Is it next Friday yet?
Today's episode of WandaVision once again left us with lots to talk about, and while it didn't provide a lot of answers, it has moved the story along nicely. Pietro's mysterious resurrection has only served to deepen the mystery at the heart of Westview, and while Wanda Maximoff might look like the big bad on the surface, the signs to appear to point to there being a bigger threat behind the scenes.
As we head into the final three episodes, answers are coming, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe may never be the same again. However, there were five key moments today which jumped out at us.
It's those we're taking a deep dive into here, and it should go without saying that spoilers follow. Remember, you can read our in-depth recap of "All-New Halloween Spooktacular!" here, and once you've done that, make sure to click the "Next" button below for this exploration of the main talking points...
5. Director Hayward Is Seriously Shady
Introduced in the fourth episode of WandaVision, Director Hayward initially seemed like a pretty good guy. He was supportive towards Monica Rambeau upon her return, and seemed determined to do the right thing for the people trapped in Westview. Then, all of a sudden, he wanted to kill Wanda.
On the one hand, that's the expected response from someone like the Director of S.W.O.R.D. (Nick Fury sure as hell wasn't the perfect Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.), but the way he treats Monica - and the things he says to her about Maria - in this week's episode are nothing short of reprehensible.
He never showed us Wanda taking Vision's remains, and it's weird that five years after his death, S.W.O.R.D. was taking the android apart. Throw in the fact that Hayward is somehow tracking Vision, and it seems he may have had nefarious plans for those remains...and he wants them back. The question is, does he want to weaponise him, or is there something more sinister at play?
We're betting on him being a Skrull...
4. Who The F**k Is Pietro, Anyway?
There's something weird going on here. Pietro seems to know the basics of his life, but the fact he claims to have died for nothing just doesn't seem right to us. The speedster sacrificed his life to save Hawkeye and that child from Ultron's bullets, and while we're sure he wasn't happy about dying, it's not like his sacrifice was in vain. That's far from the strangest thing he says, though.
As well as carefully avoiding Wanda's questions about their past, he knows Vision died, has complete awareness that he's part of a sitcom, and seems fully on board with what his sister is getting up to.
Pietro is even accepting of his role in "WandaVision," but is keen to find out how this all started. Honestly, it feels a lot like he's a spy, and someone who has been sent to earn Wanda's trust. Who he serves is up for debate, and while it's possible he is Pietro, we're expecting a bigger reveal down the line. Whatever the case may be, here's hoping Evan Peters sticks around in the MCU as...someone.
3. Monica Rambeau's Superhero Origin Story
This has to be how Monica gets her powers, right?
There are theories that what's happening in Westview will lead to the creation of mutants, or even the Fantastic Four, but we're not convinced Marvel Studios' plans are that ambitious...at least not yet. Instead, it seems Monica Rambeau's trips in and out of the Hex will grant her the powers which ultimately mean she becomes Photon, Spectrum, or whatever other moniker she chooses.
That's a big deal, and likely sets the stage for Monica to become a full-blown superhero in Captain Marvel 2, or possibly even before that, in Ms. Marvel. It's feasible everyone else inside the Hex will also be granted powers, but keeping the focus on Monica's transformation might be smart.
The question is, what sort of abilities will end up with after being affected by Wanda's magic?
2. The Walking Dead
All the signs may be pointing to Wanda being in charge of Westview, and to some extent, she is. At the end of the episode, the Scarlet Witch uses her powers to expand the Hex, and even acknowledges in conversation with Pietro that she's got some control over those living in the town.
However, a higher power has to be toying with Wanda, because for the second time, she sees someone close to her as a corpse. Just like Vision appeared in front of her as a greyed out shell of his former self (with the hole still in his head Thanos left there), we this time get a glimpse of a bullet riddled Pietro. This might be in the hero's head, or someone trying to keep her in this reality.
After all, when Vision leaves, he doesn't become greyed out; instead, he's torn apart, and almost looks like a digital construct. That's clearly not how he and Pietro really look as they walk around, but reminding Wanda of what she's lost is a good way to stop her from realising she's in the wrong.
Nightmare sure seems like the sort of villain capable of doing that, don't you think?
1. The Curious Case Of Agnes And Herb
A few episodes ago, we saw Agnes and Herb conspiring, clearly concerned about what Geraldine was doing in Westview. The latter even seemed ready to tell Vision what was really going on before Agnes stopped him, so it's looking like they have more control than others living in the town.
This week, Herb offers to change things for Wanda, a sign perhaps that he has some power in the town or, again, is serving a higher power. Agnes being on the outskirts, meanwhile, is very suspicious, as is the fact she can answer Vision when no one else does. Clearly, Wanda can only keep control over those in Westview to a certain extent, but there's something fishy here.
Unlike others who have only referred to "her," Agnes names Wanda as the perpetrator of what's happening, and prompts Vision to try and leave the Hex by mentioning both the Avengers and his death. It feels like she might be pulling the strings, likely to prompt Wanda to expand her reach...that would certainly make sense if, like the shark in the commercial, she's feeding off magic.