The Fantasy Review’s review of Agatha All Along Episode 2 – Circle Sewn With Fate / Unlock Thy Hidden Gate.
Agatha All Along episode 2 sets this show up to be perhaps the best thing Marvel Studios have made since Loki season 1. If you want a tonne of witchy vibes for your cold autumn nights by the fire, you’re going to want Agatha up on your screen.
Episode 1 of Agatha All Along was a reintroduction to Agatha; episode 2 is getting the band – sorry, coven – together. On to the spoilers!
Spoiler-Filled Review of Agatha All Along Episode 2
Agatha All Along episode 2 is the start of something special from the MCU. It’s so good, it doesn’t feel like it was made by Marvel Studios at all.
So, Agatha and Teen go out to recruit some witches to their coven. They get someone who is set up nearby as a psychic, another is a candle shop owner (maybe? Probably herbal remedies, that sort of thing), and the third is the daughter of the witch who wrote the song to get you down The Road.
Oh, and Mrs Hart. If I could remember anything from VandaVision, I am sure I would recognise her.
Kathryn Hahn steals every scene. This is her show, sure, but she actually takes scenes away from people and it’s a joy to watch. Her presence on the screen will glue you to the show: I immediately never want Agatha All Along to end.
The rest of the cast has also been good, so far, but we haven’t seen much of them. And, like I said, Hahn steals their scenes, so we need some more time with them to actually know what they are like.
Once the coven is assembled, Agatha leads the small group in a sing-song which I was terrified was going to be like when the witches in The Acolyte start singing/chanting (makes me shudder thinking about it), but in Agatha All Along episode 2, it was fucking epic.
As they are singing this epic ballad, opening the door to The Road, some genuinely creepy witches/creatures/whatever they are – ghost-Jedi, whatever – come towards the house. This is how you slip horror elements into your goofy witch show!
Finally, I want to mention that I have no idea what is going on with Teen, but the fact we don’t know his name or learn anything about him because Agatha goes deaf to his voice whenever he mentions something about himself, is the best mystery box I have seen in ages.
Most mystery boxes are numerous within a TV show these days, and essentially promise to be rubbish. This show has one, and instead of focusing on it a lot, the narrative pulls you away towards the characters and their actions.
This is a character-driven narrative with a compelling mystery beside the main plot, rather than having the plot be a stitched blanket of many mystery boxes. This is good writing and I can’t wait to see what else the writers have in store for us!
