The fourth episode of Agatha All Along is intense and gets closer to the mysteries set up by the show! Re:cap - Episode 3; the first trail involves Jennifer Kale brewing a potion. It takes place at a summer beach house where we get the wooden symbol on the door of moon phases which the Teen explains as the water phase. Drowning was one of the ways to kill a witch. They each face nightmares from their past, drinking poisoned wine, Alice saw her mother, Lorna, who was famous for singing the Ballad. Lorna says Alice’s mother died and she is next, a curse that reminds me of what is said to be like Bruce Lee. Jennifer sees a vision of a doctor trying to drown her. The coven puts together the potion ingredients for an antidote, but Jennifer says she’s forgetting something bound by “him.” They have a minute. Agatha says she always hated her, but says she left her alone, she adds, “They can take your power, but they can’t take your knowledge.”
Strangely, Agatha is perfect as a leader here. Kudos to Hahn for her bit of acting here. Jennifer suddenly remembers that they need the “blood of the unpoisoned.” Agatha takes a kitchen knife and slices the palm of the Teen! The swirling potion turns blue and the coven takes glasses to drink the antidote. It doesn’t go down easy, but they see the timer continuing, suddenly remembering Mrs. Hart. Alice gives to the potion to Mrs. Hart. Then, an oven door clangs open, Lilia says her friend had a bad experience with ovens. The ocean that was held back by the windows suddenly starts to pour into the kitchen! Alice tries to move Mrs. Hart and gets help from the Teen and Agatha. The Teen, Agatha, and lastly Alice slide into the oven. The oven door closes and the witches slide down a tunnel with the glowing trees and mushrooms of the Road. A tunnel like at the end of The Goonies (1985) and they slam into each other in a pile! Lilia says they made it through the first test.
The Teen says Sharon is dead! Agatha asks, “Who’s Sharon?” and the others turn to her. The series is very clever, weaving in the stories of all of the characters as we go down the Witches Road. In this case, it is Alice’s turn, in “If I Can’t Reach You/Let My Song Teach You.” This episode is directed by Rachel Goldberg who also directed last episode. It is written by Giovanna Sarquis, a new writer for these episodes, she is also the writer of the “Paradise Lost” episode of Griselda. Agatha is staring solemnly at the body of Sharon Hart. The Teen is digging up a grave. Alice says her mother didn’t die on The Road and instead didn’t in a hotel fire while on tour. Jennifer asks why she is with them. Alice says her mother told her the Road would save her. Agatha is ready to continue on The Witches Road. The Teen and Alice dig up the grave. I don't think this is final end for Mrs. Hart and really the Westview residents, we may see more of them as we get to the Agatha's trial. She was buried on the Witches Road so I don't know if this means she will be a spirit of some kind on the Road.
Alice confesses that she was angry and didn’t want to believe in the Road to stay that way. Lilia says that now that she knows, Alice is sad, and adds that “Sad is better than angry.” LuPone acting shines with just a few lines. Lilia brings up all of the myths about witches. Agatha sits by the Teen’s side when he wakes up in a tent of branches. He asks if she places the sigil on him. Agatha says no and then adds she doesn’t know since it would also work on the witch who cast it. She says it has to be destroyed and this will happen, “when they are no longer needed” so at the end of the Road. She may have cast the spell to stop any reminders of her son? A quiet moment until he asks what happened to her son. Then, Agatha leaves him. Jennifer says they have an incomplete coven. Agatha says the Ballad says “coven two” and Jennifer corrects her, “coven true.”
They leave it to Alice who asks Agatha how many witches left her with her. Agatha holds up one finger. They start to blame each other for Mrs. Hart’s death and Teen says it is all of their fault. Agatha makes the suggestion that they summon a Green Witch. She says they are all witches without a coven. Teen takes out his spell book, the note book he was carrying, and in a line Agatha chants in Latin. There is an outline of a body cleared of flowers. Lilia says what quality they want and some fires ignite. The fires are blown out and then suddenly a body pulls from the ground! Snapping sounds which end with Rio Vidal appearing. Agatha is held back from attacking her. Alice asks Vidal if she is a Green Witch. Rio replies in a demonic voice that she is “the Green Witch.” I think it is the demon Blackheart that was an enemy of Ghost Rider. Agatha probably didn’t want to summon it after getting angry at her Rio form.
