After a not-so-promising series premiere, I was worried I wouldn’t enjoy “Agatha All Along.” However, as each episode was released, I was proven wrong.
With a budget of only $40 million, “Agatha All Along” proved that Marvel doesn’t need to throw a lot of money at a project for it to be successful. With hand-made sets and practical effects, “Agatha All Along” made its way into the hearts of many, including mine.
Directed by Jac Schaefer, the nine-episode miniseries followed Agatha Harkness (portrayed by Kathryn Hahn) and a coven of her making as they ventured down the Witches’ Road to gain what they desired the most.
I loved so many things about this show: the storyline, the characters, the visuals, and so on. Each of these elements were handled with care and you can tell.
One thing from the story that I would like to note is the plot twists. Each plot twist was well thought out with hints spread throughout each episode leading up to their reveal. This makes me want to go back and rewatch the show to try to find all the hidden details.
Another thing that I would like to point out is the characters. As I mentioned in my initial review, the one thing I liked most about these characters was that they felt real because each actor had brought forth their own skill and personality and made these characters unique.
Agatha Harkness and Rio Vidal (portrayed by Aubrey Plaza) each showed that even though a character is a “villain,” they can be multi-faceted. Alice Wu-Gulliver (portrayed by Ali Ahn) twisted my emotions as she portrayed a daughter who had a complicated relationship with her dead mother while Lilia Calderu (portrayed by Patti LuPone) showed what it was like to struggle with your identity. Jennifer Kale (portrayed by Sasheer Zamata) demonstrated how you can find power in your voice and Teen (portrayed by Joe Locke) showed that you shouldn’t be ashamed of who you are.
One notable storyline that I loved and would like to point out is Lilia Calderu’s. The main chunk of Lilia’s character was explored in Episode Seven “Death’s Hand in Mine.” This episode was well-crafted and beautifully cinematic—it has to be one of my favorite episodes of the entire series. The coloring and the cinematography as we switched between the different timelines of Lilia’s life was stunning and really packed-the-punch.
One final thing that I would like to talk about is the final two episodes of “Agatha All Along.”
This two-part series finale was admirable, but it should’ve been better. For me, these two episodes could have flowed together more seamlessly. If some scenes were switched around between episodes, the finale would’ve been a lot more impactful. I also feel like this finale didn’t answer all the questions I had about certain characters and could’ve benefitted from more detailed explanations.
Despite the finale not being the strongest, the rest of the show was, and I am so glad I decided to watch this show. I look forward to watching it next spooky season and every year onwards.
