S01.E02: Don't Touch That Dial

[thuganomics85]

Heh, loved the animated-style opening they did this go around.  It is reminding me of the last season of Agents of SHIELD, and how they would always change up their title card to fit with whatever era they were in.  Curious to see how this show will handle that, assuming the "show" Wanda and Vision are in, will end up changing over time.

So, swallowing chewing gum can cause Vision's gears to get stuck, which leads to him acting drunk.  Good to know!  Paul Bettany was having a lot of fun with that.

Curious to see what the deal is with Geraldine, since Teyonah Parris is also suppose to be playing Monica Rambeau in Captain Marvel II as well.

Way to make "for the children" sound completely creepy there, Dottie.  And townsfolk who are clearly not all there.

A Strucker commercial this time.  Hmm...

Definitely seems like Wanda has some form of control over what is going on here, even if she isn't fully aware yet.  Elizabeth Olsen is really killing it here.

Can't wait to see where this show goes next!

[swanpride]

Wait..9 episodes? I really thought it would be only 6....in this case I guess they will cover a 2000 and a 2010s show, too….

[bmoore4026]

OK, I loved the opening bit in the bedroom.  Vision in a sleep mask is everything.

I liked how things shifted from a 60s sitcom vibe to a Twilight Zone feel when Wanda found that red helicopter.  The people who made this series have done their homework on how scenes were presented in that show.

More of weird Agnes, who I keep thinking is being played by Ana Gasteyer but isn't.

Jolene Purdy!!!  One of the good things about Under the Dome!  AND EMMA FREAKING CAULFIELD!!!

"For the children."  I have a feeling that'll be popping up throughout the series.  And they present it as funny, but the Stepford Wives pool party was quite unsettling, as was the encounter with Dottie, if, indeed, that's her real name.

"I was just playing with his shoes!" 😄

Elizabeth Olsen was was rocking that magician assistant costume.

Spoiler

Strucker watches?

And Wanda's pregnant!  And then there's a creepy beekeeper.  Who is doing this to Wanda?  Is she really in control?

Well, you've got me, series.  Now I have to wait a week for more intrigue.  Oh, poo.

 

Edited January 16, 2021 by bmoore4026
Some things should have in the spoiler box.

[Guest]

12 minutes ago, swanpride said:

Wait..9 episodes? I really thought it would be only 6....in this case I guess they will cover a 2000 and a 2010s show, too….

Disney only confirmed 9 episodes last week. I have a feeling the show will transition out of the sitcom formula for the last few episodes. 

[swanpride]

Btw, is the voice the guy from Ant-man and the Wasp?

[ProudMary]

9 hours ago, swanpride said:

So...we have six episodes, right?

1. Episode: 1950s/Dick van Dyke shows/Marriage

Ad hint: Stark bomb

2. Episode: 1960s/Bewitched/Pregnancy

Ad hint: Wanda's time at Hydra

3 Episode: 1970s/Brady Bunch/Birth

Ad Hint: Ultron

4. Episode: 1980s/??? (Please, let it be Full House)/Toddler years

Ad Hint: Civil War

5. Episode: 1990s/Roseanne/Child or teen years

Ad Hint: Thanos

6. Episode: Big finale...or they pick a sitcom from the 2000s and have the teen years there.

Paul Bettany was on James Corden's show Thursday night (Friday early morning.) PB was very chatty and may have said a bit more than would please Kevin Feige.

Spoiler

After naming the "Dick Van Dyke Show" and "The Brady Bunch" as some of the sitcoms referenced, he also named "Malcolm in the Middle" and "Modern Family." 

4 hours ago, bettername2come said:

The voice saying "Wanda, who's doing this to you?" sounds familiar to me, but I don't know if I'm thinking that because I'm trying to make it true. Since Wanda has some telepathic abilities, is this her reaching out to someone mentally and they're getting a glimpse of what's happening to her. Sam, Bucky or Hawkeye seem like they would be the most likely candidates since they're getting their own spinoffs and she's close to Sam and Hawkeye. 

