Hey, guys, It's After Hours Media here. We have the first two episodes of WandaVision, and in traditional After Hours Media fashion, I am a week or so late, haha. WandaVision is the first Marvel Studios show. Starring Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany as Wanda Maximoff (The Scarlet Witch) and The Vision, on a $225 million budget. The synopsis is: after the events of Avengers: Endgame, Wanda and Vision live the idyllic suburban life in the town of Westview, trying to conceal their powers. As they begin to enter new decades and encounter television tropes, the couple suspects that things may not be what they seem.
Kevin Feige describes the show as:
"if you haven't seen any of [the M.C.U. films] and just want to step into this weird thing because you love The Dick Van Dyke Show, it's going to work. But if you've been tracking the 23 movies we've made and following along the stories into Phase 4, there'll be a wealth of rewards waiting for you as it all unfolds [1]."
Opening
The first episode of WandaVision starts with a slightly altered Fanfare; as each character appears on the screen, they quickly fade off to black and white. It transitions and zooms out of the "Marvel Studios" logo with updated scenes from Infinity War and Endgame; the whole logo turns black and white, the audio switches from stereo to mono, and the aspect ratio morphs into 4:3 representing the shift to the 1950s.
To get into the spirit of the show, crew members came to set in '50s-era clothing. And for the authentic 1950s sitcom look, they used period-accurate lenses and lighting to capture that dreamy vintage glow [1]. Some behind-the-scenes footage shows what seems to be colour footage shot, but later in the video, multiple black and white monitors, as they filmed [2]. When films have a specific colour grade in mind, monitors will use a L.U.T. (Look Up Table) to get a rough idea during production. It's uncertain if they shot the show in black and white, or the monitors got set to black and white.
The show then starts with 1950s sitcom-inspired opening credits - possibly taking inspiration from The Dick Van Dyke Show. The Dick Van Dyke Show served as one of many shows that inspired WandaVision - so far as to parallel the first episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show starting in the kitchen and leading to a dinner party with the Boss.
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| WandaVision Title (Marvel Studios) / The Dick Van Dyke Show (C.B.S.) |
During Disney's 2019 D23 Expo, Kevin Feige and Director, Matt Shakman, invited Dick Van Dyke to lunch at Disneyland, peppering him with questions about producing the show. Shakman on meeting the comedy legend:
"That remains one of the great afternoons of my life. [The Dick Van Dyke Show] can be very broad with silly physical-comedy gags, and yet it never feels false, and I wondered how they did that. We asked him, 'What was the sort of governing principle behind the Dick Van Dyke Show? Why did it work so well?' And he said if it couldn't happen in real life, it can't happen on the show. If you're drawing something that's grounded and it's real, and it's resonating with everyone's experience at home, you can do crazy things [1, 3]."
The Kitchen
Continuing with the show, Wanda's opening line of dialogue is very interesting: "My husband and his indestructible head." Considering the outcome of Avengers: Infinity War, Vision doesn't have an indestructible head. But when Wanda had to destroy the Mind Stone, it took ages, to which Thanos reversed time and broke his head quickly. I'm sure Wanda wished Vizh had an indestructible head! I don't know if Vision's line, "My wife and her flying saucers" is a reference to anything. I think saying it's a reference to S.W.O.R.D. (more on that in a sec!) is pushing it. Wanda's hometown, Sokovia, did fly up in the air and many Ultron bots were flying everywhere. To me, that does sound plausible; I'd like to know if you think it is down below!Speaking of saucers, the special-effects team used wires and camera tricks straight from "Bewitched" or "I Dream of Jeannie," to make wine bottles appear to pour on their own, and household appliances zoom about like magic. The crew members even came to set in '50s-era clothing and used period-accurate lenses and lighting to capture that dreamy vintage glow. And when Vision's familiar maroon skin didn't look quite right in grayscale, the makeup artists painted Bettany blue instead - which would have been interesting to see! [1]
Mystery Calendar Date
Next Vision draws attention to the calendar with the date August 23rd marked on it, neither he nor Wanda can remember why it's there; which could be referencing the fact, Wanda and Vision have lost their memory in the comics.
