WandaVision: A Bewitching Sitcom Debut

The new situation comedy premiering on Disney+ plus this week with a double dose of episodes heralds back to the Golden Age of Television and is already drawing comparison with The Giants of the medium–specifically The Dick Van Dyke Show and Bewitched. Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany light up the screen with their sparkling chemistry and their comedic performances are exactly what we’ve all been looking for during these trying times. This reviewer sees Emmys in their future as well as their show which also features the talents of Fred Melamed and Debra Jo Rupp as Vision’s boss and his wife and Kathryn Hahn as the couple’s nosy neighbor.

The first episode of the six part mini-series–which will undoubtedly leave audiences screaming for more–is presented in glorious black and white, further tribute to those shows of Yester-Year. As the series opens, we see Wanda and Vision apparently a newlywed couple. How they met isn’t told to us nor do we care as we find ourselves wrapped up in Wanda and Vision’s wacky and wonderful lives. Wanda, it’s apparent is a witch like Samantha Stephens from Bewitched. Vision, though, is harder to figure out. He seems to be some kind of Machine-Man. An android, maybe? But whoever they are playing, Wanda and Vision’s natural knack for comedy will keep you in stitches, guaranteed!

I’ve been trying to be witty about this review but the truth is this is what we are given. So I tried to judge it by those same standards. We’ve known the show would be comedic for awhile now. If the comedy is used as a means to a more serious story I can play with that. And especially anything that get’s Vision back to us the same as he was is very acceptable.
Super hero stuff is becoming more and comedic. It reminds me of when they used to call comics “funny books”. I know that the last two Avengers movies were very serious (except the fat Thor shit). But now we hear that the She-Hulk will be a half hour legal comedy. And there’s the animated M.O.D.O.K. series featuring Patton Oswalt as the voice of M.O.D.O.K. which will also be a comedy. The first two episodes of WandaVision are cute but it’s 1/3 of the show and there is more silliness coming. Vision and The Scarlet Witch (still no mention of that name) are two of my all time favorites so I’ll be sticking around. Who knows what they might have coming?  Maybe Darcy will show up!