Anthony Bergamini
Marvel Television’s newest Disney+ offering, Agatha All Along has taken Marvel fans by storm, presenting itself as one of the franchise’s most unmitigated successes in terms of fan response, despite it being one of the most divisive looking properties. Full of an original story and callbacks/follow ups to Agatha’s story, which started in the critically loved WandaVison, Agatha All Along genuinely leans into the Marvel TV formula, despite it proving to be problematic over the last several offerings. So what is it about Agatha All Along that really makes it work where Marvel has seen little success so far? Does this show prove that Marvel’s formula was destined to work the whole time?
Before we get started, what exactly is Marvel’s formula for their TV shows? So far this formula has presented itself as a nine-episode series that feels like a two-three hour movie decompressed into chapters. The first three-to-four episodes typically involve a call to action, a challenge to the hero or heroes, and the hero coming up with a plan that is blown up when the third or fourth episode ends on some kind of cliffhanger. Additionally, a new character gets introduced that definitely has implications for the future. Then the fourth or fifth episode is a full flashback/exposition story that explains a core element of the plot that sets up the final three-to-four episodes. The episodes leading up to the finale tend to meander around the recent discovery, hinting at where it may lead. Oftentimes, these episodes focus on the characters that are newly established within the show. Finally, the show ends on an action-packed finale where the hero typically reveals some sort of new costume, concluding with an ambiguous journey to come for the characters.
SPOILERS FOR AGATHA ALL ALONG TO FOLLOW:
One of the most celebrated moments from this show is the horribly kept secret behind the true identity of “Teen,” who is revealed to be Billy Maximoff/Kaplan, who survived the destruction of Wanda’s self imposed reality in WandaVision and seeks to find where his brother, Tommy, ended up. This is the shining aspect of the show that proves that Marvel can truly have success in their formula. See, Billy is the new character in this show that is introduced (or in this case, reintroduced) to have some sort of impact on the future of Marvel. But unlike prior shows, Billy becomes a focal point and, eventually, the protagonist of the show. Using this show to set up Billy was a stroke of genius, especially as fans were questioning if Agatha herself was a big enough character to lead an entire TV show. It turns out that Marvel was able to do both, and all they had to do was lean into their formula. It is also rumored that Billy will get his own show after this, and that is exactly the direction that Marvel should go, considering how well Agatha All Along went when it leaned into what Marvel’s shows have done best.
From a wholesale perspective, the part of Agatha All Along that works the best is how it leans into the formula’s nine-episode structure. It’s apparent that Marvel learned from its mistakes prior, showcasing how well this nine-episode structure can work when done right. For example, Agatha All Along’s last episode is a flashback that explains the origins of the Witches Road and Agatha’s son, Nicky. Previously, She-Hulk: Attorney At Law featured a very similar kind of episode, explaining the titular character’s origins and nuance, although in that case it was done as the first episode. The differences between these two on paper seem like a minor choice; however, Agatha All Along’s strategy works really well because it uses this episode to break down the core of that character after allowing audiences to connect with her, instead of before the audience knows who the character really is. In this case, the formula still stays intact, but Marvel strategically moves around the order of episodes to create more of a lasting impact with the harder hitting character moments. On a smaller note, this also allowed the penultimate episode to be the costume reveal. This allows Marvel to still have their cake and eat it too, ensuring that the show will be long lasting for fans.
The other facet of this show that works in relation to the formula is the layout of the episodes. All of the core episodes, with the exception of the standard call to action, middle reveal, and finale, follow a similar structure, all in relation to the Witches Road song that is repeated throughout. Each of these episodes present a challenge that is depicted as a specific trial on the road for each of the witches that make up the core case. Finally, Marvel has started to show they know how shows can work in an episodic nature. Each episode feels like the second act of a film on repeat, allowing the decompression to feel less like a drawn film, and more like a genuine TV show. It’s no wonder that Agatha All Along is so well received, it is the first time one of these Marvel shows actually feels like a show!
Finally, this show works because Marvel actually leans into its own plan, rather than giving fans exactly what they expect. Following the conclusion of WandaVision, Marvel leaned into the success of Agatha, a breakout character, and almost immediately announced a TV show surrounding her. This confused fans as, even though they liked Agatha, they didn’t feel that she really needed her own show. Marvel could have listened to this feedback and allowed this series to quietly slip to the wayside, but instead, they stuck to their plan, building this show from scratch. This is the kind of success that comes when a studio truly follows the creative process, trusting that fans will enjoy what they put out instead of building a property purely based on what the fans expect to see.
