WandaVision: A Witchy Thanksgiving Binge (Blog #10)

    Over Thanksgiving break, I finally made time to binge-watch WandaVision. It’s been on my list for a while, but I kept putting it off. Knowing that Wanda Maximoff is called the “Scarlet Witch,” I figured there had to be many witchy moments in the show, and I wasn’t disappointed. I went in hoping to see elements of witchcraft tied to her character and ended up getting more than I expected.

    The show starts with Wanda and Vision living in a picture-perfect sitcom-style town, but something feels off. I wasn’t sure how this connected to anything witch-related until later. There’s an unsettling vibe, like a spell has been cast over the entire town, trapping everyone inside it. Wanda’s power is subtle at first, but the way she manipulates reality feels like magic on a massive scale. She creates an entire world to escape her pain, and while it seems harmless at first, it has consequences for everyone around her.

    The show started getting really witchy when Agatha Harkness was introduced. She’s disguised as Wanda’s nosy neighbor, but as the story unfolds, it’s shown that she’s a witch who’s been around for centuries. There’s a flashback to the Salem Witch Trials, which grabbed my attention. The show reimagines the trials, showing Agatha as a witch being judged not by Puritans but by her own coven. They try to destroy her for using dark magic, but she ends up turning their power against them; with glowing blue energy, she absorbs their life force.

    Another witchy scene that stood out was when Agatha trapped Wanda in magical runes. She explains how witches can only use their powers in places where their magic is dominant, and the runes stop Wanda’s abilities. It reminded me of the idea in folklore that witches have rules and structures to their magic, even if they’re powerful. There’s a need for knowledge and skill involved.

    The finale takes the witchcraft theme to another level. Wanda embraces her identity as the Scarlet Witch, and her powers go from uncontrolled to more focused. There’s a scene where she creates her own runes, turning Agatha’s trap against her where Wanda’s powers are red, Agatha’s are purple, and the energy clashes in the sky. The whole battle felt like a modern take on a classic witch duel, with spells and energy blasts instead of cauldrons and curses.

    What I loved most about WandaVision was how it didn’t treat magic as a gimmick. It tied witchcraft to themes of grief, power, and control. Wanda’s journey was about accepting her pain and figuring out who she is. Watching her step into her role as the Scarlet Witch felt like watching someone claim their true identity, even if it’s messy and complicated.


Comments

  1. williams.dan76December 11, 2024 at 6:05 AM

    I appreciated reading this, thanks. I have not bragged on my daughter much, but she writes for Marvel, DC, and other comic book producers. She wrote the latest Wanda books.

    ReplyDelete

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