Looking back at our take on WandaVision Episode 8, Previously On

WandaVision Episode 8, Previously On, was released on February 26, 2021. It was a heavy, exposition-driven chapter that gave Agatha a quick origin and walked Wanda back through her grief. For us it was "an emotional roller coaster of a show," and it included a reveal that Hayward had lied about Wanda stealing Vision's body.

Going into Previously On, the big question was an Agatha backstory

The title suggested an episode spent in the past. The question going in was whose past. Agatha had only just been formally revealed, though it felt like most people had guessed it from the start. The episode might show what Agatha had been part of and what she had done, a sort of "let me reveal to you my evil plan." Or it might walk Wanda through her own history. That felt less necessary, since people already knew it from the MCU films, but it could help anyone coming to the show without them.

There was also a theory that Agatha, not Wanda, would be the one to say "previously on." The other questions on our list: where were the twins, did the bug on the curtain mean anything, and what was the spell book? We had called that bug a fly. Some fans told us it looked more like a cicada, and a theory still linked it to Mephisto. We also wanted to know whether Monica would talk about her powers, whether Quicksilver would return, and whether Monica, Vision, Darcy and Quicksilver would finally meet up.

Agatha's 1693 flashback in Salem showed her taking other witches' power

The episode opened in Salem in 1693. Agatha drained the other witches' power, and our reactions ran from "she's so powerful" to "I wouldn't want to mess with her." Her look in that scene reminded us of a crown.

Back in the present, Agatha had the upper hand in her basement. That explained why she had asked Wanda to come down there. Wanda's magic didn't work, and she was clearly rattled, wondering how Agatha could be so strong. From there Agatha made Wanda relive her memories, which felt like a rough form of psychotherapy.

Wanda's flashbacks showed she had power before the Mind Stone

The memories began in Wanda's childhood, with the bomb we were waiting to see stamped with the Stark name. It never exploded, and she and her brother lay there for days wondering when it would. Watching that was rough, but the backstory was welcome. That part still felt a little murky, though, since Wanda insisted the bomb had malfunctioned, while the flashback suggested she reached out her hand toward it and did some sort of magic to it.

That fed into the Hydra lab memory and her contact with the Mind Stone. We had only ever seen the stone open, a figure appear, and Wanda suddenly on the ground. Here she seemed to have had some sort of power since she was little. We wondered whether this was Marvel's way of bringing in mutants, someone born with power, since her parents in the MCU didn't seem to be mutants. Hearing terms from the comics, like probability hex and chaos magic, was exciting.

Hayward's story about Wanda stealing Vision's body fell apart

Hayward had earlier claimed Wanda broke into SWORD and stole Vision's body. That had led to the idea she was reanimating a reassembled corpse, which fit the moment she saw a zombie-like Vision. This episode showed a different story. She burst through the double doors, but she was invited into his office, where he showed her Vision's state.

She broke the glass, and it looked like she might take the body. Instead she seemed to sense that Vision's essence wasn't there. They weren't going to let the body go anyway, since they wanted the material. She left and drove to Westview without it. To us that made Hayward a liar who had manipulated everyone and fabricated the whole theft. Hayward's attitude came through even in the earlier scene. The reaction to the scene was: "I really didn't think I could hate him more."

The mid-credits scene took that further. SWORD appeared to have built its own Vision from his remains, the scraps and vibranium, and powered it with energy from the Hex. The way it looked, especially the eyes, recalled the Sentinel Nimrod, though we didn't think the show was going there.

Agatha's motive, and a theory that she would become a mentor

One question was answered. Agatha seemed drawn to the kind of magic Wanda was putting out. When Agatha told Wanda her power was too dangerous, it echoed what the witches in Salem said to her. The difference was that Agatha begged them to teach her, and they refused.

The interpretation in the discussion was that Agatha seemed aware of how powerful Wanda was, while Wanda was not. Agatha had probably spent years studying probability hexes, transmutation and mind control. Wanda didn't seem to need to study and could rebuild an entire community in a different era. In the comics Agatha is a mentor, so the thought heading into the finale was that she might have a change of heart and teach Wanda, rather than repeat what the Salem witches did.

The cicada meant nothing, and most of our theories were wrong

The episode settled the bug question when a bunny ate it: "that cicada means nothing." It felt like Disney knew it was teasing fans, since the show was already shot, and was enjoying the reaction online.

The team-up we wanted did not happen, and with one episode left there was a lot to wrap up. Wanda was also set to tie into Doctor Strange, which wasn't due until 2022, and the episode's magic strengthened that link. The verdict was that all of our theories had been wrong, though Mephisto and the book were still unanswered.

Agatha Harkness in full costume, makeup and hair was a highlight. This one was really good, and it landed in a personal top three episodes.