Wanda is the villain? – WandaVision Episode 4 Rundown:

Finally we have some answers for what is taking place in the bizarre town of Westview; however whether these answers are the full story is another question. Episode 4 differs from the previous 3 as we are taken out of Westview and get to understand the Sentient Weapon Observation Response Division, SWORD and how they have responded to the anomaly of Westview. Monica Rambeau is at the heart of the episode and we also meet Jimmy Woo (Randall Park) and Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings) for the first time in the series. A new introduction to the MCU is that of Tyler Hayward (Josh Stamburg) who is the acting director of SWORD in the assumed absence of Nick Fury. Hayward’s introduction adds more depth to SWORD, helping us further understand the organisation and what they are trying to achieve. The different perspective of the episode is a welcome break from the sitcom style the earlier episodes were based as. The break from the sitcom style was needed because the new perspective allows for the plot to be fleshed out as the questions fans had are seemly answered. We are told that the person causing all the problems is no other than Wanda Maximoff!

The Source of Spectrum?

When the episode starts we are brought back to the aftermath of Iron Man’s snap during Avengers: Endgame when half the population returned from the dead 5 years later. One of these people returning was Monica who is shocked to find out her mother Maria Rambeau died during those 5 years. Immediately the episode sets up Monica Rambeau rather than Geraldine that we saw inside Westview. We get introduced to Monica further throughout the episode as we learn she was following in her mum’s footsteps in becoming a pilot. This presented Monica more as a badass leader; rather than the friendly neighbour Geraldine. This potentially could lead to Monica gaining her energy manipulating powers from the comics as she can justify having the mental resolve needed to be a hero, something Geraldine wouldn’t have.

Following on with the possibility Monica could receive her powers; we could have just seen her get them. In the end of the episode we get to watch the confrontation between Wanda and Monica which was hidden to us in episode 3. It is made more clear to us how Monica is cast out of Westview and that is because of Wanda attacking her with her energy through the barrier which surrounds the town. When Wanda attacks Monica could the energy that Monica is hit by cause her powers to develop? Or, could Monica travelling through the energy barrier cause the transformation. What is clear is that Monica was hit by a large amount of energy which will have some effect on her. The likelihood of this happening is possible because Monica’s powers in the comics come from an energy device she is exposed to. Monica was exposed to a high amount of energy on her exit from Westview so could this have turned her into Spectrum?

Monica’s return to the outside world helps set up the 2nd half of the series. She will have returned with knowledge of Westview that nobody else knows. Nobody knew where she was living or what she had been doing off camera. This will provide viewers with answers and SWORD answers so they can break through the barrier into Westview without losing contact. The major take away from Monica’s experience in Westview is that Monica’s first words were to tell the agents that it is all Wanda.

The transformation into Scarlet Witch:

Are we finally seeing the full version of the Scarlet Witch in the MCU? Episode 4 doesn’t have as much focus on the series central character, but when Wanda does feature you cannot take your eyes off her. Re-watching the sitcom’s with the hilarious Darcy Lewis adds further layers to the Wanda character. When Jimmy Woo tries to contact Wanda through a radio we see the sitcom cut and we don’t see what happens between Wanda and Dottie. In episode 2 we get to see their encounter and we also see the radio which Jimmy Woo can be heard on explode. The cut in the sitcom shows how Wanda doesn’t want anyone to see what is really happening in the town. You can definitely get the sense Wanda is in denial and wants to cover things up.

Denial is the first stage of grief. Wanda has lost everyone she has ever loved in her life, so she is always in grief. The loss of Vision in Avengers: Infinity War will have been the final loss that tipped Wanda over the edge. This will have sparked a grieving process for Wanda that she couldn’t handle alone, which explains why Vision is somehow alive. However the shock of the episode tells us Vision isn’t alive. When we are placed back into Westview we get to see things from Wanda’s perspective and not as the sitcom that we have been watching. This perspective drops the bombshell that Vision is still dead and his ‘indestructible’ head is still destroyed. Wanda has been changing reality to make Vision look real, but for a moment she forgets and we see Vision’s true self. Wanda changes Vision back immediately, which this tells us that Wanda cannot cope with Vision being dead. Wanda saying this is their home and that she doesn’t want to move also shows that she can’t face the truth Vision is dead and leaving Westview would force her to deal with that reality.

The main question from the episode asks is: is Wanda the villain? The evidence is there to suggest she is the villain, as she has attacked Monica and refuses to let anyone into Westview. Actions like this do not suggest that she has to be the villain; these outbursts from Wanda show her grief. When she cast out Monica the face Wanda puts on is that of regret and doesn’t strike villainous energy you would expect. Even when Wanda gets angry with Monica it could be justified as the memory of Pietro’s death is a painful memory for her. Instead I would suggest Wanda is still grieving and isn’t the true villain. Not yet anyway! Potentially, we could see a downward spiral for Wanda as the series continues, but what we could also expect is for Wanda to get over her grief and take down a greater threat involved in the daunting reality of Westview.

The view of SWORD:

SWORD is explored in greater detail in the episode. We learn that SWORD has advanced equipment and has been an organisation for at least 5 years. Tyler Haywood is the acting director and has a large amount of involvement in trying to get Monica back from Westview. He even takes risks that Jimmy Woo advices against. It is only the first time we have met Haywood but his personality doesn’t seem trustworthy. This could all be speculation and not come true but, Haywood could have ulterior motives. Every encounter Haywood has feels like he isn’t being 100% honest and that he could be an opportunist. This is justified when he tells Monica she can’t fly anymore and when he sends an agent dangerously into Westview. Haywood is only acting director but, could the power have gone to his head.

During the episode Darcy detects Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation, CMBR which leads to her setting up the equipment capable of watching the sitcom, WandaVision. This allows for SWORD to get to work as they start identifying who the people in Westview are. SWORD manages to identify who: Mr & Mrs Hart, Norm, Jones, Beverly and Herb are on the outside. However key absences from this are Agnes, Dottie and Dr. Neilson. All 3 of these people have seemingly broken character before. Dottie broke character in episode 2, Dr. Neilson seemingly broke character when he said small towns are hard to escape and Agnes, when she told Herb to “Stop it” moved away from her nosy neighbour character. As SWORD cannot identify these characters at the moment it could suggest these characters are not from the outside reality. Or, they cannot be recognised due to the magic of the witch, Agatha Harkness whom is rumoured to be Agnes’ true self.

During the episodes that Darcy is watching there are times when cuts occur. One scene that is cut out is the encounter between Monica and Wanda after Pietro is mentioned. Darcy says that somebody is censoring the show. Every other cut that has happened before this has seemingly been Wanda. However this time the likelihood that it was still Wanda are less likely. This cut didn’t rewind time in Westview; time continue and Wanda cast Monica out of Westview. This leaves the possibility that somebody else has control over Westview as well. Is there somebody else impacting the reality and manipulating Wanda?

Review:

Episode 4 of WandaVision was a needed shift in the show and will have kept viewers on side as the confusing story is starting to get answers. In previous episodes everything was speculation. Even the obvious theory that Wanda is manipulating the reality couldn’t be proven. This episode eliminates that and provides facts for viewers which allows for a better understanding. However the beauty of the show is that despite giving us some answers there is still so many questions that haven’t been answered. The finale of the episode also opens up new questions and makes the series seem more progressive than the episodes before. Episode 4 definitely feels like the first episode in the 2nd act of the series and sets up the 2nd half of the series excellently.