Ryan Shoots First: WandaVision (S1 Ep1 & Ep2)

It’s a new era as Disney+ embarks on it’s first original series set in their uber popular Marvel Universe. WandaVision is just the first of a slew of series coming exclusively to the service and today they debuted the first two episodes so let’s break them down and make a few observations! SPOILERS AHEAD…

Episode 1

The show starts with a Leave it to Beaver style TV opening showing Vision and Wanda coming to their home after their wedding, complete with Wanda avoiding tripping over a stool a la Dick Van Dyke. We even have a live studio audience laugh track as they live out the American dream. On a calendar in the kitchen they have a heart circled on the day to celebrate but neither seem to be able to remember just what they are celebrating. Vision puts on his best Paul Bettany disguise to head off to work and Wanda is greeted by her neighbor Agnes played by Kathryn Hahn making her MCU debut. Vision is reminded the special day is dinner with his Boss Mr. Heart.

After some classic sitcom miscommunication we are on a collision course as Wanda prepares for a romantic evening and Vision is worried the evening must be perfect. There was an interesting commercial during a “Commercial break” that showed a toaster that can keep your toast from burning and upsetting your husband but it featured the first color of the episode as a red light blinked on the toaster. Relevant? I don’t know. 

The dinner is typical disaster sitcom fair as everything is falling apart with a little MCU twist around Vision and Wanda’s powers. They finally settle down to dinner and the Harts ask typical questions about their love story and neither can seem to remember. As they try to remember we notice for the first time a unconventional sitcom camera angle as Mr. Hart begins to choke. As he is struggling his wife is played by sitcom royalty Debra Jo Rupp laughs telling him to stop seemingly not caring or struggling to show the right emotion. Vision saves Mr. Hart and the dinner is saved as the Harts leave. The sitcom seemingly ends as we pan out to see a monitor in a modern military surveillance room.  A hand grabs a small remote and turns off the feed to bring the credits on episode 1. 

Love to see the MCU using this platform to do new and different things. Instead of watered down movie plots were getting something unique that wouldn’t play well in a theatre. Can you imagine devoting one third of a movie to an entire 1960’s sitcom? 

Episode 2

Episode starts similar to the first episode without quite so much pomp and circumstance like the opening. Wanda is awoken to a loud bang and her and Vision investigate. It sounds like gunfire but all they seem to find is a tree limb banging against the window. Perhaps something going on in the real world. We do get a proper opening with this being a Bewitched style opening as we move to a new era of family sitcom in the late 60’s style. They are working on a magic trick for a community event. Wanda hearing the shooting ricochet sound of bullets again goes outside to investigate and discovers a small device in the bushes that actually has color. It is a small toy Helicopter that is a rich red and yellow color. She is startled as Agnes shows up to provide a pet rabbit for their magic trick. Wanda goes to meet with the local wives and has to answer to the lead town mom. Wanda is worried about putting on a good face and impressing everyone. Wanda meets Geraldine who also seems to not know why she is there and has some issues perhaps she is trapped here as well. 

Vision shows up at the neighborhood watch meeting where we find many of the characters that played different roles in the first episode. Vision is trying to get details on the security measures the town is implementing but not much work is being done as it is largely a gossip session. Vision accidently swallows some gum which I guess is messing with his android body. Back at the lunch Wanda is talking to Dotty when over the small radio a voice starts saying “Wanda who is doing this to you” Dotty seems to break out of her loop as well and asks who she is as the radio explodes Dotty crushes the glass in her hand causing her to bleed red colored blood. Dotty seems to snap back in and goes back to her role. We cut to another commercial featuring the same two people that were in the toaster commercial in episode 1. This commercial is for a watch brand named Striicker and the watch has a Hydra logo on it. Perhaps a nod to Baron Strucker who was in Age of Ultron and led the experiments on Wanda that gave her her powers. At the talent show Vision shows up all messed up from the gum he swallowed. Wanda tries to tell Vision about the weird things happening but he is Gum drunk. Vision keeps using his abilities to wow everyone and Wanda keeps using hers to make it seem they are using illusion. Wanda and Vision win the talent show and return home and suddenly Wanda is pregnant. As they lean in for a kiss they hear the noise again and head outside. They look in the street and a manhole cover is being opened. Out of it comes a man in a beekeeper suit with bees all around him. On his coat is the same SWORD logo that was on the toy helicopter Wanda found earlier. Wanda seeing him says no and suddenly we are rewinded back to the moment they kiss after discovering they are pregnant. After the kiss color is slowly restored to the world around them. The episode ends with the voice once again asking “Wanda who is doing this to you Wanda?” 

Again I love the attention to detail as they play with genres, colors and camera placement. You can tell a lot of thought and effort was put into the presentation of the show and I applaud the bold choices and risks being taken. It won’t be for everyone but they are really taking some chances in the MCU and I applaud them for that. Still no real idea what’s going on, where in the timeline this is placed and how Vision is alive but some of that will be waiting and watching endless YouTube videos breaking down every frame. 

Observations:

• Nice to see the Marvel Studios opening but might have been cool to come up with something different for the TV side. 
• The shifting tones and genres is really a fun watch. 
• First look at Hahn who according to the trailers seems to be a key player in the show. 
• I feel like the actors must have had a blast playing these different genres. As students of the art they probably enjoyed exploring the tropes. 
• I feel like there are so many little clues and hints to the grater mystery I should be picking up on. 
• Fantastic touch breaking from the sitcom camera shots once things get tense and they start breaking down whatever false world is going on. 
• It’s crazy how little MCU we have gotten since Endgame.
• It’s a nice touch to not only change the feel with a new sitcom era but we have an entire new home and set that fits the sitcoms of the time. 
• The attention to detail, the creators must have taught a class in sitcom TV tropes and aesthetics. 
• Again this episode while also in black and white is a more dynamic black and white. There is more detail and contrast than the previous 1950’s look in Episode 1. 
• Interesting details on the watch that is pronounced Strucker but spelled seemingly Striicker. Nevertheless clearly a call to Strucker from Age of Ultron who was Hydra. 
• The whole “for the children” thing seems to mean something…so there is that. 
• Bettany coming out to the people reminded me of his character in A Knights Tale. 
• Agnes keeps referencing her husband Ralph who we have not seen yet. 
• I was gonna write the “Gum up the works” line but Vision beat me to it. 
• I like how when color restored it was still a limited range color as we move forward in the genre timeline of sitcoms. Maybe next week can be Sanford and Son? 
• Wandas “No” at the end may be the most powerful line so far and puts a lot of theories in play.