Agatha All Along begins with sights from a fake reality, just like WandaVision did. This time, Agatha becomes lost in a TV show instead of Wanda; however, the show is a police drama rather than a sitcom. It has a solid Nordic police drama vibe, and the opening credits are reminiscent of True Detective or other shows of a similar genre.
Agatha All Along Review:
On Wednesday, Agatha All Along goes up on Disney+. Critics’ initial thoughts on the Marvel spinoff have begun coming in, and they’re distinctly divided.
The Jac Schaeffer-created program centers on the enchanted Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn), set free by a mysterious figure known only as Teen (Joe Locke). She then sets out on the Witches’ Road, “a magical gauntlet of trials that, if survived, rewards a witch with what they’re missing,” after being intrigued by his plea. The logline says, “Abandoned, Agatha and this enigmatic Teen form a desperate coven and set off.”
Kathryn Hahn, who previously starred in WandaVision, returns to the character of Agatha Harkness in the series, which also stars Paul Adelstein, Aubrey Plaza, Sasheer Zamata, Ali Ahn, Patti LuPone, and Okwui Okpokwasili.
After Agatha All Along was released, continue reading for significant quotes from some of the most well-known early reviews (of the first four episodes, as all were supplied to the reviewers).
TV Critics:
Disney+’s Agatha All Along (or at least the four forty-minute episodes released to critics) might be an intriguing new adventure with a loving ensemble and a funny attitude but also a lot of opportunity to develop, according to The Hollywood Reporter’s TV critic Angie Han. However, its jerky pacing and constant rug-pulling ultimately work better as a brand extension exercise than a captivating journey.
Creator Jac Schaeffer’s sequel to his superhero tragedy parodies self-serious procedurals for long enough to make you regret the humor when it’s gone, according to David Fear of Rolling Stone. This enchantment will soon be broken, and Agatha All Along will become a quest experience that fits well. Based on the four episodes released to the media, it will fully use the supernatural sisterhood formed for the mission. The sorceress has returned!
In his assessment, Ben Travers of Indiewire stated that the half-hour-ish episodes “show some signs of growth.” For example, there isn’t a dull B-plot about government operatives operating a covert operation to sneak MCU world-building into Westview. Unlike many previous drawn-out MCU adventures, the main storyline also looks well-suited for episodic TV, but “Agatha All Along, like WandaVision, is too withholding for its good.” While intriguing payoffs sometimes result from teasing story revelations, this silly fantasy isn’t helped by treating human motives as world-altering mysteries while tabling their backstories.
The News Channel’s Mike Hale stated, “Agatha All Along slogs down its chosen path, with the coven squabbling and bonding through a series of furious but unexciting trials. However, they can’t turn base narrative into gold.” The cliched, formulaic plot lines overwhelm the benefits of female empowerment. Although the conversation has a noticeable undercurrent of sardonic humor, it is not powerful enough to switch on any lights.
Hale said, “You might wonder how Agatha went through such a dramatic transformation in the three years between the two shows—from a happy neighborhood noodge to a tough police officer. “What should worry you more, though, is why the cop-show parody is so unimpressive—so lifeless and boring that even gifted comedic actresses like Aubrey Plaza and Kathryn Hahn, who plays Agatha, seem lost in the role.”
Written by Taylor Gates for Collider, Agatha All Along is its own thing, and all the better for it. While the program features the most significant elements of Schaeffer’s distinctive style [referring to WandaVision], including sharp comedy, a fascinating mystery, and a production design full of cunning nuances and Easter eggs, it is also unique.
Gates complimented Hahn’s performance: “A show of this size and a character like Agatha require theatricality and spectacle, and Hahn has that in spades—she’s not afraid to go big, be loud, and take up space.” However, there’s always more beneath the surface, something Agatha is frantically attempting to cover up. Hahn uses subtlety to anchor this larger-than-life persona and uses a single twitch of the mouth to show vulnerability. She has a captivating charm, but what makes us feel something for her are the fleeting, impressive flashes of unadulterated emotion, demonstrating that she has always been more than just comic relief. Hahn’s performance is a magical experience in itself.
It’s all masterfully done, extremely humorous, thrilling, and a touch terrifying, with a great blend of the supernatural and the prosaic (the witches squabbling about who was pitchy and who was flat as they sing a magic song), according to TV writer Robert Lloyd in his review for the Los Angeles Times. Although Agatha isn’t a particularly decent witch, she isn’t evil and has motivations. Despite her antics and crude remarks, Hahn is personable and makes for terrific company since she is amusing.
Even if Agatha All Along isn’t off to the best start for a Marvel series, there are still plenty of opportunities for the program to truly surprise viewers and give some excitement, compelling narrative, and even a few shocks since there are seven more episodes yet to air. Although Colin Leggett wrote in his Game Rant review of the first two episodes (titled “Seekest Thou the Road” and “Circle Sewn with Fate Unlock Thy Hidden Gate”) that there are likely to be some trials worth conquering, it’s unfortunate that the show doesn’t get off to a good start.
In his review, Phil Owen of GameSpot stated, “Agatha All Along feels different through these first four episodes.” There are several setups, payoffs, and hints of future developments. For instance, Alice and her mother’s mother are the subject of several tiny details in Episodes 2 and 3, subsequently used as the basis for their trial in Episode 4. Throughout the first half of this season, Agatha All Along author Jac Schaeffer and her writing team were able to include facts that would usually be saved for the most crucial episode of a traditional MCU TV show.
“However, given the turmoil of the previous few MCU years and the ongoing revisions being made to the main franchise story, it’s difficult to have faith that Agatha All Along will make a successful landing,” Owen went on. “A lot of these MCU television series are entertaining for a while, but toward the end, they completely collapse. Though I don’t think it will end nicely, I have reason to believe that it may be because of the tremendous foundation these first four episodes have built.
A TV critic, Kelly Lawler, noted on USA Today that Agatha is attempting to multitask. A fantastic horror series about Agatha’s trip that features genuine horrors and perhaps comprehensible mythology can be found hidden deep down. However, in typical Marvel fashion, the underlying premise keeps getting stacked with more and more information. Here’s a well-known actor. It’s a brand-new song from those Frozen authors. They are reimagining WandaVision for the whole season premiere to make things as unclear as possible at the outset.
Agatha All Along is still a late-stage Marvel production, so there will be instances where your understanding of what it’s doing depends on how up-to-date you are on the most recent happenings in the greater cinematic universe, as Charles Pulliam-Moore noted in his review for The Verge. Agatha All Along, however, should be entertaining to watch for those who have been following along and hoping that the studio will return to producing genuinely strange and lighthearted riffs on the comics instead of building up to the next big event. This will be especially true once it begins to reveal its big secrets later this fall.
“Agatha All Along is a seriously sinister good time that brings back the MCU’s very own wicked witch of Westview, Agatha Harkness,” Joshua Yehl said in his review for IGN. In addition to providing us with more memorable songs and TV parodies, the program is a suitable successor to WandaVision because of its clever writing, captivating mystery, and vibrant cast of characters. Now that Agatha is the primary character, Kathryn Hahn can fully embrace the part and fully reveal the essence of her sinister and crafty witch. The two-part debut does an excellent job setting up the tragic circumstances that lead Agatha and her new coven down the Witches’ Road, even though the plot sometimes feels a little hurried.