The voice belongs to Randall Park, who plays Agent Jimmy Woo in the "Ant-Man" films and is confirmed to be a character in this series.

1 hour ago, Dani said:

Disney only confirmed 9 episodes last week. I have a feeling the show will transition out of the sitcom formula for the last few episodes. 

Paul Bettany was on The Jimmy Kimmel Show Friday night. (For some reason, I've been watching late-night TV this week. Not usually my thing.)

Spoiler

He said that the final 2-3 episodes are action-packed and much more what we'd expect from the MCU.

 

[Featherhat]

6 hours ago, Ottis said:

If you raise funds from only the same people who are in your ladies club, I don’t get the point.

I think that was supposed to be part of the weirdness. Dottie said something like "this is the one and only fundraiser for the elementary school, they're counting on us! For the children!!" But it was a small talent show with a handful of people in the audience and NO kids or people actually from the school. It was as though it was "written" by someone who had heard of ladies who lunch and control the neighbourhood fundraising but never seen anything like it properly. And then whatever is going on with the "For the Children". 

 

5 hours ago, cmahorror said:

I don't trust Kathryn Hahn at all, she almost seems like a handler for a witness protection program, making sure Wanda stays lost in the show and doesn't want to leave.

I think "well, look it's the star of the show" was definitely supposed to be more than a double meta joke. ie Wanda is the star both in universe and of this show and something's up with her. 

Spoiler

And Teyonah Parris is supposed to be Monica Rambeau but it's unclear if she knows she's in Wanda's Vision/prison or not. 

"Anges" does seem to have a real world counter part but again unclear if she's aware or not. 

 

[arc]

 

5 hours ago, Kel Varnsen said:

The whole house changed, look at the position of the kitchen relative to the front door. But at the same time the outside of the house looks the same.

Yep. The stairs are different and in a totally different location too.

5 hours ago, Kel Varnsen said:

Maybe, who the hell knows. From what I remember the machine that made Vision in Age of Ultron was able to replicate human tissue. Maybe it could replicate organs too.

Yeah but if that was the case, swallowing gum wouldn't have been a problem. Hell, Vision wouldn't have a no food policy.

I laughed so hard when Vision said "Norm here is a Communist!"

Picking Bewitched as the second homage makes more sense now that I know it switched to color partway through its run. Are we gonna have to wait till the 2000s era sitcom homage to switch to 16:9 aspect ratio?

[Sakura12]

I love the sitcom angle, I can't wait to see what others they do for the future decades. I can imagine Wanda grew up watching American sitcoms while trapped with Strucker and that's what she modeled her fantasy life on. 

I think someone put the idea into her mind and she created the world. They want her for something and they know she'll want to stay in the fantasy. So she has some control to keep it, but the outside force pushes her along. I definitely think Agnes is involved. 

[Enigma X]

I watched the first two episodes and am all in. I have a feeling there are lots of hidden clues embedded in the episodes that will help the viewer with what is going on.

[moonshine71]

On 1/15/2021 at 8:58 AM, Keywestclubkid said:

It's Anya (Emma Caulfield) from Buffy

Omg. For just a split second I thought it was Harmony before we got a good look at her, something about her voice. But then Anya didn't even register to me, and I've always been a huge Anya fan.

[Kel Varnsen]

4 hours ago, arc said:

Yep. The stairs are different and in a totally different location too.

I liked how that was kind of a reference to shows where the inside of the house couldn't possibly line up with how the outside works.

5 hours ago, arc said:

Yeah but if that was the case, swallowing gum wouldn't have been a problem. Hell, Vision wouldn't have a no food policy.

Yea but if this is all based on Wanda's mind it's not like she knows how complex robots work.

 

37 minutes ago, Enigma X said:

I watched the first two episodes and am all in. I have a feeling there are lots of hidden clues embedded in the episodes that will help the viewer with what is going on.

One cool thing about the clues I'd that the episodes are short so it is easily rewatchable.

[starri]

11 hours ago, cmahorror said:

First things first - I'll be the idiot to ask what's SWORD?

