Agatha All Alongfeatured an unusual ending that nearly didn’t happen, but new comments have revealed howMarvelapproved of the controversial structure, and I’m glad it did.Agatha All Alongran for nine episodes between September 18 and October 30 and helped to humanize the titular villain-turned-antihero across the series. It also debuted a slew of new MCU characters, with one of the most consequential beingthe personification of Death herself.
Death became an overarching motif inAgatha All Along, especially concerning its inevitability and necessity in the grand scheme of the universe. After severaldeaths withinAgatha All Along, one in particular stood out as the most heart-wrenching, which came inAgatha All Alongepisode 9, which was almost an epilogue to the show. The episode was released concurrently with episode 8, which is a first for the MCU - and showrunner Jac Schaeffer recently explained how she managed to pull off the atypical ending.
Agatha All Along’s Showrunner Perfect Explained Why Episode 9 Isn’t A “Traditional” MCU Finale
Episode 9 Depicted Events That Took Place Hundreds Of Years Ago
TheAgatha All Alongfinale was almost entirely a flashback episode focused on Agatha, similar to howAgatha All Alongepisode 6delved into co-protagonist, Billy Maximoff. Unusually, it came after Agatha’s death as it delved into the mystery surrounding her son, Nicholas Scratch, and the circumstances of his death. Jac Schaeffer spoke about the epilogue-tinged episode recently withThe Directand revealed howshe got away with the unusual structure by setting it up with a line in episode 8. Her full quote is as follows:
“And also, one of the other problems we had…it was a bit of a fight to retain Episode 9 in its form because it’s kind of a ‘non-traditional finale’ finale. And my way of sort of buttressing that, sort of supporting that within Marvel, to sort of help them understand my vision, was by having Billy say in that moment, ‘Is this how Nicky died?’ I was like, that’s the question of our next episode. I always want a question in an episode that you answer, and so we’re putting this piece here because it’s successful in getting her to stop, but it also springboards us into our next episode. The defense rests.”
Agatha All Alongepisode 8 certainly felt like more of a finale than episode 9. The final showdown with Death and the full reveal of Wiccan was akin to anyclimactic boss fight in the MCUand typically precedes just a few extra minutes of rounding out events. Instead, Schaeffer was able to ensure thatepisode 9’s flashback sequence was suitably necessitated by the question posed by Billy moments before Agatha accepted her fate.
Why I Think Agatha All Along’s Episode 9 Decision Was Right For The Show
Placing The Events Of Episode 9 Before Episode 8 Would Have Diminished Their Impact
Ultimately, I think this was another stroke of genius by Schaeffer that contributed toAgatha All Alongfeeling like a breath of fresh air.Episode 9 was a touching conclusion that finally answered the question that hung over the whole series, only to be voiced by Billy in episode 8. The flashback felt like a eulogy to Agatha and her motives, and I found myself rooting for the character more than ever because of it, despite her villainous antics.
Agatha planting a dandelion seed in the last trial of the Witches' Road also foreshadowed the events of episode 9, which depicted Agatha and Nicky bonding over a dandelion.
It’s hard to imagine watching episode 9 before episode 8, even if it might have structurally workable. Billy’s question would have felt awkward, for one thing, but being able to reexamine Agatha’s relationship with Rio inAgatha All Alongfeels more impactful after her death. As it stands, however, I think that Jac Schaeffer made the right call - and it’s one I would love to see replicated down the line, withfuture MCU installmentson Disney+ shaking up the standard formula.
Agatha All Along
Cast
Agatha Harkness, after the events of “WandaVision,” seeks to regain her magical powers. Joining forces with unexpected allies, including the son of an old adversary, she battles new mystical threats while uncovering hidden secrets in the magical realm.
