Author: Megan Williams

Disney+ Talk With Megan Williams: Wandavision Episode 4: We Interrupt This Program

SPOILERS BELOW!

After Episode 3’s game-changing ending (and aspect ratio), I am now even more invested in ‘Wandavision’ than I originally was when it started. And in Episode 4, titled ‘We Interrupt This Program’, viewers are rewarded with some answers!

In this episode, FBI Agent Woo and Captain Monica Rambeau are sent to the quiet town of Westview, where they discover that people have been going missing and no one seems to know the town exists.

Knowledge of the basic story arc for ‘The Avengers’ films are now key, as the episode opens immediately with ‘The Blip’. This was an event in which all the people that Thanos had snapped away in ‘Infinity War’ came back after Iron Man redid the snap, thus bringing everyone back 5 years later. Not only is this opening sequence creepy as we see people literally reform out of thin air, but it also highlights the more chaotic and terrifying side to this action. This is beautifully displayed in a hospital, where patients who had been long thought gone have suddenly reappeared and are causing panic due to overpopulation and confusion. While the Marvel films always showed the bigger picture, ‘Wandavision’ is happy to show the more grounded effects of this action. This is reminiscent of Wanda seeing the results of her actions in the opening scene of ‘Captain America: Civil War’. This episode is showing us the results of an Avengers action directly, and how it’s affected regular civilians.

The episode also gives us some character references: Monica ‘Photon’ Rambeau, Captain Director of S.W.O.R.D, is the daughter of Maria Rambeau who was Captain Marvel’s best friend. Another is with a line that S.W.O.R.D director Tyler Hayward mentions (played by Josh Stamberg). He mentions that he still has four missing astronauts out in space, laying the groundwork for the upcoming ‘Fantastic Four’ movie. It’s a throwaway line but it’s delightful to know that Marvel haven’t forgotten how to foreshadow future projects. 

Overall, while we got the answers earlier than I expected, I’m glad that we’ve been given them, and that my theories about the show are correct. However, now that we’ve been given some answers, I hope it doesn’t devolve back into the familiar Marvel formula.

So, like I’ve been doing with previous ‘Wandavision’ articles, the section below will have spoilers. You have been warned!

As I’ve just mentioned, I’m happy that this episode has proven my theories correct: Wanda is controlling the town of Westview by placing an energy field round it and blocking anyone from leaving once they’ve entered the area. This is so she can have a place to grieve for Vision by herself and live happily ever after with the illusion that she’s created of him. This is why Vision doesn’t know where he is and, in the last episode, doesn’t understand where Geraldine went to, or know that the townsfolk are trapped. It also highlights how powerful Wanda is; the show’s writing is more than making up for the poor treatment Elizabeth Olsen’s character got in the films. She’s a fantastic and powerful character but can be scary when something occurs that will disrupts her picture perfect life that she’s created for herself. 

The beekeeper and helicopter seen in Episode 2 all belong to S.W.O.R.D, as well as the radio transmission. These are all efforts from S.W.O.R.D, to rescue Wanda from the town, not realising that she is the one controlling the town in the first place. This now begs the question: If Vision is an illusion, then are her twin children illusions too, or are they real? If so, how did they come to be? And, if they turn out to be an illusion, what will that mean for Wanda and, more importantly, the town and its residents?

We Interrupt This Program (WandaVision): Disney+ Talk

Wandavision: Now In Colour – Disney+ Talk (SPOILERS!)

Another week brings us another episode of the Marvel show ‘Wandavision’. However, Disney+ only released one episode this week, called ‘Now In Colour’. 

In episode 3, Wanda and Vision deal with preparations of their unborn child and Wanda’s powers as they seem out of control.

Overall, this may be my favourite episode. The show is now in bright, vibrant colour and the acting, characters and even setting of the house now resemble that of a 1960’s sitcom. The show also gives us an unfamiliar scenario: what would happen if a superhero with special powers became pregnant? Would that change anything? It’s an interesting and unique situation to place Wanda and Vision in, and one that is played mostly for laughs, which it succeeds at. 

However, if you were expecting the show to slow down with its creepiness factor, then you would be very wrong. And it’s going to be difficult to discuss this episode without spoiling anything. So, this is a spoiler warning for episode 3 of ‘Wandavision’.

As I previously mentioned, the show doesn’t stop with its eeriness: In the first 10 minutes, Wanda is worried about people finding out about their powers and, when Vision suspects something’s wrong, the show literally glitches and shows the start of that scene again but with new dialogue. The idea of escape is also spoken about a few times in this episode: Wanda’s doctor, Dr Nielsen, is planning on going on vacation but his car suddenly breaks down. He even tells Vision that ‘a small town makes it so hard to escape’. Then, near the end of the episode, their neighbour, Herb, and friend, Agnes, are talking and Herb tries to talk to Vision, to tell him that they’re stuck in this town. However, Agnes keeps interrupting him, telling him to be quiet. It’s clear that the townspeople want to leave this town but can’t; something’s stopping them from leaving and that they’re trapped.

Herb also tells Vision about the new resident, Geraldine (played by Teyonah Parris), and that she just seemed to have popped into existence and doesn’t have any family or home. Geraldine helps Wanda deliver her babies, but when Wanda remembers her brother, Pedro aka Quiksilver, Geraldine reveals that she knows about it. Wanda then questions her plus questions the sword necklace she’s wearing and, when Geraldine avoids the questions, she disappears. Wanda tells Vision that she left when, in actual fact, she’s been transported to modern day. 

The necklace is the logo of S.W.O.R.D, meaning that Geraldine may have been placed in this town to rescue Wanda. However, I still think Wanda is in control of the town and doesn’t want to leave, which is why she gets rid of Geraldine. She also doesn’t tell Vision what’s going on, meaning that Vision is unaware of what’s happening. So, this begs the question: is Wanda using this town as a place to grieve, either for her brother or for Vision? 

