*Disclaimer: Most of the information that I include in this article was discussed in Fan Videos produced by IGN Entertainment on Youtube.
Marvel’s first attempt at a sitcom is a delight and much of that success is due to Paul Bettany and Elizabeth Olsen’s wonderful handling of its vintage-styled script. Right off of the bat, WandaVision makes it clear that the show is a sitcom and the plot of the first few episodes is dedicated to situational comedy.
Episode one and two
Through the use of a delightful theme tune and self-aware title cards that use the characters’ names rather than their actors, it firmly establishes the show’s false reality. Generating a sense of unease around the vintage aesthetic. So many elements in the first two episodes are able to work on both the in-show universe as well as the bigger picture. For example, Wanda’s comment on Vision’s indestructible head works as a cute housewife quip, while also acting as dark dramatic irony since the viewers already know that his head was torn apart by Thanos in Infinity War. The slow advancements of the more traditional MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) elements do provide space to introduce Wanda’s pregnancy though, an event that seems to indicate that “we” the viewers should invest in the sitcom itself, rather than pin all expectations on the underlying mystery to propel the show’s plot.
At the end of episode one, we’re presented with a mysterious observer watching WandaVision; surrounded by equipment displaying the SWORD logo. Seemingly teased for inclusion in the MCU at the end of Spider-Man Far From Home, the Sentient World Observation and Response Department is one of Marvel’s key organizations in the comic books, and essentially operates as a counterpart to SHIELD.
This two-part premiere is only setting up the story and does very little in the form of plot development.
Episode three
Much like the two-part premiere, episode three delay’s most of its revelations until the credits begin to roll. Gredaline being catapulted out of WestView and into the real-world suggests there’s an almost Truman Show element to it all. That WestView is a physical place rather than an imaginary reality. However, considering the confirmation of a link to Doctor Strange 2, it is a realm within the Multiverse of Madness. Within WestView itself, we discover that Gredaline is new to town and is disliked by Agnes and Herb. In truth, Gredaline is a SWORD agent in disguise, and her real name is Monica Rambeau; last seen in Captain Marvel as the young daughter of Carol’s friend Maria. In Marvel Comics, Monica’s first appearance was in Roger Stem and John Romita Jr.’s “The Amazing Spider-Man Annual” No.16 in 1982 as a lieutenant in the New Orleans Harbor Patrol who gained superpowers after being struck with a blast of extra-dimensional energy.
There is a surreal nature to episode three that’s undeniably joyful. This surreal fun is the driving force of the episode too. At its heart, this is the classical mom gives birth episode of any family sitcom, completed with a flustered father to top it off. Nonetheless, Wanda’s accelerated pregnancy breaks the “realness” of the idea and ensures that the sitcom feels more a part of the MCU. The fact that twin Tommy and Billy are apart of arguably Scarlet Witch’s and Vision’s most recognizable storyline in the comics makes this a landmark moment for the MCU.
Episode four
In episode four, a recap of everything the series has displayed so far is discussed from a different point of view. The origin of Hex and Wanda’s life in WestView is finally revealed; the sitcom-reality is a creation of Wanda herself. Multiple fan theories believe that the sitcom is a way for Wanda to display her emotions as a plot device. This episode is the first episode of the true story being told.
The haunting image of dead Vision certainly suggests that the blissful family design is Wanda’s remedy for her own grief. This episode is primarily focused on SWORD. Monica, now captain at the agency, teams up with web-expert Darcy and Ant-Man’s FBI agent, Jimmy Wu to decipher the secrets of WestView. The viewers see how the SWORD team discovers that the supporting cast of WandaVision is all real people who are missing in the real world. This suggests that Wanda has imprisoned and manipulated real civilians to populate WestView. Nevertheless, one distinct resident has been unidentified by SWORD, and that is none other than Agnes. MCU fans theorize that her real identity may be the ancient witch, Agatha Harkness.
