WandaVision’s emotional rollercoaster in episode 8 highlights the show’s greatest strength

Episode 8 of WandaVision took viewers on an emotional roller-coaster and illustrated why it’s the best show on TV.

WandaVision is only eight episodes in and people are calling it the best Marvel show to date. That’s high praise. With programs like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Jessica Jones and Daredevil to marvel at in the past, it says a lot about the excellence of what we’re watching with WandaVision.

Some people checked out after the second episode of the Disney Plus series because they didn’t enjoy the format or appreciate how “slow-moving” it was. That was a mistake – something that became so much clearer after the latest episode, as Agatha Harkness took Wanda and the viewers on a trip through Wanda’s past in Episode 8 and made the first two episodes even better in the process. This allowed us to see why Wanda made everything appear like a sitcom. It also made Wanda’s story even more emotional.

Elizabeth Olsen deserves all the adoration she’s been receiving from the audience. She was always a great addition to the Marvel Studios movies, but she’s even more phenomenal now. With more time to display her range, she has taken Wanda Maximoff and instantly highlighted why she could be the most important character in the MCU right now. Fans of the character knew what she was capable of but the emotional ride we all went on in Episode 8 just proved that.

One of the most important parts of a character is making them someone people can empathize with. Without that, audiences might lose interest. Throughout the MCU we have understood what characters like Erik Killmonger, Captain Marvel and Steve Rogers were going through; it’s why we gravitate towards them. The emotional moments of Wanda’s story in Episode 8 of WandaVision need to be highlighted for the story to succeed. Whether Wanda does something good or bad, it was always going to be the episode people will look to for an explanation for her actions. And that’s exactly what it gave us.

Wanda’s origins: Happiness turns into sadness

The first place Agatha takes Wanda to is Sokovia. Back to when her parents, brother, and herself were having a TV night. It was Wanda’s turn to pick. Out of the TV shows to choose from, she selected an episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show. It was a moment of pure happiness – until a bomb went off and killed her parents and left Pietro and Wanda alone.

This was one of the last times that we saw Wanda happy for years. Everything she did from then on was to get revenge on Tony Stark. That included volunteering with Hydra. Eventually, she came to terms with what happened, but it’s a memory that she cherishes. It’s why she recreated Westview as a series of sitcoms. It made her happy and feel safe.

Hydra volunteer: Frustration

Wanda’s history with Hydra involved helping the organization figure out the power of the Mind Stone. During that time, she touched the stone. While the other volunteers died, Wanda had a spiritual moment. In the Mind Stone, she saw a silhouette of a woman. Fans of the comic books knew it was the Scarlet Witch. Of course, Wanda seemed to have no clue what it was.

Wanda was willing to do whatever it took to get revenge. That includes dying for a cause. She may not have known about the other people before her, but it’s doubtful that she cared. After her moment with the Mind Stone, Wanda had no idea what she saw. That had to frustrate her – so much so that she blocked out the memory. Imagine having a vision like that and not knowing how to interpret it. You’d be angry, confused, and frustrated – all of which Wanda no doubt was.

Wanda and Vision finding each other: Love

In a more current time (right after Avengers: Age of Ultron), we see Wanda and Vision. Wanda is watching Malcolm in the Middle (the theme for episode 6 of WandaVision) and mourning the loss of her brother Pietro. Vision comes in and attempts to help Wanda get over the loss of her brother. Vision couldn’t completely understand what she was going through because he was used to being alone. However, he articulated it perfectly:

"“I’ve always been alone, so I don’t feel the lack. It’s all I’ve ever known. I’ve never experienced loss because I’ve never had a loved one to lose. But what is grief, if not love persevering?”-Vision"

This was one of the few times Wanda seemed at least a little happy since her parents died – and it was certainly the first time she had smiled since her brother was killed. For her, it came from an unlikely source. The way Wanda looked at Vision after that was like seeing life for the first time. She saw a future for herself. Something she didn’t think was possible.

Seeing Vision dead and in pieces: Sorrow

At first, we thought Wanda went into the S.W.O.R.D. facility and stole Vision’s body but Episode 8 reveals that this information was false and that Director Hayward had lied. When Wanda saw Vision’s body, she grieved, commenting on how she could no longer feel him.

You’d have to have a heart made of stone to not feel for Wanda. It’s bad enough she had to kill the man she loved, watch him recreated and then killed once again in front of her, but she had to see his body taken apart and talked about like he was just a thing to be used as a weapon. This leads us right into the next section.

Recreating Westview: Misery

Wanda left the S.W.O.R.D. facility and headed to Westview. While driving through town, she saw the effects of the blip. There were boarded-up buildings, businesses that didn’t survive without citizens to support them, and people in the town who looked miserable. She then stops at the plot that Vision bought for them. It was supposed to be the beginning of their new life. Now, it was just a piece of empty land. Out of her despair, however, Wanda took it upon herself to create a new world for herself and the people of Westview.

One of the things Wanda did in House of M was give everyone she loved what they wanted. It seems like she did the same here. Wanda wanted her life with Vision back. After seeing everything that happened to the people of Westview, she decided to give them some happiness as well. Mrs. Hart/Sharon Davis (Debra Jo Rupp) is a perfect example. In the present, she was alone. In Wanda’s Westview, she had her husband. It may have been done out of love, but if she loses her husband again, she’s going to be miserable.

Agatha using Wanda’s past against her: Contained rage

After all that, we of course have Agatha Harkness taking Wanda on this journey. It’d be one thing if Agatha was trying to help Wanda deal with her emotions, but that wasn’t what this was. She put Wanda through emotional Hell because she couldn’t figure out how Wanda got her powers and she wanted answers to that conundrum. Simply put: Agatha is envious. She used Wanda’s kids and emotional attachment to her brother to get at Wanda. However, despite everything that Wanda went through, she kept her rage in check.

Wanda deserves a lot of credit for maintaining her composure. Knowing that someone used your children and an important part of your life against you would make most people lash out. Instead, she waited and held in all of her rage – even after seeing Agatha choking Tommy and Billy. We can assume that when Wanda gets her chance, she’s going to make Agatha regret everything she did – including killing Sparky.

What did you think of episode 8 of WandaVision? Did you like the trip down memory lane? Did seeing Wanda’s past make you feel different about her? Let us know in the comments below!