Marvel has a knack for making its villains more than just one-dimensional baddies. They give them depth, motivation, and sometimes, just enough heart to make you question if they’re really all that evil.
It’s one of my favorite things about the MCU—reminding us that there’s a story, a reason, and maybe even a little redemption arc waiting to happen behind every villain.
I had a love-hate relationship with Agatha Harkness after watching WandaVision. I hated what she did, but damn, did I love her sass and attitude. By the end of Agatha All Along, I wanted to see her grow, maybe even turn over a new leaf. Did she? Eh, not really. But she did try… to an extent. And that’s why I was all in when I heard about Agatha All Along.
I binged the show as each episode dropped, and I meant to write this review ages ago. Life got in the way, but hey, better late than never. Instead of a traditional review, I’ll give you ten solid reasons why you should absolutely watch this miniseries.
Agatha Harkness is one of the most dangerous witches in the MCU. She wiped out her coven (and dozens more), has zero regard for anyone but herself, and is generally a menace. After WandaVision, she was left trapped in Westview under Wanda’s spell, powerless and stuck in a fake life. But three years later, she’s freed by a mysterious teen who needs her help with a witches’ trial. And so begins the chaotic, snark-filled, witchy adventure that is the show Agatha All Along.
I loved every second of it, and here’s why.
If you were obsessed with WandaVision (like most of us), you’d love to see how its events ripple through the MCU. Agatha All Along digs into the consequences of Wanda’s reality-warping drama, reminding us that magic has rules—and a price.
We see the after-effects of Wanda enslaving an entire town to live out her grief-induced fantasy life with Vision and their kids, trapping them in a fictitious sitcom.
Most people still consider WandaVision one of the best Marvel TV series ever, thanks to its fresh tone, sitcom-esque vibe, and beautiful storytelling.
Before watching this show, you might want to catch up on WandaVision first, and maybe Doctore Strange Multiverse of Madness (optional, but helpful).
Right off the bat, we’re introduced to a teenage character, William Kaplan, nicknamed Teen by Agatha because each time he tries to introduce himself, his words are muffled by a sigil. Even though Marvel comics fans had already speculated who the boy was, his identity was still a mystery to regular viewers.
Who was this strange boy, and who cast a spell on him that stopped anyone from discovering his true identity? And why was it such a secret? You can already see how Agatha would be fascinated by this young witch. It isn’t until later in the episodes that we learn his name and identity.
Agatha All Along had the lowest budget of any Marvel movie or TV series. Disney didn’t seem to have high hopes for the show when they greenlit it, but jokes on them—it became an instant hit, flooding TikTok with theories and reactions.
With a limited budget, the team relied on practical effects over CGI, which made the world feel richer and more immersive. The crew had to build every set from scratch (including the elaborate Witches Road)
The productions’ adoption of physical effects over visual effects made the action feel more real and impressive. The Witches Road was a perfect example of why studios should lean into practical set design more often.
Kathryn Hahn owns the role of Agatha. I don’t know if anyone else could have pulled it off. She was hilariously nasty in the role, and I had a kind of love-hate relationship with her character. I know we’re supposed to hate Agatha because she has committed so many atrocities, but you just can’t help but love her sass and lack of filter.
Sure, Agatha is always scheming new ways to protect her skin and steal other witches' powers, but Kathryn Hahn’s portrayal in the series shows us another side of the character. And against all odds, you find yourself rooting for her to win (even though she probably shouldn’t). Right from the bat, you know Agatha’s motives for going on the Witches Road aren’t pure.
Audrey Plaza as Rio Vidal/Death was such a brilliant casting choice because she complemented Kathryn Hahn’s Agatha. Their chemistry was off the charts. Honestly, I’d watch almost anything with Aubrey Plaza. I just love her that much.
The rest of the cast? Flawless. Joe Locke nailed it as Billy, Patti Lupone as Lilia Calderu was perfect, and Sasheer Zamata did an impressive job as the bound sorceress, Jen.
You best believe that a show like Agatha All Along would get a Halloween release date. The creepy vibes were on point with the Salem Seven. You could see the fear and dread they caused Agatha and other people from their first entrance. They were uncomfortable to watch half the time, from their creepy, flowy black hoods to their synchronized movements.
And don’t get me started on the hallucinations and trials during the Witches’ Road. Some moments had me genuinely uneasy. The writer, actors, and entire production team did a pretty good job here.
Agatha All Along expands more on the MCU wizards and witches. The show introduces us to new covens and a wider mythology, showing us just how extensive this section of the MCU is.
The miniseries also shows heavy influence from the Wizard of Oz, especially in the design of the Witches Road.
You'll love this show if you don’t mind morally ambiguous characters, as opposed to the black or white ones. Agatha isn’t a hero—she’s an opportunist. At the start of the miniseries, Agatha believes she’s a detective in Westview, stuck in a crime drama thanks to Wanda’s spell.
Agatha’s prison life starts to unravel after Wanda’s death (in Multiverse of Madness), and her world starts collapsing on itself until Teen lifts the spell and she regains her freedom.
Now that she’s back to normal, Agatha tries to regain her powers by doing what she does best: double-crossing and backstabbing people. She’s always been about saving herself, and no one can stand in her way. But along the line, we start to see cracks in her snarky, tough exterior. There’s depth to her character that’s rare in the MCU shows, making her one of the most fascinating villains we’ve seen in a while.
Marvel’s best TV shows break the usual superhero formula, and Agatha All Along is no exception. One of the reasons WandaVision was so popular was that it was pretty different from the typical MCU movie format. It switched up the MCU formula. Agatha All Along continues where it stopped, bringing other genres outside the MCU’s superhero, action, and adventure formula.
The show doesn’t offer any heroes or the traditional good guys. The main protagonist is a shady 400-year-old witch with a history of backstabbing and killing that goes back to the Middle Ages.
We enjoy a mix of comedy, fantasy, adventure, and horror elements in Agatha All Along. Even though the show explores mostly dark and grim themes like life and death, it still stays grounded without overdoing any of the elements. It’s a breath of fresh air in the MCU.
It’s rare to see an MCU project dominated by strong female leads that’s received so positively. But this one? Absolute win. It’s still a rare feat for Marvel.
This show has no shortage of strong female characters, from Agatha to Jen. They all shine in their respective roles. Agatha selects the witches to make up her coven to travel down the Witches Road; each has a role to play (which they did marvelously).
Agatha’s coven consists of unique, flawed, powerful women, each bringing something crucial to the story. Their chemistry? Unmatched. It’s one of the show’s biggest strengths.
None of the characters in Agatha All Along are popular or in a great place when they band together. Agatha is powerless, Lilia is slowly losing her mind, Jen’s powers are bound, Alice is disillusioned, and Teen doesn’t remember his past. They make up a ragtag coven who neither likes nor trusts the other. Except for Teen, he’s like the baby tagging along with the adults, or so you’re made to believe. But somehow, they work.
When the show begins, you see these unfamiliar characters and don’t know what their deal is, but as the episodes progress, you start to root for them and watch as the pieces fall into place.
Episode seven remains my favorite of the show because that’s when all the seemingly random pieces come together in a way that’s so satisfying.
And there you have it—ten reasons why Agatha All Along absolutely deserves a spot on your watchlist. If you haven’t seen it yet, what are you waiting for?
Watch it. You can thank me later.