Sentient Worlds Observation and Response Department.  It does the same job as SHIELD, but for external (alien) threats, not internal (human) ones.

The one think that's throwing me a little is that they're mixing up the time periods of the sitcoms.  The first episode was a plot that was pure Bewitched, but they had Wanda styled to look like a 50s sitcom housewife (e.g. Ozzie and Harriet).  Then we get the Bewitched theme and styling on the house, but Wanda was made up to look like Mary Tyler Moore on Dick Van Dyke.  The pants thing is even a reference, because the network censors were very resistant to the idea of Laura wearing something that let you see her butt.

I don't mind mixing the references, it just seems odd that they're not more discretely doing 50s then 60s etc.

[paigow]

2 minutes ago, starri said:

I don't mind mixing the references, it just seems odd that they're not more discretely doing 50s then 60s etc.

This is all coming out of her jumbled brain under stress...Wanda only has a flimsy tether to reality via "commercials"... Dick Van Dyke canon, sadly,  did not survive....

[Kromm]

11 hours ago, Kel Varnsen said:

She also went from being the devoted housewife who just stays at home to a woman who gets out of the house and does her own stuff. She also seemed to get a lot snarkier with all the best one liners. Elizabeth Olsen must be having a blast doing this.

The whole house changed, look at the position of the kitchen relative to the front door. But at the same time the outside of the house looks the same.

Maybe, who the hell knows. From what I remember the machine that made Vision in Age of Ultron was able to replicate human tissue. Maybe it could replicate organs too.

With the Infinity Stones in play (and "Magic") I don't think we really need a scientific explanation though. And the circle of 6 stars around the moon in the credits really DOES suggest more than Vision's old yellow Mind Stone may be in play (even though some of the promos actually show the light from the Mind Stone, so it definitely is). 

I really think this comes down to something as simple as "The Devil" mentioned by Agnes (Mephisto) trying to reconstruct and aquire the Infinity Stones and using Wanda, either willingly or not, to do so. It's not clear if the kids and Vision bring back are part of a deal, part of an illusion, part of her own powers with Mephisto being off stage manipulating, etc. 

Let's try this theory. Both Vision AND Wanda are tied to the Mind Stone. The Mind Stone can certainly create an illusion of Vision, children, and mentally enslave all of those other people. But there's also a Reality Stone out there which can make these illusions real. I think that's the bait here. 

[foxfreakinmulder]

8 hours ago, ProudMary said:

The voice belongs to Randall Park, who plays Agent Jimmy Woo in the "Ant-Man" films and is confirmed to be a character in this series.

Thank you ProudMary 🙂 I was going to ask if anyone knew who the voice on the radio was.

In a way this reminds me of the Framework season on Agents of Shield. Or a movie I saw about a group of soldiers that was sent to guard a mansion and all this weird stuff started happening so they decided to leave but ended up walking in circles with the same scenes playing out along the way. It ended up that the group of soldiers were in some kind of experimental coma to help them deal with the real trauma they went through. But all the people they encountered in their "dream state" were the doctors and staff workers at the lab they were being kept at.

I don't know what's going on with Wanda but I bet these characters she's interacting with are people she's encountered in the "real world". I just don't know if she's the one in control or if she's being held against her will and is fighting against something and that's where the cracks come in, like the radio.

Is this series supposed to be only a 1 or 2 season long? I don't know how long they could carry a show that's trapped in a sitcom world and keep it interesting.

[Kromm]

2 minutes ago, foxfreakinmulder said:

Is this series supposed to be only a 1 or 2 season long? I don't know how long they could carry a show that's trapped in a sitcom world and keep it interesting.

I think the general assumption is it's a one-off. That said, there's certainly an open door to use a different premise as a Season 2. They've been open that this leads into Doctor Strange 2 (now filming). Logically that suggests that a second season could just follow up the events of Doctor Strange 2.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I loved seeing Anya from Buffy pop up as the bitchy neighbor!

22 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

I also find it interesting that Agnes keeps talking about her husband Ralph, but we have never seen him onscreen, even at the talent show where you would expect him to be. I think Agnes might be more than the wacky neighbor...

