WandaVision episode 6 delivers plenty of tricks, and a few treats, in the form of Easter eggs. But more than that, this installment highlights how dangerous Wanda's grief-induced sitcom surreality has become. It may be a bright and happy dream for Wanda, but for everyone in Westview, it's a living nightmare.
Here's our requisite spoiler warning: We're analyzing everything that happened on WandaVision episode 6, so beware!
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Titled "All-New Halloween Spooktacular!," WandaVision episode 6 takes its tone and visual cues from Malcolm in the Middle, which means the sitcom skips from the '80s to the 2000s. That makes sense, since the big comedies of the '90s focused more on single adults, like Friends and Seinfeld.
Then again, "cool" Uncle Pietro feels like a riff on Uncle Jesse from the extremely '90s Full House (the show that turned Elizabeth Olsen's sisters into stars), so there is a bit of blurring between the decades.
WandaVision episode 6 recap: Trick or treat
The episode opens on Halloween, with twins Tommy and Billy speaking directly to the camera à la Malcolm in the Middle. Their parents come downstairs in their costumes, which reference their Scarlet Witch and Vision looks from the comic books (Wanda claims she's dressed as a Sokovian fortune teller). Meanwhile, Uncle Pietro wakes up from snoring on the couch to rile up the kids, tease his sister and generally act like a man-child.
Wanda's excited for the twins' first Halloween, but Vision upends her plans when he announces that he's patrolling for the neighborhood watch. "That's not what you were supposed-" she starts to say.
"What?" Vision replies, and it's clear that he hasn't forgotten their standoff in episode 5. This patrol duty is totally a front for something. Paul Bettany's micro facial expressions are truly excellent.
Pietro steps up to take Vision's place as a father figure, and uses his super-speed to outfit himself and Tommy in costumes resembling Quicksilver from the comics. When they hit the streets, Westview is suddenly overrun with children. Where did they all come from? Pietro and the twins cause a bit of all-in-good-fun trouble, such as stealing candy, smashing jack o' lanterns and spraying silly string on everyone.
Wanda is still uncertain about her brother with a new face, and they even rib each other about their disappeared accents. So, what's Pietro's deal? "I’m just trying to do my part, OK?” Pietro tells her. "Come to town unexpectedly, create tension with the brother-in-law, stir up trouble with the rug rats, and ultimately give you grief. I mean, that’s what you wanted, isn’t it?”
And isn't Westview a place where Wanda gets what she wants?
WandaVision episode 6: Vision's quest
After he leaves the house, Vision begins roaming the edges of Westview, where he notices something very odd. Creepy, actually. The people who are farther away from Wanda move in slow-motion, or are outright frozen. One woman is repeatedly trying to hang a Halloween decoration while a tear drips down her face.
Vision finds Agnes in a car sitting idly at an intersection and mumbling that she got lost on the way to the Town Square Scare party. He zaps her head, just like he did to Norm. Now awake, Agnes knows exactly who he is — an Avenger! He can save her!
But Vision is confused. "What's an Avenger?" Oh boy.
Then, Agnes wonders if she's dead ... because Vision is dead. Oh boys.
Vision wants to find help outside Westview. "How?" Agnes asks. "No one leaves. Wanda won't even let us think about it."
She starts cackling uncontrollably, forcing Vision to put her back into sitcom sleep.
Despite what Agnes said, Vision is determined to go. He approaches the boundary, with Director Tyler Hayward and S.W.O.R.D. agents watching from the other side.
But as he emerges from the Hex, Vision begins disintegrating. After all, in the outside world, he's dead. And for a moment, it looks like he may die again.
WandaVision episode 6: Hex marks the spot
Back at the Town Square Scare, a worried Billy runs up to Wanda. His telepathic powers are starting to come online, and he can hear that his father is in trouble.
"Don't sweat it, sis," Pietro jokes to his sister. "It's not like your dead husband can die twice."
Furious, Wanda blasts him away, then asks Billy to tap into his powers and find Vision. He reports seeing soldiers, which Wanda knows means he's near the S.W.O.R.D. tents.
She puts Westview into "pause" and calls up her own powers to extend the Hex bubble. The boundary begins to move and swallow up everyone who can't flee, which includes some S.W.O.R.D. agents as well as Dr. Darcy Lewis.
Vision is safe. The tents turn into a carnival. And Darcy sighs, "Oh, fudge."
WandaVision episode 6: Growing pains
Let's backtrack to talk about why Darcy was eaten by the Hex, but not Monica Rambeau or Jimmy Woo.
Director Hayward ejects the trio from the camp when Monica challenges him on sending in the missile drone. She thinks they can still get through to Wanda, while he considers Wanda a threat to defuse.
Of course, she doesn't take their dismissal seriously, so Monica, Jimmy and Darcy sneak into a tent to regroup and access files (apparently, Darcy is a hacker on top of being a physicist). Monica contacts an unknown person, "her way back into the Hex."
But Darcy warns her against it. Going into and out of the Hex changed Monica's cells, and entering again could change her even more. Maybe the third time's the charm, and this is how Monica gets superpowers!
While Monica and Jimmy head out to meet with her contact, Darcy stays behind to hack Hayward's last firewall for a file called Cataract. She manages to send it to Jimmy before she sees what's going on with Vision at the boundary. But when Darcy tries to plead with Hayward to help him, she's handcuffed to a car for her efforts. When Wanda expands the Hex, a helpless Darcy is sucked in.
Maybe WandaVision will give a bit of a wink to the audience and transform Darcy into a diner waitress, just like the one Kat Dennings portrayed in Two Broke Girls. We are heading into the 2010s, after all!
The episode ends with Hayward fleeing the expanding Hex, trying to radio other survivors. Meanwhile, Monica and Jimmy are driving away in their own car, en route to meet up with her mysterious contact.
Who could it be? Maybe Captain Marvel will fly back to save the day. She's been namechecked twice on the show now. Then again, it may be someone with a stronger connection to Wanda. At this point, the entire MCU is wide open.
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