The date is something to point out. There's no year, but the only 23rd that falls on a Wednesday in that era was 1961. Nothing of importance really lands on this date, but it is the same day the first American "space platform", Ranger 1, was launched into orbit, which failed, resulting in it crashing a week later. Some could consider this event a flying saucer, but I think it's a little too obscure to be what Vision's line was referencing. If we look at more recent years, August 23rd falls on a Wednesday in 2023, which would line up with the M.C.U.'s current timeline. Considering the first episode is modelled on the Dick Van Dyke Show set in the 50s and not the 60s, I'd say it's 2023.
The date is more likely referencing "Avengers #238: Unlimited Vision (1983) [4]," featuring Monica Rambeau as Captain Marvel. In this issue, a computer named I.S.A.A.C. revives an incapacitated Vision, in which he merges, and learns to project holograms. In a previous connected-issue - "Avengers #233: The Annihilation Gambit! (1983) [5]" - Annihilus hinders Vision when he tries to breach a Null-Field bubble surrounding the Baxter Building. The bubble aspect seems reminiscent of what Wanda is doing to people who try to breach her alternate reality. The calendar date may foreshadow Visions return from an advanced computer, or Visions revival in general.
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| The Avengers #238 / The Avengers #233 (Marvel Comics) |
Who Is Agnes?
As Vision leaves for work and Wanda pondering, we hear a knock at the door. I tried to see if the knocking was Morse Code, but my translation was gibberish - though, I'm not great, so I could have got it wrong.
Wanda then answers the door to a new character, played by Kathryn Hahn - Agnes - the prototypical nosey neighbour peering over fences or barging in without knocking. Part Ethel Mertz from "I Love Lucy," part Gladys Kravitz from "Bewitched." Hahn describes Agnes as "the next-door neighbour that won't get off their couch at the end of the night," and "the one that's just going to be always in your business [6]."
When Wanda introduces herself, Agnes replies with "charmed," in an interesting tone, almost as if she knows Wanda's magic. It could be a stretch, but maybe it's also a reference to the late '90s show Charmed.
WandaVision plays on the "unseen partner" trope from many sitcoms that has had many people cooking up theories and asking "who is Ralph?" He may never get revealed on the show to play into that trope, but it would be interesting to reveal Ralph at the end to be the complete opposite of what everyone was expecting.
Agnes' Broach And Comic Connections
Agnes wears a peculiar broach in the centre of her collar invoking Agatha Harkness-like look; the name "Agnes" most likely is a shortening to misdirect people. Ag-atha Hark-ness. But that hasn't stopped us from potentially figuring it out!
Agatha Harkness first appeared in "Fantastic Four #94 (1970) [7]" as the Governess to be caretaker of Reed Richards and Sue Storm's son, Franklin. "Fantastic Four #186 (1977) [8]" further explored Agatha's backstory: she is over 10,000-years-old, and at some point in her past joined the colony in New Salem - the surviving witches and wizards from the Salem Trials. Agnes' anniversary with Ralph - June 2nd - directly connects to the Salem Trials that started with Bridget Bishop's accusation of the first person to practice witchcraft on June 2nd, 1692.
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| Fantastic Four #39 / Fantastic Four #186 (Marvel Comics) |
Agatha became a mentor-like figure to Scarlet Witch in "The Vision & The Scarlet Witch Vol. 2 (1985 - 1986) [9]" series. When she seemingly died in that run, Scarlet Witch absorbed some of her magical energies, manifesting Agatha's astral form that guided her to create children for Vision and herself [10]. Years later new Editor-In-Cheif, Tom DeFalco, had the children recontextualized to Soul Fragments of The Devil, Mephisto leading Agatha to wipe the trauma from Wanda's mind in "Avengers: West Coast #52 (1989) [11]."