Maybe Ralph will be like Wilson on Home Improvement or Tino on My So-Called Life!

19 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

I find it very interesting that in this whole suburban fantasy world straight out of a 60s sitcom, there were no children seen at all. Those shows almost always had families with kids, so...where are the children in this neighborhood? They were raising money for the elementary school, but there were no children at all at the talent show.

There were two kids performing at the talent show before Wanda and Vision did their magic act. It was a boy and a girl tap dancing.

11 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

So, swallowing chewing gum can cause Vision's gears to get stuck, which leads to him acting drunk.  Good to know!  Paul Bettany was having a lot of fun with that.

I think it's swallowing anything since he's a robot and can't eat.

[Featherhat]

"For the Children" would seem to indicate that someone has nefarious? plans for the kids.

On watching it again I think that Wanda notices things are off too often for it to be something she's totally in control of. The wacky hijinks seem like a distraction from that as well as her wanted on some level for this happiness with Vision to be real. Agnes suddenly pops up a lot when she's questioning things but that might be a red herring. 

Then obviously we have Jimmy Woo who's trying to get through to her knowing/thinking she's a prisoner of her mind/the mind stone/the reality stone. Somehow. 

[ProudMary]

1 hour ago, foxfreakinmulder said:

Is this series supposed to be only a 1 or 2 season long? I don't know how long they could carry a show that's trapped in a sitcom world and keep it interesting.

There hasn't been any word on whether this particular MCU series is a one-off or if there may be subsequent seasons; however...

Spoiler

It has been reported, although not confirmed by Marvel, that the second season of "Loki" is already being developed although Season 1 has not yet aired.

https://www.ign.com/articles/loki-season-2-reportedly-in-development

 

[calliope1975]

10 hours ago, ProudMary said:

The voice belongs to Randall Park, who plays Agent Jimmy Woo in the "Ant-Man" films and is confirmed to be a character in this series.

Thanks for this. I was trying to figure out the voice and was thinking it was Don Cheadle for a bit, but then it also sounded like different voices. 

[Racj82]

On 1/15/2021 at 10:32 AM, swanpride said:

Ah thanks. That makes her as friendly neighbourhood demon even more funny.

I really, really hope that if we are dealing with a suggested pregnancy story that they will handle the topic with care. Honestly, I really would prefer it if despite what is suggested Wanda is actually doing it to herself in her grieve instead of someone else forcing a pregnancy on her. That is just...urgh….

There is zero part of me that sees the pregnancy that way. It's just another peace of what she wanted. 

It actually kind of plays with the world they are in. With the tv shows of that time never mentioning sex or even implying it (they kind of did here) but a pregnancy almost magically happening.

[Lilac2000]

2 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Maybe Ralph will be like Wilson on Home Improvement or Tino on My So-Called Life!

I was thinking that too. Several sitcoms have never seen characters (Norm's wife on Cheers, Maris on Frasier, Ugly Naked Guy on Friends).

Knowing MCU though, Ralph could end up being key to the whole thing!

[paigow]

2 minutes ago, Lilac2000 said:

Knowing MCU though, Ralph could end up being key to the whole thing!

Or his best friend, Fix-It Felix

[Morrigan2575]

On 1/15/2021 at 10:32 AM, Cobalt Stargazer said:

There's some theorizing that Wanda cracked under the strain of losing Vision (twice) in Infinity War, that she's retreated into a place where she can make reality whatever she wants it to be; settling down with the one she loves in a safe place, where he goes to work and she does community-related things, having a family, etc

That's what I assumed before the show started and episode 2 certainly seems to indicate it. It certainly would be in line with her comics persona...she's a bit cray cray 😂

[Racj82]

9 minutes ago, Morrigan2575 said:

That's what I assumed before the show started and episode 2 certainly seems to indicate it. It certainly would be in line with her comics persona...she's a bit cray cray 😂

Yeah, I don't read comics but I actually binged all of x men evolution on disney plus. They bring is Wanda at a certain point and she is super unstable. They actually explore issues between her, her brother and her father on the show. 

