We may be in the middle of February, but don’t think that’s gonna stop this show from pretending like it’s Halloween straight out of the 90s or early 2000s.

This week on WandaVision the Maximoff family, with Quicksilver included, are about to spend their first Halloween together, classic costumes and all. As you’d imagine, this leads to some hijinks with Quicksilver and the kids speeding around pulling pranks, stealing candy, etc. However, Wanda’s sitcom begins to unravel when Vision goes on his own and investigates the true nature of Westview and its inhabitants. Meanwhile, at the S.W.O.R.D. camp outside, “The Hex.” Monica, Woo, and Darcy are kicked off the team by acting director Hayward who’s hiding more than he’s letting on.

The beginning of this episode seems to take cues from “Malcolm in the Middle” in that it uses a lot of the classic 90s/early 2000s tropes, such as the over the top cutaways and the kids breaking the fourth wall by talking to the camera. That may seem odd when compared to the previous episodes, but with the family all together it makes sense. One of the biggest standouts to me was Evan Peters as Quicksilver, who is a lot of fun and whose personality seems more like the Quicksilver he portrayed in the X-Men franchise than the one originally from the MCU. He plays the role of the cool uncle of the group and it’s really entertaining. I’m so glad they decided to use him here as he fits this character so well.

The plot mainly revolves around them trick or treating and seeing actual kids this time. Yeah! You remember how in previous episodes there were no children running around? Vision questioned Wanda about this near the end of the prior episode and now, well, they are everywhere. It’s so obvious that even Quicksilver picks up on it. What I also like is how even, though Wanda is glad to have him back, she’s still unsure if he’s her real brother. Taking the recast aside, we’re still unsure if he’s the same character. Throughout the episode, she questions his memories and how he got there. This raises an interesting detail–Wanda had nothing to do with bringing Quicksilver back. In fact, the episode reveals she had nothing to do with how this world got created. Even though she has a lot of control over this world, there are still certain things she can’t explain. Even their changing accents are brought into question, which to be fair we question a lot, too. In fact, for years we’ve questioned Wanda’s change in accent after “Avengers: Age of Ultron”.

The Halloween portion of this episode was well done, as it is a fun idea to see this superhero family interact with the neighborhood while wearing comic costumes. I’m sure the producers purposely chose this holiday, as its atmosphere lends its way to Vision’s subplot–which is the biggest standout in this episode. In prior episodes, Vision becomes more and more aware that everything is not what it seems. So it’s nice to see him actually go out and see the town for what it truly is. The scene at the edge of town is pretty haunting ideas, from the people almost at a standstill to one person who’s tears indicate her struggle. The best way I can describe this setup is it feels like an episode of the Twilight Zone but with superheroes.

The plotline with S.W.O.R.D. analyzing the event isn’t given much attention as the main focus is on what’s going on in Westview. Its main purpose is to establish a divide between Monica, Woo, and Darcy, who want to reason with Wanda, and Hayward, who is set on taking her out. While not much is revealed here, they do establish that there’s more to Hayward’s plan than what he’s showing. Like with how he can track Vision and record the vitals of every person in the town. I can’t wait to see the next episode and, hopefully, figure out what he’s up to.

The episode reaches its climax when Vision finally breaches the barrier, where S.W.O.R.D. agents are waiting for him. It’s an intense scene where the Vision is slowly torn apart, upon escaping the Hex. In an eerie scene that felt like a slow motion effect of the snap, it’s revealed what will happen to him if the world Wanda is holding together ends. In a crazy turn of events, Wanda expands the Hex, the barrier expanding out and enveloping several more people in the simulation. It’s an insane ending that ups the ante for the next episode.

The conflict continues to grow and the pace of the story continues to quicken, and we’re anxious to see where the show takes us next week. 

Ratings: 5 out of 5 Sails

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