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Giving Kathryn Hahn, who stole the show in WandaVision, a Marvel Disney+ series—Agatha All Along—may have been a mistake.
Perhaps this is a metaphor for Hahn's career, who usually gives scene-stealing performances. She is an actress you watch and think should lead a show/movie. But maybe sometimes less is more.
It is not all Hahn's fault, though. Agatha All Along, for all of its cheeky name changes, is not the return to form for Marvel TV. The newest Disney+ series fails on every level imaginable. Its characters are flat, and the story hardly gets off the ground in the first four episodes.
Agatha All Along operates as a solo adventure for its title character. But why does someone like Agatha Harkness need their series? The first four episodes of the series fail to justify its existence. The series feels more like a C-level series for a C-level character.
Agatha All Along review
When the series begins, Agatha (Kathryn Hahn) is working as an FBI agent after being trapped in Westview, New Jersey, after the events of WandaVision. The first 20 minutes of the premiere play more like a primetime procedural than a savvy new Marvel series.
Maybe the change of pace would have been nice for the MCU. But alas, Agatha is quickly brought back to her witchy ways after finding a boy, Teen (Joe Locke), who becomes her assistant in her coven. With a little help from her friends, Agatha and her coven go on a journey where they will face the trials of the Witches' Road.
To its credit, Agatha All Along tries with its aesthetic. Similarly to WandaVision (which was more style than substance), showrunner Jac Schaeffer—who directed the first couple of episodes—helps establish a unique look for the series.
Agatha All Along features more purple and black than other Marvel projects. Additionally, some effective eerie sequences are complimented by Christophe Beck and Michael Paraskevas' score. Beck and Paraskevas may have created the most unique MCU score since the Black Panther movies.
Kathryn Hahn's leading moment
For Hahn, who has mostly been relegated to supporting roles as the crass character in comedies like Bad Moms and We're the Millers, Marvel has helped propel her career to new heights.
Bringing her back for another project was a smart decision. Giving her an eight-episode series is another. Agatha All Along has no reason to exist other than that there is no other project for Hahn to jump into.
Sure, her chemistry with Aubrey Plaza is worth the watch. Like Hahn, Plaza is a worthy addition to the MCU. However, even a star like Plaza is underutilized in Agatha All Along.
Maybe a lesson will be learned by Marvel and Disney in the future. Not every charismatic supporting character needs a spin-off. Korg is a hilarious part of the Thor franchise, but can you imagine how insufferable he would be in his series? They even tried to give Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury his own series — how did that turn out?
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A long setup
Granted, Agatha All Along could get better as it goes. There is still a whole half that I have not seen. But in its two hours of runtime thus far, the story has barely gained traction.
A few of the trials have been depicted, but they all follow a similar template in each episode. If it is not the plot that makes Agatha All Along watchable, is it the cast?
Not exactly. Despite Locke's best efforts with Hahn, their rapport has not found the magic touch (or spell). They run through the usual “reluctant mentor” tropes that have been used over and over.
Should you watch Agatha All Along?
Agatha All Along is another failed attempt by Marvel to give a supporting character its series. Not every character needs a miniseries like Loki (Tom Hiddleston).
The first half of the series does not expand its story enough. Even if one of the lead benefits of doing a miniseries is being able to flesh out the story and take its time, Agatha All Along is going at a deliberate pace.
Unfortunately, there is no spell strong enough to make Agatha All Along worth the squeeze. It is a lethargic mess that makes you wonder why Marvel keeps doing this.
Grade: D+
Agatha All Along premieres on Disney+ on September 18 at 6 pm PT/9 pm ET.
