The latest Marvel venture, Agatha All Along, has now debuted on Disney+ and the reviews are now in. So, is the series, which spins off from the critically acclaimed WandaVision, another Disney dud? Or do the continuing adventures of Agatha Harkness make for the perfect Halloween treat? Well, it seems that the answer to that leans more towards the latter, with Agatha All Along debuting at 66% on the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes. But what did the critics think?
We begin with Alison Herman of Variety, who commends the new Marvel series for branching out on its own rather than relying on the shared universe trappings that the MCU has become known for.
“It’s the rare Marvel project that feels justified not by its role in some yearslong master plan, but its own creative potential. Even in her diminished state, Agatha is still capable of some enchantment.”
David Fear of Rolling Stone echoed these sentiments, feeling that Agatha All Along proves there is plenty of material to “mine” when it comes to this delightful coven of witches.
“Agatha All Along may take its title from a flashback, but everything else about the show (so far) suggests that there’s more than enough to mine when all you’ve got is all Agatha, all the time.”
One critic who was truly enamored with Agatha All Along is Amy West of Total Film, who awarded the series a perfect score of 5/5 and said the Marvel outing more than lives up to its acclaimed predecessor, WandaVision.
“Living up to WandaVision was always going to be a challenge but somehow, Agatha All Along never puts a lace-up, leather-booted foot wrong. It’s got humor, mystery, demons, friendship, romance, and more.”
Another perfect score comes courtesy of Lucy Mangan of The Guardian, who praised Kathryn Hahn’s lead performance (“you can’t take your eyes off her”) and the stellar supporting cast, which doesn’t “have a weak link.”
“There is plenty of action, but plenty of depth too. It’s the perfect show for Halloween season, but an absolute treat any time at all.”
For Some, Agatha All Along Proves the MCU Is in Decline
Now for the bad, as some critics found very little to like in Agatha’s return. Christian Holub of EW felt the show is too overcrowded, saying, “Several of these actresses are delightful screen presences, but their screentime feels both squeezed and rushed; they’re all thrown at the viewer in short order, and are then competing with one another for room to establish their own backstories and arcs.” Angie Han of THR, meanwhile, did not think that Agatha All Along has done enough to justify its own existence as a standalone MCU project, saying, “The project mostly avoids feeling like one of those Marvel tales that exists solely to set up other Marvel tales. Unfortunately, it also stops short of feeling like a series that needs to exist for its own sake.”
ComingSoon.net’s Jonathan Sim even goes so far as to declare that Agatha All Along is undeniable proof that the Marvel franchise is on the decline.
“The first four episodes of Agatha All Along seem to be a precursor for a lackluster series. If there was ever evidence that the MCU’s quality is declining or that Disney+ TV shows are disappointing, look no further than this.”
But we shall end with a positive, as Taylor Gates of Collider found a lot to like, calling Agatha All Along a “spooky, silly, and sexy adventure.”
“Agatha All Along brings Kathryn Hahn’s Agatha Harkness back for a spooky, silly, and sexy adventure that serves as a worthy follow-up to WandaVision.”
Created by Jac Schaeffer for Disney+, Agatha All Along finds Kathryn Hahn reprising the role of Agatha Harkness and leading her own MCU outing. The rest of the cast includes Joe Locke, Sasheer Zamata, Ali Ahn, Maria Dizzia, Paul Adelstein, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Okwui Okpokwasili, Debra Jo Rupp, Patti LuPone, and Aubrey Plaza. You can check out the official synopsis for the latest Marvel series below.
“In Agatha All Along, the infamous Agatha Harkness finds herself down and out of power after a suspicious goth Teen helps break her free from a distorted spell. Her interest is piqued when he begs her to take him on the legendary Witches’ Road, a magical gauntlet of trials that, if survived, rewards a witch with what they’re missing. Together, Agatha and this mysterious Teen pull together a desperate coven, and set off down, down, down The Road…”
The first two episodes of
Agatha All Along
are now available to stream on
Disney Plus
, with the next five episodes set to be released weekly.