The season of the witch is officially upon us with the release of Marvel’s seasonal sensation, Agatha All Along.

Three years after WandaVision bewitched (and low-key traumatised) us all, the creators have conjured up a spin-off series that follows the former nosey neighbour, Agnes, who turned out to be the malevolent Salem sorceress Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn).

Still trapped within Wanda’s twisted spell, Agatha is living out her own fictionalised Danish-inspired true crime drama as a maverick detective, Agnes. 

Caught within the mother of all identity crises, it takes the arrival of a former flame turned nemesis, Rio (Aubrey Plaza), whom she shares sizzling chemistry with, and a mysterious teen boy (Joe Locke) to help her “claw” her way out of this delusion. 

Stripping off each era from WandaVision as she goes, Agatha is reborn in her birthday suit and ready to terrorise the inhabitants of the sickly sweet suburb of Westview again, or as she calls it “the place where hope comes to die.”

The nine-part series follows the formerly formidable, now powerless witch set out on a quest to reclaim her ‘purple’ power back by walking the Witches’ Road, all before her long-list of magical ancient enemies arrive at sundown. 

With the nameless teen in tow, who is happy to be referred to as her “pet” for now, Agatha forms a coven with three down-and-out witches, Lilia (Patti LuPone), Jen (Sasheer Zamata) and Alice (Ali Ahn), each of whom have a different speciality of magic – divination, potions and protection, respectively. Her non-magical neighbour, Mrs Hart (Debra Jo Rupp) is also an honorary member, who is quite simply just happy to be invited to a social gathering. Relatable. 

Each witch has their own reasons for leaving the path they’re on to face the dangerous magical trials ahead on the road to prove to themselves, and to each other that they still have some form of power in this world, with or without magic.

Agatha All Along is the most delicious fun that capitalises on the best elements of WandaVision, including the introduction of a new spellbinding musical number, ‘The Ballad of the Witches’ Road’ which is certain to bring out spine-tilling chills every time it’s reprised. 

It’s both a tribute to the witches that came before her, as seen in the cameos in the closing credits, that leans into the Hocus Pocus camp joy of it all. All while dismantling the tropes of the genre – and of witches in general - as Rio says Agatha will be “burned, drowned or hanged” to which she dryly quips: “Are there no new options?”

Hahn is somehow more mesmerising on her second outing, after her standout performance in WandaVision. Every line delivery is bewitching, rich with charisma, humour and a devilish attraction as a cantankerous witch who is set on reclaiming her power and reputation as “the baddest bitch” on the continent.

Marvel also hasn’t shied away from leaning into the queerness of this witch drama, but relished in the palpable sexual tension between Rio and Agatha, as she licks away the wound she just inflicted on Agatha’s hand and says: “My heart is black and it beats for you.”

Throw in some memorable one-liners such as Agatha’s suggestion to share a jade egg and call themselves the “sisterhood of the travelling kegels” or wellness witch Jen’s salty welcome (“How are you? Awful?”) and it’s delightfully sarcastic entertainment.

Agatha All Along is the empowering female-heavy drama Marvel has been missing and the queer witch series of all our dreams. Camp, striking and sometimes even as scary as a straight-up horror film, it’s an addictive concoction that makes it perfect pre-Halloween viewing.

The first two episodes of Agatha All Along are available to stream on Disney+ now. 

Images: Disney+; Marvel