Wanda later discovered what happened, having a mental breakdown killed Agatha for good [12]. Wanda alters reality during this mental breakdown so much The Avengers and X-men team up to kill her. Before they can, a flash happens, and they're in an alternate reality where the Mutants are the dominant species, Magneto rules the world, and everyone's greatest wish came true. This storyline called "House Of M" ends with Wanda altering reality yet again saying "No more Mutants." Everyone wakes up with their memories from the House Of M reality, back in their original universe, but Wanda decimated the Mutants with barely any left [13].
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| The Vision & The Scarlet Witch Vol. 2 #3 / Avengers: West Coast #52 / Avengers: Disassembled #503 / House Of M T.P.B. (Marvel Comics) |
If WandaVision takes any inspiration from these comics, things could get very crazy. So far, Wanda has brought Vision back and will give herself children, which both happened in the House Of M storyline. The next step is Wanda losing her mind and creating a world of Mutants.
Vision's Work - Computational Service inc.
WandaVision also plays into the trope of a character working somewhere, but no one actually knows what they do - usually the audience. The show has it's own little satirical twist on it with Vision being a machine and always looking for logic, asking "what it is we do here exactly?" But also in a way, seeing through the illusion of this fake reality that surrounds him. Trailers even hint at Vision seeing through this illusion of reality, suggesting that Vision is alive, not just a fake explicitly created for this reality.
I like the word-play in the series about Visions robotic nature - "you're like a walking computer," "have you got a screw loose," "screws all tightened, sir," and "I don't have a skeleton, sir." We could see the last quote in two ways: "I don't have a skeleton, sir," as, literally, not having a skeleton. Or not having the backbone to stand up to his Boss - taken this way, Mr Hart's reply of "glad to hear it. Your future in this company depends on it," is in-line with that off bosses who treat their employees horribly.
Wanda And Agnes At home
We then return home to Wanda and Agnes reading a "Glamourours" magazine, a play on Glamour Magazine, followed by a call from Vision with the classic situation where characters have a conversation about two completely different topics thinking it's the same one. To which this one leads to an interesting greeting at the dinner party later.
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| Glamourours Magazine (Marvel Studios) / Glamour Magazine (Condé Nast) |
Toaster Commercial
I love the old-school commercials they do in this show. The "Toast Mate 2000" is such a classic cliche 60s name! It's also interesting to note that Stark Industries made it, and if you listen when they turn the toaster on, it makes the sound of Tony Starks Repulsor Tech (R.T.). Yet, another reference to the outside world. And notice when the camera is in a close-up, the light turns red - our first splash of colour in the show. The toaster beeping faster and faster, maybe mirroring Wanda's backstory from Avengers: Age Of Ultron when her and Pietro as children were stuck waiting for a Stark missile to explode and kill them after it hit their apartment.
When "Commercial Man," Ithamar Enriquez got interviewed by Eric Voss of New Rockstars - Eric asked Ithamar about that very theory. Enriquez replied, "I don't know if I can answer that without giving too much away [14]," lending credence to the theory. Hints of Wanda's memory are making their way into this fictional reality in peculiar ways. Elizabeth Olsen described the show as "a coming of age story. For her, it's more of a coming of woman age story. Like, she [she] start[s] to come to terms with [her] past, and who [she is], and take accountability for things, and kind of coming to terms with [her]self [15]." So, aspects of her past coming back into play would make complete sense if she has come to terms with them and grow as a character.
Behind Commercial Man and Commercial Woman - Ithamar Enriquez and Victoria Blade - the clock on the wall is missing the number six. As the show goes on, six becomes a recurring number, but I'll talk more about that in my WandaVision Episode 2 article.
There's also something sinister about the tagline at the end - "Forget the past; this is your future!" Whether this is a reference to Wanda controlling everyone in this bubble reality, or someone manipulating Wanda subconsciously planting these messages everywhere - I'm not sure. But, every single detail seems to mean something in WandaVision!
The Dinner
The show moves on to Vision bringing Mr and Mrs Hart home for dinner, and Wanda has set the mood for her and Vision to get it on, continuing that trope from the phonecall earlier. Mr Hart drops another play on words with his, "you blow a fuse?"
