RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32, 2011 Top 16
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Coming mid September, and teaser trailer out now. Great to see Aubrey Plaza in it, and not at all surprised she's the instigator of chaos. Looks like a lot of fun even though few details are there.
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Loved the "Mare of Easttown" references at the beginning. Looks like they'll be doing thriller and horror shows/film references.
Speculation is the teen boy in the trailer is Billy Kaplan/Wiccan.
And yeah, awesome to see Aubrey Plaza. Looks like she will be to Agatha what Agatha was to Wanda.
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RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32, 2011 Top 16
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I thought I read somewhere that the boy is Agatha's familiar, was in a review listing cast members and their roles, so maybe it's in the metadata on the show which is updated.
I'm assuming that the thriller/detective show references will be in just the 1st episode before Agatha breaks out of the spell.
DQ,
According to IMBD and Wikipedia, it's Billy Kaplan, but he's NOT Wanda's son Billy.
Watched the first two episodes. No real overall opinion yet.
Agatha is fun to watch.
It's an oceans 11 style magical heist, so all of the set up could be good or bad depending on the payout.
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References to Nick Scratch and Salem's Seven
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I am enjoying it so far. Loved the Mare of Easttown references in the first ep. Loved the band coming together in the second, and the song.
Agatha herself can be hard to like but of course that's the point. I find it interesting that the concealed identity of the Teen seems to be specifically a narrative issue for Agatha, i.e., he is saying who he is but she can't perceive what he's saying.
I am really, really worried though...
I honestly think...
But I could be wrong...
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That's one I haven't heard yet, Thomas, but it seems plausible. Plaza-ble?
Well I just figured I'd go with the whole "They named dropped!" and stick with it...
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And the fourth ep just dropped tonight, and the story continues to be very watchable!
I'm a little worried for Alice, after this ep, because we see some real progression on her individual arc, and that's about when characters become expendable...
Looking forward to seeing more of Salem's Seven than cloaked figures, and since they cast actors for these roles, I imagine we'll get to see their faces and maybe hear some dialogue before everybody starts witch-fu fighting. :)
I really liked this episode. The song was amazing and I liked that the challenge was more of a backdrop for the character development than a lot of time spent on the puzzle solving itself.
Writers are also doing a good job taking a lot of characters who don't have necessarily the most likeable/heroic qualities and making them not just super fun (which any villain can be) but relatable and rootable for.
It did not, however, answer one burning question I have: did Rio give Alice any Advil?
I think Alice will still be with us for a bit--yes, sometimes characters become expendable after big moments of character development, but I didn't get the sense her arc is finished yet, and you also need those kind of big moments of development to grow into powers, have a further challenge down the road (ha!) etc.
I'm still pissed tho
I've seen fans speculating that
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I think Alice will still be with us for a bit--yes, sometimes characters become expendable after big moments of character development, but I didn't get the sense her arc is finished yet, and you also need those kind of big moments of development to grow into powers, have a further challenge down the road (ha!) etc.
Possible spoiler-y stuff spoilered, since it only aired like 12 hours ago;
That the road opened up a path out immediately after the of the song 'broke' the curse on Alice, right in her piano!, made me think the road was saying, 'Okay, your task here is done, you can leave.' *If* whatever is behind the road takes into account that she didn't take her 'winnings' and GTFO was because she remained behind to help save Teen, then perhaps she'll be judged more kindly in the future. Or perhaps the road think, 'Welp, you had your chance. It doesn't get easier from here. Buckle up, buttercup.'
Still Jennifer and Lilia to go, for resolution arcs. And Agatha herself, and 'Teen.'
I've seen fans speculating that
** spoiler omitted **
It would certainly cast her relationship with Agatha (and her missing, presumably not an ageless immortal like mommy, son) in a different light.
I find it interesting someone whose job it is to take lives could be fascinated by someone 'fighting back' and choosing to live forever (and do whatever horrible things are required to make that happen, include steal power, and life, from others!). "It's so much more fun when the fish puts up a fight..."
There's also a contrary part of me that *loves* when the MCU takes a swerve from comic-book canon, which has done both well, and, well, not always so well. (Mysterio was using Stark tech? The 'terrorist' everyone thought was the Mandarin was an out of work actor? The High Evolutionary made Rocket Raccoon?) So I'd chuckle at the nerdrage of that character appearing in an arc involving a romantic connection to Agatha Harkness and not, oh, say, *Thanos.* :)
Not every story needs to have Thanos involved in it.
