WandaVision Episode 5 certainly amped up the volume! The audience was given even more insight into what is truly happening at Westview and the episode dropped a major cameo at the last minute. “On A Very Special Episode” was filled with fun references to the eighties and started to truly tackle the entire show’s premise: What’s going on with Wanda?
This week’s episode was a wonderful nod to the eighties, it was dripping with the fun and nostalgic familiarity that one would find in episodes of the classic sitcoms Full House, Growing Pains, and Family Ties. The episode was coupled with reaction tracks for laughter and awe, cool retro fashion styles, and heartfelt family lessons. Keep on reading for a full episode recap.
If you need a reminder of what happened last week, check out our recap for WandaVision episode 4.
WARNING: SPOILERS FOR WANDAVISION EPISODE 5
Episode 5 of WandaVision opened with the titular Westview superheroes caring for their two babies. The couple has seemingly been kept up by their babies’ loud, incessant cries. It is quickly revealed that Wanda’s (Elizabeth Olsen) magic doesn’t work on them as she tries to use her powers to make them go to sleep and it fails.
In comes “friendly” neighbour Agnes (Kathryn Hahn), complete with a striped Jazzercise uniform! She offers to care for the two babies but the protective father Vision (Paul Bettany) doesn’t seem keen on the idea. Bewildered, Agnes tentatively asks Wanda, “Want me to take that again?” and the camera pans to the shocked faces of the couple. She further questions what Wanda would like her to do.
Wanda denies this is happening and the upbeat tempo of the episode continues. Agnes ridiculously rocks the babies, sprays “calming” lavender oil on them, and offers to soothe them with dark liquor. A moment later, the babies are revealed to have sporadically grown into young children — slightly older than a toddler but definitely not in the double digits yet. Agnes is unmoved by this and makes a quick comment about how “children grow up so fast.”
This touching moment is met with an “aww” audience track and soft music. Then the theme song hits, it is a fun slideshow of images of the main family’s life — even though, awkwardly enough, we haven’t seen the two boys Tommy and William before now. But we did get a cute and unexplained image of baby Vision. Adorable!
Forget Baby Yoda… Its all about Baby Vision #WandaVision pic.twitter.com/tOyMzsf8nk
— TheWorstScarletWitch (@BarnabySheppard) February 5, 2021
When the episode continues, it’s at the SWORD basecamp where Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) is being examined by a health professional. During this, we hear a voiceover of her debrief with Director Hayward (Josh Stamberg). She explains that while in Westview she felt great pain and was instructed by Wanda’s voice in her head. She described a “hopeless feeling” that she later identified as grief.
The scene moves quickly and Agent Jimmy Woo (Randall Park) and specialist Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings) enter the screen. They explain that they have an upcoming meeting and Monica is expected to be in attendance. Darcy delivers a fun comment and says, “I’m a big fan,” a fun reminder of the sitcom life that’s prevailing in the alternate Westview dimension. The welcome party is disrupted by the health professional revealing that Monica’s medical imaging is blank and her blood draws are unreadable— the professional shared, “We need another blood draw.”
Uninterested, Monica pushes off of the examination table and makes her way out of the room. This transitions to the SWORD meeting, led by Hayward. He recalls their initial theory that “Wanda was the victim” and reveals that she is now thought to be “the principle victimizer.” He clearly isn’t Team Wanda as he summarizes her violent history in the Avengers — dead parents and her involvement in the fight against the Avengers with Ultron.
Hayward asks Agent Woo if Wanda has an alias or a nickname to which he responds, “No.” This was a stark reminder that in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, she isn’t commonly known as The Scarlet Witch, despite that being her comic book superhero name. Maybe this is something to be expected as the series plays on.
Back to the meeting, Woo seems unimpressed by Hayward and moves to tell this to Darcy. She begins to say, “Hayward’s a —” before the camera cuts to Hayward saying “terrorist” in the context of Wanda being one. With Hayward’s unlikeable demeanour, this was a wild coincidence and made me think about all of the disguised agents who were later discovered to be Hydra. There is a lot of scepticism over whether or not Hayward is a good guy.
To summarise, Hayward is describing Wanda as a villain and a terrorist. Monica stands up for the sorceress, even after she was violently ejected from Westview. She says “Wanda is not a terrorist” and shares her belief that Wanda doesn’t have a “political agenda” and this isn’t a “premeditated act of aggression.” Hayward is doubtful and in response, brings up a video recording of Wanda stealing Vision’s body from a top-secret facility. He claims that she “resurrected Vision” against his best wishes and will.
This major information drop brings us back to Westview where Tommy and William are bathing a random dog in their kitchen sink. This scene is packed with family wholesomeness as Wanda discovers the dog and the family discuss whether or not they are going to keep it.
Wanda tells the boys that they aren’t responsible enough to care for the pet, but maybe they will be when they’re older. The twins exchange a dubious look and then age to 10 years old. Through this, Vision has his human face on and when Wanda asks “why so formal?” he replies that he had an inkling that “someone was going to come over with exactly the item they require.” Uh oh, he’s starting to catch on.
In comes Agnes with a doghouse. Wanda takes this moment to use magic in front of her neighbour and when Vision expresses his concern, Wanda argues that it’s fine, “Agnes didn’t notice” and she’s tired of hiding. Vision delivers a heartbreaking line back and says, “We’re usually so much of the same mind but right now, what aren’t you telling me?”
Jumping back to SWORD, Monica and Darcy are discussing a plan to get Monica back into Westview. Monica mentions, “I know an aerospace engineer who will be up for the challenge,” making my mind instantly go to Col. James Rhodes (Don Cheadle). I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed for this to be a thing!