Episode five
Within the Hex, a 1980’s setting is the stage for a big family episode of WandaVision, in which we follow the episode plotline of the twins learning the highs and lows of life, with the addition of a new dog to teach them responsibility. On the other hand, Monica, Darcy, and Jimmy continue the race to understand the hidden details expressed in the Hex. Their efforts go up against SWORD’s increasingly aggressive acting director, Tyler Howard, whose insistence on branding all superheroes as “terrorists” calls on the MCU’s established distrust for government agencies. Wanda is portrayed as increasingly unsympathetic; she effectively dismisses Vision’s concerns throughout the episode, and as Vision comes closer to the truth, Wanda begins to lose her temper. An unexpected turn MCU fans were shocked to see was the return of Quicksilver (Pietro Maximoff), portrayed by Fox’s interpretation of Quicksilver, Evan Peters, instead of the MCU Quicksilver portrayed by Aaron-Taylor Johnson. Quicksilver’s appearance poses so many questions and promises a whole new set of unanswered questions. This speculation has led to multiple theories that Wanda didn’t bring back her deceased brother consciously, someone else must’ve brought Pietro back to keep Wanda grounded.
Episode six
This episode takes place in the early 2000s during Halloween. During this episode, Vision bails on his fatherly duties supposedly heading out on his own to patrol the neighborhood, when in reality he’s going to go investigate the bizarre nature of WestView. While Wanda and Pietro take the twins out for trick-or-treating. Wanda seems just as unsure as the audience as to why her brother possesses a new face, and he gives her vague/reassuring answers to solidify his identity as Pietro. While exploring the outskirts of WestView, Vision notices some of the residents stuck in a time loop and others are completely frozen. Tommy and Billy finally get their powers, mirroring those of their mother and uncle. During the majority of this episode, Wanda and Pietro catch up, and Pietro seems to know and understand the nature of WestView. On the other hand, Vision tries to escape from the Hex; however, outside of the Hex, Vision begins to decompose and fade into oblivion. Billy feels that his father is in danger and warns Wanda about it. Resulting in her expanding the Hex, encompassing Darcy and other SWORD agents inside the alternate-reality.
Episode seven
WandaVision episode seven finally pays-off with some real answers about what we’ve been watching this whole time and who is actually behind the scenes pulling the strings. The biggest reveal by far in this episode is the confirmation that Agnes is indeed Agatha Harkness. She’s secretly powering Wanda’s WestView anomaly. Fun-Fact, Agatha’s home exterior is actually the same house from Bewitched. In Agatha’s dungeon, Wanda notices a fossilized, glowing book which many MCU fans theorize to be the Darkhold, Marvel’s ancient evil spellbook. Agatha may be behind everything, but she is definitely not working alone. The Darkhold book has two key shapes on its cover, signifying that the twins may be the key; especially since Agatha urged Wanda in the earlier episodes to get pregnant. The whole point of it was for a nexus being (individuals capable of altering the future of the universe) to bear the twins with pieces of Mephisto’s soul. In order to exist in the hell realm, he needed to exist in the real world.
Episode eight
As it pertains to the end of episode 8, the huge rumor in league today is that there will in fact be the reveal of none other than White Vision. Viewer’s believed that eventually when Wanda broke into SWORD, she was so distraught with what she had seen, that she took Vision’s corpse, went over into WestView, and created the Hex where she could live her ideal life with him. However, it is revealed in the episode that Wanda didn’t take his body at all, that the resurrection of Vision is similar to the creation of Tommy and Billy, through magic; and Vision is actually at the SWORD base. The Vision inside the Hex has no memories of his past with Wanda outside the Hex, this can be connected to White Vision because in the comics, White Vision had no memories as well, this is what led to the storyline of finding out that Tony Stark had patterned Vision’s brain waves after Wonder Man. Scarlet Witch later on needs the help of Wonder Man, leading to multiple fan theories claiming that Wonder Man will appear on the show. Conversely, Hex Vision may take up this mantle and go head-on with White Vision in the last episode.