‘WandaVision’ Recap: Guest Star From Afar (Episode 5)
What if Vision started to uncover everything wrong with Wanda’s world? At the midpoint of Marvel’s first television series, WandaVision kicks into high gear and lays important groundwork for the show’s endgame.
Today, we’re recapping episode five of WandaVision.
*Please note: spoilers for episode 5 of WandaVision below
Episode 5: What Had Happened Was…
This week we got more info, excitement, and action than any half-hour show should contain. Babies became boys, Vision sniffed out some of Wanda’s BS, and Sparky the Dog had his grand opening/grand closing in under 10 minutes. Focusing on the timeline the show entered another sitcom era. This time we got a Family Ties/Growing Pains ’80s style setting, with a theme song that goes harder than any before it. Episode five is the first time we experience the balancing act between our S.W.O.R.D. cinematic crew and the old school trappings of The Hex (yeah, it’s a thing).
The outer story focuses on Monica’s experience inside The Hex, Wanda’s history – including the dead “Vision’s body” heist, and the revelation that Scarlet Witch is not only in control, but also reshaping reality to her needs. Perhaps the most intense scene happens after an ’80s era drone is flown into the Westview anomaly stirring Maximoff from her nest. When Wanda emerges from the TV world in full hero uniform, the entire tone shifts. Her demeanor, intimidation tactics, anger and sheer power clearly show that S.W.O.R.D. is out of their league. All of those agents weren’t worth more than a flick of her wrist.
The moment that has garnered the most tweets is a final knock at the door. It’s a real surprise for the Marvel faithful and a truly wild pop culture moment. The multiverse is here (or maybe it’s just a fun wink-wink casting for fans) either way the figure in the door frame is a major surprise. Fox’s Quicksilver (portrayed by Evan Peters) is the Hex’s “recast” (in Darcy’s words) Pietro Maximoff. Holy sh*t! As internet speculation around the former Fox speedster hits an all-time high, the real leap forward was Vision challenging Wanda and what that means going forward.
MCU Threads & Marvel Connections
Starting with this week’s commercial, we have another direct tie to Wanda’s history. Lagos Paper Towels can handle any mess, but you might need something stronger to take on a bomb blast. The “Lagos” branding is a clear tie to the opening scene of Captain America: Civil War and another example of Wanda’s past/regrets seeping into the broadcast. The next major comic link comes in the form of Monica’s mother. In a quick flash scene during Monica’s check-up, we see her mother’s call sign listed on a S.W.O.R.D. placard. Comics readers may recognize the designation “Photon” is one of the many hero names of Monica Rambeau. The question remains, does she have powers already? She was testy about getting her blood tested again. Her scan came up empty, what does that mean? Did Monica’s time in The Hex and eventual expulsion give her powers in the last twenty-four hours? Or did she come into this series with powers already?
Next, there are two paths to go down. Either Marvel is somehow canonizing Fox’s previous “Mutant-Verse” films (unlikely) through Wanda’s powers or Fox’s Quicksilver showing up is just a fun easter egg for fans. Some of the wildest speculations online point to Magneto coming into the picture at some point or the appearance of other X-Men. While far-fetched, the show has been delivering awesome hit after hit. The smart money is on Marvel’s devil character Mephisto coming into play. Some have theorized that Evan Peters is not Quicksilver but actually Mephisto. The devil being a future MCU mega baddie makes sense in the wake of Endgame. In the original “Infinity Gauntlet” storyline in the comics, Mephisto has a large role – so his emergence in the aftermath of the stones makes sense. If you had half the universe’s souls in your underworld and then they came back to life because of an Earth group’s actions, you might have a bone to pick with those heroes.
The Futurist
Now that we have seen what is likely the “big cameo” that Elizabeth Olsen teased, we can turn our attention to a new mystery. It was mentioned off-hand and may have no significance to the future of the show but the “aerospace engineer” Monica mentions could have major implications for future MCU projects.
The first idea that came to mind was Talos’s daughter, maybe as she and Monica grew up they both joined S.W.O.R.D. to protect the Earth from space threats. Could they have stayed in touch? Maybe Talos’s daughter is on whatever giant space fortress Fury is on and will be called upon for aid. The other fun option could be Blue Marvel, another S.W.O.R.D. mainstay, or perhaps Riri Williams getting an early call before her stand-alone series. Either way, this should be filed away because it could be major, but keep in mind it could also be nothing.
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Episode 5 of WandaVision is streaming now exclusively on Disney+!
P.S. You have to hand it to Marvel for retroactively making the masses like Age of Ultron. This is the true inception of their platforms. Every time you finish a WandaVision episode that “Watch Ultron” screen pops up and I’m sure plenty of people take the positive vibes from watching WandaVision into the viewing experience of Ultron. You might end up liking it more than you may have originally. Genius marketing by Disney and Co. Top tier synergy. They got us (SMH).
