Agatha All Along season 1 episodes 8 and 9 “Follow Me My Friend/To Glory at the End & Maiden Mother Crone,” is proof that delicate planning and an amazing cast can lead to one of the best written shows that Marvel has ever done. Agatha All Along didn’t need all the bells and whistles of other shows or movies from this universe. In fact, they embraced that levity and the fact that the Witches Road was just a creation of Billy’s head in a scene where Rio just rips apart a wall like it was a set. It’s genius and shows that the show itself trusts the viewer to understand what’s going on and that the real story of it all is about the relationships between these powerful witches.
With so much to cover from episode 8 and 9 of Agatha All Along, we’ve decided to mash it all together for the final two episodes. We’ll talk about how Agatha created herself and the world around her in a way that feels very Wanda coded, how emotional it was for Jen to get her power back, and how we finally got that Agatha and Rio kiss, even if it led to the death of Agatha herself. Because Agatha doesn’t go down without fighting. And even when she goes down she comes back as a ghost. Who knows what she might be next?
Agatha Created Her Own Reality
In retrospect, Agatha, Wanda, and Billy are so similar. Wanda and Billy might have the power to create a new physical alternate reality. But Agatha, she created her own world for herself and for her child without transporting them anywhere. On that road she created a song with her son that carried through witch history and became a touchstone that all witches believed. That’s the kind of power that lasts forever and surpasses Agatha.
I don’t think that Agatha has ever thought of her power like that. That song brings her pain whenever she hears. And when that witch found her right after she lost Nicky, she held onto it, destroying everything in her way in her grief but also to keep Nicky alive in a way that she could face day to day, year by year. We as the audience then got to witness one of the best sequences in Marvel history as decades passed but Agatha remained, making the legend of the Witches Road even more monumental.
A part of me wishes that Agatha would understand how powerful she is without her purple or that she doesn’t need to kill to get what she wants. But that’s not Agatha. And Agatha All Along continued to remind us at every turn that she’s cold, calculating, and self-serving, even if she cares for you. Few networks take risks like that when it comes to women characters, making Agatha one of the most complex and interesting characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But I’m glad they did with Agatha as she serves as the counterpart to Wanda’s story while also reminding us that they’re both powerful witches and mothers.
Billy’s Transformation and Creation of the Road
For weeks on end people have been talking about the creation of the Witches Road. They saw Billy’s room and they recognized that some of the elements within his space were reflected within the Witches Road itself. And I think that was a really clever way for Marvel and the team behind Agatha All Along to get the audience engaged. Never have I ever watched a show from Marvel where the theories were sometimes even more rampant and talked about than the actual content in the episode. This means that people were invested in these characters’ journeys more than whatever big showy moments Marvel could give us on the scale of Endgame. And Billy’s transformation was part of that.
First of all, there was something so special about watching Billy defend Agatha while wearing the signature Wiccan outfit. And seeing him float down, while being unapologetically queer, reminded me of the things that I have been missing in the Marvel universe. Because I’ve been part of this world for the very start. But I don’t think I’ve seen someone from my community who without Marvel taking it back or saying something along the lines of me “just seeing things.” There’s nothing lost in translation when it comes to Billy. He is a queer superhero. He is also power personified that can create the Witch’s Road that Agatha created to con other witches for centuries.
Secondly, I understand that Billy doesn’t remember what happened with his mother. He knows that it’s Wanda but he hasn’t spent time with her so he doesn’t claim her. But it hurts for Billy to be so disconnected from our very own Scarlet Witch. I think, if I trust the WandaVision and Agatha All Along writers to continue writing this journey for Billy, I can see an amazing payoff in the future. Pay off that shows Billy coming to the realization that Wanda created him from scratch just like Agatha did with Nicky. And Wanda did it out of love and wanting to belong. That’s what I’m hoping for when it comes to Billy because I will admit there were moments during these final two episodes where his teen angst was getting to me.
But Billy can’t escape who he is. And as he runs toward Tommy with Agatha by his side, he’s running towards his mother. He’s also running towards his power and the future of the Marvel cinematic universe. Because a lot of people were betting that this show would crash and it didn’t. It’s become a beloved part of the MCU and has been heralded by many who have watched it as the best thing since WandaVision. That’s gotta mean something. Combine it with the fact that it didn’t cost as much but still had people more engaged than anything else Marvel has cooked up in the last couple years, and that’s even more reason to give us more of these characters.
Billy’s journey is just starting and it makes sense why Agatha All Along is only going to have one season. Because the story is going to shift focus into being about Billy. And that’s something I want to see.