But I too had heard DQ's theory and while I'm not 100% subscribed to it, I will agree it makes a certain amount of sense.
In any case what I LOVED about the challenge was the fact this was like a 70s acid trip rock out with those flames at the end. Very very cool.
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I don't think the spoilery bit necessarily is related to Thanos, despite comic book canon, as Thanos's own story is different in the MCU.
In other news, loved the Easter Egg callout to the Daughters of Liberty (and disappointed New Rockstars didn't get the Marvel reference). Wonder if Agatha fought them or joined them or both (in comics she was a member throughout the centuries and trained them in magic).
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"Remember to end all sessions with 'Goodbye.'"
G%%~$&mit Set, you had to be right about Alice!
I mean... dammit!! The first time she's useful in the party. So f*+%ing predictable!
Buuut... then of course we get "Teen's" reveal at last, so that was awesome. It was even foreshadowed earlier in the episode... he was wearing a blue headband.
I liked this episode, but the trial felt odd to me... what was solved? What was resolved? What was overcome? The first two had the person who was primarily on trial have to successfully cast a spell to leave. Is that what happened here? Did what she did have to happen for the door to open?
Well I will say I'm glad everyone was right about that ONE theory...
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RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32, 2011 Top 16
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I'm not convinced any dead characters will stay dead until the end of the season, necessarily. It's pretty vague what completing the Witches' Road does, other than "grant your heart's desire", so by the end, whoever completes it could want some or all of the dead witches to come back, especially if there's a redemption arc where they choose that over power.
I mean...maybe? But then it feels like the stakes are lower than they should be...
I mean...maybe? But then it feels like the stakes are lower than they should be...
I started writing an almost essay-like response... not so much to you specifically, but I've seen many fans express this sentiment, that I felt a need to comment on it in general.
The short version is simply:
Killing a character solely to up the stakes can often be a cheap narrative practice. I don't ever wish for character death just to "raise the stakes."
Moreover, when we are certain the main characters are NOT going to die, a side character dying does not really "raise the stakes." To raise the stakes means to make us fear for the heroes. Quicksilver dying in Age of Ultron didn't raise the stakes because we knew none of the full time Avengers were going to die. He was a sacrificial lamb for cheap drama, not a stakes-raiser (and yes, he was fridged for Wanda and we'd have a very different Wanda if he lived, but he never got to be his own character which is unfortunate).
Character death should serve that particular character's arc, and there are other ways to raise stakes.
Not going to get into it further unless folks want to discuss it.
Anyway.....
This show I feel is getting better and better and I really loved this one. Seeing that one returning character was awesome.
Horrifying revelation though...
The chaotic mess that was Multiverse of Madness was apparently Lilia Calderu's fault. ;)
(Which is to say, if she hadn't sigiled Billy, Wanda never would have gone gone on her rampage, because she would have been able to detect him.)
But... then that brings in another question:
Wanda wouldn't have noticed Billy. But then if Tommy was similarly resurrected, would she have been able to find him? So maybe if they did reincarnate, she just can't sense them in new bodies. Or perhaps the Darkhold concealed them from her.
Okay, Lilia, never mind, you're off the hook.
I love that she was the one who made the sigil though. It was unexpected, and it's interesting to see that all of those witches appeared in his life before. So are they not Agatha's coven, but Billy's?
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OK, I have a theory … hear me put :)
Could this series be the beginning of a redemption arc for Agatha?
Here is why I’m thinking it … in the comics, Agatha was a nanny / governess to Franklin Richards, son of Reed and Sue Richards of the Fantastic Four. Agatha helped them with Franklin’s growing power and acted as kind of a mentor to Franklin.
Now that the Fantastic Four are fully back in the MCU and a Fantastic Four movie is officially on the horizon which by all reports will have Reed and Sue Richards already married and Franklin is already born, you have to wonder if the plan is to have Agatha fill a similar roll with Franklin in the MCU as she has in the comics.
I’m just spitballing, but it feels like this could be a possibility ….
I don't know if they are going to tie this Agatha to the Fantastic Four but it could be a really interesting option, especially as her ancient magic vibe contrasts so vibrantly to their 60s super science ways, which IMO is a good interesting comic booky thing.
