“I’m assembling a coven…” –Agatha Harkness
Everyone’s favourite witch is back in town in the form of Jac Schaeffer’s latest Marvel Studios series, Agatha All Along.
It’s been a while since Agatha (Kathryn Hahn) had her powers taken away by Wanda Maximoff, a.k.a. Scarlet Witch. Now, it’s her turn to reclaim them. The mystery of how she plans to do this is the heart of Agatha All Along, a series that will keep you eagerly anticipating each new episode.
The first four episodes focus on Agatha trying to figure out how to regain her powers. The only way for her to do this is to walk the Witches’ Road, a perilous journey that tests a witch’s strength and determination with dangerous obstacles and tests, each designed to push a witch to her limits. Her best chance at survival is to form a coven. So, Agatha approaches some fellow witches, including Jennifer Kale (Sasheer Zamata), Alice Wu-Gulliver (Ali Ahn), and Lilia Calderu (Patti LuPone)—who mostly think Agatha has genuinely lost her marbles—to form this coven, despite their obvious trepidation. In addition, the coven they create includes Teen (Joe Locke), a familiar who works alongside Agatha and Sharon Davis (Debra Jo Rupp), a resident of Westview who formerly appeared in WandaVision as Mrs. Hart.
While the newly formed coven is a very unlikely bunch, they’re forced to put their differences aside and work toward the common goal of surviving their walk down the Witches’ Road. The journey holds many twists and turns, where split-second life-or-death decisions must be made; indeed, all in a day’s work for a witch, right?
Like WandaVision, the first two episodes might have you tilting your head to the side in wonderment but also unsure of where all this is going. However, I assure you, you’ll want to stick around to see what happens next. As the episodes unfold, it is clear that Schaeffer’s vision for Harkness and her comrades is clear. While it is a story about Agatha regaining her powers (or trying to), it is also a tale about the bonds formed in community with others, witches and non-witches alike. These bonds are tested and strengthened as the coven faces the challenges of the Witches’ Road, and they provide a rich backdrop for the character development and interactions.
Schaeffer and the rest of the writing team do a great job balancing the comedic and creepy elements throughout the series, creating an atmosphere that keeps you on your toes. There’s also a musicality to the series that I didn’t expect and I absolutely loved those parts. The balance of all these elements makes for some genuinely entertaining television, which is amplified by the fantastic cast.
Although Hahn is fantastic in every role she plays, there is something special about her portrayal of Agatha. Watching Hahn on screen, it’s easy to tell she is having a phenomenal time channelling her witchy wiles as one of the MCU’s witches. Yet again, Hahn brings her signature humour and charm as Agatha. However, this time, she has other witches to interact with (aside from battling the Scarlet Witch). Seeing Hahn’s Harkness forced to play well with others was fascinating, as was the bickering with the new additions as she tried to recruit members for her coven.
Zamata is exceptional as Jennifer, a sorceress with mastery in potion-making. Alongside her, Ahn plays Alice, a protector witch, and LuPone rounds out the trio as Lilia, a witch whose specialty lies in the art of divination. The three actresses shine in their respective roles, and there’s much to love where they are concerned, each bringing an added vibrancy to the series through the lens of their characters. Each witch has their own trials to face in addition to the danger of the Witches’ Road, adding an extra layer of entertainment and complexity to the show. The series is all the better for it. A welcome addition to Agatha’s coven (or so Agatha hopes), it was great to see Zamata, Ahn, and LuPone shine in all their witchy wonder.
Rounding out the coven are Rupp’s Sharon and Locke’s Teen. I enjoyed the opposing forces of this pair. In Locke’s Teen, you have a character excited to join Agatha’s coven; he seems determined to play some part in Agatha’s schemes. Meanwhile, Sharon gets roped into the chaotic adventure, unaware of what she’s getting into or what is happening (similar to her character in WandaVision). Despite being on opposite ends of the adventure, the pair make for some of the show’s best moments. Locke brings his youthful energy to the series, and Teen has a great rapport with Agatha. It was great to see Rupp back in action in the MCU with more to do this time around as Sharon.
Thus far, there is a lot to enjoy about Agatha All Along. What begins as a pseudo-murder mystery evolves into a story of witchery that easily ensnares and bewitches. With excellent writing and a potentially dangerous journey ahead, I look forward to what the remainder of the series brings. One thing’s for sure: Get in, witches. It’s time to form a coven!
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