Jen Finding Her Path Forward
I thought that hearing Jen scream out for Lilia at the end of Agatha All Along episode 7 was heartbreaking. But then Agatha All Along had to ramp that up by having us hear Jen’s continued screams for her friend at the beginning of episode 8. They made it even worse by following it up with Jen deciding to help Agatha and Billy. It was her choice to do something different in comparison to what she did in episode 1 of the show. In the beginning she was self-serving and moved from trial to trial with no hesitation. But in episode 8 she chose to stay and do something that would make herself and Lilia proud.
Admittedly it was twisted and all sorts of wrong that Jen found out that Agatha was the person that helped that deranged man bind her. When push came to shove Jen liberated herself. She made the choice and she did the work. And the moment that she got her powers back was in turn one of the most liberating and heartbreaking moments to watch. Again, she did that. For herself. And we’ll never truly be able to understand what it felt like for Jen to feel complete as her powers returned to her. Because that part has been cut off from her for such a long time and then suddenly it was there because of her own strength. Not Agatha. Not Billy or the rest of the coven. Just Jen.
At the end of episode 9 of Agatha All Along, we see Jen rise from the ground outside of Westview before she flies away. I think this was a really clever way for the show to hint that Jen will be back. She has liberated herself and probably thinks Agatha and Billy are dead. But more than anything, she came out a changed woman from those trials, even if they were created by Billy. And I don’t think she’s ever going to be the same. This right here is Agatha All Along’s greatest achievement. What happens on the show has transformed into a frenzy of virtual water cooler talk that I haven’t seen since OG Game of Thrones long after Jen flies away. That matters and I would love to see the showrunner, writers, and directors of the show get more opportunities to tell stories about women in the MCU.
Rio and Agatha’s Complex Relationship
The kiss between Agatha and Rio is something I never thought would truly happen. After all, I remember the backlash and outrage over Phastos having a same-sex kiss in the Eternals. And since we got Billy and his boyfriend I thought it was going to go the way it always does in shows that aren’t focused exclusively on queer themes aka Hollywood acting like you can’t have more than one queer relationship on screen. But here it is, Rio’s kiss killing Agatha in an unexpected manner while Agatha still continued being the messiest witch around. Because she did stop walking away from Death and Billy because of Billy. But she also did it for her son because she’s not ready to face what he would think if she didn’t help Billy. Let’s not forget she’s always got a plan and this was a way to unbind herself from Rio.
Agatha and Rio are the definition of complex where I want to stop watching them but I also want to know everything about them. So it goes beyond me just being wowed that Marvel actually gave us a lesbian/sapphic kiss on a major Marvel property. These two love each other enough to face each other’s demons by each other’s side. But Agatha hates Rio for taking her son away from her after she created him from scratch. Agatha has been alone for such a long time and this was an opportunity for her. And I can’t imagine the heartbreak of knowing your child is going to die in your body during childbirth, while realizing that your love is actually Death a couple seconds afterwards.
I’m wary to say that Rio will be back for whatever adventures come next for Agatha. Our purple power wielding witch is dead after all and Rio promised to let her go. And I’m glad we got that sapphic kiss on Agatha All Along. But I can’t help but think at what cost? Because are you telling me that this is it for real? Agatha is canonically a queer character and she had already been breaking the mold when it comes to representation on this platform. But she’s dead. Or she’s a ghost. And since she made Death agree to never see her again, I think she’s going to be stuck this way with no way back home. Unless… Billy or Wanda help. Who knows?
What Comes Next
For as much as I loved Agatha All Along, it took me a little bit longer to be grounded and focused in these final two episodes. A part of it has to do with Patti LuPone and her immense talent as Lilia. But a lot of it also has to do with the fact that it feels like there are so many things missing when it comes to Agatha All Along. I want to know how Agatha and Rio met. I want to know who Nicky’s other parent is because Agatha said that she created him from scratch. There’s also the fact that I want to know why Agatha was killing so many people? Was it to keep Death distracted with bodies that she had to ferry and by the time Rio came back Agatha and Nicky were already gone on to the next stop on the road?
There are so many questions when it comes to Agatha while at the same time, the show is making it abundantly clear that Agatha’s journey is done. I think if we do something with Billy, we will see Agatha again. But she’s not the main focus for whatever is to come. And if Marvel is smart and has the same showrunners, writers, or directors on board for this, I think they’ll have something really special that honors Billy’s upcoming journey and continues Agatha’s journey in a way that feels earned and respects Agatha as a character. Afterall, we wouldn’t want another Doctor Strange 2 that ruins a great woman character as if WandaVision never happened.
Agatha All Along is available on Disney+.
What did you think of Agatha All Along episode 8 and 9? 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’