Edited January 16, 2021 by Racj82

[Nellise]

I watched both episodes and I don't think this show is for me, yet. I feel like I can skip to episode 7 or 8 when the real plot starts and skip 4 hours of bad sitcom parodies with 5 minutes of weirdness. We already had a Marvel show that was based in a character's head with little hints and clues with Legion and I'm not really interested in another one.

Edited January 16, 2021 by Nellise

[Kel Varnsen]

On 1/15/2021 at 10:32 AM, Cobalt Stargazer said:

There's some theorizing that Wanda cracked under the strain of losing Vision (twice) in Infinity War, that she's retreated into a place where she can make reality whatever she wants it to be; settling down with the one she loves in a safe place, where he goes to work and she does community-related things, having a family, etc. That the very act of having to kill him only for it not to work is what broke her, even though she faced Thanos in the final confrontation. The moment where she realizes she's pregnant kind of breaks my heart for her, because she's sounds so tentatively hopeful when she asks, "Vision, is this really happening?" If that loss is the root cause, small wonder that she's so desperate to bury herself in the fantasy.

Not only did she lose Vision, but then she got blipped and came back 5 years later. So for her Vision's death just happened but the world basically moved on.

[Penman61]

Just putting this down in case specificity ends up mattering when All Is Explained later in the show:

• The Dick Van Dyke Show ran from 1961-66. Bewitched ran from 1966-1972.
• Wandavision's episode 1 living room/dining room/kitchen layout was a nearly perfect re-creation of The Dick Van Dyke Show's living room/dining/kitchen layout. (I know because I re-watched the entire run of the The Dick Van Dyke Show this past summer. Pandemic!) Wandavision's set was dressed differently, different furniture, etc.
• Episode 2 seems to be mimicking the layout of Bewitched, though I haven't re-watched it recently.
• Wanda's wedding dress in the episode 1 opening credits is a pretty exact match of Audrey Hepburn's in 1957's Funny Face. 
• Anachronism alert: 1960s studio audiences for sitcoms wouldn't--and laugh-tracks added in post definitely did not--do the audible "OoooooOOOOoooh" (trans. "What a burn!") and "Aaaawwwwww" (trans. "That's so sweet!") responses they did twice in these first two episodes. That started in the 1980s at the earliest, if memory serves. But definitely not part of The Dick Van Dyke Show (studio audience) or Bewitched (laugh track). Another clue that someone is putting together a pastiche expertly but not perfectly mimicking the conventions of the time.

 

Edited January 16, 2021 by Penman61

[Guest]

38 minutes ago, Nellise said:

I watched both episodes and I don't think this show is for me, yet. I feel like I can skip to episode 7 or 8 when the real plot starts and skip 4 hours of bad sitcom parodies with 5 minutes of weirdness. We already had a Marvel show that was based in a character's head with little hints and clues with Legion and I'm not really interested in another one.

We are in episode 2 and the outside world has already breached the show 3 times (helicopter, radio and bee keeper) it seems unlikely the show is going to move as slowly as you think. My guess is it will be 3 episodes heavily sitcom based, 3 episodes still following sitcoms but where they also reveal what is going on and the final 3 more action based tying it back into the larger Marvel world. 
 

ETA: We probably could use a speculation thread. I’d start one but I can’t think of a good title. 

Edited January 16, 2021 by Guest

[AnimeMania]

I wish they would have put more effort into the story of the retro sitcoms, I thought the two episodes were a little dull, slow, and unfunny. Since I am watching for "entertainment" and not as an "Easter egg" hunt, I found the episodes might be considered subpar for someone not well versed in Marvel lore.

[Morrigan2575]

Just now, AnimeMania said:

I wish they would have put more effort into the story of the retro sitcoms, I thought the two episodes were a little dull, slow, and unfunny. Since I am watching for "entertainment" and not as an "Easter egg" hunt, I found the episodes might be considered subpar for someone not well versed in Marvel lore.

That's pretty much what I'm watching for. I don't care about the sitcom stuff. I'm watching for "clues" of the real story.

