch) and Thomas is super-fast, much like Quicksilver, Wanda's late brother.
Who's in control of Westview?
We're continuing to see how there's a tug of war over this reality that Wanda is living in. And remember: Vision isn't in there with her. Vision died in Avengers: Infinity War, he was not snapped out of existence, so he wasn't snapped back.
While Wanda was able to essentially rewind time in episode two, after saying "no," an odd and similar moment in Wanda and Vision's conversation from episode three seemed to be controlled by someone else. Was this the external hand watching on a monitor at the end of episode one? We don't know.
What we do know, though, is that Wanda can kick people out of Westview. No, not like an eviction, but an ejection from that reality. When she asked Geraldine to leave, Monica then flew through what appeared to be a rift in reality, and landed outside of an actual Westview.
A series of modern vehicles swarmed around Monica, and since the scene was shown in the ultra-wide aspect ratio, we're given to believe that Monica is back in our modern moment. Those cars, if we had to guess, are being driven by other S.W.O.R.D. agents. Has FBI agent Jimmy Woo (Randall Park) transferred to S.W.O.R.D.? Is Darcy (Kat Dennings) from the Thor movies there too?
So why is Wanda in Westview?
Here's our best theory. Wanda, after Avengers: Endgame, was likely still mourning the loss of Vision. Who knows what happened next, but grief could have sent her to bend reality as a coping mechanism.
The family-building sitcom aspect of WandaVision highlights that Wanda could be trying to build the life she has only seen on TV — the one she never got to live herself.
That being said, she could also be there under duress. Remember the mysterious radio transmission in episode two, when a voice was heard asking "who's doing this to you, Wanda?" S.W.O.R.D. may be trying to free Wanda from someone else's clutches.
And one last thing: why were Agnes (Kathryn Hahn) and Herb (David Payton) cutting into the wall, and seemingly ready to spill the beans on the truth behind Westview? They seem to be opposed to S.W.O.R.D. since they were trying to sew distrust for Geraldine by saying she was homeless.
These are the questions that keep us tuning back in, so stay tuned for our continuing coverage of WandaVision.
