Marvelhad the opportunity to stealLokiseason 2’s story inAgatha All Along, but I’m so glad it didn’t. ConsideringAgatha All Alonghas resonated with fans almost as much asLokidid, I think Marvel has proven that it is still perfectly capable of producing quality shows after 2023’sSecret Invasionthreatened its overall reliability. Rather than imitating what has worked in the past, however, Marvel managed to deliver something entirely original withAgatha All Alongwhile managing to pull at the same heartstrings asLoki.
I think one of the most impressive aspects ofAgatha All Alongwas the way in which it navigated its central motifs. Death and rebirth were perhaps the most prevalent of these, but themes of sisterhoodwithin Agatha’s covenwere just as important and helped to create some ofthe MCU’s newest fan favorites(even if it killed these off within the same series). It’s here thatAgatha All Alongdraws significant parallels toLoki- but it avoided treading exactly the same road.
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Lokiseason 2 boasts one of the most mind-blowing and consequential endings in the MCU, as Loki’s tenacious attempts to reconstitute the multiverse culminated in him becoming the God of Stories, now maintaining entire timelines as a living temporal loom. Recognizing his selfless destiny came after two seasons of him finally finding purpose in friendship, poetically understanding that he must isolate himself from his friends so they can thrive. The show morphed his entire MO,asLoki’s entire MCU careeruntil that point was far more self-serving, ashe betrayed Thor at least 10 times.
Thankfully, Agatha didn’t renege on her more overtly villainous ways, proving time and again that she was quite happy to abandon her coven to get her way.
Agatha All Alongfollowed a similar narrative as an erstwhile self-serving villain faced with the opportunity to form lasting bonds and act selflessly. Thankfully,Agatha didn’t renege on her more overtly villainous ways, proving time and again that she was quite happy to abandon her coven to get her way. Bythe end ofAgatha All Along, it remains unclear whether Agatha had softened much beyond her final sacrifice to save Billy, to whom she bonded mainly because he reminded her of her own son, Nicholas Scratch.
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Kathryn Hahn’s Agatha Harkness is visibly different from her comic counterpart, as the MCU made a significant changes to her origin and backstory.
Agatha doesn’t seem to show any remorse forthe deaths on the Witches' Road, including the one that she directly caused. This helps to emphasize Billy’s own empathy as he is wracked with guilt upon learning the Witches' Road was his creation. By ensuring Agatha remains morally gray by the conclusion,the story feels distinct and fresh and avoids cheapening Agatha’s redemption by turning a villain being redeemed in their solo show into a trope.
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I thinkAgatha All Alongepisode 9, which felt more like an epilogue than a finale, did a pretty good job of redeeming Agatha. It confirmed what had been hinted throughout the series: that Agatha hadn’t sacrificed her child for the Darkhold, and was instead a loving and subsequently grief-stricken mother.It stopped short, however, of exonerating her villainy entirely as it also showed her massacring witchesthroughout history. Even her heroic self-sacrifice when facing Death was immediately preceded by an apparent attempt to double-cross Billy.
Billy Maximoff has also hinted at a morally gray outlook after stating “I’m not that nice” to Agatha.
Unlike Loki, Agatha’s moments of heroism remain tainted. ThroughoutLoki, the titular character morphed into an overtly heroic figure who showed remorse for his past actions while striving for redemption.Agatha All Along, meanwhile, throws into question whether Agatha was even sorry for her past actions. Now it appears that Agatha will return alongside Billy ina future MCU installment, I think this conclusion to her solo series secures her as one of the most intriguing characters to join the MCU’s heroes.
Agatha All Along
Cast
Agatha Harkness, after the events of “WandaVision,” seeks to regain her magical powers. Joining forces with unexpected allies, including the son of an old adversary, she battles new mystical threats while uncovering hidden secrets in the magical realm.
Loki
Loki is a series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe following the alternate version of the titular character, Loki, after the events of Avengers: Endgame. Taken by the Time Variance Authority, he must confront his identity and choices while aiding in fixing the disrupted timeline to avert a greater threat.