[swanpride]

I find the sitcom jokes funny enough...in the first episode I laughed the hardest about the pig moment and the lobster moment. In the second the whole committee thing was a blast.

[Kromm]

59 minutes ago, AnimeMania said:

I wish they would have put more effort into the story of the retro sitcoms, I thought the two episodes were a little dull, slow, and unfunny. Since I am watching for "entertainment" and not as an "Easter egg" hunt, I found the episodes might be considered subpar for someone not well versed in Marvel lore.

Are you a regular viewer of sitcoms from the 1960s though?  Because this is fairly accurate in terms of the types of jokes, pacing, simple storyline, and style. 

I'm not implying any obligation to like it. I'm just saying if they'd adjusted those aspects more based on modern tastes and assumptions, they might as well have not done the vintage sitcom angle at all. 

[Cthulhudrew]

What would be interesting is if we get to Episode 9 and realize that is actually the start of the story of Wanda's descent into madness, and episode 1 is where she ended up, having had to "reboot" her and Vision's story all the way back to the golden era of tv sitcoms in order to find happiness.

[Sakura12]

I thought they perfectly captured the sitcom storylines of that era. They were simple, slapstick and always had them husband and wife have the miscommunication. I also loved that they used wires and jump cuts that they used in those days. It made it feel more lived in. You can tell Olsen and Bettany were having a blast with this and that helps as well. 

Since were only 2 episodes in I was fine with the little hints we got that something is off. In the first episode we had the wife and Vision not be able to do something until Wanda in a way wrote the script for them. Then in this episode with the real world breaking through it seemed like Dottie woke up from Wanda's hold and was asking where are we? who are you? Those open the mystery for me and I can't wait to see where it leads and what other sitcoms we get, especially if we get to the modern sitcom era. 

[Morrigan2575]

39 minutes ago, Sakura12 said:

In the first episode we had the wife and Vision not be able to do something until Wanda in a way wrote the script for them.

I'm curious to see how far they take it. If this is Wanda going cray cray and creating this new reality. Are these people real (mind control/altered personalites)? Are they people she created with her powers and, will fade to nothing once she "wakes up"?  Is she even aware of what she's doing? She's partially aware that something isn't right and is able to control the "story" but, is she fully aware of what she's doing.

For me that's the interesting part. The Sitcom stuff is just a vehicle to deliver the slowly unraveling mystery. 

[AnimeMania]

I guess I am a little jaded, if the comedy doesn't surpass the "I Love Lucy" in the chocolate factory episode, they should be trying harder (they only had to hit it out of the park for 2 episodes, but this is where you retain your new viewers). I would have preferred that they made fun of the TV standards back then, like keeping one foot on the floor while couples are in the same bed (SNL had a very funny sketch about that). Maybe even coming up with a catch phrase. I did really enjoy the 2nd episode's animated opening.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

28 minutes ago, Morrigan2575 said:

Are these people real (mind control/altered personalites)? Are they people she created with her powers and, will fade to nothing once she "wakes up"?

My theory is that at least Agnes is real, independent of the construct Wanda has created even if she can't leave it. She wouldn't be able to keep popping up when Wanda doesn't expect her, as she did when she was inspecting the toy helicopter, otherwise. Wanda didn't seem to know who Dottie is until they actually met, even though Agnes seemed very in the know about her social power. Even if she and Vision were still 'new to the neighborhood', it seems like Dottie would have been the first to show up with a casserole in a Pyrex dish or something. So if Agnes is real and was aware of Dottie being queen bee, then Dottie must also exist outside of Wanda's delusion. I don't really know about anyone else, though, like Vision's boss and his wife.

[Sakura12]

1 hour ago, AnimeMania said:

I guess I am a little jaded, if the comedy doesn't surpass the "I Love Lucy" in the chocolate factory episode, they should be trying harder (they only had to hit it out of the park for 2 episodes, but this is where you retain your new viewers). I would have preferred that they made fun of the TV standards back then, like keeping one foot on the floor while couples are in the same bed (SNL had a very funny sketch about that). Maybe even coming up with a catch phrase. I did really enjoy the 2nd episode's animated opening.

