Television WandaVision OT - For the Children!

[Guest]

20 minutes ago, Mercury33 said:

Well obviously it’s going somewhere. It’s not like they’ve dropped hard to find, barely noticeable clues that something is going on. It’s pretty damn obvious and the second episode had more out of place stuff than the first. What are you all in a hurry for them to reveal and get to? Hurry up and get to the same boring, forgettable formula from the movies?

I’d like something resembling a narrative, but I suppose that is too much to ask.

[skillzdadirecta]

4 hours ago, Dre801 said:

Intriguing,  but I hope they don't take all season to reveal what's going on.  There's only so far I'm willing  to stick with this.

I have the same feeling... I hope they don't drag this nostalgic sitcom thing out too long. It's clearly going somewhere... there are plenty of clues in the episodes indicating as much. The question is where is it going and how long will it take to get there. Based on what I know from the comics, I have my suspicions as to what is happening, but they're just suspicions.

[Reputator]

The trailer shows 60s, 70s, and 80s themed eras. So yeah it could well be several more episodes of this pseudo sitcom with only crumbs dropped here and there, but I hope not.

[skillzdadirecta]

3 minutes ago, Reputator said:

The trailer shows 60s, 70s, and 80s themed eras. So yeah it could well be several more episodes of this pseudo sitcom with only crumbs dropped here and there, but I hope not.

Oh they move into other eras? That's cool... I didn't know how long I could deal with the retro 50's era style storytelling. So i guess the first episode was 50's and the second was 60's? That makes sense.

[Captain Pickle]

I don’t want to add to the “get to the pew pew” since I feel it’s way more common that everything is rushed.

[Reputator]

9 minutes ago, skillzdadirecta said:

Oh they move into other eras? That's cool... I didn't know how long I could deal with the retro 50's era style storytelling. So i guess the first episode was 50's and the second was 60's? That makes sense.

 

Seemed like the second episode was more 50s but it's hard to tell.

[TheLeon]

So far each episode has had its own self-contained story, exactly like the sit-coms they are emulating. But there are enough weird holes being poked into that formula that make it seem clear to me that it isn’t going to hold for forever. It’s probably all gonna blow up at some point and give us big reveals that are going to set up some crucial corner of the MCU’s Phase 4 or whatever. Honestly, I would almost prefer is this stayed a weird little side thing. I want as much Paul Bettany as classic sit-com ham as I can get. 

[sexy_shapiro]

Never did I think something from the MCU was going to be so influenced by David Lynch, but here we are and I’m digging it more than most things from them.

 

It’s clear by reading reactions that not everyone is used to digesting something like this. Just along for the ride. And besides, it’s Marvel so by the end I’m sure it’ll all be answered conclusively.

[skillzdadirecta]

This is STILL a Marvel show... the premise itself is drawn from several Marvel stories involving the Vision and Scarlet Witch that I'm sure they're gonna put their own spin on but make no mistake, this is definitely drawn from the comics themselves.

[johnny]

i imagine by the halfway point there’ll be a heavy focus on what’s going on. i liked the episodes though so as long as it’s good... 

[Mercury33]

@skillzdadirecta yeah it was tough to tell but the second episode was a different style than the first. The black and white made it tough to tell. But them transitioning to color at the end seemed to show it’ll be a bigger jump into episode 3

[skillzdadirecta]

1 hour ago, Mercury33 said:

@skillzdadirecta yeah it was tough to tell but the second episode was a different style than the first. The black and white made it tough to tell. But them transitioning to color at the end seemed to show it’ll be a bigger jump into episode 3

Also the inclusion of the Black  neighbor was a clear sign that we had jumped to a different time period. Also Wanda showing a bit more skin as well in the Magician's assistant outfit.

[Spork3245]

8 hours ago, Mercury33 said:

@skillzdadirecta yeah it was tough to tell but the second episode was a different style than the first. The black and white made it tough to tell. But them transitioning to color at the end seemed to show it’ll be a bigger jump into episode 3

First ep was I Love Lucy-based, second was early I Dream of Jeanie and Bewitched-based (shown by Wanda merging the two beds into a single as Bewitched was the first television show to have a non-married in-real-life on-screen couple share the same bed instead of two twins).

[skillzdadirecta]

24 minutes ago, Spork3245 said:

First ep was I Love Lucy-based, second was early I Dream of Jeanie and Bewitched-based (shown by Wanda merging the two beds into a single as Bewitched was the first television show to have a non-married in-real-life on-screen couple share the same bed instead of two twins).

I Love Lucy... 1950’s

I Dream of Genie/ Bewitched...1960’s

[Spork3245]

19 minutes ago, skillzdadirecta said:

I Love Lucy... 1950’s

I Dream of Genie/ Bewitched...1960’s

And now we’re headed into the 70s is my guess.

