Marvel’s ‘Agatha All Along’ Summons a Coven of Witches Led by a Perfectly Sinister Kathryn Hahn

Alci Rengifo

Marvel has been slowing down to a trickle in its rather cautious delivery of new material. “Agatha All Along” arrives with a bit of extra hype since it stands alone without the studio’s previous habit of streaming overload. Fans already know this long-awaited series is tied to the events of 2021’s acclaimed “WandaVision.” Even more devoted Marvel disciples will point out it is also connected to specific comic book characters and storylines. Taken on its own, it is a stylish, briskly enjoyable road trip fit for the Halloween season. Kathryn Hahn casts the ultimate spell with her perfect comedic timing melded with a darker edge. You could almost say that without her, the hectic plot would fall apart.

Hahn is back as Agatha Harkness, who we first met in “WandaVision” as that show’s secret villain, finally revealed near the end and left under a particular hex by Wanda aka Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen). The show begins with her still under the spell, living a new life in Westview as a local detective named Agnes. Already under probation for having punched a suspect, Agnes takes on a new case involving a dead woman’s body found in the woods. A library slip on the corpse points to a book stolen three years ago. There is also a broach from the 1700s. An enigmatic FBI agent drops in, Rio Vidal (Aubrey Plaza), who has a strange tension with the detective. An impromptu late night pizza meeting at Agnes’ place with Rio is interrupted by a would-be burglar, Teen (Joe Locke). When Agnes interrogates the intruder, he chants and presto, the spell begins to break down. Rio is also revealed to be Green Witch, who informs Agnes she is Agatha Harkness, once the true owner of the Darkhold, but Wanda has taken all copies with her.

There is more to the plot, like the fact that Agatha has still not recovered all her powers and must form a coven to get them back. Green Witch informs her that the ominous Salem Seven will soon arrive and come after Agatha. The series then takes on the form of a gothic dramedy as odyssey. It’s evocatively imagined by showrunner Jac Schaeffer, though for now, only the series premiere has the kind of aesthetic fun of “WandaVision,” which told its story by recreating the look of classic sitcoms. So far only the series premiere of “Agatha All Along” plays with that idea. It places Agatha’s detective inside a crime story modeled after shows like “Mindhunter.” End credits also wink at classics like “Bewitched” and even the evil witch of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” By the second episode, the story becomes something closer to Disney’s Halloween-themed entertainments. 

Teen becomes Agatha’s dutiful queer protégé (Disney still admirably leads the way in representation in pop culture events), desperate to be introduced to the Witches Road. Their first task is to assemble a coven. Agatha’s candidates become her core team and the series’ other key characters. First they find Lilia Calderu (Patti LuPone), a feisty witch running a psychic reading shop. Next, there’s Jennifer Kale (Sasheer Zamata), the owner of a wellness shop, hawking candles and other bogus items to naïve customers. At a Hot Topic they find Alice Wu-Gulliver (Ali Ahn), who has some serious personal issues stemming from being the daughter of a powerful witch, Lorna Lu, who has gone missing on the Witches Road. Ah, but the coven is also missing a Green Witch since Earth magic is essential. The only viable option is Agatha’s chatty older neighbor, Sharon (Debra Jo Rupp with her trademark ebullience). They rope her into pretending to be a witch.

Hahn’s wonderful, sinister sarcasm and sharp delivery makes the ensuing journey fun since Agatha has to whip into shape these witches who all carry quirky baggage. This is a coven of outsiders who need each other to fit in. Agatha’s quest is the purpose-giving moment they need. When the dark-cloaked Salem Seven appears with great, menacing fashion while they perform their first ceremony, most of the coven runs off terrified. Comic relief and Disney-style antics help “Agatha All Along” not overstay its welcome. Those who did not tune in for “WandaVision” won’t find it hard to tap into what’s going on since the broader MCU links don’t overtake the story. This doesn’t feel like a show meant to prepare the way for the next multiverse opus. You can watch for the great photography and humor based around witchcraft tropes. This doesn’t seem designed to inspire the kind of emotional punch of “WandaVision,” which became a pop art commentary on trauma and loneliness. It also didn’t fully resolve itself until the release of “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.” As of now, we don’t get the sense this series will be stretched out into another movie.

As it stands, the overall plot of “Agatha All Along” is simple, if a bit clunky. Its charm is in Hahn making jokes land, including running naked out of her suburban Westview home, once Wanda’s spell is broken, demanding to know from a shocked neighbor just how long she was out. There remain plenty of clues and Easter eggs for the diehards, such as hints at Agatha’s alter ego, Agnes, having had a son who died. This is another potential link to storylines from the comics. Much more is also hinted to the Green Witch’s relationship to Agatha when Aubrey Plaza, with that killer stare, says she has a black heart and “it beats for you.” Throw in lots of dark cloaks, thunder, windy nighttime streets and specters popping through windows, and “Agatha All Along” works as a decent distraction for the season. Maybe Marvel is indeed taking to heart the lesson that less is more, particularly when you let someone like Hahn bewitch a franchise.

“Agatha All Along” begins streaming Sept. 18 with new episodes premiering Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET on Disney+.