Agatha All Along’s Finale Makes It the Best MCU Series Yet

Fans of Agatha All Along who hoped that the two-part finale’s episodes would have answers to their most burning questions likely walked away from the miniseries‘ eighth and ninth episodes — “Follow Me My Friend/To Glory at the End” and “Maiden, Mother, Crone,” respectively — happy. Theories were proven true, and the series connected back to WandaVision more directly than some expected. Without giving everything away just yet, there is a future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) for Billy Maximoff and Agatha Harkness. Oh, and once again, Mephisto doesn’t show up.

Despite taking a “cards down” approach to storytelling common in other Marvel series, series creator Jac Schaeffer and her writers carefully crafted Agatha’s solo show. They made sure it was an actually compelling drama and mystery, not an overlong teaser for more MCU projects. Nowhere is this made clearer than the fact that, with last week’s episode and these final two, it turns out that the answers have been in front of viewers’ eyes this whole time. Viewers also learned about Nicholas Scratch, the son of Agatha, and a little more about her give-and-take with Death. In truth, Agatha All Along’s last two episodes could work as a stand-alone finale or a springboard into a sequel.

Agatha All Along Episode 8 & 9 Gives Agatha Harkness Her Deepest Characterization Yet

The Episodes Revealed a Lot About the Series’ Titular Villain

Perhaps the biggest reveal in the Agatha All Along finale was that the Witches’ Road itself was a hex cast by Billy. Like his mother’s sitcom version of Westview, it was an instinctual creation. Unlike Wanda, he didn’t realize he was in control of it, but Agatha did. As Billy figures this out, the episode helpfully flashes back to moments fans previously caught onto, specifically those where Agatha implied he was responsible for the Road’s creation. She knew this form the start because, before Billy, the Witches’ Road was her creation following the death of her son.

“Maiden, Mother, Crone” opens with Agatha giving birth to her son, and the episode implies her deal with Lady Death bought him time. She and her son convince kindhearted witches to welcome them in, and Agatha steals their power and kills them. It’s unclear if this was done as an offering to Rio of some kind, or, more likely, it’s just how Agatha operates. The two came up with the lyrics to the ballad together, and Agatha continued the con even after his death.

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This explains why Agatha was known to be the only witch to “survive the road.” It was all part of the hustle. For centuries, she would convince witches to attack her after singing the Ballad failed to produce a door and steal their power. Yet, after surviving Billy’s road, something changed in Agatha.Wiccan was the first person to ever give their magic to Agatha willingly. As if to pay back his genuine generosity, she chose to die in Billy’s place so that he could live. Perhaps she wanted him to find his brother, or Agatha just knew he was a good person who would help others instead of kill them? Whatever the truth may be, this was the most complex that Agatha’s characterization has been in all her MCU tenure, and it was a great emotional payoff for her solo series.

Agatha All Along Episodes 8 & 9 Emphasize the Series’ Overall Theme of Motherhood

The Episodes’ Themes Tie the Series Back to WandaVision

Agatha All Along’s finale opens about 60 years after Agatha’s original coven and mother tried to kill her. Her conversation with Death showed their relationship was already underway, and instead of sparing her son, she gave Agatha “special treatment.” What that meant was Agatha had a loving son long enough for her to have something to miss. The episode also implies that, like Tommy and Billy inside the Hex, Nicholas was created from pure magic.

Whether Agatha traveled the country killing witches to stave off Death’s pursuit or just because that’s how she operated doesn’t matter. Nicholas was a pure-hearted boy who didn’t like what his mother did, and instead wanted them to join one of these covens “and survive with them.” Earlier in the series, some thought Teen was Agatha’s long-lost son, but she knew it wasn’t the case. Billy’s kind heart, desire to work with others and his near-unwavering faith in her reminded Agatha of Nicholas, but they weren’t connected by blood. Rather, he was just a constant reminder of Nicholas.

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Just as WandaVision was about motherhood, so was Agatha All Along. Agatha didn’t lose a loving family like Wanda and Pietro did. That made Nicholas that much more important to Agatha. Wanda let her sons go, thinking they would fade like a dream with the rest of the Hex. Agatha knew that Nicholas was off to whatever afterlife Rio Vidal (aka Death) led her souls to. In fact, Agatha became a ghost not to stick with Billy as his “spirit…guide,” but rather because she can’t yet face her son in whatever realm comes next. As another reflection on motherhood, Agatha All Along serves as a nice if darker foil to WandaVision. Where WandaVision showed the excitement of wanting to be a mother, Agatha All Along showed how a monstrous mother could take her family’s love and joy for granted. This makes Agatha more human and sympathetic, but doesn’t wholly redeem her — which is for the best in a villain-centric show such as this.

Agatha All Along Episode 8 & 9 Give the Spotlight to Jennifer Kale

The Episodes Give Sasheer Zamata Her Time in the Spotlight

Agatha All Along’s finale opened with Alice Wu-Gulliver, and her experience with Death. Unlike the benevolent Death as seen in Netflix’s adaptation of DC Comics’ The Sandman,the MCU’s personification of Death doesn’t send souls onward with a kind word or a smile. Based on Rio’s attitude in previous episodes, she had way too much fun in taking people away from the realm of the living. However, she does put Alice’s sacrifice into perspective for her. She was a protection witch who died doing her duty, which in Death’s eyes meant she did “something with [her] life.”