Lilia, Alice, and Jennifer wonder about Rio, Alice is conflicted saying that she doesn’t know if she hates Rio or wants her phone number! Funny! Jennifer agrees. They find another house in front of them, a cabin in the woods, Alice tries to walk away from it. Agatha tries to catch up to her and they find the same cabin in whatever direction they walk! A waving moon is overhead and also on the door. Teen says it is fire phase! Burning at the stake is another death for witches, a classic one! Inside they find themselves totally in 70’s glamrock gear, Agatha has a sexy black vest with gold pants. In fact all of the witches look great, unfortunately, Lilia has some dark make-up. I like Jennifer’s garland and white dress. The costume designs by Daniel Selon are fantastic. Rio slides up to Agatha, but she is told no. Lilia sees paintings of witches burning. Jennifer sees masks of Oni, Japanese demons. Alice sees a photo of her mother.
Then, a screech of music comes on! Teen was playing a record, the record jacket has “Play Me” which he holds up, Alice is seen in the circular gap. Agatha points out that the record is playing backwards. We get a spinning overhead shot matched with the record. Agatha smashes the record player. A metronome ticks away. This splits into a three shot with the Teen, Alice, and Agatha. Clever camera work in this ep. Alice says she feels lighter. Like air?, another element. Lilia suddenly starts sizzling and falls on the floor! Alice takes Rio’s dagger and carves a protection circle around Lilia. Then, she is free from that curse. Lilia says the only way to end a curse is to face it and turns to Alice. Next, Jennifer burns and Alice carves another circle. The Teen points out a burnt mark on Jennifer’s shoulder. Lilia pulls her scarf to show her similar mark.
There’s a strange sound which Rio says is the curse. Alice tries to put together the broken pieces of her mother’s record. She blames herself for not keeping a job and not saving her mother. Then, she shows her scar on her shoulder which she forced herself to think it was a birthmark. Her mother also had them! She blames herself for not keeping a job and not saving her mother. Then, she shows her scar on her shoulder which she forced herself to think it was a birthmark. Her mother also had them! Alice is half-lit by a hellish, red light. Jennifer realizes that she has a “generational curse.” The Teen is lifted up and thrown through the window of the control booth! I think Agatha is the Mother, Teen I think is the Maiden in a way (the spirit of Wanda Maxim?), and possibly Rio is the Crone in her true form. Agatha checks on him and Jennifer asks about him still in the circle.
Agatha’s plan is to play Lorna’s Ballad, a jam session!, they aren’t dressed up for a party. Rio, now on the drums, answers Agatha’s question about Lorna’s intention, to save Alice. Agatha goes to Alice saying that she is directionless because someone is playing the song she hates. A protection spell. The Teen says he can play guitar. Agatha insists Jennifer play bass. Lilia has found her instrument, zils, finger cymbals! Agatha takes the lead singer mic and wants Alice to play piano to save all of them. The recording reels in the control booth start to record. Alice start to play. This is the best use of a song as part of a story. Agatha starts to burn, but the song goes on. Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez really know how to make a song that is central to a show and fits as diagetic music, within the show.
The paintings behind Alice start to burn. The fire is around the room, the best pyro for this concert, the moonlight blue fades into glaring red! The Teen is cut by a spike on his guitar, but keeps playing. Everyone is singing to bring the house down! Alice has a solo singing the lyrics of the episode title. Then, she sees in the rafters a female demon (Jade Quon) with wings! Alice is stunned seeing the curse and stops playing. She is ready to face the Demon and says, “I can kill it.” Back at the piano, her singing ignites a fire under the Demon! Alice sings, “I’ll see you at the end.”
The Demon vanishes and moves as a blur to burn Alice’s shoulder as she sings. The others are stunned. Then, the Demon burns up behind Alice!
The fires snuff out and the metronome stops. Alice has conquered her demons for this time. The moonlight blue returns as spotlights. Alice’s piano lid opens and she sees the exit isnide, steps down. Then, Teen collapses with his side bleeding! They return to the Witches Road and place Teen on a stone slab. Jennifer pulls out the guitar spike. She realizes that she needs “water and moonlight.” Alice scoops up water in a hat from a pool bathed by the moon. Jennifer takes the hat and speaks in Latin. She pours the water over Teen’s wounds. It heals like the wound was never there like Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989). Lilia is impressed at Jennifer’s work. Agatha looks at Rio. Agatha All Along continues to impress with its writing and characters, including bringing back Rio, and rocking out in 70’s glamrock style!
Five Lockets out of Five!
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