WandaVision Episode 3, "Now In Color" Recap and Review
The series keeps the odd coming, as we Begin to piece the mystery together in the latest episode.
WARNING: Spoilers Ahead
After the first two episodes, the prevailing question was clearly what the heck is going on here? This episode absolutely does not answer that question, but that seems to be the point of the show, so it can be forgiven. What this episode does do is build a frame around the mystery for us to infer into. The series is drip-feeding us information in a very deliberate manner that keeps us engaged in the mystery overall. Because the mystery is so odd and psychedelic, the information they are giving us seems minor in comparison. In fact, the only real information that we are given in this episode is that what we are seeing week to week is not in Wanda’s head. This is the frame that all the abstract elements fit into, and as new information is given to us we are able to piece the image together, however slowly it may be.
The episode begins with an introduction reminiscent of ‘70s family sitcoms The Brady Bunch and The Partridge Family and also we are given the episode’s title “Now in Color.” We join the couple in the middle of a House Call from the town Doctor as he confirms what the couple already knew: Wanda is pregnant. Here it seems Vision is very concerned about the oddity surrounding the pregnancy, especially after the Doctor estimates that Wanda is already four months pregnant after only 12 hours. Wanda, however, does not have a thought in her mind aside from preparing for the baby’s arrival. Outside, Vision has a quick chat with the Doctor as he is on his way out as the neighbor Herb trims his hedges nearby. After the good Doctor sets out on his way, Vision notices that Herb seems to have cut into the cinderblock wall next to his bushes. As Wanda prepares the baby’s room Vision calculates about 3 days before the baby’s arrival. Vision, being ever so neurotic, starts to focus on the baby but as he does, the house goes haywire, distracting them for a moment. But Vision focuses on and ponders what could be really going on, he mentions the weirdness at dinner with the Hearts and the strange moment with Herb and finally says “I think something is wrong here Wanda.” Suddenly time skips backward, and Vision’s train of thought completely changes rails and he comforts Wanda about fitting into their new environment, just as the pipes burst. Commercial Break! This week we are treated to an ad for Hydra Soak Bubble Bath. As the couple cowers from the rain under their Dining room table, the rain stops suddenly and Vision goes to fetch the Doctor so he can help. Alone now, Wanda hears a commotion from the baby’s room, but before she can investigate Geraldine arrives at the door. Geraldine came to borrow a bucket, but magic inducing contractions and a visit from a live stork complicate the matter. Everything comes to a head and Wanda goes into labor, Geraldine coaches Wanda through the situation and delivers the baby herself. Vision and the Doc arrive just as baby Tommy arrives and Vision is able to greet his new son, and just as his second son Billy begins his arrival. Now that the delivery is over and the twins are resting in their cribs, Vision walks the Doctor out, leaving Wanda and Geraldine inside with the Babies. It is here, the facade starts to breakdown. As the Doctor leaves he says, in a very peculiar way, “small towns, so hard to escape.” Vision turns to see Agnes and Herb talking to each other in a concerning manner. Agnes asks Vision whether or not Geraldine was inside with Wanda. Inside, Wanda starts reminiscing with Geraldine, she mentions that she herself was a twin, and her brother’s name was Pietro, Geraldine is stunned. As Wanda sings a Sokovian lullaby, Geraldine says, “he was killed by Ultron, wasn’t he?” Outside, Agnes and Herb start to warn Vision about Geraldine but they won’t say why. A teary-eyed Wanda presses Geraldine about why she mentioned Ultron, backing Monica into the wall. She notices the necklace in the shape of a sword around Geraldine’s neck, and Wanda has had enough. Just before Agnes and Herb spill the beans about Geraldine to Vision, Agnes ends the conversation and they both leave. Vision rushes inside to find Wanda alone with the twins. Vision asks about Geraldine and Wanda simply replies with “She rushed home.” Slowly the perspective changes, and see a sign for the town of Westview and suddenly Geraldine is ejected through a strange-looking rift and crashed to the ground in a red haze. Quickly she is surrounded by Black SUVs and tactical Agents and the scene pulls back to show a barrier monitoring a shimmering forcefield that has the same strange look to it as the rift Geraldine was ejected from.
Wanda is enjoying this, and why wouldn’t she be? She has Vision, a house, a family, there are no Avengers, no Thanos; she has everything she could ever want. After last week’s episodes, I speculated that Wanda was not only in control, she was using her abilities to change the world around her. The final moment in this episode confirmed that. Seeing the forcefield around the town showed that Wanda’s abilities are affecting the entire town of Westview, and S.W.O.R.D is on-site monitoring the situation very closely. I also speculated last week that someone was pulling Wanda’s strings and that person may be Agnes. But I am faced with the possibility now that this is all Wanda, that she created this place either consciously or not and has trapped people in there with her. From the looks of it, something happened and Wanda created an Annihilation-esque field around a small town, trapping its residence in the illusion with Wanda. S.W.O.R.D got wind of the situation and sent Monica Rambeau into the town in an attempt to help with the situation. Upon entering, Monica lost her memory and was trying to figure things out herself until Wanda caught wind and ejected her from the illusion. Someone could be urging Wanda into keeping up the illusion, and that person could still be Agnes. In fact, Agnes was trying her best to instil mistrust in Vision on Geraldine at the same time Wanda was pressing Geraldine for answers. If Vision is in fact a manifestation of Wanda’s sub-conscious then Agnes could have been the reason Wanda was so quick to eject Geraldine from that reality. So many possibilities that would all make sense in the situation, one thing that is clear is that this is a well put together mystery series.
While this episode doesn’t stand out visually compared to the first two, it’s the small details that elevate this episode. Creator Jac Schaeffer is using the norms of television associated with given era each episode is mimicking to represent belief in the illusion. Everything from the lighting, set design, camera work, and even use of practical effects are all of the era, but as soon as the illusion begins to crack and belief begins to waiver everything changes to more modern cinematic work. The effect’s use is common in television, usually during comatose dream sequences, but no one has dedicated an entire series to using it as a main focus of storytelling. And I can’t help but commend the stylization of this series as well. The effects all match television nostalgia that the series has created. For example, the forcefield that Wanda has created resembles what happens when you get too close to an RCA television with a magnet. As the mystery plays on, Jac Schaeffer vision for this series has fully manifested into a witty, intriguing, mysterious, and utterly strange series. Nothing to do now but to sit back, relax and enjoy the wild ride.