While Billy does have to live with the deaths of Sharon “Mrs. Hart” Davis, Alice and Lilia Calderu, Agatha points out her original plan would have killed them all. Ghost Agatha told Billy to look at what he accomplished in “saving a life,” specifically that of Jennifer Kale’s. In the final trial, she learned that Agatha was the witch who “bound” her from using magic in the first place. Agatha said she did it for money back in the 1920s, unaware of who Jennifer even was. While this twist may seem a bit contrived — especially when put beside Billy “meeting” the coven’s members before he even heard of who Agatha was — it was a nice reveal that deepened Jennifer’s story and highlighted Agatha’s callous brand of villainy.

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The unbinding ritual was not exactly subtle, but it was nonetheless a powerful scene, in all senses of the term. Jennifer had to repeat that Agatha held no power over her again and again, until both witches were left affected. Jennifer then vanished from The Road, emerging from the ground just outside Westview before flying off into the moonrise. Lilia called her “The High Priestess,” in reference to one of a Tarot deck’s Major Arcana cards, so it’s likely MCU fans have not seen the last of Jennifer. That said, it will be interesting to see if she sees Billy’s unconscious spell as “saving” her life if she ever finds out. After seven episodes, Sasheer Zamata finally gets her solo episodes, and it’s a lot more than fans expected. Zamata was always consistently good in the series, but here, she gets to show Jennifer’s hidden depths and humanity in ways she previously didn’t. Hopefully, this isn’t the last the MCU has seen of Jennifer.

Agatha All Along Deserves to Be Rewatched & Revisited

The Series Works Better When Audiences Know the Ending Beforehand

While a second season is possible, these two episodes are likely the finale for Agatha All Along. She is a ghost, after all, and the MCU has mostly avoided resurrection. Agatha All Along leaves Agatha and Billy as an unlikely team, with the latter using her guidance to learn more about magick and find his brother. The search for Timmy is a story that wouldn’t center on Agatha as Agatha All Along did, and thus warrants a title change. It’s for this simple reason that Agatha All Along Season 2 may not ever happen, even if Agatha will obviously return. Even if she’s now a disembodied ghost, Agatha still has an MCU future. It should be noted that Agatha is a “quick study” and was able to pick up and wear her mother’s brooch, in which she kept a clipping of Nicholas’s hair. She may be able to become fully corporeal the next time MCU fans see her.

Agatha may even appear in a post-credits scene in The Fantastic Four, offering her services to Reed and Sue Richards as their nanny. After all, Agatha is a recurring character in The Fantastic Four’s classic comics. Kathryn Hahn herself expressed excitement at the potential for Marvel’s First Family crossing paths with Agatha in live-action. Assuming that this is the last time Hahn plays Agatha in her “classic” MCU form, Agatha All Along is a strong series on its own. The last two episodes are the series’ best yet, which is saying something considering the high bar that last week’s “Death’s Hand In Mine” set. In terms of story and execution, Agatha All Along is the best and most creative MCU series yet, and demands a rewatch or two. Watching it a second time while knowing all the hidden secrets could make it a different and more enriching experience.

Agatha All Along Season 1 is now streaming on Disney+.

After losing her powers due to Wanda Maximoff’s spell, Agatha Harkness encounters a mysterious goth teen who helps her escape her distorted reality. The teen persuades her to embark on the treacherous Witches’ Road, where the duo must assemble a coven and face magical trials with dangerous stakes to reclaim what they’ve lost​.

Release Date

September 18, 2024

Creator(s)

Jac Schaeffer

Cast

Kathryn Hahn , Joe Locke , Sasheer Zamata , Ali Ahn , Okwui Okpokwasili , Debra Jo Rupp , Patti LuPone , Aubrey Plaza , David Payton , Emma Caulfield Ford , David Lengel , Asif Ali , Amos Glick , Elaine Valdes , Paria Akbarshahi , Chau Naumova , Bethany Curry , Athena Perample , Alicia Vela-Bailey , Britta Grant , Marina Mazepa

Main Genre

Adventure

Seasons

1

Story By

Jac Schaeffer

Writers

Jac Schaeffer

Number of Episodes

9

Directors

Jac Schaeffer , Gandja Monteiro , Rachel Goldberg

Showrunner

Jac Schaeffer

Character(s)

Agnes O’Connor / Agatha Harkness , Teen , Jennifer Kale , Alice Wu-Gulliver , Salem Seven / Vertigo , Mrs. Hart , Lilia Calderu , Rio Vidal , Herb , Dottie , Jones , Norm , Dennis the Mailman , Customer #1 , Customer #2 , Salem Seven / Coyote , Salem Seven / Crow , Salem Seven / Fox , Salem Seven / Owl , Salem Seven / Rat , Salem Seven / Snake

Pros

• The episode rounded out the story of the series and Agatha Harkness nicely.
• The finale episodes were more about character and emotion than big CGI fight scenes.
• The ending is satsifying while setting up future stories that could tie back to Agatha All Along.

Cons

• The heavy focus on Agatha Harkness’s backstory in the finale may be too late for some viewers.
• While excellently foreshadowed, the origin of the Witches’ Road legend may be unsatisfying.
• While meant to be another story, Tommy Maximoff’s fate is an open question.

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