After nine weeks, we have come to the conclusion of arguably the most creative content we’ve seen from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. WandaVision started out with an odd old-school sitcom within a series format that was a great combination of nostalgia wrapped around a puzzle. It’s really the first MCU content I can think of where for quite a while, viewers really didn’t know what was happening or why. We’ll look at writing a more thorough look back at the entire series at a later date, but today, let’s just focus on the finale.
Where we Left Off
The action of episode 9 picks up basically right where we left off at the end of episode 8. Wanda is about to square off against Agnes, who has the twins subdued under magical leashes. Wanda has just been told that she is the mythical Scarlet Witch, whose destiny is to destroy the world and whatnot. Agatha badly wants to take the Scarlet’ Witch’s power for her own. Vision is on his way back home, with Darcy stuck in the circus truck just outside of town. And, action!
Witch vs. Witch
Throughout the episode, we get a very MCU worthy battle of magic, between Wanda and Agnes. There is a fair amount of back and forth, some attempted trickery by Wanda to get into Agnes’ mind, followed by Agnes turning the tables. Through it all, Agnes seems to be largely absorbing Wanda’s power and spells and is really egging her on to keep throwing more her way. She offers Wanda a trade, she will help her ‘fix’ her broken reality bubble in exchange for all her magic. While Wanda doesn’t technically agree, she starts firing off blast after blast of magic, which seems to make Agnes more powerful, why weakening Wanda to the point where she is drained and looks emptied out, like Agnes’ coven after she stole their magic. But, as Agnes cackles at her apparent victory and then looks to destroy Wanda and letting her know the whole trade offer was just a lie, her magic fizzles. Wanda wakes back up and we see huge runes taking shape in the sky around the two witches, who had been battling in the sky. She reminds Agnes that only the witch who cast the runes can wield magic inside them – a lesson she learned from Agnes in episode 8. Wanda then turns the tables and siphons off Agnes’ powers and then erases her memory and sets her up in town as the stereotypical nosey neighbor she had been playing all along. She also notes that if she ever needs Agnes knowledge, she knows exactly where she will be. Foreshadowing!
Vision vs. Vision
Just as Witch vs. Witch is getting started, the new White Vision arrives and attaches Wanda. Before that gets too far, Our Vision (or the version Wanda created in her reality) also arrives and now it’s full Vision vs. Vision. We get to see them going at it in flight, firing blasts of energy, phasing in and out of solidity and generally putting on a heavyweight bout.
It’s largely a stalemate, when they begin to have a conversion – very Vision-like. After a bit of philosophical back and forth, Wanda’s Vision gives White Vision access to all his memories. At this point, White Vision acknowledges that he is actually the Vision and flies off to parts unknown for the remainder of the show. So, Vision wins!
The SWORD Director Gets His
Director Hayward takes advantage of a break in the border to bring in the SWORD troops to try to take Wanda down. He orders his troops to shoot her and the twins. Monica makes a timely entrance, jumping in front of the boys and taking the bullets, which slow down as they hit her, pass through her body without hurting her and then dropping to the ground. More superpowers for Monica to explore! She saves the kids, who have also helped take down the various SWORD agents. The director attempts to run away, but Darcy shows up in the knick of time to slam into his car with her truck. We’ll later see the Director being taken into custody.
It All Comes to an End
After the confrontation with Agnes, Wanda understands exactly what she has done in creating her reality bubble and how she has trapped the citizens in their roles. She knows it has to end. So, she begins to pull in the borders of her hex. This after fully understanding that removing the hex will also remove the boys and Vision from existence. But, she does it anyway, because she knows it’s the right thing to do.
We see the hex slowly contracting and the world returning to normal as the border passes over. Eventually it is down to just Wanda and Vision’s house. They put the kids to bed and cue the tears as we know they are about to be unmade. Fortunately, we don’t have to watch that happen as Wanda and Vision close the door behind them. But, we do get one final moment between Wanda and her created Vision, before he fades away and his essence flows back into Wanda as the last remnant of the Mind Stone.
Wanda heads back to the center of town and finds townspeople who clearly hate her and Monica, who doesn’t. She says she would have done the same thing to bring her mother back, if she had the power. As the FBI arrives, Wanda flies away, saying she will learn to control these powers she didn’t fully know she had.
We then get a bit of a wrap up for Monica, who meets a Skrull pretending to be an agent, who says that a friend of Monica’s mother wants to meet her and points upward, when Monica asks where. Nick Fury we see you, even if you aren’t in the show!
Questions Answered
So, the finale did give us a lot of answers to the many,many fan questions. Here are just a few.
- Who is the big bad? Turns out, it was Agatha All Along. We got no hints of a true bigger villain at this point. If anything, Wanda could be the bigger villain, depending on how things go next.
- What happens to Vision (and the twins)? Sadly, they don’t come out of it alive. At least not our versions. There is a new Vision in town, with the memories of the original, but perhaps not the personality? We’ll have to wait and see. The twins never were, so they are gone. However, we do get a post credit scene where we can hear one of the twins calling out for help. So… ?
- Will there be a Season 2? Seems unlikely. This series, and perhaps all the new MCU series, may just play a role in filling in key story aspects between films. But, let’s wait and see.
Questions we Still Have
- What’s up with Wanda and the Darkhold? The post credit scene shows Wanda off in the wilderness, with her astral self speedreading Agnes’ magic book – the Darkhold – which should help her understand who or what the Scarlet Witch truly is. Will the book turn Wanda evil? Will she team up with Doctor Strange in the next movie? All very much TBD, but we can assume this will be a major story driver in the coming movies – at least the ones based on magic.
- Is Vision back? Let’s say yes, but. Safe to say we do have a new Vision in the world, but one who doesn’t have the original’s personality. This should be a plot point in future movies.
- What about the twins? I’m still banking on them being in a verison of the Young Avengers down the road. The voice calling out to Wanda plays right into the idea of twins from another universe coming into play at some point.
- What’s next for Monica? We already know she will appear in the next Captain Marvel movie, so safe to say she will likely be headed to space.