Whether Agatha is redeemed or not by the end of this series is a really good question and speaking of "stakes," I think Agatha's heart/soul is what at stake in this story. And it really could go either way. We see her earlier on have softer moments, and was protective of "Teen." She clearly has a past where while she's done awful things; awful things have been done to her. I saw someone point out somewhere that in Agatha's trial episode, which references 70s and 80s classic horror flicks, and that her mother essentially is being very reminiscent of the mother in Carrie, an abusive woman who believed her child was evil from the start.
(As an aside, why has not a single Easter egg show referenced Witchboard when that was a clear influence on that episode???)
Anyway, while she has her "relapse" in the form of absorbing Alice's magic, I think it is a toss up between how much control she has over it. Agatha's core power is fascinating: she can kill you, but only if you directly attack her first. She has learned obviously how to bait people into attacking her... but nonetheless, this capability is defensive, not offensive. Would an inherently evil entity of magic be able to only do the worst thing they could do as a reactive defense? I think there's also meant to be ambiguity there... obviously she likes the rush of power she gets. And in the scene where it happens in this show, it's especially tragic because Alice isn't attacking Agatha... she's attacking her mother possessing Agatha.
Oh but then we could get into the symbolism of what it means to be possessed by the parent who always believed you were evil/worthless...
Aaanyway... yeah, I really do not know if Agatha is going to be redeemed and/or help Billy (I feel safe saying his name since it's in the latest trailer). And I like that. It creates suspense at a very personal character level.
But.... if she is redeemed... I'm with you Mark, I hope she gets tied into F4. Both because it would be a cool nod to the comics and because we deserve more Katherine Hahn.
And also... come to think of it... you may be onto something as I believe Fantastic 4 is supposed to start in the 1960s but then somehow they come to the present day. Agatha has been alive for centuries so she could have encountered them in the 1960s and be a link to the present for them now...
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Actually most reports are saying that the Fantastic Four movie is set in a different universe in the multiverse in which it is modern day but what a modern day would be if the whole 1960’s Tomorrow Land ascetic became a reality in the modern world.
By the end of the movie, the Fantastic Four are said to somehow end up in ‘our’ MCU reality …
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RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32, 2011 Top 16
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Another non-MCU but Marvel related hint that Agatha may get redemption is the Midnight Suns video game. Agatha was a mentor/teacher in that game as well, and in no way evil or a villain or nemesis. While that game in and of itself isn't a source for MCU, it's recent enough that they likely had some Marvel story team guidance for how they wanted characters portrayed to help give a more consistent tone across properties.
In addition, I've seen multiple but unsubstantiated rumors that the next MCU saga once Multiverse ends will be strongly magic based, so having Agatha around as a mentor figure in general would help with that.
All I know is I'm glad we got an answer to how Billy ended up outside the "Anomaly", survived and even gave us a slightly better Wiccan.
I do hope though there's a kind of 'merger" of spirits at the end to help move this along.
We'll see.
Also I agree with DQ in that she makes a very salient point; CRITICAL characters are a better stake raiser than side ones.
(Even though I hate the idea of Jennifer Cale and Alice being side characters...)
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The hype is true, this was definitely one of the best episodes yet IMO. Only ding I can give it is they were in those costumes and Patti Lupone didn't sing (it would have made zero sense to the plot, mind).
Loved the makeup jobs on everyone.
The tarot episode was pretty good. Loved the flashbacks weaving through the narrative. It was a good level of "ahah..." for things I mostly missed.
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RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32, 2011 Top 16
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Definitely one of my favorite episodes. Now that's how you have a character die also. I thought the costumes were great - all as common perceptions of witches, which they spent a lot of time griping about earlier in the season, so was a fun way the trial was messing with them.
This was a great episode and yeah this was a satisfying ending for Lillia. I will miss her. I'm a LITTLE miffed that most everyone was right about Rio. Oh well. Two episode finale before Halloween!
Definitely one of my favorite episodes. Now that's how you have a character die also. I thought the costumes were great - all as common perceptions of witches, which they spent a lot of time griping about earlier in the season, so was a fun way the trial was messing with them.
Loved the costumes and all they can imply. Is Agatha the Wicked Witch as portrayed in the film? Or as Elphaba in Wicked? Is she evil, or is she misunderstood?
And Jen being the brewer of poison apples... calling back to her edible probiotic candles. Fairest of them all indeed...
