What a thrill-ride Agatha All Along has been! Marvel Television ensured that fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe would be entertained this spooky season, offering up pure delight with the bewitching series that has turned out to be a remarkable success for the studio.
Not only has the WandaVision spinoff show continued the ongoing story of the MCU, it has appealed to a wide variety of audiences, bringing in TV fans who loved the original series and general Halloween fans, who were thrilled to see some good old-fashioned witchy content. Releasing it during the spooky season has proven to be genius, as the mysterious show has racked up impressive viewing figures - which is even better for Marvel Studios considering it has been the cheapest Disney Plus series produced by them yet.
Kathryn Hahn's Agatha Harkness shines in the adventure show, which sees the ancient witch and the coven she reluctantly formed head out on a journey into the unknown, walking the Witches' Road in a bid to claim what they want the most. For Agatha, it's the power that was taken from her when she battled the Scarlet Witch in Westview. For Teen, it's answers about his life and who he really is. And for all of them, it's also about reclaiming their power; not just magical power, but their their own power, their agency.
The beauty of Agatha All Along is that every episode has offered up something unique and different due to the variety of the trials that the coven has experienced on the Witches' Road. It also makes it a fun exercise trying to rank each of the episodes, because they have all been so unique. But, like Agatha Harkness herself, we love a challenge; and with that, let's walk the Witches' Road ourselves, and decide which of the MCU and Disney Plus show's episodes are truly the best of them all.
9. "Seekest Thou The Road" (episode 1)
You know it's a good sign of how a show did if its first episode is ranked towards the bottom of the list. That's not a slight on the standard of the premiere but more-so an acknowledgement of how the show continued to build upon that foundation throughout its run. And that right there is how we'd like to honor the first episode of the series, because the show's foundations were strong because of it.
Taking inspiration from WandaVision, "Seekest Thou The Road" opens with Agatha still trapped in her "Agnes" persona that she attempted to use to outwit Wanda Maximoff - and thus, she was trapped in her very own detective-like TV show. But the Scarlet Witch's Hex was no longer up, so she wasn't changing based on the decades and nobody else was under the spell either; so Agnes was simply an eccentric Westview resident that the neighbors tried to be kind to during a very strange episode.
She thought she was a police detective solving the murder of a woman in town, so the residents played along with her. That is, until a visit from Teen (and apparently Rio) set in motion a chain of events that woke her up. And with that, Agatha Harkness was back.
While the first episode moves relatively slow compared to the rest of the series, that was very much intentional. Like WandaVision, it took its cues from television itself, paying homage to detective shows like Mare of Easttown and True Detective and it wore that look very well. The twist that all of the detective work was taking place in Agatha's head was very well-executed, and the sequence in which Agatha clawed her way out of the Agnes persona remains one of the best of the whole series.
This one was released along with the second episode, with both serving as a two-part premiere, and that was an extremely effective decision. As a standalone episode, it doesn't function as a premiere quite as well, but it's still a strong opening to the show.
Continued on the next slide...
8. "Circle Sewn with Fate / Unlock Thy Hidden Gate" (episode 2)
The second episode of Agatha All Along, "Circle Sewn with Fate / Unlock Thy Hidden Gate" was released along with the first episode so that both could function as a two-part premiere. It was a wise decision, because this is the one where the show's central premise truly takes form.
Taking place after Agatha regains her memories and squares off with Rio, this episode's function was to introduce the idea of the Witches' Road. From the moment that Teen mentions it, Agatha's intrigue is piqued - so is ours, as the duo set out on the road (out of Westview) to assemble a coven that can get them there. This is what opens the door for the rest of the show's primary characters, as we meet Lilia Calderu, Jennifer Kale, Alice Wu-Gulliver, and get more of WandaVision's beloved Mrs. Hart.
While the episode itself could have placed a little more focus on Lilia, Jennifer, and Alice just to help us get to know them a bit better, it pulled off their introductions well for the most part. Like the premiere, it doesn't function as well as a standalone, but when paired together with the first episode, the two serve as a strong opening to the show.
We also can't ignore the fact that the closing act of episode 2 is arguably the best sequence of the whole series. The moment in which the witches perform the Sacred Chant version of The Ballad of the Witches' Road (with the Salem Seven nipping at their heels) is goosebump-inducing; as is the moment that the coven end up on the Road and take their first walk down it.
If episode 1 was setting the table, the second was when the meal was sat down in front of us. And what a divine meal it was shaping up to be.
7. "Through Many Miles / Of Tricks and Trials" (episode 3)
The third episode of the series, "Through Many Miles / Of Tricks and Trials", was essentially the first standalone episode of the series. While many may have watched the first two episodes in separate sittings, they were both designed to function as a bumper-length introduction to the show. But episode 3 is when it really got going, as the first trial on The Witches' Road took place.
