WandaVision Episodes 1-2 Explained

WandaVision episodes 1-2 are finally here! However, these episodes are far more cryptic and generally strange than most fans expected them to be. The premise of the show is bizarre enough but strange references, chilling moments, and the general sense that something bigger is on the horizon make the show even more bizarre.

So, we’re here to breakdown the mysteries found in these two episodes. Much of this is just speculation, as we only have two episodes worth of content to work with. However, much of it gives a better understanding of the overall narrative that seems to be developing here and points to key features that viewers could and should look for in future episodes.

Warning: spoilers for WandaVision Episodes 1-2, earlier MCU movies, and general casting information from other MCU projects follow. Plus, spoilers for the House of M comic book event and details from the Avengers West Coast series also follow.

Reality

Despite being part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, WandaVision clearly does not take place in the same reality as the rest of the MCU. Most fans have speculated that this TV show reality was created by Scarlett Witch as a way to deal with the horrors she has experienced throughout her life, specifically Vision’s death. Evidence for this comes from the fact that her reality is returning to comforting settings, focuses on low-stakes scenarios, and is constantly shifting. In addition, the comic book version of Scarlet Witch has experience creating alternate realities, as this forms the premise of the House of M comic book event.

A small piece of additional evidence comes from the very first scene in the show. The show opens with Vision walking into a plate that Wanda is levitating. He makes a comment while she says “My husband and his indestructible head.” Vision was killed after Thanos ripped an Infinity Stone from his head, destroying part of his skull while doing so. The show’s very first scene is designed to clue views in on the fact that this “reality” is Wanda dealing with Vision’s death.

Commercials

Both currently released episodes of WandaVision take a “commercial break” around the middle of the episode. While these fit the “sitcom homage” theme of the series, they also directly relate to Wanda’s attempt at processing things.

The first commercial features a toaster from Stark Industries that makes the same sound as Iron Man’s repulsors and then sounds like a bomb counting down. This is referencing the Stark Industries bomb that killed Wanda’s parents and sparked her subsequent hatred of Iron Man. The second commercial features a “Strucker” watch and a Hydra symbol. This is referencing Baron von Strucker, the man responsible for the torturous experiments that gave Wanda and her brother their powers.

Both of these commercials reference major events from Wanda’s past, in chronological order. If this trend continues, future commercials could center around the betrayal by Ultron, Quicksilver’s death, Wanda’s role in the deaths at Lagos, and more.

Vision

We all saw Vision die in Avengers: Infinity War so his appearance in this series is immediately suspect, to say the least. With the thought that the setting of WandaVision is most likely an alternate reality of Wanda’s creation, it seems likely that Vision may be a construct of this reality as well. 

Episode 1 ends with a chilling scene kicked off when Mr. Heart begins asking questions that Wanda does not have the answer to. This creates a break in Wanda’s perfect sitcom environment, a break that becomes even more pronounced as Mr. Heart begins choking on a piece of food. As this is happening, Mrs. Heart repeats “stop it” like a broken record and Vision remains almost entirely unresponsive. The break is resolved when Wanda commands Vision to save Mr. Heart and everything goes back to normal. The implication here is that Vision has as much control in this reality as all of the other “actors” and that the only one who can actually change things is Wanda.

Episode 2 offers even more hints that Vision is just another character in a reality controlled by Wanda. His magic act has him take on the stage persona of “Illusion” and has him state that “human beings are easily fooled”, which could be directly foreshadowing the fact that Vision is literally an illusion and that Wanda is trying to fool herself.

S.W.O.R.D.

Episode 2 contains several scenes that suggest Wanda’s constructed reality has been breached by an outside force, specifically agents of S.W.O.R.D. Over the course of the episode, a S.W.O.R.D. helicopter lands in the bushes, someone attempts to contact Wanda through a radio, and a man with a S.W.O.R.D. insignia enters through a manhole. Each scene is unexpected and is either preceded or followed by the introduction of color to an otherwise black and white environment.

These intrusions are also accompanied by the introduction of Geraldine, a new character. Geraldine is portrayed by Teyonah Parris, the same woman who is set to play Monica Rambeau in Captain Marvel 2. Assuming Monica decided to follow in her mother’s military footsteps, this could mean Monica is actually an agent of S.W.O.R.D., which would fit with the intrusions from S.W.O.R.D. Additional evidence suggesting Geraldine is actually Monica comes from most of her dialogue: she pauses when introducing herself as if she cannot remember her real name; she comments that she isn’t even sure what she is doing there; and, after being teleported in a magic trick, she makes a statement of confusion about how Wanda was able to take her from one place to another.

The theory here is that agents of S.W.O.R.D. are attempting to infiltrate Wanda’s reality and that she is subconsciously altering the “show” in response. Monica Rambeau probably flew to Wanda in a helicopter in order to help. However, Wanda turned the helicopter into a toy helicopter and incorporated Monica as a new character, Geraldine. Then, at the end of the episode, someone is able to make it into Wanda’s reality through the use of a protective suit, which Wanda reinterprets as a beekeeper suit. It is unclear what she does to this new threat but the fact that she does not want to leave her comforting illusion is clear.

The Devil

WandaVision makes several references to the devil: whether it is Agnes jokingly suggesting the devil is somewhere among them or the rabbit’s name, Señor Scratch, a reference to “Old Scratch”, another name for the devil. The fact that both of these references come from Agnes is particularly suspect, as many believe Agnes may actually be Agatha Harkness, the witch who taught Wanda magic in the comics.

In the comics, Marvel’s version of the devil, Mephisto, has a rather important role in Wanda’s life. At one point in time, Wanda and Vision had two children together. However, it is later revealed that their children were actually aspects of Mephisto’s soul, who eventually was able to reabsorb these aspects of his soul. It is also implied that Wanda’s mutant powers increased the power of these soul fragments.

The Children

Which leads us to the children. The first two episodes of WandaVision make near-constant references to Wanda and Vison having children. Almost all of their neighbors ask when they will be having children, the entire town has a creepy in-unison response anytime someone says “for the children”, and the second episode even concludes with Wanda mysteriously becoming pregnant. All of this is even weirder considering there are no children seen at any point throughout these episodes.

It may be possible that, in WandaVision, Mephisto or some other villain is manipulating Wanda’s breakdown in order to trick her into creating “children” through the use of her immense powers. The comics have suggested Wanda’s children are capable of holding great power, so their acquisition by a villain could further someone’s evil plan. Even S.W.O.R.D. seems to think Wanda is being manipulated, as their radio broadcast asks “who is doing this to you?”

We plan to keep following along and trying to make sense of the WandaVision series as it develops. So make sure you follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest or subscribe to ComicBookWire’s newsletter to stay up to date on whats happening!