A part of me wants to be delicate with what I say next about Agatha All Along season 1 episode 4. But then there’s another part of me that doesn’t care and really needs to say the thing that is itching at me. And that itch, that need, is for Marvel and Disney to get it together and give us LGBTQ+ kisses on screen. Because this episode proved that there was a romantic nature to Agatha and Rio’s relationship. It wasn’t us just seeing ourselves in these characters. These characters were purposefully written queer. Nevertheless, I find it disappointing that there was no kiss between Agatha and Rio. The attempt at queer representation is great. But combine this with the failure of Lightyear being blamed on the LGBTQ+ aspect of it and Pixar employees revealing that they were told to tone down “the gay” for Inside Out 2, there’s a pattern here. And I hate it that they’re toeing the line and not taking a stand.
Agatha and Rio are definitely toxic for each other. They cause each other pain but still care for each other. And it’s really interesting to see this raw passion between them that makes them want to claw each other’s eyes out but also lovingly embrace on a dark witch road. And it goes back to what I said in the episode 3 review of Agatha All Along on how these witches have been alive for decades. They look at life in a different way. And for these two, Rio did something that contradicted the love that she had for Agatha. But because it was her job, she did it. She lost Agatha in turn. And it clues in the viewer that maybe what happened to Agatha’s kid, there’s a bigger story there and it’s connected to Rio.
Talking about kids, I really think that Agatha thinks that maybe the Teen is her son. Or if not, he’s family somehow. There’s something that Agatha is hiding and I really like how Agatha All Along toes the line of her being terrified for him but also reeling herself in. Agatha hasn’t had to explore these kinds of complex emotions in a long time. And when you’ve repressed for so long, the emotions are more intense when you unleash themselves. Right now, Agatha is spilling emotions and desperately trying to reel them in. That’s why she was worried about the Teen to the point where she sat by his bedside. But that worry isn’t enough to get her to completely open up and expose what happened with her kid when the Teen asks. The writing makes it clear she’s nowhere near trusting to expose that truth.
Then there’s Alice.
I love that this episode was focused more exclusively on her story. Yes, part of it was a little cheesy with the jam session and everything but didn’t Doctor Strange have a music battle in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness? I’m pretty sure if people accept that, then they can accept this jam session to cast out a curse. Cheesiness aside, I loved that Alice got to reshape her mother as a person within her mind because of this second trial. She never understood that her mom was singing this protection spell for her. Alice thought that her mom had lost it and that one day that would be her fate as well. But her mom stuck to her guns for as long as she could and it was in Alice remembering her mother, that this daughter was able to free herself from the darkness.
In comparison to episodes 1 through 3, I do think that episode 4 is when we see the witches finally come together. During the first trial they lost Sharon because they didn’t work together. And the inclusion of Rio aka the Greenwich, just complicates things. But the core that is Agatha, Jennifer, Alice, Lilia, and the Teen is still there. And now they’ve gotten to the point where they’re sharing stories by the fire about their battle scars, subtly getting to know each other on a deeper level. That’s going to complicate things later on down the road. But at the same time it’s going to make them stronger. All together this is one of my favorite aspects of Agatha All Along; the community that is slowly but surely forming before our eyes.
Whatever comes next for Agatha All Along, I hope Agatha continues to be the woman that we know. The woman that is callous, self-serving, and a bit of a mess. But I wouldn’t mind seeing what she’s willing to do to protect those that become her coven. Because unlike heroes, they won’t do the dark and twisted thing that could save people or a coven. Agatha would. And that makes her leagues more interesting and makes me even happier that Marvel decided to take a step forward and explore her story in this miniseries. Now if they could only let the sapphic women actually smooch. That would be really great. Because I’m queer and I’m consuming your content, Marvel. How about you invest in me as much as I’m investing in you? Because in shutting us out or toeing the line, you’re shunning our dollars. And our money is just as green as everyone else’s.
Watch the behind-the-scenes of the epic ballad:
Agatha All Along releases new episodes each Wednesday on Disney+.
What did you think of Agatha All Along season 1 episode 4? Let us know in the comments below!
Need more? Read our other reviews below:
- Agatha All Along Season 1 Episode 1 Review: ‘Seekest Thou The Road’
- Agatha All Along Season 1 Episode 2 Review: ‘Circle Sewn with Fate Unlock Thy Hidden Gate’
- Agatha All Along Season 1 Episode 3 Review: ‘Through Many Miles and Tricks’
- Agatha All Along Season 1 Episode 4 Review: ‘If I Can’t Reach You Let My Song Teach You’
- Agatha All Along Season 1 Episode 5 Review: ‘Darkest Hour, Wake Thy Power’
- Agatha All Along Season 1 Episode 6 Review: ‘Familiar by Thy Side’
- Agatha All Along Season 1 Episode 7 Review: ‘Death’s Hand in Mine’
- Agatha All Along Season 1 Episode 8 & 9 Review: ‘Follow Me My Friend/To Glory at the End & Maiden Mother Crone’
