All-New Halloween Spooktacular! WandaVision: Disney+ Talk
So, after Episode 5 of ‘Wandavision’ ended with a major twist, I was left wondering whether that particular character’s introduction was just a one-off tactic for the episode, or whether he would stay for the remainder of the series. However, I am pleased to see that Quiksilver is featured in this episode too.
Going into the 1990’s, Episode 6, titled ‘All-New Halloween Spooktacular’ sees the Maximoff family getting ready to go trick or treating round the neighbourhood, while Vision wanders to the edge of the Hex and attempts to escape the world that he’s incarcerated in.
Now that the last couple of episodes answered some of viewers’ main questions, this episode decides to raise more questions. I love that Vision is the one that is trying to find out more about the town from the inside, and this is an aspect of the show that I’ve really enjoyed from the start. I also enjoyed the interactions that Quiksilver had with Wanda and her children. He plays the cheeky man-child uncle that Tommy and Billy adore, but even the kids are growing suspicious of their surroundings.
Once again, that’s all I can say in terms of this episode’s non-spoiler aspects.
All-New Halloween Spooktacular! WandaVision: Disney+ Talk
So, the rest of this article will contain spoilers!
So, like previously mentioned, the show has now moved onto the 90’s/early 2000’s. This was the era that I was looking forward to the most, having been born in the early 90’s myself. So, it was delightful to see that this episode’s intro and layout was similar to ‘Malcolm in the Middle’. For those unaware, ‘Malcolm in the Middle’ was a sitcom revolving around a working-class family starring Frankie Muniz in the lead role. He also acted as the narrator for each episode, and this episode follows the same layout, with Tommy and Billy acting as the narrators. Like the previous episodes, the attention to detail when following the specific shows’ formats have been fantastic. This one was especially delightful because the source material was something that my family and I would watch together.
This episode is also full of references: Scarlett Witch, Vision and Quiksilver’s comic book costumes are all featured here, acting as that particular character’s Halloween costumes. There’s also a reference to the 2011 film ‘Kick Ass’. This is used in a throw-away line at the beginning of the episode, but is a nice nod, and obscure reference, to Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who played Quiksilver in ‘Age of Ultron’. In a later scene, the group are walking by a cinema, which is displaying ‘The Parent Trap’ (about twins who get separated) and ‘The Incredibles’. The latter film is either a reference to the Maximoff family or another reference to the upcoming ‘Fantastic Four’ film.
An interesting aspect to note is during this particular scene, Billy suddenly gains Quiksilver’s lightspeed power, while Tommy suddenly gets Wanda’s powers. This suddenly occurs and is just accepted by Wanda and Quiksilver without any explanation. My theory is that the children picked up these powers via genetics, in the same way that one child may get ginger hair from their distant relative, despite their parents having brunette hair, whilst the other gets the brunette hair from their parents.
Meanwhile, Vision ventures to the edge of town and near the Hex. And this is where the episode’s creepiness factor comes into play. Because this side of town is so far away, Wanda can’t quite reach these townsfolk, like an old video game that hasn’t had time to render its surroundings yet as the player is moving towards it. Therefore, these townsfolk are alive but are standing still, completely stuck in one place. This aspect reminded me of the horror film ‘House of Wax’, where the victims are covered in wax so they’re unable to move, but they’re aware of their surroundings.
This, overall, makes for a horrifying scenario, especially when the camera focuses on one woman who’s sobbing whilst stuck in a slow loop. It’s a scary thought, but also highlights something that the show is fantastic at doing: it’s great at showing just how threatening and unstoppable Wanda can be if she really sets her mind to it. And, when Vision does go through the Hex, after learning from Agnes that he’s actually dead, the barrier starts to tear him apart, not only showing just how strong the barrier is but also telling us that, if Vision were to venture out of this world, he would be dead because Wanda’s spell over him would be broken. This could also be what the ‘Yo-Magic’ advert was trying to say. In the advert, a person is on an island stranded, and a cartoon shark gives him a yogurt to eat. However, the person struggles to open the lid to the pot, ultimately decaying and dying. It was saying that, if Vision breaks through the seal, or the Hex, then it’ll kill him as he struggles to break through.
However, Vision dying leads to the next major event that occurs in the show. After learning from Tommy that Vision is dying, Wanda expands the size of The Hex, swallowing every member of S.W.O.R.D and leaving Monica Rambeau and Detective Woo on the outside of Westview. Like the previous episode, this was another major scene and one that leads to a question: how is ‘Wandavision’ going to end?!
All-New Halloween Spooktacular! WandaVision: Disney+ Talk
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