The show practically became a social media phenomenon after this one and it isn't hard to see why. With the coven united for the first time, there were plenty of fun interactions between them as they all had to learn to work together to complete the trial. The standout was, of course, Sharon Davis (a.k.a. Mrs. Hart) who had no idea what she was doing there and yet committed to having a good time in the midst of her bewilderment.
We can't forget about the unforgettable moment in which each member of the coven (barring Teen) suffered from swollen faces after drinking the wine, which presented viewers with some of the funniest moments of the whole series (and some hilariously convincing make-up). It was ridiculous, outrageous fun that really set the tone for what these trials were going to be like (and how the coven was going to cope with them).
But, enjoyably silly as it was, "Through Many Miles / Of Tricks and Trials" was also extremely important for building the relationships and character dynamics. Teen had begun to suspect Agatha wasn't being entirely truthful, while Agatha herself was beginning to grow quite fond of Teen. Teen also developed a bond with Alice, while Agatha and Jen had to work through their issues to complete the trial. And speaking of Jen, this was her moment of the series - one that we're all entirely grateful we got to witness.
6. "Darkest Hour / Wake Thy Power" (episode 5)
Now this was an internet breaker. When I say that nobody expected the concluding moments of this episode, I mean nobody expected it. Yes, we all heard the rumors that Teen was really Billy Maximoff, a.k.a. Wiccan, but it's totally safe to say that none of us saw the reveal coming at the end of episode 5, especially as this was an Agatha-centric episode. But that ending of the episode came, and it made an impact, with Marvel fans all over the world completely losing their minds.
The rest of the episode was pretty awesome as well. From the horrifying possession sequence - in which Agatha was possessed by the ghost of her own mother - to the heartbreaking death of Alice, this one packed an emotional punch in its incredibly short runtime. It's true that "Darkest Hour / Wake Thy Power" is Agatha All Along's shortest episode, but it's also one of its most emotional, taking us on a major journey in less than 25 minutes.
Some fans were a little critical of the runtime, feeling that the trial itself never really got a chance to stand out due to how rushed it was, but given all that happened around it, it's somewhat easier to overlook on this occasion (though it is a valid point). But there is no question that the episode started strong with that magical broom sequence and ended even stronger with that stunning Teen reveal.
The back-and-forth between Joe Locke and Kathryn Hahn in that final scene was so good and it built up to that insane closing moment so well. Rolling the credits to Billie Eilish's "you should see me in a crown" as Billy's Wiccan crown appeared on his head was a work of art. Art.
5. "If I Can't Reach You / Let My Song Teach You" (episode 4)
The moment that the coven began playing the Lorna Wu version of "The Ballad of the Witches' Road", I knew I was going to love it. There was no other outcome to that scenario, as Kathryn Hahn, Ali Ahn, Patti LuPone, Sasheer Zamata, and Joe Locke belted out some absolutely epic vocals - as literal fire fell from the ceiling! - in a moment that gave the iconic performance scene of the original ballad a run for its money.
If the purpose of each trial episode is to showcase the witch at the center of it, then you might not find a better example of it than "If I Can't Reach You / Let My Song Teach You". Just as Alice Wu-Gulliver belts out those very lyrics in honor of her mother Lorna Wu, the episode honors her by highlighting her power through all of the struggles that she has had to endure. It also dives deep into the curse that has been haunting her family for far too long, presenting her with an epic way of defeating it: Through song. She does it magnificently.
The episode was also pretty pivotal for other characters too, particularly because it brought Rio Vidal down to the Witches' Road and placed the spotlight on her history with Agatha. We learned a little more about why they don't particularly get along - and why, underneath all of that faux hatred and very real heartache, there might actually be some love there.
One of its most powerful moments, however, came when Teen was injured and Agatha, of all people, was leading the charge to save his life. She may have been secretly hoping he was really her son, but she was also bonding with him at an unusually quick rate; making her genuinely fearful that she might lose him (and that history might repeat itself) in a sequence that is weighted in so much that is left unsaid. It's honestly one of the best scenes in the episode and it holds up even better on rewatch because it hides a multitude of teases about future reveals. That's how to build up a mystery.
4. "Maiden Mother Crone" (episode 9)
The finale of Agatha All Along, "Maiden Mother Crone" was actually released as the second part of a double-episode finale drop, landing on Disney Plus with the eighth installment, too. Even so, this is the ninth and final episode of the season, so it's technically the actual finale.
It's definitely an unexpected kind of finale as it comes after the majority of the storylines have already been wrapped up at this point, but that allows it to take a trip into the past to help us get to know a bit more about Agatha Harkness herself. But it also serves a major purpose to the present, as it is revealed that The Ballad of the Witches' Road is a con that Agatha came up with after singing the song with her son Nicholas - a con designed to lure witches to their deaths by provoking them into blasting her. That is, until the door actually appeared when she sang the song with her most recent coven (thanks to Billy's limitless powers).