I think it's deliberate the fact that they went more copy of the sitcoms instead of making fun of them. Because I think they are going with, Wanda most likely grew up watching American sitcoms and found them comforting. So its like her happy place in a way, life in sitcoms are simple and everything always works out in the end. Unlike the real world. 

She's not trying to make a comedy show about American sitcom tropes. She made a place where she can be happy and live her life with Vision. Yes the title is their names but this is more Wanda's vision of the world she wants. She's not a writer, she's a woman with uncontrolled superpowers having a mental break. 

This is how she "Invisions" sitcoms, however with her powers she's able to make it a reality. I think most of the neighbors are either Hydra agents or Sword agents that were trying to get to her and ended up being mind controlled into becoming part of her vision. (that's why there are no kids). They keep trying to send agents in and she just keeps adding people to her neighborhood. I also think Wanda is not completely aware she's doing that either. She has some lucid moments but she doesn't want to face that reality so she makes herself forget as well.

We are seeing what looks like an innocent happy sitcom but in reality she's mind controlling a bunch of people and forcing them to live in her fantasy world. If you try to break her out of her reality there will be consequences, like the Vision's boss demanding answers, I think Wanda made him choke and was going go let him die and cutting Dottie's hand when she started asking questions. She spared them now but I think it will only get worse the further Wanda believes this is her reality. 

[Kromm]

1 hour ago, AnimeMania said:

I guess I am a little jaded, if the comedy doesn't surpass the "I Love Lucy" in the chocolate factory episode, they should be trying harder

That's quite a demand though. You're literally saying that you won't be happy unless it surpasses what many consider one of the most formative, influential episodes in TV history. 

[Penman61]

41 minutes ago, Sakura12 said:

She's not trying to make a comedy show about American sitcom tropes. She made a place where she can be happy and live her life with Vision. Yes the title is their names but this is more Wanda's vision of the world she wants. She's not a writer, she's a woman with uncontrolled superpowers having a mental break. 

(emphasis added)

OMG. I truly am obtuse. I did not get that the title was BOTH their names until I read this...

Next up: I wonder where Arby's got its name?...

[Kromm]

6 minutes ago, Penman61 said:

(emphasis added)

OMG. I truly am obtuse. I did not get that the title was BOTH their names until I read this... 

The title is kind of an "all of the above" thing. It's genius because it can be spun both ways. It's meant to help mislead us. 

-- Wanda AND Vision

-- Wanda's vision

She's delusional and this is what came out the other end. It's literally Wanda's vision. Or Wanda's vision OF Vision, but as I think we're seeing, it didn't stop there. 

[MrWhyt]

14 minutes ago, Penman61 said:

(emphasis added)

OMG. I truly am obtuse. I did not get that the title was BOTH their names until I read this...

Next up: I wonder where Arby's got its name?...

well now I just figured out Arby's = R B's = Roast Beef.  Edit: nope wiki says its from Raffel Brothers, the founders

Edited January 17, 2021 by MrWhyt

[Kromm]

56 minutes ago, Sakura12 said:

We are seeing what looks like an innocent happy sitcom but in reality she's mind controlling a bunch of people and forcing them to live in her fantasy world. If you try to break her out of her reality there will be consequences, like the Vision's boss demanding answers, I think Wanda made him choke and was going go let him die and cutting Dottie's hand when she started asking questions. She spared them now but I think it will only get worse the further Wanda believes this is her reality. 

It's interesting, because while it's increasingly looking like this is ALL her doing, and she's literally enslaving people, that "Devil" comment doesn't feel like an accident. So I'm forced to hold judgment on how much she's just doing vs if she's doing it but being tricked or compelled. Plus, she WAS VERY insistent that she means well. Even if Kitty from That 70s Show was literally begging her to stop, and Anya from Buffy was also clearly communicating being tortured and trapped.  

[Sakura12]

I don't think this is all her doing. I think someone put the idea into her head, she created the world and the outside force is trying to keep her living in her "reality" for their own reasons. So she is as much a prisoner of her mind as the people she is trapping. 

