The third trial of The Witches’ Road in episode 5 of Agatha All Along gets really dark! Re:cap - Episode 4; The second trail of the Witches’ Road focuses on Alice. Transformed into 70’s glamrockers, the coven has to rock out to destroy Alice’s demon, temporarily, it may come back. The exit is through the piano and the Teen is wounded by a spike on his guitar, but healed. The other witches talk in a circle. Jennifer says she was a midwife, Lila takes interest, she delivered Nicholas? Her binding was from attending a medical conference. She says it was a trap and she was bound without magic. I think she is bound psychologically by the Doctor; trauma prevents her from her powers. Alice says she was angry and disbelieved in magic when her mother died. Agatha is watching as the Teen wakes up and asks if she put the sigil on him. She says she doesn’t know, but the sigil will be lifted when it is not needed.
He asks about her son, but then she leaves. Lila shows the vampire bite on her neck which she says before she knocked out his other tooth! We know there is a number of supernatural creatures in the MCU with Werewolf by Night. No Blade appearance yet. Agatha walks in the circle around the fire and Jennifer asks to see her battle scars. She rolls up her sleeve to show the knitting needle scar at her elbow from the Daughters of Liberty. A group of heroines from the 18th century who first appeared in Captain America #7 (2019). Rio says she has a scar, she did something she had to do to someone she loved, and it hurt the person. “She is my scar”, Rio finishes and Agatha leaves. Is it sacrificing Nicky Scratch? Lilia warns Rio about what she said in the sound booth. Rio walks up to Agatha and they hug. She tells Agatha, “That boy is not yours”! Agatha leaves her.
Rachel Goldberg is the director of “Darkest Hour/ Wake Thy Power” and the last two episodes. The writer is Laura Monti who was the production coordinator for WandaVision. The dark, foggy Road covered with autumn leaves. A fox scurries away. Then, a black crow hops on a branch. A snake slithers on the ground. The fox enters the bowels of a tree as the fingers of one of the Salem Seven latches on. A whispered conversation between the Salem Seven. They are like the Nazghul in Fellowship of the Ring (2001). The Salem Seven crawl on the ground and one cups an obsidian in her hand, left by Lilia to summon Rio. Lilia breaks from her rest and warns the others about them. She explains that Agatha had killed her first coven including her mother, but she left the children who became the Salem Seven! They have a strong motive. Agatha rushes in to get the others back on the Road. They rush until they hear the screeches of the witches all around them!
AGATHA ALL ALONG -- “Darkest Hour/ Wake Thy Power” -- JOE LOCKE, KATHRYN HAHN -- Photo: Chuck Zlotnick. © 2024 MARVEL./Chuck Zlotnick/Marvel
Teen brings up a hexenbesen, the coven likes the idea, Agatha not so much. The screeches convince them to snap off large tree roots from a hillside. Lilia doesn’t like brooms as a stereotypical image of witches. They fashion the ends of the brooms and then begin chanting as they circle each other before exchanging brooms. Alice is ready to give her broom to Teen, but he has to find a proper tree root. An owl lands and then transforms into a Salem Seven! Others appear. Alice smacks the one over Teen. Agatha has them finish the ritual. Then, they start to run, before riding their brooms Harry Potter-style! The coven soars across the red moon. Great image. They are happy broom riding and Lilia says she hasn’t ridden one in centuries. Suddenly, the winds start to drop the brooms, Agatha says it is the Road! Rio cackles like the Wicked Witch of the West.
Teen spots a cabin in the night, but a Salem Seven witch stands before it, and screams sending out swarms of insects! Agatha and the others crash through the insect cloud and stumble off their brooms. The coven rushes into the cabin and transformed into the 80’s! Teen looks like he walked out of Stranger Things with blue headband and red sweatshirt. The same outfit as Billy in WandaVision! Agatha doesn’t like her ponytail and football jersey! It is like the mother in Poltergeist (1982). The 80's style is not fun, no music cues, more like a gag. She says they are safe inside from the Salem Seven. Alice looks at her green workout outfit and asks how they are safe, “Kiss marry kill?” Funny! Teen lost his spellbook on the broom. Rio says it is Agatha’s trial. Lilia notes the blood moon. She says the trial is to speak to the dead. A Ouija board game flies out. I always thought it was interesting that the name is “Oui”, French for yes, and “ja”, German for yes.
