Grief and trauma are often so unbearable, so emotionally devastating, to survive, sometimes one has to escape reality and transform life into a… stylized situation comedy coping mechanism. That appears to be the linear way of explaining Marvel Studios’ “WandaVision,” a new romantic comedy mystery limited-series about loss, mental fragility, and anguish—the first of its kind for Disney+, in what promises to be a long line of further-connected Marvel storytelling.
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Unfortunately for “WandaVision,” its narrative is not told linearly and unfolds more like an in media-res mystery that seems pretty obvious to even the casual viewer. Which makes the series—written by Jac Schaeffer and directed by Matt Shakman, seemingly content to play along with various sitcom tropes rather than tell much story—not as captivating as it could be and something of a frustrating chore. However, results will undoubtedly vary between MCU loyalists, diehards, and less formal audiences.
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There are two narratives at play and being told in “WandaVision,” 1) present-day reality—kept at bay and only briefly teased at— and 2) some self-medicating illusionary cocoon that Wanda creates to shield herself from the truth in the form of a sitcom. And the show begins with the latter seemingly self-made, deception—a TV show-set life— never explaining how it came into existence.
In the series, former Avengers and Marvel fan favorites Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and the A.I. android Vision (Paul Bettany), now live in the suburbs of Westview, trying to conceal their powers from their many neighbors. There’s the nosy one, Agnes (Kathryn Hahn), the Hearts, Arthur and Mrs. Heart (Fred Melamed, Debra Jo Rupp), and a few others, including a now-adult Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris), last seen as a child in the ‘90s-set “Captain Marvel.” The presentation of life, at first, is a black and white world, replete with 1950s-like artificial sets, a studio audience, and their canned laughter, clearly influenced by the “Dick Van Dyke” show “Leave It To Beaver,” an innocent, wholesome TV shows of this ‘50s ilk.
But clearly, something is amiss. Vision died in the two-part “Avengers” saga that came before “WandaVision” (twice, and once by Wanda’s hand), so this black and white reverie, is clearly some delusion— a magical artifice Wanda has created to cope with the grief of Vision’s death and the loss of the synthezoid love of her life. Throughout the initial episodes (only three of nine given to press), hints at cracks in the façade surface—someone trying to reach Wanda and bring her back down from this cloud nine fiction.
Still, “WandaVision” persists with the charade, playing with “I Dream Of Jeanie” tropes in Episode 2, and finally, color with the “The Brady Bunch” in Episode 3. And while the actors and creators of the series are obviously having the time of their lives mucking about with the silliness of classic sitcom conceits, the ostensible delightfulness of it all doesn’t necessarily translate, especially if you’re feeling impatient with the campiness offered and want to get to the heart of the real story. The mystery is slow-burning, yet we know it’s a fabrication, so satisfaction is long-delayed. Audiences are left to endure a mostly grating, intentionally-dated sitcom until the story reveals itself (and what lies ahead appears to be at least three more episodes of the same routine; homages to”Family Ties” and “Full House” are still to come).
Even at a mercifully fleeting 22 minutes in length—the approximate length of these early episodes—the gag wears extremely thin quickly (it’ll be interesting to see how audiences tolerate the delayed narrative from week to week).
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In context, one supposes these early episodes of “WandaVision” will appear heartbreaking in hindsight, especially given the essence of the series seems to be about mourning and loss, but right now, we can only guess. Because what “WandaVision” excels at—even if the moments are tremendously ephemeral—is grappling with trauma (and presumably, this gets even better as the series progresses). As “WandaVision” playfully frolics with its sitcom concept and eras, its smokescreen of fantasy occasionally dissolves to hint at the pain and suffering its creator is enduring (a reference to her late brother Pietro, and the painful memory jog it briefly unlocks is quite affecting). And Elizabeth Olsen, in particular, is compelling at portraying even the faintest glimpses of recognition—that beyond this cozy “playing house” fantasy lies a darker truth she does not want to face.
Somewhere along the lines, “WandaVision” will likely turn from a fanciful, semi-charming dream into a heartbreaking nightmare as Wanda begins to awaken from this paramnesia. There are hints at the outside world trying to reach her and the terror of reality waiting for her in the form of a “Twilight Zone”/David Lynch-ian-like distress. Keen Marvel fans will notice references to Hydra, her “creator” Strucker, S.W.O.R.D., et al.. Still, none of it offers much other than a brief reprieve to the mildly-diverting and slapsticky sitcom situations.
“WandaVision” may ultimately be seen as a fascinating experiment, but right now—only three episodes to judge— it’s mostly just superheroes playing house within sitcom constraints and marginally amusing at best. However, Marvel never forgets the emotional consequences and costs of their previous chapters. Thus, some substantive ideas about suffering, managing psychic pain, and how we lie to ourselves to survive to seem in the cards eventually. “WandaVision” may prove to have more absorbing chapters down the road, but unfortunately, my amygdala is not synthetic, and sadly, I cannot see into the future right now. [C+]