WandaVision - S1E6: All-New Halloween Spectacular!
DISNEY+The reveal at the end of last week’s episode doesn’t carry nearly as much of an impact going into WandaVision’s sixth episode. Evan Peters enters the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a ‘recast’ version of Pietro Maximoff, Wanda’s (Elizabeth Olsen) twin brother.
Fans will know Aaron Taylor-Johnson portrayed this character alongside Olsen in Avengers: Age of Ultron and met an untimely fate in the same movie, but Peters portrayed an alternate version in 20th Century Fox’s X-Men universe. Peters’ introduction into the show and subsequent world is a huge step towards the Marvel multiverse that is being teased in future installments and sequels, so one would assume that this is their first serious foray into that. However, instead of addressing the explosive fallout for what this could mean for the series, this episode of WandaVision decides to advance the suspicions of Vision (Paul Bettany), as he addresses his suspicions and finally decides to explore this perfect world he lives in.
This is the Halloween episode that has been teased since the show’s announcement but, other than some self referential costumes, the episode doesn’t really tie into the theme of spookiness at all. This is just another example of how the sitcom trope has been worn out already – the world of Westview continues to embrace the aesthetic of the sitcom, but rarely does much to abide to the inner workings of the genre anymore. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, as the most interesting moments of the show happen outside of that form, but it does bring into question the effectiveness of the format and how it can really shape the show going forward, if at all.
Episode Six moves forward in a rather relaxed manner, as opposed to the continuous twists of the previous episode. There’s a lull here to allow Peters to settle into the groove of the show and to flesh out his relationship with the character of Wanda. However, several questions are answered with further queries being posed – the end of this episode is easily the most exciting and climactic of the series, and it’s hard to say how things will play out in the final three episodes.
It’s also still hard to speculate on the villain of the show. Series creator Jac Schaeffer is clearly trying to implicate Wanda as the force behind all of this, but her willingness to embrace this new iteration of Pietro as the brother she grew up with clearly suggests someone is tampering with her own mind and perceptions. Wanda is a clear and present threat of her own, but with threats outside (SWORD Director Hayward, as played by Josh Stamberg) and intrusive threats invading Wanda’s own mind, there are still tonnes to explore and more veils to be lifted.