Welcome back to the blog readers. Agatha All Along has been one of those series that I was mildly excited for but had no expectations for at the same time. Fortunately for me, I was treated to a very solid premiere episode that did a lot right for me. I love Kathryn Hahn, Aubrey Plaza was great in her role, and we've got some very promising things coming up I believe. Would we be able to continue the momentum in this episode, titled "Circle Sewn with Fate / Unlock Thy Hidden Gate," written by Laura Donney, and directed by Jac Schaeffer? Stick around to find out.
NOTE: I will be using spoilers for my thoughts, so DO NOT read ahead if you have not seen the film.
As I stated in the introduction, the first episode did a whole lot of things right for me in my opinion. I loved the True Detective (2014-)-esque crime drama we got, the aesthetics we were treated to, and the performances of Kathryn Hahn and Aubrey Plaza. Plus, we get to theorize every week as to what is happening. And we get all of that (minus the crime drama) in this episode, which I very much enjoyed as well. Joe Locke as "Teen" is absolutely delightful (and hilarious), obviously I love Kathryn Hahn and their chemistry together, and we have a story this time around that is even more theory-worthy than last time.
First, I need to praise the true MVP of this episode, and it is not Agatha Harkness's pet rabbit (who was great as well). It is Joe Locke's time to shine after not really making an impact or getting time to do so last episode. I think in this episode, he is 100% witty, extremely self-aware, and completely hilarious in his role as "Teen." This episode I found myself absolutely engaged every time Locke was on screen, especially when he starts to show off a more sinister side of him. And that sinister side is on full display when he winds up manipulating people to get his way. When he is in that zone, he is mesmerizing to watch. I do not (and will not be) watching Heartstopper (2022-), but I will certainly watch him in anything else he does.
Also, we really need to start giving flowers to Kathryn Hahn as the titular witch. She is so delectable in this role and all five episodes as Agatha I have seen her in including this one are a showcase for her talents. In some scenes, I saw her get possibly on the same level of wit, self-awareness, and humor as Joe Locke did. And as I stated in an earlier paragraph, the chemistry between these two actors is off the charts. I am starting to think that these two are acting soulmates, in which they bounce off each other and play off each other's wit perfectly. Here's to hoping that we see more of this witchery along the road (pun intended).
Before I go into the story of the episode, I want to pivot and praise the other members of Agatha's coven. Patti LuPone is a delight as the witch Lilia Calderu, who has the same level of sass as Agatha and "Teen" do, and it seems like she is reveling in this role. Ali Ahn as Alice Wu-Gulliver is the potential dark horse of the group as she is delightfully miserable (and I love me an Eeyore-type misery character). Sasheer Zamata as Jennifer Kale brings a new dimension to the show that I am sure will impress people. And we have to talk about Debra Jo Rupp as Sharon Davis. Rupp as Davis as "Mrs. Hart" and her husband in the WandaVision sitcom were tortured souls and we never got to see her strut her stuff (she was from That 70s Show (1998-2006) and its sequel series That 90s Show (2023-)). She might just be the best part of this episode as her unknowingness of her situation is just comedy gold. And her delivery, holy shit.
Now we go to the story of the episode. I do think the story of this episode, although not as intricate and multi-faceted like House of the Dragon and The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power (both 2022-), is getting to a very interesting place overall. So "Teen" breaks the news that he wants Agatha to take him down the Witches' Road so he can gain power and she can regain hers and that he is the one that broke her out of Wanda's spell. Their next step is to recruit witches to form a coven so they can begin their journey. They are able to recruit (or at least "Teen" coaxes) Lilia Calderu (a divination witch), Jennifer Kale (a potions expert), and Alice Wu-Gulliver (a protector witch). And Agatha has no issue recruiting Sharon Davis, who believes she is invited to a party. They all sing the coven song (which is actually awesome by the way as it was written by Kristin Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez) and escape to the road before being confronted by the Salem's Seven that want Agatha dead. Yes, there were antics and the introduction of the Salem's Seven was creepy as hell, but this episode was a hell of a lot of fun and I cannot wait to see what antics we find our coven finding themselves into next week.
That wraps up my review of the second episode of Agatha All Along, but now it is time for Theory Time. If you did not read the review of the last episode, Theory Time is where we address some of the points of speculation amongst the show and I give my opinions on the issues being presented. Off we go, baby.
The first issue being brought up is the identity of Joe Locke's character "Teen." In last episode's Theory Time, I brought up the speculation that people believe that Locke is playing Wanda's son Wiccan, aka Billy Kaplan. Not having a whole lot of information to go on, I agreed with the sentiment, but I think I am beginning to change my mind on this character. The fact that not only does he coax the other witches to join Agatha's coven, he takes a weird interest in Agatha's rabbit. Almost like he wanted to kill it the same way Agatha killed Sparky in WandaVision (2021). This, coupled with the fact that he is placed under some sort of hex when he says his name and is muted when explaining personal information makes me believe that something is going on here, and it is not Wiccan. I know I also brought up the conversation of Mephisto, but would it be crazy if "Teen" was a vessel for Mephisto so he could access the Witches' Road and take its power for himself? That would explain why "Teen" had the ability to break Wanda's spell on Agatha. This would also be the craziest plot twist ever.
One final theory that I want to talk about is Sharon Davis. I mentioned in my review of this episode that she was an unwitting and unwilling member of Agatha's coven. Also, she is the stand-in for the "green witch" that is needed for her coven since Agatha clearly did not want to get Rio Vidal. My point of speculation involves Sharon and if she is secretly a witch or a descendant of one. It certainly would be an interesting theory to ponder about, because why would the coven song have worked if she was not either a witch or descended from one? And "Teen" took no part in summoning the door to the road, so it was not him. I think a Sharon Davis witch reveal would be not only shocking, but hilarious.
This installment of Theory Time may be shorter than that of last episode, but I think next week's will be larger as we continue to get more clues and more things to ponder over. See you all next week for that.
The second episode of Agatha All Along introduces our coven of sonically diverse characters and gives Joe Locke a chance to show off his chops in a delightful and creepy episode. Thank you all for reading, and I will see you for the next post.
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