All I can say for certain is that ‘Wandavision’ is getting very interesting, and this is the most excited I’ve been for a Marvel show ever!

Wandavision Episodes 1 & 2 (Spoilers!) – Disney+ Talk With Megan Williams:

SPOLIERS!

15^th January saw the release of the first two episodes of ‘Wandavision’, a Marvel Studios show revolving around Wanda Maximoff (a.k.a Scarlet Witch) and Vision. Out of all of the projects that have been announced for Disney+, this was the one I was most interested in. However, I can’t talk about these episodes without spoiling some of the content. Therefore, this article will include a spoiler section at the bottom, similar to how my review for Pixar’s ‘Onward’ was constructed.

‘Wandavision’ is a 9-episode series that places Wanda and Vision in a black & white American sitcom-style show as they try to fit into their new neighbourhood. But there is more that meets the eye with this reality…

Firstly, the first two episodes are a masterclass in writing a typical American sitcom. Writing influences have clearly come from shows like ‘Bewitched’, ‘The Dick Van Dyke Show’, and even ‘Friends’. The comedic traits included are slapstick gags and tropes like the miscommunication trope and hiding certain things from other people. In this case, Wanda and Vision are hiding their superpowers from the new townspeople, which then leads to hilarity. The episodes even feature ‘advertisement breaks’, showing off products and inventions, and each episode introduction is a parody of a different sitcom, giving the show even more of a 1950’s feel.

In last week’s article, I mentioned that I was hoping this show would give Wanda and Vision more of a centre stage to shine, and I’m really glad to see that my wishes have come true. It is their show and, so far, it’s been their show right from the start. Both lead characters get time to shine. Episode 2, for example, is focused on a problem that Vision has, while the first episode gives both characters an equal amount of screen time. And, while I never cared for Vision in the MCU films, it’s a different case here; Paul Bettany is fantastic as Vision here, as a fish-out-of-water type character. He has more of a challenge than Wanda because of his human disguise. As well as this, he has to pretend to be human so as to why not draw suspicion in their new town. However, they’re both delightful and intriguing. 

Overall, ‘WandaVision’ has so far met expectations and got me looking forward to what the rest of the show holds. I think even non-Marvel fans will enjoy the first two episodes, which is something I’ve rarely thought. However, my thoughts on this may change as the show goes on. But, so far, it’s a wonderful change of pace from the usual explosive action-packed nature of the films.

Now that I’ve said my non-spoiler thoughts on ‘Wandavision’, I want to now talk about my theories on what I think is going on so far. If you have not seen the show, and are still interested in doing so, please be aware that the section below will have spoilers!

I have two theories in terms of what I think is going on. My first theory is that Wanda has placed herself and Vision into this town and is using her powers to place the town under a type of trance. This is to either make them forget something or to not make them suspicious of the two newcomers. The two biggest clues that are shown to introduce this theory is in episode 2. In one scene, women’s group leader Dotty is talking to Wanda. But, as the radio nearby crackles, Dotty seems to break character and turns to Wanda, scared, to ask her who she is before everything goes back to normal. The second clue is at the end of the same episode, when Vision and Wanda see a beekeeper outside of their house. Vision looks surprised, but Wanda looks oddly calm and responds with ‘no’ and rewinds the show. When the show stops rewinding, the previous scene seems to have been erased. Wanda put herself and Vision there and doesn’t want to be saved. 

However, my second theory is the opposite. With the introduction of S.W.O.R.D (a space-based department of S.H.I.E.L.D) at the end of episode 1, it’s possible that they imprisoned Wanda and Vision in this show for the safety of the planet. Near the end of episode 1, Vision’s boss, Mr Heart, questions where Vision and Wanda moved from, and they can’t answer the question because they don’t remember. Vision also questions his workplace and what they do and, while this would be normal if he were just starting there, the show seems to imply that they’ve been there for a while by this point. 

These are my two theories so far and I can’t wait for the next two episodes this week!

Sparkshorts: Burrow – Disney+ Talk

While I’ve written a lot of articles on the short films that are available on Disney+, I’ve never touched on Pixar’s Sparkshorts. These are shorts that are created by Pixar employees, and are given a limited budget and six months’ time limit. As of typing, there are 8 Sparkshorts on the streaming service, the latest one being ‘Burrow’.

‘Burrow’ was written and directed by Madeline Sharafian (Story artist for ‘Coco’) and revolves around a rabbit who is looking to create her perfect home in the burrows. However, she feels overwhelmed by the neighbourhood and digs deeper and deeper down until she lands into trouble. It isn’t until then that she realizes that it’s ok to ask for help.

As someone who is extremely independent and doesn’t like to ask for help, this short was very relatable. I understood the main character’s frustration of wanting to make her perfect home herself, as well as feeling scared about the other critters’ opinions towards her plan. She was only encouraged, not forced, to show her plans to the other residents’ when she literally hit a dead end at the bottom of the burrow. But the moral of this short is clear: it’s ok to ask for help if and when you need it. This is a moral that is especially important in our current climate and is one that should always be taught. 

What makes the Sparkshorts different to Pixar’s feature length films is the various styles of animation that are used in each short. These are styles that would never be used in the feature lengths but gives fan an insight into the talent of the animators at Pixar.

This animation style is particularly interesting and echoes that of older animated films. It’s unique to the animation company but still looks fantastic, giving each character a soft and friendly tone, further adding to the moral of the short. 

Overall, ‘Burrow’ may only last for 6 minutes on screen, but it left a lasting impression on me. Not only is the animation style unique and fantastic, but the moral is one that is relatable and one that should never be forgotten.