*****SUPERNATURAL SPOILERS!*****

Despite my continual kvetching that “I’m done with Marvel,” I find myself back in Disney+’s Marvel-lined pockets after watching their latest miniseries, “Agatha All Along,” the long-gestating offshoot of 2021’s uneven “WandaVision”; a miniseries I had mixed feelings on, despite its clever TV sitcom-sliding premise. “Agatha All Along” has been in development since 2022 or so, and, after a revolving door of title changes (“House of Harkness,” “Darkhold Diaries,” “Coven of Chaos”), the miniseries has finally unveiled its first two episodes this week on Disney+ streaming.

Episode 1: “Seekest Thou the Road”

Episode 1 opens as an incongruous, “CSI”-styled cops/forensics show (complete with gritty, unflattering lighting and other trappings) that sees Agatha still trapped in the matrix of a WandaVision TV show called “Agnes of Westview,” where the formerly formidable Salem witch is now a cliched “cop on the edge,” investigating the murder of a mysterious Jane Doe, left in a ditch. We’re then pulled into this by-the-numbers TV-style investigation when Agnes/Agatha researches a book the mystery woman checked out at the local library. 

Note: The town librarian is played by Emma Caulfield, who also played the Demon “Anya” on the groundbreaking TV series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” (1997-2003). While I’ve never been a particular fan of cop, lawyer or forensics shows, I have to say; “Agnes of Westview” really nails their tropes beautifully.  For a red herring, the cop show gag is well executed, though it does go on a bit longer than necessary, as we quickly get the joke.

Later that night, Agnes/Agatha is home alone (she’s also been ‘cast’ as an apparent widow who’s lost a child, too) when she chases after a mysterious, unnamed “Teen” burglar (Joe Locke) whom she arrests and takes downtown for interrogation. Agnes/Agatha’s ‘bad cop’ routine is interrupted by a cool, by-the-book FBI agent named Rio Vidal (Aubrey Plaza), who immediately rubs Agnes/Agatha the wrong way. Agnes/Agatha soon realizes the Teen has a strong connection to her true past, as her own reality begins to break down right before her eyes…

In the aftermath of the teen’s detention, Rio comes calling on Agnes, and the two later meet at the town morgue, where Agnes/Agatha’s reality begins to unravel once again, as the mysterious Jane Doe’s corpse appears to be Wanda Maximoff, the “Scarlet Witch” who trapped Agatha and an entire town in “WandaVision,” before draining Agatha’s powers.  Back at her home, Agatha also learns that Rio is a witch assassin sent to kill her, but Agatha manages to convince Rio that it’d be more challenging to kill her when she gets her powers back (this is a story weak spot, but sure).  Rio relents, but warns her that an execution team called the “Salem’s Seven” will be back to finish the job later.

Note: Aubrey Plaza is far better cast here as a cool FBI Agent/witch assassin than she was as a hapless single mother in the recent “Child’s Play” reboot (2019). The actress has a dark, deadpan delivery that makes her seem like the lost older sister of Wednesday Addams, who was left on a stranger’s doorstep.

Agatha, with her sense of self reawakened, finds the Teen still kidnapped in her closet with duct tape over his mouth.  The Teen, who has powers of his own, knows who Agatha really is, and is a fan of her work. With her new ‘familiar’ in tow, Agatha sets off to recruit other witches who can help her conjure “the Witch’s Road.”

Episode 2: “Circle Sewn with Fate / Unlock Thy Hidden Gate”

Episode 2 sees Agatha teaming up with the Teen, who is under a spell that makes Agatha unable to hear or understand him whenever he tries to impart personal information about himself.  Agatha also learns the Teen used his own nascent powers to free her from her WandaVision-induced purgatory. With Teen in tow, Agatha needs a coven of witches in order to conjure the portal that leads to the Witch’s Road.  To that end, she scours the town for qualified candidates.

Note: One of the things I enjoyed about the show is how it flits from gritty cop show to road trip to heroes’ quest.  It’s a surreal medley of genres.

Their first stop is a psychic named Lilia Calderu (Patti LuPone), whose small, shabby little parlor-home is facing eviction.  After compelling Lilia to give her a list of authentic local witches, Agatha realizes Lilia’s skills are indeed genuine. Agatha and the Teen invite Lilia to join them for a witch’s ‘party’ at Agatha’s place. Following other names on their list, they find Jennifer Kale (Shasheer Zamata), who peddles bogus holistic remedies, and is facing a massive lawsuit.  Knowing each other by reputation, Agatha invites the reluctant Jennifer to join her as well.  The last stop takes them to the local mall, where Agatha and the Teen find and recruit Alice Wu-Gulliver (Ali Ahn); a disgraced former cop who is now working security at a “Hot Topic”-style goth merch store.  

