Agatha All Along episode 7 recap and ending explained: Is [SPOILER] really dead?

Marvel Television's Agatha All Along is fast-approaching its finale. The WandaVision spinoff premiered on our screens back in mid-September and, ever since then, it has entertained audiences all over the world with its fantastical storyline, outlandish characters, and overall timely presentation, which has made it perfect for the spooky season. With Halloween almost upon us, the double-episode finale of the series looms.

The Disney Plus show has officially revealed the true identity of Teen. He's Billy Maximoff, the son of the Scarlet Witch, and he's extremely powerful too. But despite his outburst (that very nearly killed Lilia Calderu, Jennifer Kale, and Agatha Harkness herself), the trials on the Witches Road remained. And thus, what was left of Agatha's coven took it upon themselves to tackle the next trial in a bid to get one step closer to making it to the end of mystical road.

With that in mind, let's dive into episode 7 and recap, review, and explain all of the major things that went down on the Marvel Cinematic Universe's version of the Witches' Road this week. As always, be aware that there are some MAJOR SPOILERS in this article.

Agatha All Along puts Lilia Calderu on trial in episode 7

After the secrets all came out in last week's episode of Agatha All Along, this week's episode was back to the trials for the coven. Billy Maximoff had reluctantly agreed to continue working with Agatha Harkness as they ventured closer towards the end of the Witches' Road. But that included competing in the next trial, which of course involved a big spooky castle that stretched into the sky like it belonged in an old Dracula movie (or a Disney movie, honestly the jury's out there).

As soon as they made their way into the castle, their outfits changed again. This time, Billy was dressed as Maleficent and Agatha as the Wicked Witch of the West. Billy approved of his costume change while also acknowledging that Agatha's outfit was fitting. But the humor quickly stopped whenever they found themselves at a table with Tarot Cards.

Billy accidentally started the clock prematurely by picking up the deck and even though he thought he had figured out how to approach it, the trial disagreed; dropping swords from above. He quickly pointed out that he wished Lilia was there.

But, contrary to what they believed, they weren't the only members of the coven still standing. Lilia and Jen had survived their run-in with Billy in the fifth episode. Like Agatha, they were covered in the dirt from when they sunk into the mud on the Witches' Road, but they were still alive. However, we don't catch up with them at the start of their ordeal in the tunnels under the road, but rather the middle of it. Lilia has already told Jen that Billy is the son of the Scarlet Witch but she can't remember it.

The rest of the episode is told in fragments, highlighting Lilia's splitting mind. There are gaps in her memories again and it's making her feel scared. She reveals that this happened to her before when she was a child, and now she is convinced it is happening again because she is reaching the end of her story. And as a result, we are told the story of "Death's Hand In Mine" in segments, constantly shifting between Agatha and Billy starting the trial first, Lilia and Jen in the tunnels, and Lilia's early years attempting to read tea leaves and understand her power with her original coven; her family.

The episode employs this technique effectively on multiple occasions, including Lilia's arrival into the trial. We don't see her entrance through the bookcase first, but rather her initial attempt to help her coven figure out how to successfully complete the trial. But she doesn't remember getting there either, and Billy has to explain to her that she already told him they were "cool" after what happened.

Lilia has become The Wizard of Oz's Glinda the Good Witch and Jen is the Evil Queen in disguise. And after some more flashing back and forward (which now shows us both the beginning of the tunnel ordeal for Lilia and Jen and their entrance into the trial), we learn that this isn't Billy's trial; it's Lilia's. Now is her moment to put things right, and thus she uses the advice she was giving Billy on herself, guiding herself on how to use Tarot Cards and applying it to her own life.

As she has understood the assignment, no swords fall from the ceiling when Lilia is doing her own readings. However, as the time is running out on the trial, the ceiling - with the swords attached - begins to descend on the coven. That is, until Lilia successfully completes the trial and tells Agatha, Billy, and Jen to leave quickly, adding that she loved being a witch. She also hands Billy his spell book - which she found in the tunnels on the road while escaping from the Salem Seven, who were also in the tunnels - and she sealed the door behind her coven, at peace with the fact that she had saved them.

But that's not all she saved them from.

Is Lilia really dead in Agatha All Along?

The closing moments of the episode saw Lilia sacrifice herself after completing the trial. She lured the Salem Seven into a trap, allowing the others to escape. In doing so, she spoke to the villains as they evolved back from animals into their distorted human form, revealing that bad things can happen if you stick around too long after completing a trial on the Witches' Road. As she did so, she flipped the Tower Reversed card on the table, which quite literally turned the whole place upside down, sending the Salem Seven plummeting into the swords that hung above on the ceiling.

Lilia initially held onto the table but she could only do so for so long. When the time came, she emotionally looked on, breathed one last breath, and eventually dropped with them. Before she collided with the swords, she was suddenly back at her childhood, learning to read tea leaves once again with the motherly figure from her original coven that she had spent the episode talking to.

Yes, this very much implies that Lilia is dead. The beloved character figured out that Rio was Death because she knew she was coming to collect her. But as Lilia's life operated out of sync, she could return to other moments in it to complete the trial, warn the others and stop the Seven. It was a triumphant but emotional farewell for one of Agatha All Along's greatest characters and Patti LuPone played the role extremely well.

As for the Seven, the episode also implied that they were dead too. We wouldn't be too surprised if they ultimately found a way to revive themselves and pull their bodies off the swords, but as they aren't expected to be the main threat in this show, it also wouldn't be too surprising if that is the end of their story.

With mysteries about Billy's origins still remaining, and now the bigger mystery of Death upon the show ahead of its two-part finale, we wouldn't be surprised if a showdown between Agatha and her coven, and Rio was on the cards.

Rio is Lady Death

For months, fans have been speculating on the true identity of Rio Vidal in Agatha All Along. Some wondered if she was an ally or enemy of the Scarlet Witch, an agent of Mephisto, or a completely unknown entity altogether. It turns out, however, that she is none other than Death herself.

Now, nobody knows how to speculate and theorize like Marvel fans do, so there was quite a bit of suspicion about Rio's identity from the offset. But there were also theories about her potentially being that very character, as there were a number of hints and references towards it throughout the show's run.

Remember how Rio revealed that she hurt someone she loved because she had a job to do? Well, that was indicating that she had to come for Agatha's son, Nicholas Scratch, after Agatha herself had seemingly traded her son for the Darkhold. That's why she looked at Rio after Teen / Billy was injured and shouted "Don't", as she was fearful that she would do it again. And then there's the fact that the camera kept cutting to Rio every single time that someone mentioned Death during episode 5.

Now we know that Death is on the Witches' Road with Agatha and her coven. She has already claimed Mrs. Heart, Alice Wu-Gulliver, and now Lilia Calderu. Has the original Green Witch come for everyone else's souls, too? Is she after Billy now that he and William both died? We'll have to wait and see, but there is no doubt about it that Rio Vidal gives a whole new meaning to "Death Becomes Her".

The two-part Agatha All Along finale airs on Disney Plus next Wednesday.