[Guest]

20 minutes ago, Kromm said:

It's interesting, because while it's increasingly looking like this is ALL her doing, and she's literally enslaving people, that "Devil" comment doesn't feel like an accident. So I'm forced to hold judgment on how much she's just doing vs if she's doing it but being tricked or compelled. Plus, she WAS VERY insistent that she means well. Even if Kitty from That 70s Show was literally begging her to stop, and Anya from Buffy was also clearly communicating being tortured and trapped.  

Based on a few details I’m thinking Agnes is 

Spoiler

Agatha Harkness. 

If that is true Wanda’s involvement may be less than it appears. 

[Morrigan2575]

I think we need a speculation thread 😁

[JanetSnakehole]

13 hours ago, starri said:

Sentient Worlds Observation and Response Department.  It does the same job as SHIELD, but for external (alien) threats, not internal (human) ones.

The one think that's throwing me a little is that they're mixing up the time periods of the sitcoms.  The first episode was a plot that was pure Bewitched, but they had Wanda styled to look like a 50s sitcom housewife (e.g. Ozzie and Harriet).  Then we get the Bewitched theme and styling on the house, but Wanda was made up to look like Mary Tyler Moore on Dick Van Dyke.  The pants thing is even a reference, because the network censors were very resistant to the idea of Laura wearing something that let you see her butt.

I don't mind mixing the references, it just seems odd that they're not more discretely doing 50s then 60s etc.

YES! I got confused when they had this perfect Dick Van Dyke house, but she was in Lucy dresses. Then a perfect Bewitched house, but she was full-on Laura Petrie style. Like you said, I don't mind the mashups, but I hope they explain it later and let us know it's deliberate, otherwise it just looks like they didn't really have a grasp on the shows they're imitating. If I know Marvel, that ain't the case. 

[Racj82]

2 hours ago, JanetSnakehole said:

YES! I got confused when they had this perfect Dick Van Dyke house, but she was in Lucy dresses. Then a perfect Bewitched house, but she was full-on Laura Petrie style. Like you said, I don't mind the mashups, but I hope they explain it later and let us know it's deliberate, otherwise it just looks like they didn't really have a grasp on the shows they're imitating. If I know Marvel, that ain't the case. 

At this point, I feel like it's increasingly hard to just tell a story because many people get caught up on in these minute details and elements that don't matter. They don't need to explain anything about the wardrobe here. They can. It could be part of a bigger picture. But, just having mismatch of eras, in my opinion, isn't an example of anything. 

I do feel like I'm on an island to myself at times. I sit down and watch these shows and movies. I enjoy them. I pay attention. But, I'm not looking over them with an eagle eye and getting caught up with little details. I'll admit, I clocked the wearing of pants in terms of that obviously being a dick van dyke thing but she wasn't wearing them on the set that looks more like it. But, the extent of my thought was hmmm. Odd. And never thought about it again. But others have been completely distracted by it or various parts of the setting. I really didn't think it was that big of a deal.

Separately, I also feel like binge watching has killed attention span of many viewers at this point. It's at a point where people can't go backwards. They can't take a slow burn. Can't let a story play out as it was written. All they want is answers. Answers!

I guess maybe Lost is to blame as well. Many people (not me. I love the show still. Even upon rewatch), felt burned by the mysteries that seemingly had no answers. So, a lot of people are weary of not getting answers or proper ones.

I'm enjoying the ride so far. I had no expectations for the show. I figured it would be weird and not your typical MCU vehicle. That is very true.

I'm looking at the show as a dream episode of a tv series. But, whereas this usually plays out over the course of an episode, it's playing out over the course of a 9 episode season. I'll be honest in that I usually don't like dream episodes. It's usually, to me, a time waste in terms of story. The difference here is that it's not a time waste. This is the series. I didn't spend episodes following Wanda and then I was dropped into this weird world. We are in it with her. Yes, one probably will be able to just jump to the end and understand things. I would rather experience the whole story. I'll judge it then.