Disney+ Review: ‘Agatha All Along’ Has Been Worth the Wait

Layers often peel back to reveal more layers that look exactly the same. But in other cases they’re completely different from their wrapper, revealing something entirely new. WandaVision was itself a radical re-envisioning of characters who previously appeared in Avengers movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. On that show, Agatha Harkness was a fascinating supporting character who turned out to be anyone other than she initially seemed. The latest MCU TV series gives Agatha a leading platform, inviting Marvel fans into a witch-centric fantasy experience with a tone all its own, unlike anything the comic book franchise has previously offered.

Agatha All Along begins in much the same way as WandaVision did, with its protagonist (Kathryn Hahn) stuck in a procedural detective show trying to solve a mysterious murder case. The arrival of an old colleague (Aubrey Plaza) with whom she clearly has bad – and complicated – blood only adds to her sense that something is wrong. She soon awakens to the fact that she is indeed the powerful witch Agatha Harkness, trapped under the spell of Wanda Maximoff with no memory of her true identity. With the help of the eager Teen (Joe Locke), Agatha reluctantly assembles a coven so that she can access The Road, the only way she knows to get her magic back and become the powerful villain she’s always been meant to be.

The trajectory of this show might best be compared to the genesis of Better Call Saul. Both Jimmy Goodman and Agatha, each initially known by other names on the original programs, were clear standouts in their ensembles, but the announcement of a spinoff centered on them caught some by surprise since they might just have been most effective in that limited capacity. The continued changing titles of this show, which maintained Agatha’s name but added and took away other words numerous times during the three-year run-up to its release, cast more doubt on whether this show would work, but the two episodes shown so far indicate that it is certainly worth the investment, pivoting from an idyllic world constructed from grief to a disgruntled centuries-old witch desperate to take back control of her abilities and surroundings, whatever the cost.

Hahn, a past Emmy nominee for WandaVision, Transparent, and Tiny Beautiful Things, has a wonderfully sardonic way about her which works perfectly for Agatha. She’s loudly frustrated by nearly every situation and has no patience for anyone, ignoring her new Teen companion’s excitement to help her and barely managing to feign enthusiasm at recruiting the members of her new coven. It’s a blunt and highly entertaining performance from an actress well-versed in subtlety doing away with any of that here. It makes for a particularly electrifying match-up with the always excellent Plaza, who most know from her more sarcasm-laced work in Parks and Recreation and The White Lotus but who has demonstrated excellent genre dramatic prowess in projects like Legion that’s only on brief display in this show’s first sampling and is sure to deliver more throughout the season.

Hahn’s other costars are also formidable, including Patti LuPone, Sasheer Zamata, Ali Ahn, and Debra Jo Rupp as the members of Agatha’s coven. There’s one scene in particular where they’re gathered in a circle attempting to conjure up a way to the road and sing together where this show truly comes alive. It’s transporting to another dimension, making the magical nature of this show feel real and reachable, if only just for the span of that song. Similar immersive moments are likely to fill the remainder of the season given this show’s focus on magic, which it manages to fold neatly and believably into its narrative. Agatha’s inability to hear Teen say his name is a curiosity that seems to delight and intrigue her even more than it frustrates her, indicating further questions to be delved into at a later date.

While this series will surely attract MCU completists who wouldn’t dare miss anything the mega-franchise puts out in its fifth phase, it’s nice to see that it has a voice and tone all its own, shaped and influenced but not defined by WandaVision. Given that Agatha is a character created for Marvel Comics more than half a century ago, there’s evidently a greater backstory and connection to the overarching universe that exists, but this series, even more than the one that spun it off, manages to take an already compelling premise and setup and create something organic and accessible to a greater public without any preexisting knowledge of the MCU. Two episodes tease how this show will look and feel but provide no guarantee of what’s to come, a reassuringly brave decision that leaves so much open-ended and should invite audiences back to discover where this treacherous path will lead.

Series Rating: 8/10

Awards Buzz: While WandaVision did very well with Emmy nominations, that has not been the fate of most MCU shows. Maybe Hahn’s track record and Plaza’s presence can change that, but only if the show really lands with audiences.