The first two installments of the Disney+ original series WandaVision wowed fans and critics alike,
adding yet another win to the Marvel Cinematic Universe's track record. Episode 3 was another
mind-bending chapter that may have left you scratching your head. Here’s what went down.
Despite only realizing her pregnancy at the end of WandaVision's second episode,
Wanda’s pregnancy begins moving at a breakneck pace. She goes from being four months along,
only to jump ahead to six before having to give birth on her living room floor
mere moments later. It was there behind their avocado green ‘70s couch that she
and Vision met their twins, Billy and Tommy, for the first time.
This moment should come as no surprise to fans of Wanda and Vision from the pages of Marvel Comics.
Additionally, their birth could potentially point to one of their
greatest foes coming to live-action very soon.
On the page, the couple have twins of the same names, who later grow up to become the heroes
Speed and Wiccan, but not before disappearing from existence entirely. To create their kids
with intact souls, Wanda accidentally stole some of the demon Mephisto's life essence.
The villain eventually took it back, resulting in him wiping the twins from the face of the Earth.
“The devil’s in the details, Bev.”
“That’s not the only place he is.”
Whether or not this is the direction Marvel
Studios will take these future Young Avengers members remains to be seen.
Surely subsequent WandaVision installments will elaborate on their role in this story.
In the same vein as the Stark Industries toaster and the Strücker watch from the
first two WandaVision installments, Episode 3 delivers on yet another cheeky reference
to the MCU via a classic commercial. In a very clear nod to the popular Calgon Bath
Powder commercials from the ‘70s, viewers are greeted by an advertisement for Hydra Soak,
a fictional bath powder that will help users "Find the Goddess Within." Also, the cutaway
mentions that the product is great for those who want to get away without actually going anywhere.
Sure, it may sound like just a cheesy tagline, but it could have some sinister implications.
When looking at the MCU in its entirety, HYDRA is a persistent evil. They were at
the height of their power during the World War II-based Captain America: The First Avenger,
and remained a background threat into the modern day until Avengers: Age of Ultron.
The Avengers were working on mopping up the remaining cells of the faction in the 2015 film.
In the process, they also uncovered a set of twins who had been tested on and,
thanks to the Mind Stone, granted superhuman abilities: Wanda and Pietro Maximoff.
What exactly these commercial breaks mean in each WandaVision episode remains
a mystery -- in-universe or otherwise. Even still, their ties to the canon itself cannot
be understated, especially regarding Wanda. She blamed Tony Stark and his weapons company -- Stark
Industries -- for the death of her parents. Later, Baron Wolfgang von Strucker's experiments
led to her and Pietro gaining their powers, and HYDRA was the organization that made it happen.
This raises the question, could HYDRA be the ones helping Wanda get away
to wherever she is -- without really going anywhere? Or, much like Stark and Strücker,
is the mention of HYDRA merely a nod to her origins? We'll just have to wait and see.
Much like its predecessors, this WandaVision episode centers primarily on the titular couple.
However, a few other characters make the odd appearance throughout.
Chief among them is Wanda's friend, Geraldine, who helps her through the
difficult birth of her first child. She may seem innocent and kind-hearted on the outside,
but it appears as though there's more to her story than meets the eye.
Both Agnes and Herb note that Geraldine recently popped up in their town without
a family, connections, or even a home to speak of.
Meanwhile, Wanda tells Geraldine about her late twin brother, Pietro. In response,
Geraldine mentions his demise at the hands of Ultron, leading Wanda to lose
her cool and interrogate her supposed friend about who she is and how she knows so much.
Her suspicions only increase as she notices the mysterious pendant around her neck
that bears resemblance to the S.W.O.R.D. emblem we saw in the first two episodes.
Ultimately, Wanda uses her powers to kick Geraldine out of her world,
giving the audience the clearest glimpse of the world outside of Westview yet.
Meanwhile, according to previous casting announcements, Teyonah Parris didn't
sign onto WandaVision to portray an inquisitive neighbor named Geraldine.
Rather, she's actually on the cast list as Monica Rambeau,
who debuted in 2019's ‘90s-set Captain Marvel as the child of pilot Maria Rambeau.
“Your mom is lucky. When they were handing out kids, they gave her the toughest one.
Lieutenant Trouble.”
“You remembered!”
It appears she's an agent of S.W.O.R.D. and has some vested interest in bringing Wanda
out of her TV-esque new life. If this episode was any indication, her role in WandaVision
can only expand from here, as the cracks in this false reality continue to spread.
Just before the credits begin to roll, the show's third episode offers up a bit
of insight as to where Wanda and Vision really are. After blowing her cover, Monica Rambeau is
launched out of Wanda's reality, landing in what appears to be an empty, grassy field.
In no time at all, military vehicles, helicopters, and armored personnel arrive on the scene.
As the camera pans away, we see a few structures that resemble barracks and
a line of lights similar to those found in a sports arena across some kind of forcefield.
Though this still leaves more questions than answers, it's finally revealed
that Wanda and Vision's lovely home in Westview isn't what they think it is.
Not only is it not a physical town, but it also appears to be either a projection or some kind
of bubble with the presentation of a typical suburb inside of it. As far as its occupants go,
one has to wonder if they're aware of the town's unreality, or if they're even real,
living people in the first place. After all, Agnes and Herb's admissions about their
suspicions of Geraldine shows there's more to them than they're letting on.
The matter of who's creating this pocket dimension and why, as well as the status of those within it,
is certainly a point to ponder in the coming weeks as WandaVision's mysteries start getting revealed.
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