This was a great episode and yeah this was a satisfying ending for Lillia. I will miss her. I'm a LITTLE miffed that most everyone was right about Rio. Oh well. Two episode finale before Halloween!So, you didn’t think Rio was actually Death?
He'd mentioned Blackheart, Mephisto's daughter upthread. Which at the beginning of the show was a good guess.
But the promotional materials with the Death tarot card had Rio's knife, and the show had a number of clues she was Death. And the "Black Heart" turned out to be, in reality, Billy. His boyf calls him his black heart, and Lilia couldn't have written down his name because of the sigil.
(I do not believe she is in the MCU at all tied to Thanos, which is a good thing, because that was a stupid reason for Thanos to want the Gauntlet.)
This was a great episode and yeah this was a satisfying ending for Lillia. I will miss her. I'm a LITTLE miffed that most everyone was right about Rio. Oh well. Two episode finale before Halloween!So, you didn’t think Rio was actually Death?
As DQ said, I honestly thought Rio was Blackheart. Blackheart is mostly just shadowy guy but he's been known to take other forms too. So I just assumed (until just recently IE episode 7) that I was right.
But I can admit I wasn't. I still think we'll get Mephisto some how. But I could be wrong.
Possibly. Or some other Hell Lord.
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Tommy is at least unlikely in the world, or Wanda should have been able to detect him. The sigil prevented her from seeing Billy, but if Tommy was around she should have been able to note where he was. Could be he just died.
And ooh... fridge brilliance... realizing Billy and Tommy had souls makes me realize that Wanda did actually have to kill her sons to end the hex. She wasn't just shutting off a construct. So to fix the damage she did she had to kill them. Nothing will ever justify the terrible writing in Multiverse of Madness, but the realization at least makes her descent into her rampage make more sense.
Yeah the writing in MoM wasn't great, but it had spots of brilliances that I did like.
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Dang that was good. I really liked where it ended up.
Wish we'd seen more of Jennifer, though obviously they were focusing on other plot points.
Not going to say much else for now till others have seen it.
I saw it. It was trippy in some parts. But now at least we have some kind of resolution towards Young Avengers. Sort of.
Still miffed about the lack of Hell Lords or even just Mephisto.
Aubrey Plaza's Death was pretty stellar.
She's very good no question. I just didn't expect it when the reveal showed she was Lady Death.
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The whole series was really good, but the back half of it was phenomenal. I especially liked ep 8, and actually wished episode 9 was next week. The ending of 8 was the perfect gotcha moment to be a 1 week break cliffhanger. I didn't watch 9 until the next day so it was at least a mini one for me.
I also liked how episode 9 was a full length epilogue essentially, whereas most shows use like 10 minutes for stuff like that at the end of the season. It makes you re-assess the entire season in a different light. I really liked the emotional arc of the characters overall, and the show as a whole, and how many were both relatable, and even the "bad" ones had a good mix of villainous and not, and weren't moustache twirling bad guys.
I didn't mind that there was no actual Mephisto, etc. since they ended on a note that still allows for that angle in the future.
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See, THIS is how you do a whathappened with random things happening. You have to have a plan and it has to come together and wow did it!
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Re: Mephisto, I 75% think the announcement of Sascha Baron Cohen being cast as him for a future project (Ironheart) is a massive troll being performed by Cohen with Marvel's assistance, and that there will never actually be any Mephisto in the MCU.
I am obviously, if the math is not clear, leaving a 25% chance that is wrong.
More thoughts on the show, other than, I liked it: I agree with BNW it was clear they actually planned things out and made things come together--moreover I think it had less executive meddling than a lot of the other Marvel series. Wandavision was spectacular but I know a lot of folks felt let down by the ending, and I think both executive meddling and COVID affected that production a good deal (as was also true for TFATWS).
It also had the benefit of not somehow coinciding with some weird global crisis that made panicky showrunners want to do reshoots (in addition to COVID impacting rewrites for TFATWS, apparently Russia's invasion of Ukraine triggered rewrites for Secret Invasion. I don't think it's the only reason why Secret Invasion sucked, and I still hope the writers for that never ever work in the industry again, but still.)
