Episode 2 of WandaVision on Disney Plus made it painstakingly clear that its premiering episode was just a warm-up. This episode does not hold back on sprinkling bits of suspicious clues and launching the “picturesque” couple directly into madness. In this episode, Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) works her hardest to impress the neighbourhood girlies. She finds herself volunteering to help put together a residential talent show programme to help cover up her and her husband’s trail of odd behaviour.
The episode opens with the two sleeping in separate beds in the same bedroom — Welcome to the fifties! Shaken by a loud noise from outside, Wanda flickers the bedroom lights. That wakes up Vision (Paul Bettany) who goes by the window to investigate but quickly jumps back in bed after being spooked by the noise. This bit quickly passes and the two charismatically deliver their quick little jokes before the title sequence airs. Strangely enough, it’s a different title sequence from before. This time it’s animated.
Things are getting magical in WandaVision Episode 2
Credit: Marvel Studios
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When we return back to the characters, it is daylight. The two are practicing their magic act in their spacious living room. Wanda describes this performance as their “chance to appear as normal as possible” while showcasing their enhanced skills. Two things quickly happen; still inquisitive about the previous night’s loud noises, Vision leaves to attend a neighbourhood watch meeting and Wanda hears another bang. She runs outside to find a toy helicopter in the bushes. While everything prior was in the same colourless sepia as the first episode, the helicopter shines bright in red and gold colours — Iron Man? However, the moment is cut short as Wanda is greeted by her neighbour, Agnes (Kathryn Hahn) and the show resumes its chaotic normalcy.
Wanda is wearing black pants that are tapered at the ankle, along with a pair of sensible kitten heels and a bolero cardigan with quarter-length sleeves. This appears to me as the perfect retro housewife aesthetic, but it is actually a look that is frowned upon by the other women who prefer more feminine attire (“upscale garden party” dress code). This introduces us to Dottie, played by Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Emma Caulfield. Dottie is the leading lady of the neighbourhood and she strictly instructs the women on how to behave in her presence, giving them direct cues and pro-tips. Agnes deadpans, “How is anybody doing this sober?” This is also where we meet “Geraldine,” the character is played by Teyonah Parris who has been doing press as Monica Rambeau — the daughter of Captain Marvel’s friend Maria Rambeau.
What’s Vision been up to in this episode?
Credit: Marvel Studios
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Jumping over to Vision, he seems to be keeping up with the other members of the friendly watch committee. They sit around gossiping, referring to this gossip as “top secret intelligence information,” which at first excites the technology-savvy android until he realizes that he’s just in-taking meaningless information. One of the members offers Vision a piece of gum and despite his avoidance of food, he takes it. An awkward pat on the back puts him on a path to no-good as it causes him to swallow the gum and the gum gets lodged in his inner gears, causing him to malfunction. Whoops, coincidentally this just happens to be before their big magic show.
The episode’s sequence of events is whiplashing, as next we return back to Wanda who separated from the rest of the group to stay with Dottie — who is growing increasingly curious about Wanda’s behaviour. An old-fashion radio plays as the two speak and all of the sudden, someone is speaking directly to Wanda through the device, pleading aloud, “Who is doing this to you Wanda?” Infuriated by this turn of events and whatever Wanda is holding out on her, Dottie gets cut and bleeds bright red. Once again, the colour contrasts against the sepia background. Is Wanda’s word falling apart or is it growing?
What’s Hydra doing in this episode of WandaVision?
Credit: Marvel Studios
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There is another old-timey advertising commercial which serves as a transition. However, this time rather than a Stark Industries product, it is a Strücker Swiss-made watch by Hydra.
The following events are hilarious, just a little irrelevant-seeming in the grand scheme of things. It’s purely comic relief. Wanda and Vision perform their magic show later, while still malfunctioning. Wanda has to spend the performance covering up his super powered enhancements. Like, when he effortlessly picks up a grand piano, Wanda quickly grabs it and turns it into a cardboard-like material to make it all seem like an optical illusion. Their show is a hit and after Wanda gets Vision back to normal, Dottie awards them with the “Inaugural Comedy Performance of the Year” title.
Quick cut and the couple are back at home, however as they chat, it appears that Wanda is miraculously pregnant. They celebrate with a quick embrace before hearing another loud noise. Deciding to investigate, they discover a man in a white beekeeper suit crawling out of the sewer and heading towards them. Wanda has a visceral reaction and refuses this to be a reality, she says “no” and suddenly the scene has rewound back to the pregnancy reveal. This time they stay in their embrace and as they pull away, colour fills the scene. As the episode fades out, the voice from the radio returns and asks the same question, “Who is doing this to you, Wanda?”
WandaVision Episode 2 is “utterly captivating”
Credit: Marvel Studios
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This episode was utterly captivating. It was quickly paced, not bogging itself down with elaborate transitions or mindless filler. It is clear that things are starting to pick up and it will progress at a fast speed, this leaves me wishing that all of the episodes were available for a binge-watch.
Episode two of WandaVision leaves us with an endless amount of questions: What is the relevance of the colour? Why is Wanda suddenly pregnant? — I’m trying to not think too hard about the mechanics of that. Vision is still an android, right? — leading me to the next question, why is Vision alive after the events of Avengers: Endgame? Also, Hydra? That’s never NOT a red flag. And why is Monica Rambeau introducing herself as Geraldine? Waiting until next week to see where the story picks up is going to be painful, but hopefully well worth the wait.
Let’s watch WandaVision together! Be sure to tune in at the end of each week for our recaps on the new episodes.
What do you make of this recap of WandaVision Episode 2? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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