Television: WandaVision
Umm… okay. So that was fun. I guess?
Only the first two episodes of WandaVision are out, and it’s clear that there is more going on than at first meets the eye. Which is a good thing, since I think—fun as this is—it would tire out kind of quickly.
For those not in the know, WandaVision is Disney+’s latest Marvel Universe entry, this one in the form of a television series about Wanda (Scarlet Witch) and Vision. The first two episodes are designed to look and feel like 1950’s television sitcoms (think: Bewitched), complete in black and white… except when a little bit of color (usually red) bleeds through to hint that things aren’t entirely what they seem.
It’s cute, and the kids were bemused, not entirely understanding the context. They’ve seen Mister Ed but haven’t watched more traditional sitcoms from that era like Donna Reed, so their ability to place the references was limited. But they still found it amusing.
Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany reprise their film roles here, and the two do really have good chemistry. Bettany in particular shows a talent for comedy, and Kathryn Hahn is fun as the nosy neighbor. I mostly enjoyed the show (the second episode more than the first), but for some reason don’t feel 100% sold yet. Maybe it’s the gimmick that I’m tripping over; I grew up loving Nick-at-Nite and this feels so over the top that it walks the line of almost too simplistic, at least on the surface. It’s the knowledge that there’s more going on underneath that keeps it from being too ridiculous to stomach. I suppose my overall feeling will depend on how everything spins out from here.