Growing up, my best friends were always obsessed with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but I had never been indoctrinated like so many kids my age were. I was simply an outsider with no grounds for connection. By the time “Avengers: Infinity War” was released, I had been properly peer pressured into giving it a try. Of course, this was the peak of the MCU, so I was quickly sucked in.

Since then, I’ve been consuming everything Marvel Studios has put out, no matter the quality. Surprising nobody, my favorite characters are Tom Holland’s Spider-Man and Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch, so “WandaVision” is one of my favorite projects that Marvel has ever produced. Since then, I’ve been on board with the general public in saying that the MCU has been on a decline in caliber, with a few hidden gems every once in a while like “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” though I’ve continued to be a devout fan.

To say I was a bit worried about “Agatha All Along” was an understatement. In my opinion, a minor character getting a spinoff television show to herself was, at best, likely to be subpar and gimmicky, therefore, my expectations lowered even further as the title for the show was still being decided as recently as May.

Well, was I proven wrong! 

Created by returning “WandaVision” writer Jac Schaeffer, “Agatha All Along” ingeniously takes all the good parts of the original show and expands upon them. With its personalized episodes, lovable cast of characters and its interesting expanse on the MCU, “Agatha All Along” is a push in the right direction.

Back in 2021, “WandaVision” proved that shows could change its format each episode and remain structured. “Agatha All Along” fulfills its role as a spinoff by following a similar structure, with trials instead of television eras. 

This setup makes every episode extremely unique and memorable, which was a very smart move on Marvel’s part. Every week contained something completely unexpected, which was a great experience for the weekly release format. For example, a personal standout was the fifth episode, in which characters were stuck in a trial reminiscent of a teenage sleepover. Though the plot was going to have to continue either way, the fun aesthetics of the pajama-clad characters made for a much more fun watching experience.

Kathryn Hahn remains fantastic as the titular Agatha Harkness, rendering her as snarky and dramatic as ever. For the duration of the series, she’s joined by Broadway icon Patti LuPone and “Parks and Recreation” star Aubrey Plaza as her “romantic antagonist,” as described by Deadline, among others as members of her coven.

Yet, the standout obviously has to go to “Heartstopper”’s Joe Locke, who plays his character mysteriously and is simply named “Teen.” Locke has always been a fantastic emotional actor, as seen in his leading role as Charlie Spring in “Heartstopper.”

His emotional acting is particularly prevalent in episode six. This episode is almost entirely dedicated to him and is some of the best work I’ve seen him do. He expresses emotion in a way that is not only deeply realistic, but characteristically driven, as if possessed by Teen himself.

Almost every character in this show is a brand new contender in the MCU, yet, in nine short episodes, the audience is totally charmed by their enemies-to-found-family antics. After years of trying, Marvel actually kept me consistently invested in the characters.

In the midst of a nearly twenty-year franchise built upon a straight, white, male audience, Marvel finally makes something that disregards them. The cast is mostly female, diverse in race and ethnicity, and includes quite a few queer characters – something I’ve never seen Marvel do on-screen before. It invites a new audience who have waited decades to see superheroes who are like them on the screen.

“Agatha All Along” has female characters who are three-dimensional, with genuine motivations outside of motherly instinct, or pleasing a love interest. The women have autonomy in a way past MCU projects have failed to achieve, which leaves audiences with something deeply compelling and unlike other projects. Agatha herself is a wildcard and doesn’t adhere to the standard ethical code of a protagonist  — even when she’s doing the right thing. All those years ago, Tony Stark was allowed to be morally complex, and now a woman finally gets to be as well.

So, for all of this, I give the MCU a genuine pat on the back, and admittedly say my expectations were wrong about this project. “Agatha All Along” is not only a show of subverted expectations, it’s a genuinely good one, and its exploration of these unique worlds and characters is hopefully something Marvel is proud of.

Edited by Ava McCluer | amccluer@themaneater.com

Copyedited by Micah Shulman and Hannah Taylor | htaylor@themaneater.com 

Edited by Emily Skidmore | eskidmore@themaneater.com