There was also the tidbit in the second ep regarding Wanda wearing pants which I think was a reference to Mary Tyler Moore and her capri-pants in the 60s.

[skillzdadirecta]

1 hour ago, Spork3245 said:

And now we’re headed into the 70s is my guess.

There was also the tidbit in the second ep regarding Wanda wearing pants which I think was a reference to Mary Tyler Moore and her capri-pants in the 60s.

The Dick Van Dyke Show was also an influence on the second episode as well. 70's would be The Brady Bunch and All In The Family I would guess.

[Spork3245]

14 minutes ago, skillzdadirecta said:

The Dick Van Dyke Show was also an influence on the second episode as well. 70's would be The Brady Bunch and All In The Family I would guess.

I hope Vision goes full Archie  

[Reputator]

4 hours ago, Spork3245 said:

First ep was I Love Lucy-based, second was early I Dream of Jeanie and Bewitched-based (shown by Wanda merging the two beds into a single as Bewitched was the first television show to have a non-married in-real-life on-screen couple share the same bed instead of two twins).

 

Personally I got more of a Dick Van Dyke Show vibe out of the first episode.

[Spork3245]

17 minutes ago, Reputator said:

 

Personally I got more of a Dick Van Dyke Show vibe out of the first episode.

I would argue it pulled from both  

[AbsolutSurgen]

I found the first two episodes, "unfunny" -- and I actively disliked the first one.  The first, IMHO, plays it mostly as a satire of a 50's sitcom.  With very little to tie it to the MCU universe other than the existence of Vision/Wanda and their powers

Spoiler

To be fair there was an advertisement for a toaster from Stark and a moment where Vision/Wanda realize they can't remember anything about their past, and the total "blanking" out of the wife when her husband is choking.

 

The second episode very much clues the viewer into the fact that "something strange is going on here", and made it a much better experience than the first one (not good, per se):

Spoiler

1)  The fact they are in a completely different time period from the first episode, which is populated by largely the same "people"

2)  Someone tries to contact Wanda through the radio

3)  There is an advertisement for a Strucker brand watch, with a Hydra logo on it

4)  The bee keeper dude comes up out of the sewers, and Wanda rewinds it

5)  Wanda becomes instantly ~7 months pregnant

Numerous examples of where the other characters are clearly not real people.  There are no children, and the people chant "for the children", etc.

The trailer gives away enough, that I think I have a pretty good idea of the overall arc (not necessarily the details), but the general concept of the show.

For me, the entire success of this series is completely contingent on how they sell the premise behind "what is going on", and then tie it into the MCU going forward.

[sexy_shapiro]

This is why some argue that the MCU isn’t actual art. Because when they do release something even remotely esoteric their fans go crazy because they are so used to having their hands held constantly.

[number305]

A couple of thoughts.

 

I think that people being impatient with the story going somewhere has very little to do with the show and a lot to do with the distribution method.  We are living in a Netflix world and releasing stuff on a drip drip method for a show like this where you can't figure out what is going on does not really work.  People like suspense, but if they are interested in really seeing what happens next then they want to watch the next damn episode.  I think the release method worked fine for the Mandalorian and created word of mouth chatter - for this show it is just creating discontentment.  

 

On the topic of the source for what they were copying for the first episode - in my opinion totally Dick Vandyke.  For one Dick Vandyke was actually a consultant for WandaVision.  For another the layout of their house is almost an exact copy.  The intro plays off of bits from the Vandyke intro.  In the original Dick Vandyke trips over the ottoman, in WandaVision Vision walks through it.  The nosy neighbor, having the boss over for dinner, the wife being a bad cook with the neighbor secretly helping cook - those are all taken from Dick Vandyke.  I'm not sure what Lucy elements people are seeing but I would be interested in hearing.  She lived in a brownstone apartment in New York City.

[ort]

I loved the first two episodes. I love that they are taking their time.

 

I'm all in.

 

I used to not care that much if a show was weekly or all at once, but I've come around 100% to the "give it all to me now" camp.

 

After episode 2 I was immediately annoyed I couldn't keep going.

[cusideabelincoln]

On 1/19/2021 at 11:41 AM, AbsolutSurgen said:

I found the first two episodes, "unfunny" -- and I actively disliked the first one.  The first, IMHO, plays it mostly as a satire of a 50's sitcom.  With very little to tie it to the MCU universe other than the existence of Vision/Wanda and their powers

  Hide contents

To be fair there was an advertisement for a toaster from Stark and a moment where Vision/Wanda realize they can't remember anything about their past, and the total "blanking" out of the wife when her husband is choking.

