AGATHA ALL ALONG Review: A Spooky, Scintillating, Supernatural Delight Showcasing Kathryn Hahn

AGATHA ALL ALONG Review: A Spooky, Scintillating, Supernatural Delight Showcasing Kathryn Hahn

The review embargo for Agatha All Along has lifted and we’re weighing in with our verdict on Marvel Studios’ latest Disney+ TV series. Find out what to expect from the spooktacular WandaVision sequel here!

Review Opinion
By JoshWilding - Sep 18, 2024 09:09 PM EST
Filed Under: Agatha: Coven of Chaos

WandaVision wasn't meant to be the first Marvel Studios TV series on Disney+, but COVID intervened and made it so that the critically acclaimed celebration of sitcoms was our introduction to the MCU on streaming. The series set a high bar many of the shows that followed have struggled to reach but Agatha All Along so far has all the makings of another truly great addition to this franchise...if the first four episodes are any indication, anyway. 

A big part of that is down to Kathryn Hahn who returns as Agatha Harkness to reveal what became of the villain following her clash with the Scarlet Witch in the skies above Westview. Freed from that spell three years on and now powerless, she must assemble a coven to travel down the Witches' Road and regain what she's lost. However, complicating matters is the presence of Teen, a mysterious teenager who also hopes to acquire powers. 

Hahn is spectacular as Agatha and, while it would have been easy to capitalise on her popularity by quickly redeeming the character as a hero, she's the same devilishly wicked witch we spent time with in WandaVision. It's clear the actor is having a riot here and helping matters is the fact she's surrounded by such a spellbinding supporting cast. Sasheer Zamata, Ali Ahn, Debra Jo Rupp, and the iconic Patti LuPone are all on fine form and instantly likeable. Aubrey Plaza chews the scenery in the most delightfully droll way possible as Rio Vidal, a character bound to become an instant favourite. Joe Locke also delivers a star-making performance as Teen, and while the mystery surrounding him runs the risk of overshadowing his performance as the story progresses, the actor shines and, if he is Wiccan, we can't wait to see him take centre stage in the MCU.

Much has been said about how "gay" Agatha All Along is and it's true that there's a lot of much-needed representation in the series. Unfortunately, it sometimes feels too surface-level; Teen's boyfriend is shown on his cell phone simply as "Boyf," and while female characters talk about asking for another woman's number, two of them also stop short of kissing at one stage. There are lots of allusions to queerness, but it's almost as if Marvel Studios chose to stop short of fully embracing it so the people who get offended by that type of thing will keep their online tantrums to themselves. It's understandable in the days of review-bombing, but we're hoping to see the second half of the series be a little more bold with how this is handled moving forward. 

Still, it's a step in the right direction and, crucially, the series works almost perfectly as an exploration of the supernatural side of the MCU. WandaVision hinted at the importance of witchcraft in this world and a deep dive into the types of characters and personalities that are involved is a delight to watch. As important as the dynamic between the leads is, the way Agatha All Along embraces horror - albeit more akin to Buffy the Vampire Slayer than a full-blown R-Rated movie or TV show - makes it feel like a fresh new addition to the MCU in the same vein as Werewolf by Night. WandaVision showrunner Jac Schaeffer was unquestionably the right person to spearhead this follow-up and brings wit and charm to the show in equal measure along with plenty of compelling character work. If a Scarlet Witch movie happens, she needs to be involved. 

The first two episodes are strong opening chapters and Agatha All Along only really stumbles when we head down the Witches' Road. The coven must embark on a series of trials to reach the end and they do so in the third and fourth instalments in two different houses with a fixed amount of time to figure their way out. Both episodes are fun but feel too formulaic and if we have two or three more chapters dedicated to these quests, it could become tedious and make the show feel too much like a "freak of the week"-style teen drama from the late 90s or mid-2000s. On the plus side, these scenes are ridiculously entertaining and cleverly handled, ensuring they feel suitably big budget and ambitious.

