Review: A promising start to ‘WandaVision’
Disney+ rolled out the first two episodes of its new series “WandaVision” on Jan. 15, and if you’ve ever wanted to use superpowers to host dinner parties or impress your neighbors at a talent show, this is the show for you.
Before “WandaVision” was released, I was suffering from a bit of superhero movie burnout. I didn’t expect to be interested in any of Disney’s lineup of new Marvel series, but the unique premise of “WandaVision” caught my attention.
“WandaVision” is refreshingly different from the Marvel we’re used to. Rather than an action-packed blockbuster, “WandaVision” is a slow-burn mystery, taking artistic liberties Marvel’s normal superhero movies do not.
The sitcom setting is picture-perfect enough to give this show an unnatural feeling. Though the plot of each episode is incredibly domestic, there’s always the overarching feeling that something is off.
“WandaVision” makes great use of the juxtaposition between the lighthearted sitcom and the eerie reality of the Marvel universe. Each episode is filmed in the style of an era of television— these first two episodes being the 50s and 60s. Complete with a laugh track and filmed as if in front of a studio audience, these first few episodes embody the classic sitcom of the era.
But when something happens that doesn’t fit in this perfect sitcom world, there’s an abrupt shift in the style. The laugh track cuts out, and the camera starts to focus more on the characters than the setting. The shift in style is an abrupt yet subtle way that makes the audience feel when something isn’t right.
With only two short episodes released, the new cast for “WandaVision” so far haven’t had much time to shine, but these token characters add to the uncanny, “Truman Show” style of the show. “WandaVision” also promises the return of a few familiar characters, such as Agent Jimmy Woo from “Ant-Man and the Wasp” and Darcy Lewis from “Thor.”
Between the subtle easter eggs in each episode and the show’s slow unraveling, Wanda and Vision find themselves in promise of a big reveal in the end. Time will tell if the story is burning too slowly to keep the audience’s attention. But with only nine episodes announced for the series, I remain hopeful for the rest of the episodes.
New episodes of “WandaVision” will be released on Disney+ every Friday until March 5.
Darcy Ritchie is a second-year journalism student at Utah State from Idaho Falls, Idaho. Outside of writing for the Statesman, she loves to DJ for Aggie Radio, eat french bread in the Walmart parking lot, and tweet.
—darcy.ritchie@usu.edu
@darcyrrose