Ironically, while all of the other characters in her coven got episodes focused on them and their backstories, it was Agatha who didn't. Her trial was the shortest episode of the season and it didn't really focus on her motivations in the way that the others' did. So it's quite fitting that the show gets to bow with an hour focused solely on the protagonist herself. And among its many accomplishments, it showed us once again what a complicated character she is.
Seeing her happy with her son by her side made Nicholas' eventual death all the more tragic and painful. That's why the episode's conclusion, in which she decides to remain a ghost to guide Billy because she's not ready to face Nicholas in the afterlife, is extremely poignant. Understandable, but poignant.
3. "Familiar by Thy Side" (episode 6)
It was the episode we all were waiting for. Immediately after Teen revealed himself to be none other than the son of the Scarlet Witch, we got his origin story. In that origin story, we learned that he was indeed Billy Maximoff. It wasn't an entirely unexpected reveal but, as Joe Locke himself so eloquently put it: Sometimes you can make the most obvious outcome creative. And that's exactly what Agatha All Along accomplished with "Familiar By Thy Side".
Flashing back to the beginning of Billy's story, we met a young William Kaplan, who tragically died in a car accident just outside of Westview - the same Westview that Wanda Maximoff was in the process of freeing from her own Hex. The soul of Wanda's own son then made its way into William's body, reviving him in a way and allowing himself to begin a new life; one in which he had to put the pieces of both of his lives back together.
This was a masterclass of an episode. Much like the critically-acclaimed eighth episode of WandaVision (in which Agatha took Wanda through her own memories to give audiences some answers), this one expertly provided the context we were all craving; showcasing how Billy Maximoff came to be, and how he freed Agatha from the Agnes spell that his own mother had cast on her.
Seeing the events of the first episode play out through Billy's eyes was also quite the experience, and Joe Locke and Kathryn Hahn sold the interrogation scene remarkably well, showcasing their amazing chemistry. Locke himself also did a wonderful job of carrying the episode, gelling with the supporting cast throughout and proving that there was so much more to Teen than met the eye.
Billy Maximoff has all the potential in the world and this episode proved it. It was a much-needed change of pace for Agatha All Along that filled in the blanks and set the stage for a much more intense back half. From learning more about Billy to the return of Ralph Bohner, this episode quite literally had it all.
2. "Death's Hand in Mine" (episode 7)
From the opening sequence of "Death's Hand In Mine", it was clear that we were in for an incredible experience. Lilia Calderu (who the show wanted us to believe was dead at this point) was falling through the air dressed like Glinda The Good Witch from The Wizard of Oz. It was wild, but it was oddly poignant; and that really set the tone for the episode that followed.
There is so much going on in this one that it's hard to know where to even begin. It jumps around through the timeline, starting with Billy and Agatha in the present before jumping back to Lilia and Jen under the Road, before going back even further to Lilia's childhood days with her original coven. The storytelling is intentionally a struggle to keep up with at the start, serving as a metaphor for Lilia's fractured mind, but in being so, it begins to put the pieces of the overarching puzzle together.
From exploring her concerns over being a forgotten woman to the the incredible sequence in which she reads for herself at the table, the long overdue focus on Lilia is worth the wait and the finished result is an absolute masterclass of a performance from Patti LuPone.
We knew this episode was going to be a great one based on the images of the cast dressed up like fairytale characters but we couldn't have imagined the phenomenal installment that would come. Everything about this, from the costuming to the storytelling was divine. Without question, this is one of Marvel's finest ever episodes of television.
1. "Follow Me My Friend / To Glory at the End" (episode 8)
"Follow Me My Friend / To Glory at the End" was technically the penultimate episode of Agatha All Along but it was released alongside the final episode of the season. That was a wise decision because, in many ways, this one essentially functions as the finale to the vast majority of the season's storylines, wrapping up the coven's time on the Witches' Road, featuring the final trial, their return to Westview, and concluding with two of the moments we had all been waiting for.
There is a moment in the final trial when Agatha helps Billy find a new body for Tommy that allows the gravity of the situation to set in. They have reached the end and their prize is upon them. It's a beautiful moment weighted in emotion as Billy is reviving his brother and Agatha - of all people - is the one walking him through how to do it. It sets the stage nicely for when Billy returns the favor by saving her from Death and restoring her powers.
There are so many moments in this one that feel earned. Billy donning the comic-accurate Wiccan suit was a moment worth waiting for, as was the triumphant, unnerving moment in which Agatha Harkness got her purple back. Though she didn't get to use it for long, her eventual sacrifice to save Billy was a heartbreaking, but fitting conclusion to her arc. After all those years as a covenless witch, existing for power, Agatha had finally found something worth living - and dying - for.
A truly epic episode, this one served as a fitting grand finale to the Witches' Road arc while setting the stage for everything that would come next for Billy and Agatha. The Witches' Road twist in the final few moments; that was just the icing on the cake.
All nine episodes of Agatha All Along are now streaming on Disney Plus.