WandaVision Brings MCU to TV in Meta Way
posted by Joshua Dungee | February 19, 2021 | In Arts and Culture, NewsOn January 15, Marvel released the first two episodes of its newest television show: “WandaVision” on Disney+. Since then, they have aired a new episode every Friday and ratings show that the fans are loving every episode more and more. Variety reported that “WandaVision” premiered in the Nielson streaming top ten, with numbers higher than Disney+’s other hit “The Mandalorian.”
The first two episodes are very different from the usual action-packed shows Marvel is known for. Both episodes are in black and white with the main characters Wanda and her husband Vision who live in a small town called Westview. The first episode is very similar to an episode of a 1950s era sitcom, such as “I Love Lucy,” while the second episode moves us to the 19660s era with hints at “Bewitched.”
As “WandaVision” progresses, fans begin to see each episode is a portrayal of a different time period. The third episode titled “Now in Color” seeing that this is the end of the black and white episodes, is set in the ‘70s with hints to “The Brady Bunch.” However, the third episode is also where viewers begin to see that the town of Westview may not be exactly right.
“WandaVision” provides a fresh entry into the MCU for fans that may be tired of the formulaic superhero franchise. It’s meta-commentary on television invites fans into a mystery connecting to a world they already love.
And it is precisely the escapism that world provides that may be the show’s biggest strength in these pandemic times. As Paste magazine TV critic Alison Keene notes: “WandaVision’s core conceit—that sometimes you just want to escape into television, into fantasy, into a daydream—couldn’t be more meta. Let’s stay here in this happiness just a little while longer. The world outside is so dark.”
Photo courtesy of Disney
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