Indeed, I think it's self-containedness was a blessing overall. It had a narrow scope, narrow setting, which allowed for characters to shine and get into the weird supernatural stuff without having to account for 27 other factors. I honestly think its low budget helped it, and I hope that's a lesson to Marvel. Mind you, the practical sets and effects also made sense within the setting, but that's also just absolute brilliance on behalf of the writer and directors. (Cue Rio cutting a hole through the backdrop.)
More details:
So much speculation about whether Agatha was going to die or be redeemed and carry on. Yes. Maybe. No! Love the ghost phase. I think it was a perfect way to bring an end to her current story while also carry it forward in a way that makes sense. I wonder if she'll end up as a ghostly advisor to the Young Avengers?
All the reveals for Billy was perfect. That was really well paced and plotted out.
I loved how Agatha defended herself for as long as she did using arts she picked up from the others in the coven. The covenless witch finally was part of a coven and learned there was more to gain from them than raw power.
And it was Billy All Along. But really, it was Agatha All Along, both with the song origins (without which Billy never would have created the road), and with the source of Jen's block.
Overall everything was good, but I feel like at some point some episodes might have been over-edited in terms of pacing. I think we would have benefited from 40 or 45 minute episodes to give a little more time to some unanswered/unclear issues, such as...
Notably: what is Agatha and Rio's history? Plaza and Hahn both put so much into their performance you could sense a long history, but how they met, why Rio has a soft spot for her... none of that is ever clear. In the flashback to the birth Agatha already calls Rio "My Love," so there's still a story there we don't know. I didn't need a full episode backstory, but a brief flashback or more dialogue I think would have added more weight, especially, to their final confrontation and explain Rio's motives throughout. I don't think we're ever going to get more to this story so why not have worked it into the show a little more. I get that Agatha was killing witches first to distract Death from taking Nicky, and then later just killed them for the high of the power drain. Was that to help death or evade her? I get that she must have gotten her hands on the Darkhold later, and Rio mentioned Agatha's dark magic shielded Agatha from Rio. But did Agatha get the Darkhold also to evade Rio or was it for another reason (like bring back Nicky).
While, like his mother, Billy created a new reality, it also isn't like "the hex" as in there's no tangible barrier of energy. It seems like at least parts of it--the actual road parts as opposed to the trial areas--were quite physical; it even linked up to the actual abandoned subway system Sharon Davis mentions in Ep 2. So is there now actually a secret underground witches road (perhaps built over the old subway tunnels) beneath Westview?
Did Billy make the Witches' Road all at once, or was it a slow development over time as he researched the Witches Road?
Is the "Who's Sharon" gag a meta commentary about how the MCU treated an entirely different Sharon, Sharon Carter?
Does Alice have relatives who at least might be freed from her generational curse? That would be nice.
What is next for Jen? I feel like she got something of the short end of the stick in all this. I like what they had of her, and she arguably had some of the most growth, but her story appeared in fits and starts and she kind of just gets--however in the nicest way--put on the witchy bus in ep 8. Are we going to see her again?
All witches appear to be able to fly, so why didn't Lilia just fly up than fall on the swords?
Agatha tells Billy he saved Jennifer, because otherwise Agatha would have killed all of the witches when (she thought) the song didn't work. But is that really true? Don't get me wrong, I know Agatha is not a good person and may have been hatching some nonsense. But she outright tells Lilia not to blast her, so Lilia knew not to do that, and Jennifer was bound so couldn't have blasted her, and I'm not sure Alice was able to blast her until she lifted the curse... and Sharon even if she had witch potential probably couldn't suddenly manifest power that soon. So she actually couldn't have done jack s&$# to most of them. So what was her plan? Kill them some other way? Or was she legit lying to Billy to make him feel better for murdering poor Mrs. Whatsername?
Finally WTF was up with with the Salem Seven? Look, I ADORED Lilia's story and how Lilia sacrificed herself. But none of them ever had a real confrontation with the Seven, not even much of a fight, and after all, weren't they after Agatha. Shouldn't Agatha had faced some kind of reckoning with them before they died? (I feel like there was a missed opportunity in Agatha's trial to have them appear there, given the point was to "punish Agatha"). As written they were just kind of a nothing burger. Just literally a plot device to run away from, and discarded when they were no longer useful. There was so much potential wasted there, especially with the tie to Agatha's past (including the mystery of why her first coven tried to kill her in the first place, which is its own question I feel like should have been addressed here.)
Not a question, just #JusticeforSharon.
