
WandaVision season 1 episode 8, entitled "Previously On," delves into the backstory of Wanda Maximoff and how she became the Westview anomaly we've come to know. Agatha Harkness holds Wanda captive and uses her magic to explore her past, starting with a young Wanda in Sokovia amid the carnage of war where she and her twin brother Pietro were left alone after their parents' death. The scene is especially poignant as Wanda's powers manifest for the first time as she comforts her brother with the revelation that she has a comforting superhero role model in American sitcoms.
Agatha continues to probe Wanda's memory, showing her early adulthood days as a HYDRA test subject, bonding with Vision as the android approaches her after a successful mission. It's here that we see how their love blossomed, leading to their eventual relationship and marriage, even culminating in Vision's proposal, made with a cheeky pun.
However, the intense love story suddenly becomes tragic when Wanda and Vision attempt to get his dead body from SWORD headquarters, where the agency hopes to use him as a weapon. Wanda's grief and rage at Vision's dismemberment lead her to use her immense magical power to create her own universe with Vision at the center, initially unaware of the level of destruction she's caused.
Coming to terms with the truth of her situation, Wanda is shown in a moment of despair, feeling helpless and alone. This despair is compounded by the fact that she must say goodbye to her "children" and "husband" as they disintegrate before her very eyes once The Hex is disintegrating.
"Previously On" offers a much-needed snapshot of Wanda's life leading up to the events in Westview, setting the stage for the ultimate revelations of the season finale. It creates a powerful contrast between the comedy-heavy first couple of episodes and the real-life tragedy that took place before the series began. The episode offers a deeper context to Wanda's character, showing us her most vulnerable moments and the seeds of her current predicament. It also provides insight into what motivates her every move as she constructs this reality where she can live with Vision, seemingly the only way she can live with the loss of her loved one.
The performances and direction of "Previously On" stand out. Olsen delivers an outstanding refraction of Wanda's character, creating a real sense of her despair, desire, and pain in equal measure. The straightforward-yet-effective direction provided by Matt Shakman keeps the viewer invested in the story, providing some incredibly emotional moments witnessed in a long series that is so full of humorous lightness.
Overall, "Previously On" is a riveting, emotional episode that cuts to the core of WandaVision's story and characters. It contrasts the earlier episodes and sets the stage for the grand finale. It's a milestone of television, entertaining, and emotionally affecting.
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Genres
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CastElizabeth OlsenPaul BettanyKathryn HahnIlana KohanchiDaniyar
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Channel
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First AiredFebruary 26, 2021
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LanguageEnglish
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IMDB Rating8.9 (23,586)

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