Overall, Agatha All Along is one of the most exciting new additions to the MCU in some time. A cast that gives it their all, some terrific tunes, and gorgeous set design result in a series that not only shakes up this franchise but boasts the same high production values as WandaVision and Loki. Make no mistake about it, this is a cinematic, charming caper that, so far, earns its place in the MCU and feels like a story worth telling. We already want more. 

A spooky, scintillating, supernatural delight, Agatha All Along is a worthy successor to WandaVision and a showcase for the bewitching Kathryn Hahn as your new MCU favourite, Agatha Harkness. [⭐⭐⭐⭐]

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HistoryofMatt
HistoryofMatt - 9/18/2024, 9:02 PM
Sure.

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Shivermetimbers
Shivermetimbers - 9/18/2024, 9:23 PM
@HistoryofMatt - it just needs gay sex to really justify a five star.
Malatrova15
Malatrova15 - 9/18/2024, 9:26 PM
@Shivermetimbers - gay sex is kinda cool i must say.
And me losing my time whit roasted femoids all my youth
OriginalGusto1
OriginalGusto1 - 9/18/2024, 9:10 PM
LOL..Disney just wants to lose money.
Richard2022
Richard2022 - 9/18/2024, 9:13 PM
@OriginalGusto1 - No you just want them to.
OriginalGusto1
OriginalGusto1 - 9/18/2024, 9:18 PM
@Richard2022 - Ok...and?
AllsGood
AllsGood - 9/18/2024, 9:20 PM
@OriginalGusto1 - Marvel Studios has NO COMPETION to even challenge Disney / Marvel Studios Box Office Success. One Man Race for Marvel Studios.

Remember these? Can't even post these kind Gifs they have become Obsolete with No Competition.

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OriginalGusto1
OriginalGusto1 - 9/18/2024, 9:22 PM
@AllsGood - So, 11 years ago?
OriginalGusto1
OriginalGusto1 - 9/18/2024, 9:25 PM
@AllsGood - Marvel Studios has NO COMPETION to even challenge Disney / Marvel Studios

Did that make sense when you typed it?
OriginalGusto1
OriginalGusto1 - 9/18/2024, 9:26 PM
Your words, not mine.
AllsGood
AllsGood - 9/18/2024, 9:34 PM
@OriginalGusto1 - Nothing has changed Disney and Marvel Studios has No Competition today. They Own the Box Office :) One Man Race

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OriginalGusto1
OriginalGusto1 - 9/18/2024, 9:47 PM
@AllsGood - That's not what you typed.
OriginalGusto1
OriginalGusto1 - 9/18/2024, 9:48 PM
@AllsGood - If your intention was to slight DC, no argument. They're a joke.
AllsGood
AllsGood - 9/18/2024, 10:07 PM
@OriginalGusto1 - Tell me who Disney and Marvel Studios Competition is today?
OriginalGusto1
OriginalGusto1 - 9/18/2024, 10:10 PM
@AllsGood - A. Themselves. B. Warner Bros/DC.
OriginalGusto1
OriginalGusto1 - 9/18/2024, 10:12 PM
@AllsGood - This was your exact quote...

"Marvel Studios has NO COMPETION to even challenge Disney / Marvel Studios"
OriginalGusto1
OriginalGusto1 - 9/18/2024, 10:13 PM
I feel like I'm taking crazy pills.
HistoryofMatt
HistoryofMatt - 9/18/2024, 11:48 PM
@AllsGood - They "own the box office," and yet other than projects in which Feige and Disney have little creative input like Deadpool and GOTG which are the visions of Ryan Reynolds and James Gunn, or have lesser input like the Spider-Man films, every single film of Phase 4 lost money. Even BP2. They ALL lost money.