 

The second episode very much clues the viewer into the fact that "something strange is going on here", and made it a much better experience than the first one (not good, per se):

  Hide contents

1)  The fact they are in a completely different time period from the first episode, which is populated by largely the same "people"

2)  Someone tries to contact Wanda through the radio

3)  There is an advertisement for a Strucker brand watch, with a Hydra logo on it

4)  The bee keeper dude comes up out of the sewers, and Wanda rewinds it

5)  Wanda becomes instantly ~7 months pregnant

Numerous examples of where the other characters are clearly not real people.  There are no children, and the people chant "for the children", etc.

The trailer gives away enough, that I think I have a pretty good idea of the overall arc (not necessarily the details), but the general concept of the show.

For me, the entire success of this series is completely contingent on how they sell the premise behind "what is going on", and then tie it into the MCU going forward.

 

I can't take credit for these observations, but I do like the explanation of how some of the jokes in the show feel off on purpose because they have a purpose...

 

Spoiler

Obviously the entire world is either created or almost completely controlled by Wanda, so she's instilling her entire psyche and trauma.

 

She makes the joke about Vision having an indestructible head because she wishes he had one, in which Thanos would have never been able to destroy it the way he did. This is a dark joke about a lover in mourning.

 

And it seems to be a deliberate choice that the two most dramatic events in her life, 1) being stuck with her brother next to a Stark bomb that didn't go off and 2) being experimented on by Strucker and Hydra, were both made into commercials with an eerie ticking time bomb sound cue in both.

 

 

 

[johnny]

they finally decide to do something a little different and fans shit their pants because they don’t have answers after 2 episodes. calm your fucking tits. 

[AbsolutSurgen]

16 hours ago, cusideabelincoln said:

 

I can't take credit for these observations, but I do like the explanation of how some of the jokes in the show feel off on purpose because they have a purpose...

 

  Hide contents

Obviously the entire world is either created or almost completely controlled by Wanda, so she's instilling her entire psyche and trauma.

 

She makes the joke about Vision having an indestructible head because she wishes he had one, in which Thanos would have never been able to destroy it the way he did. This is a dark joke about a lover in mourning.

 

And it seems to be a deliberate choice that the two most dramatic events in her life, 1) being stuck with her brother next to a Stark bomb that didn't go off and 2) being experimented on by Strucker and Hydra, were both made into commercials with an eerie ticking time bomb sound cue in both.

 

 

 

That is entirely possible.  

Spoiler

Of course, she could have originally been trapped by someone else, yet decides to stay because of her grief/desire to be with Vision.

Or...  In the process of trying to reincarnate/save Vision, something goes wrong (potentially caused by an outside force), causing Wanda to lose her memory..

Or...  What you said.  Lots of potential things COULD be going on.

[69los]

After ep 3

 

[NeoJoe]

Yep! Shit's about to go down. Great episode.

[Reputator]

My balls are getting blue!

[SuperSpreader]

This is like Legion + Truman Show + Moon-World from Watchmen + The Village

[Spork3245]

This is almost definitely 

Spoiler

Mephesto

 

[skillzdadirecta]

My guess is 

Spoiler

That this is basically like that Twilight Zone episode with the little kid with psychic powers holding a whole town hostage and that WANDA is the little kid. Geraldine is an Agent of S.W.O.R.D. which is basically SHIELD but deals with extraterrestrial Threats while ARMOR dealt with supernatural ones. Don't know what the E.T. angle is here but Wanda is definitely controlling things here... not as subconsciously as we may have thought.

 

[sexy_shapiro]

Spoiler

I think this show is about Wanda dealing with her grief, not just with losing Vision but her brother as well. She created a town that mimics old reruns that she used to watch in Sokovia as a young child. These shows presented a utopian reality that she always wanted growing up, but obviously doesn’t exist outside of television. And as someone who may be seen as a “freak”, she just wants to badly to fit and be “normal”

 

She both seems to list in her own dream world yet also lucid at other times. I think she’s trying to bury the reality deep into her subconscious, but it definitely comes out at certain times.

 

This was my interpretation after the first two episodes but after 3 I’m only further convinced this is the direction they are going with.

 

[johnny]

liked this episode. got some of the answers y’all have been wanting

 

was surprised 

Spoiler

to see Kat Dennings return. dunno if it was already confirmed she was coming back but it was a welcome surprise for me. 

 

[SoberChef]

It was not only confirmed but shown in trailers previously ahead of the show airing @johnny

 

I sort of lost it emotionally those first 3 minutes. To put oneself mentally & emotionally IN that scenario, just the rawness of the moment really just hit me upside the head on that!

 

That all being said however...

Spoiler

I'm not too sure that this show or at least season, is going to end on a "happy" note but instead only dovetail deeper into the abyss of darkness! This in turn gets me SO much more excited when the next Doctor Strange film arrives for sure!

 

One thing for sure is if Falcon & Winter Soldier, as well as Loki are both even remotely as good as how this is shaping up to be, hell who knew things could be this awesometacular!?