“Boys, handle the military. Mommy will be right back.”
I left the theater in April 2019 with a feeling of satisfaction. The movie I’d just finished watching, Avengers: Endgame, was a lumbering behemoth, with glaring flaws to match its moments of sublime beauty and sheer awesomeness, but it offered the one thing I wanted most out of Marvel’s storyline: a conclusion. The character arcs of Captain America, Black Widow, Iron Man and Hawkeye had all come to together in a fitting climax. With that, I resolved to let the end be the end, have none of this Phase 4 nonsense, and exit the Marvel fandom. Then Marvel released a sitcom mashed with a psychological thriller, starring two of my favorite characters. Wait, what? The opening episodes of the new series WandaVision so utterly defied Marvel’s typical formula that I (against my better judgement) took my sister’s recommendation and let myself be sucked back into the franchise. And, wow, am I glad I did. Some reasons: The concept is wildly innovative (if it seems too weird at first, hang in there. All shall be revealed in good time). Character development is excellent. I really enjoyed Wanda’s internal transformation, and how each of the side characters forced her to change and grow. There are NO fight scenes for the first eight episodes (the finale features the epic battle that is the sine qua non of any Marvel story). Instead of physical combat, we get tense confrontations and deeply meaningful family interactions as Wanda struggles to love her husband and children while navigating the moral minefield she’s placed herself in. And did I mention the humor? The first few episodes had me laughing my eyebrows off. The final episode is about as good as I could reasonably expect it to be, given that it’s made by Marvel. There’s enough resolution that I could watch it and be happy— no need to follow the franchise across another 800 movies to find out what happens to these characters. Several loose ends are left as teasers for future productions, but I’m fine with never seeing those tied up. Themes WandaVision contains some troubling themes, mainly regarding ambiguities as to what, exactly, constitutes a human person. In the show, new life is created by unnatural means, and the moral implications of that aren’t seriously explored. However, that’s something I have to put up with, as I live in a culture which seems to only be getting more and more confused about what it means to be human. I can still enjoy WandaVision while acknowledging its flaws. In fact, if I want a better story, I’ll have to just write it myself. And so I will. On a positive note, the show does an excellent job portraying Wanda’s struggle with her grief, how she handles it poorly, and how she’s able to face it by the end of the show. Even villainous characters help her change for the better, which I enjoyed. Content A few raunchy jokes, but nothing particularly concerning. One character is a ‘witch’, although one who flies around and shoots colorful balls out of her hands rather than engaging in actual occult practices. Conclusion If you’re willing to give Disney your money, WandaVision is a good reason to do it. All nine episodes are currently available on Disney+.
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Progress on Doombear, Rough draft:10%
Progress on The Lore of Yore, third draft:
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"In truth, by leaving, I was seeking only one thing. A journey."
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