Wanda surprises Mr Hart with the "traditional Sokovian greeting of hospitality," as Vizh turns on the light and Mr Hart asks "what is the meaning of this?" creating the stereotypical situation where they need to dig themselves out of a hole. Vision digs them out explaining Wanda is Sokovian, which Mrs Hart finds exotic, but Mr Hart says "we don't break bread with Bolsheviks," referencing the Cold War since we are in the '50s.
Mrs Hart comments on the nightgown Wanda is wearing, which looks like a nod to the gown Laura has in an episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show - Never Bathe on Saturday.
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| Wanda's Dress (Marvel Studios) / Laura's Dress (C.B.S.) |
Wanda snaps her fingers, shifting into gear, and with Agnes' help, Wanda tries to pull together dinner using her telekinetic powers while Vision distracts Mr and Mrs Hart. Agnes mentions "this menu can be done in a snap," further leading us to think Agnes knows more than she's letting on.
Mr Hart explains changes he wants to do at work, as a confused Vision inquires about these changes and Hart replies with "you're awfully dense, aren't you, Vision?" referencing the fact Vision can control the density of his body.
As Wanda whips together a quick dinner - or breakfast, the same breakfast she spoke about at the start of the episode - Mr Hart sternly talks to Vision about him and his wife being hungry and that there is chaos going on all around him. Often Wanda's powers are referred to as Chaos Magic, so there technically is chaos going on around all of them.
Wanda sets the table with a bottle of wine called "Maiso Du Mepris." Translated from French, it says "house of contempt." Contempt is reasonably close to misery, so it's safe to say this refers to the House Of M storyline.
As they sit down to eat, the Harts ask Wanda and Vision their story, but when they cannot explain where they came from, Mr Hart grows furious and begins choking on his food. At this point, the sitcom format briefly subsides, turning into an episode of The Twilight Zone, as Mrs Hart creepily continues to ask her husband to "stop it" with deliberate close-ups of the reactions of each character. Vision saves Mr Hart and everything returns to "normal," and not a mention of what happened. Such a bizarre and creepy part of the episode; almost as if Wanda subconsciously did it to Mr Hart, hinting at Wanda's potential grip on reality loosening.
The Ending
I love the classic jump-cut when Wanda creates rings for Vision and herself - it reminds me of I Dream of Jeannie or Bewitched. The WandaVision show then ends with a hexagonal shaped frame - that number six coming back again - while fake credits roll. In these credits, names like Babs Digby, Abe Brown, Leonard Hooper, Pamela Brewster, Sammy Addison, Miriam Norton, Felix Rizzo, Cathy Collins, and Deila Kane appear.
In a show like this, throwing references into fake credits is the perfect opportunity - and these go deep. Babs Digby refers to a 1940s radio show, The Life Of Riley, featuring two characters named, Digby "Digger" O'Dell and Barbara "Babs" Riley [16]. The Life Of Riley is a strange inclusion - considering it had a radio show and feature film in the 40s and a series and comic in the 50s, it does have precedence to be there. But, here's where it gets interesting - there was also a character called Chester A. Riley whose catchphrase was, "what a revoltin' development this is!" And if you don't know, this was also a catchphrase from The Thing in Fantastic Four - he had more than just "it's clobberin' time."
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| Fantastic Four #35 / Fantastic Four #176 (Marvel Comics |
The next name to appear is Abe Brown - known as Black Tiger and brother of the Prowler in the comics - he is a martial artist and has teamed up with Spider-Man, Shang-Chi, and Iron Fist [17]. What's also interesting to point out is, we have already seen him in the M.C.U. before. Abe is one of Peter's classmates at Midtown High [18].
The only connection I can find for Miriam Norton is that they wrote stories mostly for children in the 1950s [19]. The fact we know Wanda will have children might solidify this connection.
