WandaVision Episode 2 Reaction: A Cute Bewitched Homage With Horror Underneath

We came into the second episode of WandaVision with one episode under our belt and no patience left. The overall verdict on episode two was warm: "this one was really cute," and the show is shaping up as a slow burn worth sticking with.

WandaVision trades its first look for a Bewitched opening

The episode stays in that Pleasantville territory, and this time it takes inspiration from Bewitched, starting with the little animated opening. The picture quality stood out too. Even in black and white, it looked like a modern take on black and white rather than a copy of the era.

Running time came up as well. The first episode came in just under 30 minutes and this one just over, with a fairly big chunk at the end for the closing scene before the actual credits roll. It was noted that these episodes are not as long as, for example, a Mandalorian episode.

Vision's gum mishap and the residents of Westview

When the gum got stuck in Vision's gears, it was funny to see him act so out of character from the Vision we're used to. In the moment, the reaction was that he seemed drunk from the gum, with worry that the neighbors would think it was magic.

It was a plus that this episode let Wanda and Vision interact more with the residents of Westview, showing the dynamic and how the couple fits in. Seeing Emma Caulfield in the cast was a highlight, a face many remember from her Buffy days.

The real world keeps bleeding into Wanda's sitcom

The glitches got the most curiosity. A beekeeper climbs out of the ground, the sword symbol shows up on the back of an outfit, and a commercial carries the Hydra symbol. Red keeps standing out, since red is the color that has kept appearing, and Wanda ends up dressed in all red.

Then there's the radio voice asking who is doing this to her. Early on there was a thought that it sounded like Captain America, though the background noise made it hard to tell, and Cap would technically be very old. By the end, the belief was that it is the voice of Randall Park's character.

The discussion expected to see more and more of the real world bleeding in as the episodes go on.

Theories about Wanda's reality and the jump to color

One theory floated was that Wanda seems to have been captured but is creating a world she does not want to escape, though that was followed by uncertainty over whether she is captured or under someone else's control. When she saw the beekeeper, there seemed to be some sort of recognition, and she may have wanted to protect her reality, so she rewound everything to a point where no noise was ever heard.

That big tweak of reality raised the question of consequences, and the suggestion was that the consequence is the shift to color. The episode closes on two transitions: Technicolor, and Wanda's pregnancy. As she moves through the eras toward the present, these TV shows might perhaps tie into the actual MCU, and by the end of the season it may give a better idea of where she is in present time.

A slow burn that pairs happy sitcom with sudden horror

The show was described as an onion where "you're peeling back layer after layer with every episode." There was excitement to see how well the slow burn gets pulled off, and a love for the way everything is happy Pleasantville until a quick switch into horror that leaves you thinking, "oh i don't know if i like that but i like it."