Here’s what we learned from this scene:
- Darcy likes to refer to the happenings at Westview as “the hex”
- Wanda and Vision’s twins are real
- The props, set, and wardrobe are not hallucinations, but instead “real matter”
- Monica doesn’t want to talk about Captain Marvel
- Monica’s Geraldine clothes were real and composed of the same material as the clothes she entered the alternate dimension in (bulletproof kevlar)
The following scene was a total mood changer! We are transported to Vision at his office job. He and his coworker Norm (Asif Ali) are messing around with their new computer. They come across an email from the SWORD team about the radiation levels of the area and the anomalies recorded. The entire office freezes and every worker begins to read the email aloud in a monotone and synchronised tone.
Vision strips Norm of Wanda’s control for a brief moment. Norm, or Abhilash Tandon, begs him for help and says “you have to stop her.” He reveals that he has a family outside of Westview and he’s in so much pain. He says, “she’s in my head, none of it is my own.”
Then, we’re brought back to the twins and the dog. The boys pester Wanda about why their dad is at work on the weekend and they have a fluff-filled conversation. This leads to them asking Wanda about her family, they ask her if she has a brother. Wanda says, “I do, he’s far away from her and that makes me sad.”
They suddenly hear a helicopter-like noise that spooks their dog. When Wanda opens the front door to investigate, the dog runs off. The item outside is revealed to be a drone sent from SWORD using time-period friendly technology so that it isn’t poorly transitioned after entering the Westview world.
Monica tries to communicate with Wanda but the moment is ruined by Hayward ordering a shot on Wanda. This leads to the drone being cut off and all of the office’s screens going blank.
There’s a Breach in WandaVision Episode 5
Credit: Disney Plus
Read more: WandaVision To Reveal The Fantastic Four Are Working With SWORD
At the SWORD base, the alarms begin going off and there’s an announcement about there’s been a breach in security. Wanda has arrived to confront the agents. She arrives in her distinctive knee-length red coat. In conversation, she goes head-to-head with Monica who in return only offers her support and allyship. When Monica asks, “What do you want?” Wanda replies, “I have what I want and nobody will ever take it away from me again” before reentering Westview. As this happens, the dimension between SWORD and Westview turns red and encompasses the screen. However, it isn’t revealed if Wanda strengthened or alternated the passageway.
Back in Westview, the boys are trying to locate their dog which is discovered dead in Agnes’ azalea bushes. This is a teaching moment for Wanda who explains to her boys that they can’t age up every time they are faced with adversity. She says, “you can’t run from grief” and “you can’t reverse death, no matter how sad it makes us.” (insert audience head tilt here)
Scene break. Back at the WandaVision house. The couple begin to talk about their sons and Vision mentions, “It’s not often you get a dog and bury it in the same day. “Wanda replies, “Life moves pretty fast in the suburbs.” This prompts Vision to tell his wife that he has a greater understanding of what’s going on. He reveals that he met Norm’s “suppressed personality” that was free of Wanda’s control.
He then accuses her of trying to control him and he refuses to let her “turn in for the night so she can change everything into normal again.”
They continue to argue over the credit roll, obviously prompted by Wanda who wanted to end the episode. Vision loses his temper and expresses concern for Norm’s family and demands that Wanda stops lying. They begin to use their powers as they fight, rising in the air in a defensive pose.
In this scene, Vision reveals that he can’t remember his life pre-Westview and that he doesn’t know who he is. He is scared and concerned, obviously not consenting to whatever this messed up situation is. Wanda tells him that he’s her husband and their kid’s father, that’s all that matters.
As the argument presumes, Wanda says something that has raised a few eyebrows. She says, “Do you really think I am controlling everything?” and adds on, “I don’t know how any of this started in the first place.” With everything that’s been revealed thus far, it is questionable as to whether or not she is telling the truth.
[Spoiler] Arrives In WandaVision Episode 5
Credit: Disney Plus
Read more: WandaVision Episode 4 Extended Clip Released And Teases Returning MCU Characters
Here’s the big moment. Vision tells Wanda that whatever she is doing at Westview is wrong. In this tense segment, the doorbell rings and they react in a confused manner. Wanda insists that she did not cause that to happen and Vision doesn’t believe her. He says that in order to believe her he’d have to “ignore statistics entirely.” I’m sorry, but can you hear my heart breaking over that line?
The couple opens the door and it’s revealed to be no other than Pietro Maximoff, himself. Wanda’s previously-deceased brother. X-Men version. Evan Peters.
Back at SWORD, Darcy watches this uncover and delivers the comedic line, “She recast Pietro?” and then the episode ends with Pietro entering the WandaVision house asking Wanda, “Who’s the popsicle?”
Commercial break
Credit: Disney Plus
This episode’s commercial break was for Lagos brand paper towels. It had the tagline, “For when you make a mess you didn’t mean to.”
In Captain America: Civil War, the Avengers were fighting Hydra and caught in the crossfire was a building of citizens that Wanda harmed by using her powers to transport a bomb. She accidentally left it to detonate near the building.
Wrapping It Up
Credit: Disney Plus
WandaVision episode 5, “On A Very Special Episode,” was incredible and loaded with tons of information. Fans were excited to see Pietro’s introduction and were left wondering if this series will introduce the X-Men into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. If so, what a way to do it! I’m currently keeping my fingers crossed for a James Rhodes cameo— it would only make sense with the recent announcement that he will be getting his own Disney Plus series. I am also hoping for a Doctor Strange cameo. Other fans have been devising up fun theories as to how the series can connect with the upcoming Doctor Stranger multiverse movie.
Let’s watch WandaVision together! Be sure to tune in at the end of each week for our recaps on the new episodes.
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