The alarms on their digital watches start to count down from 30. Teen breaks out the game and reads the rules. Lilia asks what is on the back of the instruction book and Teen reads, “For ages three and up”, this show can be really funny! The coven puts their fingers on the planchette, the piece that is moved around the board, Agatha calls for “Mother, maiden, crone.” I wonder if there will be an Agatha All Along edition of Ouija. Agatha asks if there is a spirit and the planchette goes to “Yes.” It moves to spell out “Mrs. Hart”! The planchette is dragged out of Lila’s fingers and then Agatha begins spinning her head! Agatha starts to speak like Mrs. Hart, about her cheerful life in the suburb, until they took her to die. Rio knows it is just an act. Agatha becomes more serious for the next session. Lights begin to flicker. The words spelt out is “Death” which is against the rules. It’s intention is to “Punish.” Agatha asks who does it want to punish and yes, “Agatha” is spelt again and again as Agatha tries to stop it.
She takes her fingers off and the game flies away! Papers fly as their is a screeching that has them all cover their ears. Lilia says she hated this the first time. Is it a message from an alternate time or some time in the future? This goes on until Jennifer says, “Punish Agatha!” Jennifer knows that it is not some spirit, but the coven’s task to punish her! Rio has her knife ready to slash Agatha’s neck. Jennifer goes to get a coil of rope, but Agatha is gone from the floor, and the lights go out! Rio lights a candle and the others find flashlights. Teen feels a drop on his shoulder. He points his flashlight up and finds a demonic faced Agatha, pale with dark eyes, on the ceiling! The possessed Agatha twists upside down to crawl around like Kayako in The Grudge (2004). She threatens the Teen, but then Jennifer gets her attention so the witch chokes her!
Lilia turns on the lights which ends the possession. Rio calls out for Agatha who is again missing. A cat clock and robot toy move. Then, a mist descends and forms into a ghostly woman, it is Evanora Harkness (Kate Forbes), Agatha’s mother! Forbes reprises the part from WandaVision. Agatha, in the upper floor, greets her mother. Evanora is angry that the coven joined Agatha. She says they have to finish the Witches’ Road without Agatha. Lilia explains that they have to punish Agatha. Evanora wants her daughter, but Rio defies her. Agatha asks her mother why she hates her. Evanora says she was born evil and says she should have killed her once born. A tear on Agatha’s eye. Strong acting by Hahn. Jennifer wants to leave. Agatha pleads for them to take her. Evanora possesses Agatha again. Alice blasts the possessed Agatha. Very cool to finally see magical powers.
This knocks Evanora out of Agatha and she begins to take in the magic with her purple power. Lilia screams no as Alice is being drained of her power and life. Teen goes to the Ouija board, he asks who is it, and it spells out, “Nicholas Scratch”! The alarm beeps, time over, and Teen shouts out, “Nicholas Scratch!” This snaps Agatha back. She hears echoes of the young Nicholas saying, “Momma! Stop.” An attic ladder unfolds. Alice is on the floor withered. Teen tries to revive Alice and screams, “Don’t touch her!” to Agatha. Jennifer tells him that Alice is gone. Another Road casualty. Agatha begins climbing the ladder. She looks distraught on the Witches’ Road, but forms Alice’s fire before it fades. Teen is angry at her. The others pass saying that this will end in death. The coven seems less interested in Alice than Mrs. Hart, did they take her body for burial? There are some laughs, but the episode is not cleverly written as the others. Agatha’s trail hints at some dark truths in this fifth episode, but the costs are too heavy!
Four Lockets out of Five!
#AgathaAllAlong #RachelGoldberg, #LauraMonti, #KathrynHahn, #JoeLocke, #AubreyPlaza, #SasheerZamata, #PattiLuPone, #AliAhn, #KateForbes, #OkwuiOkpokwasili, #ChauNaumova, #BethanyMichelleCurry, #AthenaPerample, #AliciaVelaBailey, #BrittaGrant, #MarinaMazepa
No comments:
Post a Comment