There's no real connection for Deila Kane. The best I can find is characters called Delia Childress [20] and Isabel Kane [21] in Marvel Comics. They both have affiliations to A.I.M., which might make an appearance in WandaVision (I'll talk about that in my Episode 2 article). These are very obscure characters to reference, especially Delia, as she only appears in "Marvel Team-Up Vol. 1 #102 (1981) [22]," and then accidentally killed. Neither shared a comic with Wanda or Vision; if it's not A.I.M., who knows what this is referencing if it is referencing anything.
Looking through Marvel comics, '50s T.V. shows that served as inspiration for WandaVision, and randomly Googling - I couldn't find anything for Leonard Hooper, Pamela Brewster, Sammy Addison, Felix Rizzo, and Cathy Collins. They don't seem to ring any bells at all.
The camera zooms out to what looks to be Darcy Lewis - the Political Science student from the Thor franchise - monitoring them on a Cathode Ray Television (C.R.T.). On the book and monitor to her side, we see the logo for S.W.O.R.D., the space counterpart to S.H.I.E.L.D. in the comics. I think this is an organization Nick Fury sets up himself, as we see Fury in space at the end of Spider-Man: Far From Home.
On the card released by Topps for the show, S.W.O.R.D. has a different meaning than the comics. The acronym usually means Sentient World Observation and Response Department [23], but in WandaVision, it stands for Sentient Weapon Observation Response Division [24]. I assume the change is to remove any limitations the name might suggest - not just Earth or Space, it can respond to sentient weapons anywhere.
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| S.W.O.R.D. Logo (Marvel Comics) / S.W.O.R.D. Logo (Marvel Studios) |
On the left-hand monitor, you can also see what seems to be two vital signs. These could be Wanda and Vision - Red and Green - or the vitals of people they have sent into Wanda's bubble reality to try and help.
There also has to be something said about the end-credit sequence in this show. I love the abstract nature of it, and the use of the R.G.B. L.E.D.s contrasting everything. I don't usually watch the entire credits, but WandaVisions are amazing. I need to find out who created them and tell everyone about them!
End Thoughts
While Marvel Studios never intended WandaVision to be their first show, it seems rather fitting since it plays with everything about T.V. - from colour, aspect ratios, cinematography, tropes, writing, direction, to releasing on a week-to-week basis, and whatnot. Even the name WandaVision is excellent. Wanda's Vision - as in her love, Vision. Wanda's vision - as in how she sees everything. And WandaVision - as in us and the character's outside of Wanda's bubble reality watching the events as they unfold on a T.V. It's, literally, a T.V. show for them as well.
In an interview with ComicBookDotCom, Paul Bettany said:
"Jac Schaeffer - the writer - has written a very intricate, elegant puzzle box, and every week, fans are going to be able to peel back another layer. It is not an arbitrary decision to set it in sitcoms, that's for sure. It will all make sense. Out of all this mad, insane confusion that [you see] in the trailers - all will be explained and revealed [25]."
I love the fact that we can do this week-to-week. Yeah, it's a benefit to Marvel to stretch out content and Disney+ subscriptions - but it allows us to experience the wait we had with shows, and discuss and theorize all that week until we get the next puzzle piece.
I was initially sceptical about Showrunner Jac Schaeffer, but the writing is fantastic. Everything means something, and she managed to capture the tone of a 50s sitcom quite well, even throwing in lots of un-noticed M.C.U. references that casual audiences would miss. This show will most likely have a fantastic pay-off for the fans who picked up those references, and re-watchability for those who didn't realize them until the pay-off.
I think Wanda created this bubble reality as an escape using American sitcoms because that might be what she grew up watching as a kid in Sokovia. She believes that is the idealized American dream. It might also be why she lives in "Westview" because that's how she saw the west - as an idealized American sitcom world. And that idea plays into the title of the show perfectly.
Thank you for reading all of this - it was a bit much and a little bit of a tangent to get out all th information I found that I thought was so cool. If there's anything you noticed or want to correct, feel free to comment down below or Tweet me @AfterHoursMedYT!