Finally, Easter Egg I have noticed that neither of the Easter Egg shows I watch (Screencrush and New Rockstars) seem to have picked up on:
Rocky Horror Picture Show Poster: The castle in ep 7 and Billy and Agatha approaching it is visually reminiscent of scenes in the number, "There's a Light (Over at the Frankenstein Place)". The movie also has a song, "Sword of Damocles," obviously linking to the swords of Damocles hanging over the tarot table. Plus Billy is cross dressing in that episode.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Poster for "Once More With Feeling," a story about the protagonist coming to terms with being magically brought back to life and fighting to protect her sibling.
(Also: "It could be witches! Those evil witches! Which never mind because wicca power and love the earth and I'll be over here." ;) )
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Still holding out hope I'll see Mephisto some how...
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I'm just fine with not knowing the full backstory between Rio/Death and Agatha....yet. The characters are still around, and that's fertile ground to expand on in the future somewhere.
As for what's next for Jen, they clearly have something in mind, having shown her get her power back and fly away. It seems like in the comics she's a cousin of Johnny Blaze, so seeing her in a future Ghost Rider MCU story seems reasonable.
And I think it's a leap to assume all witches can fly. Just because many can, doesn't mean all can. And we really only have a small sample set. Plus Lilia is specifically a divination witch, so clearly chose different powers in her character build. Just like not all PF witches take fly hex, even though it's super popular and most do.
I'm just fine with not knowing the full backstory between Rio/Death and Agatha....yet. The characters are still around, and that's fertile ground to expand on in the future somewhere.
I mean, I hope you're right, but when would it be? They have the slate worked out years in advance, and while I think we'll see the two main characters in VisionQuest, it would seem too much of a derail to cover that backstory there. By the time they could get to it, Aubrey Plaza and Kathryn Hahn are likely to be actual crones.
As for what's next for Jen, they clearly have something in mind, having shown her get her power back and fly away. It seems like in the comics she's a cousin of Johnny Blaze, so seeing her in a future Ghost Rider MCU story seems reasonable.
That would be cool. She is the one who namedropped Mephisto, so if he really is going to be in Ironheart, and I think the bigbad in that has supernatural connections, maybe she'll show up there.
And I think it's a leap to assume all witches can fly. Just because many can, doesn't mean all can. And we really only have a small sample set. Plus Lilia is specifically a divination witch, so clearly chose different powers in her character build. Just like not all PF witches take fly hex, even though it's super popular and most do.
That's fair. It just seems like everyone who has shown supernatural witchy power has done it, except her, so it just seemed slightly off. I mean, while you have a point it wouldn't make any sense for a divination witch necessarily to fly, it doesn't make sense necessarily for the potions witch either, and she obviously can. But if it's just that she couldn't, fine. I was listing all of my questions and it's NBD to just say she can't. I guess behind my question is just wondering if they have worked out standard mechanics of "magical giftedness" and what is common and what isn't.
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RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32, 2011 Top 16
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I'm just fine with not knowing the full backstory between Rio/Death and Agatha....yet. The characters are still around, and that's fertile ground to expand on in the future somewhere.I mean, I hope you're right, but when would it be? They have the slate worked out years in advance, and while I think we'll see the two main characters in VisionQuest, it would seem too much of a derail to cover that backstory there. By the time they could get to it, Aubrey Plaza and Kathryn Hahn are likely to be actual crones.
Yes, they've planned things out years in advance, but they haven't revealed all their plans. I've seen speculation that Billy and Agatha will be in VisionQuest, since that's the only announced Wandvision spinoff out there. But I personally don't think that fits well with the VisionQuest story. I think it's more likely that they'll appear in an unannounced phase 7 project which will kick of the phase 7-9 "Supernatural" (Mephisto?) saga, and that Rio/Death will be back in at least a limited capacity as well. They've already introduced several cosmic beings in the MCU, such as Eternity in Thor Love and Thunder, and now Death in Agatha, so it seems likely they'll both come back in some way in a future project. If you land Aubrey Plaza in a role, you'd be smart to bring her back, since she's awesome. And I'll stand by the concept that Kevin Fiege is very smart with planning the MCU out. One area he's been consistently brilliant at has been casting, so I don't think he'll underutilize Aubrey. If for no other reason than she's scary and who would want to risk her wrath for not getting to keep playing Lady Death?