This article contains spoilers for Agatha All Along
Marvel’s latest addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is the dark comedy series, Agatha: All Along. Directed by Jac Schaeffer and starring Kathryn Hahn, Patti LuPone, Aubrey Plaza and more, Agatha All Along scores an 83% on the Tomatometer and a 7.3/10 stars on IMDB. The show is notable for having the lowest budget of any MCU Disney+ show. While we don’t know the number exactly, it was confirmed to be less than Echo, which previously held the record at $40 million. Agatha All Along proved that no matter how much money you have, nothing beats a team of artists who are putting their all into creating something beautiful.
Agatha All Along sees the titular character, Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn), form a coven of witches to travel the Witches’ Road, a mystical path that can grant any wish if you make it to the end. Journeying alongside Agatha on her quest is Jennifer Kale (Sasheer Zamata), Alice Wu-Gulliver (Ali Ahn), Lilia Calderu (Patti LuPone), Teen (Joe Locke), and Mrs. Hart (Debra Jo Rupp). Teen spends the show trying to decipher his identity, as he has a magical hex put on him preventing him from uttering his name. He ultimately figures out that he is Billy Maximoff, one of the sons of the Scarlet Witch, a very powerful magic user. He is determined to find his brother, Tommy Maximoff. The party is tormented and ridiculed by another witch, Rio Vedal (Aubrey Plaza), who reveals herself to be Death, the physical embodiment of death itself. As the road puts the coven through trials and tribulations to prove their worthiness, the witches get plucked off one by one until only three remain.
The series is the first Disney+ show to prominently feature openly queer characters, with the two main characters, Agatha and Wiccan, being bisexual and gay respectively. While Loki is technically the MCU’s first queer character, his gender fluidity is only ever referenced on a Manila file in the Disney+ series Loki, whereas Agatha and Wiccan are loud and proud. The show does an excellent job at not shoehorning in the characters’ queerness, but rather making them one part of who they are. We see this with Agatha being sarcastic and witty about her queerness when she says “Hey, you want straight answers, ask a straight lady.” in the seventh episode. Wiccan has an episode devoted to him figuring out his identity and we meet his very supportive (albeit a little worrisome) boyfriend, Eddie (Miles Gutierrez-Riley).
The show did a stunning job with its limited budget, with most scenes being confined to small areas as to not warrant constructing massive set pieces. Many scenes take place either on the marsh along the Witches Road, or in a house constructed for the trials. The show’s biggest downside however, stems from this. Approximately half of the show takes place outside and these scenes were very poorly lit. I found myself needing to max out my TVs backlight every time the characters were outside, otherwise I could’t see a thing.
“If you have a lesser budget, that forces the writers, the directors, the producers, to think more creatively,” senior Aaqib Shareef said. “[That’s] in terms of set design, in terms of the story, in terms of everything. I think that was one of its key points, though, why it was perfectly designed, and that was because the writers and directors put so much attention [into] the script and made it perfect.”
“It may attract a wider range of people because it is a lot more diverse than many other shows,” senior Ainsley Flintz said. “I mean, basically the entire cast is female, and there’s a lot of women of color represented, and also different ages. There’s a lot of openly queer characters on the show [too]. So, I think it’s definitely different [from] your typical male-dominated MCU production.”
So what’s next? Agatha All Along ends with Agatha Harkness dying and becoming a ghost, and with Wiccan still trying to find his brother. Agatha may return in future occult-related projects, like the potential “Ghost Rider” or “Midnight Sons” projects, both of which are rumored to be in development. Wiccan may get his own sequel series, much akin to how Agatha All Along is a spiritual successor to Wandavision, to help tie his loose ends. After he inevitably finds his brother and potentially even his partner from the comics, Teddy Altman, AKA Hulkling, the trio will most likely end up in a “Young Avengers” project alongside other young heroes already established in the MCU.
Overall, Agatha All Along was an amazing show. It clearly showcased the skill of the cast, the expertise of the crew, and the heart of everyone involved. Hopefully this show is a sign of increasing quality for MCU projects and everyone will take a few pages out of Jac Schaeffer and the cast’s spellbook.