So what's your point?
Malatrova15
Malatrova15 - 9/18/2024, 9:14 PM
It was kinda sucky...still better than She Hulk....but then again Willow series was also better than most slop and still sucky
OriginalGusto1
OriginalGusto1 - 9/18/2024, 9:21 PM
@Malatrova15 - @McMurdo nude, in my front yard, pisssing into an empty Zima bottle is better than She Hulk.
Malatrova15
Malatrova15 - 9/18/2024, 9:22 PM
@OriginalGusto1 - i'd pay a good dollar to see that.
OriginalGusto1
OriginalGusto1 - 9/18/2024, 9:27 PM
@Malatrova15 - Cost me 40.
mountainman
mountainman - 9/18/2024, 9:35 PM
@OriginalGusto1 - $40 or a 40 oz?
Malatrova15
Malatrova15 - 9/18/2024, 9:38 PM
@OriginalGusto1 - i mean a canadian dollar of course
OriginalGusto1
OriginalGusto1 - 9/18/2024, 9:49 PM
@mountainman - Not sure...the night is young.
OriginalGusto1
OriginalGusto1 - 9/18/2024, 9:51 PM
@Malatrova15...Beauty, eh?
McMurdo
McMurdo - 9/21/2024, 1:14 PM
@OriginalGusto1 - I've been outta town daddy and haven't peeped my mentions.....can we stop pretending you don't love when I soil myself in the front yard.
McMurdo
McMurdo - 9/21/2024, 1:14 PM
@Malatrova15 - id do it for free, ma lady.
ModHaterSLADE
ModHaterSLADE - 9/18/2024, 9:26 PM
Seems like a weird character to devote a whole series to, but at least we're getting more supernatural focused Marvel projects. Now if only the martial arts focused heroes could get more love.
mountainman
mountainman - 9/18/2024, 9:37 PM
@ModHaterSLADE - Not that it matters because I don’t comment there, but I know who you are on IGN now.

Although I’m not interested in this show as of now, I agree that we need more supernatural and martial arts stories/characters introduced.
Malatrova15
Malatrova15 - 9/18/2024, 9:40 PM
@ModHaterSLADE - bro they made a whole Ms Marvel movie ...next time they will greenlight a Chunko the Clown feature produced by Scarlett (Give me my ticket sales bonus) Johanson
SonOfAGif
SonOfAGif - 9/18/2024, 9:41 PM
@ModHaterSLADE - I love the Supernatural characters being Halloween timed releases. It gives us something to look forward to. Agatha All Along will kill some time before the final season of What We do in the Shadows releases. Definitely a good spooky Season of releases.
ModHaterSLADE
ModHaterSLADE - 9/18/2024, 9:57 PM
@SonOfAGif - Yeah, shame that show is ending.
ModHaterSLADE
ModHaterSLADE - 9/18/2024, 9:57 PM
@mountainman - Definitely
ImBatman4realz
ImBatman4realz - 9/18/2024, 9:47 PM
In summary: Josh wants explicit multicolored gayness, he continues to gobble up literally everything that Disney-Pixar-Lucasfilm-Marvel-Fox releases, and he wants us all to go to the bank with it. Water is wet. Nothing new here 🙄
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 9/18/2024, 9:54 PM
Good review Josh , sounds sweet and I can’t wait to see it as soon as possible!!:

I can certainly understand if the trails do carry on for the bulk of the season how that might turn some people off if they prefer a more serialized narrative then episodic (which funnily enough some reviews state helps the show feel more like a tv show which is a good thing in their mind rather then an extended movie).

Overall as someone who enjoys both serialized & episodic stories , I’m good if it continues to be structured like the latter as long as they can keep it fresh & engaging!!.

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Lucasberg
Lucasberg - 9/19/2024, 1:08 AM
Aubrey Plaza says Agatha All Along will be, “A Gay Explosion by the end”

LOL!!!!!!!

Disney/Marvel has completely abandoned any semblance of reasonable storytelling goals.

This will have a total of 4 viewers. Sorry I posted this on another Agatha article but just had to post again because that Aubrey Plaza quote is just hilarious.

4 viewers 🤣🤣🤣
Lucasberg
Lucasberg - 9/19/2024, 1:11 AM
Who on earth was begging for an Agatha show that concludes with a Gay Explosion?!?! 😆
ImBatman4realz
ImBatman4realz - 9/19/2024, 11:04 PM
Literally no one asked for a show about this character 🤣.

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