The Multiverse Blown Open on A Very Special Episode of WandaVision

WandaVision Episode 5 Review

“On a Very Special Episode…”. How appropriate of a title for the new episode of WandaVision. In a show that’s already proven to be an insane mind-screw, Marvel just managed to kick things up to newer, crazier heights this week. On a very special episode of WandaVision, the wall between Westview and the world at large begins to crumble before we get a bombshell ending that could change the MCU forever.

THIS IS YOUR FIRST AND ONLY WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD. IF YOU HAVE NOT WATCHED WANDAVISION YET, DO SO NOW!

Vision Knows

We all knew that Vision would eventually learn the truth. Since episode 3, he’s been becoming aware that something’s wrong in Westview. But in this episode, Vis learns that Wanda’s controlling everyone in town. In a particularly terrifying scene, Vision frees the real personality of the townsperson called Norm, and we learn that the people of Westview remain fully aware of what’s going on, but can’t do anything about it. They’re prisoners in their own body, and it seems that Wanda’s the Warden.

Wanda tries to deny everything at first, but that only makes Vision angry. We’ve never seen him angry before; and he has every right to be. It turns out, he can’t remember anything from his life before Westview; Wanda’s blocking his memories to protect him from the knowledge that he’s dead. That, and this episode confirms why the Avengers didn’t try to bring him back: he didn’t want to be. He won’t be happy to learn that Wanda disregarded his wishes.

Wanda’s Fully Aware of What’s Happening.

When the show started, it was left ambigious as to how aware Wanda was of what’s going on. Some thought that she’s doing everything without realizing it. This episode, though, eliminates that ambiguity for good. After S.W.O.R.D. uses an old drone to talk to her (and the director tries to off her) she leaves Westview to confront S.W.O.R.D. directly.

Her only message to them: stay out of Westview or she’ll tear them all apart.

If you’ve followed Wanda’s journey through the MCU thus far, then you’ll know that her life’s been one big conga line of trauma. She lost her parents at age 10. Her brother was killed by Ultron. She tried to be a hero, but became a fugitive, only to find love with Vision. Then Thanos took him away from her.

I saw the look in Wanda’s eyes: she’s done letting the universe take things away from her. Now, she wants to take back from the universe, something I’d understand. That said, she’s dragged an entire town of innocent people into her despair and pain. She needs help before she crosses a line that she can’t turn back from.

Unfortunately for the multiverse, she may have already done that.

“She Recast Pietro?!”

Here it is, folks: the moment that could change the MCU forever. In the final moments of the episode, Wanda, Vision, S.W.O.R.D., and viewers at home got the mother of all bombshells when a very special episode ended with a very special new arrival: Pietro, back from the dead.

Except, it’s not the MCU’s Pietro.

Somehow, instead of the MCU Pietro, we got a new one, played by Evan Peters. If you’ve never seen the X-Men films, then Peters plays Pietro in that now-defunct franchise. The fact that there were two Pietro’s was due to Fox being its own separate entity at the time, but now that Disney owns them (and thus the rights to the X-Men), fans expect the X-Men to eventually join the MCU. The question was how, though? Would they be new iterations of the X-Men, or would the original franchise somehow migrate to the MCU. Given how Marvel seems keen on making Phase 4 the time to explore the greater multiverse, it may end up being the latter. And we could have just seen the first step to that.

I’m serious. People are going crazy all over the Internet, coming up with theories that somehow, the X-Men franchise is in a separate universe that will merge with the MCU, giving us the Mutants and X-Men. However, does this mean that this their Quicksilver, or an illusion constructed by Wanda’s powers. Or is Kevin Feige and Marvel trolling us? I have no clue, but I’m more invested in ever with this show!

A Very Special Episode, Indeed

There are so many ways that WandaVision could end right now, and all of them will change the MCU forever. One way or another, Marvel’s going all in with the next phase of their cinematic universe, and I am loving it. This is the kind of show that fans will be talking about for years to come.

If you haven’t watched this show yet, then go get Disney+ and watch it. It’s worth every penny!!

I Give “On A Very Special Episode” a 5/5

Stray Observations

• Okay, I know these commercials are recapping important and traumatic moments in Wanda’s life, but this is stretching it.

• I was very disturbed by how Tommy and Billy magically aged themselves up.

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