Note: Like “The Seven Samurai,” the second episode focuses on recruiting characters for the quest. While the reluctant, shady recruits are nicely-if-briefly established, there isn’t room enough in this second episode to explore them in great depth, there are still seven episodes to go in this nine-episode series.

The ‘party’ at Agatha’s house consists of waiting guests and a few hastily put together appetizers, courtesy of the Teen (toothpicks in granola bars). In lieu of Rio, Agatha realizes they need another witch to complete their coven and conjure the portal to the Witch’s Road.  To that end, Agatha quickly dashes over to her suburban “WandaVision” neighbor, Sharon Davis, aka “Mrs. Hart” (Debra Jo Rupp, “That ‘70s Show”) who will act as a placeholder to complete the coven.  In Agatha’s basement, the coven intone the incantation for the Witch’s Road (with newbie Sharon struggling to keep up).  Meanwhile, the Teen remains upstairs on the lookout for the Salem’s Seven…

Note: With Broadway legend Patti LuPone adding to the vocals, the incantation scene is downright earworm-worthy. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if this miniseries gets a soundtrack release (on digital, vinyl, or whatever). It’s too bad we don’t hear the titular song “It was Agatha All Along,” which I really enjoyed from “WandaVision.”

The Salem’s Seven close in on Agatha’s house.  As the spectral assassins break though the spotty defenses erected by the Teen, the conjuring works. The basement floor now has a door with a preternatural green blue-green glow emanating from behind. They open the door and enter a descending stairway into a dark, magical forest, with a pathway laid before them. Soon, the Teen and Agatha join the rest of the coven, and the door is sealed behind them; turning back into stony foundation. “The Witch’s Road” lies ahead…

Note: The Witch’s Road is a major nod to L. Frank Baum, whose original “Oz” novels were far darker and creepier than the bright, Technicolor fantasy film classic from 1939. I loved the Oz books as a kid, and my siblings and I used to pass the tattered soft-backs around until pages literally began to fall out. 1985’s “Return to Oz” was the closest film adaptation I’ve yet seen to Baum’s original books. It even included lost characters such as Tik-Tok and Jack Pumpkinhead. Despite its modern setting, adult humor and very different characters, “Agatha All Along” does manage to capture a bit of that original Oz energy.

To Be Continued…

Summing It Up

Despite my prior issues with “WandaVision,” I found myself enjoying showrunner Jac Schaeffer’s “Agatha…” more than I expected. Maybe it has to do with my love of Halloween and the subtle autumnal vibe of this series, or it could be the star power of Kathryn Hahn and her able cast. Or perhaps a mix of those elements. Hahn is a force of nature; shifting between sympathetic and camp audacity on a dime.  Beyond the preordained casting of Hahn, the series also scores a casting coup with Broadway legend Patti LuPone (“Evita”), who gets to sing once again. 

With the exceptions of Joe Locke’s “Teen” and Aubrey Plaza’s “Rio Vidal,” the other members of Hahn’s hastily recruited coven haven’t yet had their chances to fully emerge as characters, but there are still seven episodes to go. Ending episode two at the beginning of their witch’s road trip together, there are still plenty of opportunities for Lilia, Alice, Jennifer and Sharon to shine in the remainder of this miniseries.

Despite the fact that we only see one openly gay character in this story’s first two episodes, there is a strong, feminist/LGBTQ-affirming energy bursting from the seams of this show, and for those who can’t deal with it? You’d best sit this one out, because this show is not for you. Long gone are the days when closeted TV writers had to carefully queer-code Paul Lynde’s Uncle Arthur on “Bewitched”; a series that also featured Elizabeth Montgomery as a domesticated ‘pretty witch’ to make feminine empowerment more palatable to the socially conservative “Father Knows Best” crowd. 

The “Witch’s Road”-trip story is a means for Agatha and her coven of frenemies to find themselves, making this a heroes’ quest of self-discovery and empowerment. Granted, feminine empowerment is perhaps not the newest of statements to make in this day and age, but it’s served with more than enough humor and spice to avoid lapsing into a brooding lecture. Referencing a cornucopia of pop culture witchcraft stories, “Agatha…” is a latter-day mashup of “Bewitched,” “The Witches of Eastwick,” and “The Craft,” topped off with a generous helping of “The Wizard of Oz”; with threads from each woven in as well.  

Now that Agatha’s coven is on the “Witch’s Road,” I’m more than a bit curious to see where it takes them.

Where to Watch

“Agatha All Along” is currently streaming exclusively on Disney+.