WandaVision, Through My Eyes, By @arojasost | Art & Culture Pillar | One Strong Community Program Internship 2023

Hello everyone! My name is Austin Rojas (@arojasost), and I'm excited to share my first week's post as part of the One Strong Community Program Internship's Art and Culture Pillar. As a Marvel fan, I eagerly anticipated the release of the latest Marvel movies and TV shows. In this blog post, I'll share my feelings and insights on how these shows and films relate to past comics and movie references.

In this post, I'll review the latest Marvel TV shows and movies that have hit Disney+ or the Movies. I'll also discuss my opinions on some of the new character development, how they compare to their comic book counterparts, and my feelings on how these shows went. As a fan of the MCU, I've been eagerly anticipating the latest releases, and I can't wait to share my thoughts and insights with you about Phase 4.

So, let's dive in and explore the world of Marvel movies and TV shows together!

WandaVision Through My Eyes

I remember when Covid took over in 2020, sitting at home and, just like everyone else, I was bored out of my mind. Then in early 2021, a new Marvel project came out, and I had an unknown reason to be thrilled every week for fresh content to enjoy from the comfort of my space. Wanda is one of my favorite characters in the MCU, and I believe this show is just another great addition to the character's resume.

Episodes 1 & 2

Image from IMDb.com

WandaVision takes place in a town called Westview that Wanda took over. She's directing an actual city and converting everyone into puppets to act on her idea of the perfect life. Previously she lost her love interest, Vision, in Avengers Infinity War. She had to eliminate him to preserve the universe, but it meant nothing because Thanos and the Time Stone brought him back to life and slaughtered him again for his Mind Stone. So now she creates a hex where she is with Vision in a false reality. In the beginning, the show immediately kicks off with Wanda and Vision moments after being married. Everything after is casual Husband and Wife relations along with unexplained mysteries. The first two episodes of WandaVision left me feeling confused and uninterested. The slow pace and lack of information made it difficult to engage with the show. However, the episodes did display everything Wanda wants to be satisfied but we learn that the world she created is not perfect. As subsequent episodes were released, everything began to make sense and fit together like puzzle pieces. It became clear that the show was meant to be a mystery, which made the slow start necessary for building suspense. Looking back, I can see that episode one and two merely set the stage for the world and characters we would come to know in the rest of the series.

Episode 3

Image from Vox

The first episodes emulate the 1950s and 60s, and now episode three is in the mid-70s; this is demonstrated by all the connections to popular 70s shows such as "The Brady Bunch" and "The Mary Tyler Moore Show." I do enjoy very much through this whole series all the pop cultural references and reenactments from classic decades.

This episode shows all the holes and gaps in Wanda's world, so be prepared for a rollercoaster of events. Wanda is announced to be pregnant and is rapidly progressing as she is four months pregnant seemingly overnight. The show continues to demonstrate Wanda losing control of the town she took over, as she is now on the verge of her water breaking and the weather begins to rain down inside the house. The effects of this connect to her neighbors as Monica Rambeau enters asking for a bucket because all her pipes in the ceiling "broke."

Wanda tries her hardest to hide her pregnancy but ultimately can't because she needs to give birth, and Monica helps her deliver her twins, Billy and Tommy. A notable detail is that Wanda is trying to hide her power while Vision is open to using them and only trying to hide his robotic appearance. When Vision looks for the doctor, he super speeds with him on his back to bring him to the house.

During Wanda's birth, her powers break everything around her, which confuses Monica, but she is more focused on Wanda currently being in labor. After everything is all settled and accomplished, Vision escorts the doctor outside, and the other characters don't acknowledge Wanda and Vision's powers directly. Still, the doctor says, "as long as we actually walk this time." As they are outside, the doctor speaks about the vacation he had to cancel and tells Vision, "small towns, you know, so hard to…escape." That is clear as day indicated that he was a resident in Westview before Wanda took over and was forced against his will to play in Wanda's role, but a slither of reality slipped out. Wanda sings a lullaby to her children. While she is doing so, Monica, out of the blue, asks, "He was killed by Ultron wasn't he?" referring to Wanda's brother Quicksilver, who was killed off in Avengers Age Of Ultron when he saved Hawkeye from being shot by Ultron and took the bullets for himself.

Wanda begins to question her, who she is, and where she's from and gets aggressive. Wanda asks, and Monica can't even explain it herself. The neighbors simultaneously tell Vision who she is, but Agetha cuts off the conversation right before it's published. Finally, Wanda has enough and sends Monica outside the hex back into the outside world, where she is saved by agents with trucks and helicopters. This episode was much needed for pure entertainment and storytelling for this series.

I was delighted with all the small details throughout this episode, with hints of the exterior world, objects around Wanda and Vision matching their comic colors, and how we, the viewer, are just as confused as Wanda is with everything unfolding. Of course, I'm pleased to see an enormous amount of story be revealed because this got me curious about this series and eager to learn more about what or who is disordering with the hex and their plan. Episode three was vastly needed for me, and I believe many consumers remain curious about this show, and it conveyed engagement flawlessly.

Episode 4

Image from IMDb.com

Episode 4 of WandaVision shifts its focus to Monica and the outside world of the bubble created by Wanda. The episode begins with a scene depicting Thanos's snap in Avengers Infinity War, where Monica was hospitalized with her mother. Monica was dusted away, and when she returned three years later, her mother had already passed away from cancer. The chaos in the hospital upon everyone's return is shown, portraying the non-Avengers' point of view on the snap, which we rarely see.

After the opening scene, Monica is seen back at work as an Agent for Sword and is sent to investigate Westview, where she meets FBI agent Jimmy Woo. Upon arrival, they discover that the town of Westview doesn't exist and that no one is allowed to enter or contact anyone already inside the bubble. Monica is pulled into the hex and appears in previous episodes, revealing why Wanda kicked her out at the end of episode three.

Collaborating agencies call in Darcy Lewis, a former political science student and assistant for Jane Foster, who discovers a frequency that plays Wanda's life in the hex like a reality show. Darcy and Jimmy watch episode three and witness Wanda throwing Monica out after referencing Ultron. The episode ends with Monica being saved by Sword and FBI agents, confirming that Wanda is accountable to the outside world for everything.

This episode answers many questions while raising new ones, enhancing the show's mystery aspect. The behind-the-scenes look at every time Wanda notices a slip-up in her world, and Monica's inside knowledge of the bubble will undoubtedly play a significant role in taking down Wanda.

More of the Episodes being covered in Part 2

As we conclude the first part of our Art and Culture section, we can't help but feel excited about what's to come in the next few episodes of Wandavision. With each episode, we delve deeper into the mysteries surrounding Wanda's alternate reality, and we can't wait to see what the Scarlet Witch has in store for us.

Beyond Wandavision, Wanda Maximoff's adventures have been a staple in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, from her debut in Avengers: Age of Ultron to her prominent role in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. And with the upcoming tie-in to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, we can expect to see more of Wanda's powers as the Scarlet Witch.

Make sure to read from the other interns of our One Strong Community Program featured on this month's newsletter on @onestrong page. We look forward to sharing more insights and perspectives on the cultural phenomena that shape our lives. So, stay tuned for the next installment of our Art and Culture section, and let's continue celebrating the power of storytelling and creativity together.

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