I was really into WandaVision, but something really bothers me (and has since Age of Ultron): I really don’t like how Wanda is presented in the MCU narrative. It’s like they can’t commit to her being a real anti-hero (as in, some of her actions are those of a villain, even though she has good intentions or changes her mind). It kind of pisses me off because the actress is amazing, and I’d like to be invested in the character (I love villains/antihero, like her comics-dad Magneto).
All the ‘good guys’ see her as a ‘good guy’ who has to be protected at all costs, and all the ‘bad guys’ are bent on killing her. It lacks nuance to me. From what we see, she’s a really complex interesting character, but the world in which she’s written does not let her showcase that.
Monica’s line really did it for me: ‘They wouldn’t know what you sacrificed for them’… really? She took them hostage physically and mentally, plain and simple torture for weeks. And faces no consequence for it. We’re not shown the FBI going after her (which they should), no one but the actual bad guy of the story (Agatha) admonishes her for unleashing her fantasy world on innocent bystanders. The FBI apparently also has authority on SWORD by the way…
Which goes with: why was Hayward framed as an asshole for wanting to eliminate her at the start of the show? And why was the team (Monica/Jimmy/Darcy) so bent on being nice to Wanda? Many attempts are made to reason her in the course of 9 episodes, and Hayward is proven right (from an outside perspective) at every single one until the last minutes of the last one.
Why was reactivating Vision framed as being so bad? Obviously Hayward wanted a weapon, but as the director of a worldwide security agency (as in, whose aim would also be to defend the planet against aliens) that would absolutely be the right thing to do, especially after Thanos and Iron Man + Captain America’s loss. Also Wanda’s probably getting white Vision back thanks to that.
Like I don’t specially like military types or authority figures in stories, but they’re often framed as bad guys when they do exactly what their job requires them to do. It’s annoying. In real life I would hate the guy but also would be really resentful if he didn’t take difficult decisions in a time of crisis, like eliminating someone who’s threatening people’s lives, whatever pain they went through or glorious actions they might have achieved before.
That said, the concept of the first 7 episodes was amazing, all the actors were great and the flashback episode was interesting, shading light on Wanda’s background (although a bit more than a single line on how she got into the Hydra program would have been welcomed). The team was super fun, I hope Darcy and Jimmy come back as well. The kids were engaging, and I hope the characters come back at the same age (unlike what they did with Monica and Cassie, although the kids playing them were great). And Agatha was awesome, menacing and likeable (as a villain)
Overall I’m really excited by the perspective offered by the 2 post credit scenes, with Monica in Secret Invasion (or Captain Marvel 2? Anyways, Monica) and the return of Wanda’s kids, as well as badass Wanda, probably in a Doctor Strange movie.
ps: also I hope for some young Maria flashbacks because I liked her as well.
pps: feel free to discuss, or juste plain agree ;)
