«WandaVision», Season 1, Episode 3: «Now in Colour»

First off: this discussion of the series includes spoilers! So watch the third episode of «WandaVision» before you read on.

I’ll admit it. The concept of «WandaVision» only really clicked for me when I watched it the second time around without my previous expectations. Sure, the trailers had already hinted at something along those lines. I just never knew what «something along those lines» was supposed to be, exactly. A superhero soap opera? Something unlike anything the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has ever had to offer?

Okay, cool. I mean, that sounds great. But I’d still like to know exactly what all that is.

We got some first answers in the series premiere, which was actually an unbelievably naive 1950s/1960s sitcom filled with canned laughter and an innocent sense of humour that was actually funny more often than not. And there, in the middle of it all, Wanda and Vision. Certainly strange. And then the scenes, coming seemingly out of nowhere, that completely break the sitcom concept. I can still hear the echo of poor Mrs. Hart’s screams. Her shouting, «Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!» and her agonised mug. And then, three seconds later, everything’s totally great again and no one’s talking about what the hell just happened.

Ooh. Goosebumps.

Okay, enough about that. Let's move on to the new episode. Is it just as hazy, absurd and exciting? Let's see – with the best WTF moments and Easter Eggs from Episode 3.

A 1970s sitcom and finally some plot

Colour comes into play. And a new series intro. It tootles something about how wonderfully Wanda and Vision love each other, despite the future being totally uncertain and difficulties and stuff coming their way; but sunshine, daisies, we love each other, oh, how cute, and great and corny.

Then the first shot: an exterior shot of the house, where the action’s taking place, and stripped-down intro music in the background. It’s the sitcom concept of «WandaVision» at its finest.

I love how the show plays with this concept. But in episode 3, «Now in Colour», the plot starts to thicken. The sitcom reality threatens to snap – actually snap in two, not merely crumble. It starts with Vision's initially harmless Shakespeare quote, back when things still seem fine and dandy.

«All the world’s a stage. All the men and women merely players.» In fact, Vision wants to name the child Billy, after William Shakespeare. Wanda, on the other hand, is for Tommy. A «nice, classic, all-American name». Those are two important names, by the way. Keep them in mind.

Speaking of which...

Wanda's pregnancy: a hint at Mephisto?

Wanda’s pregnant. She became pregnant, to be exact. Overnight. And her pregnancy is progressing from trimester to trimester by the minute. Literally. Right up to the birth of their twins. But that seems totally run-of-the-mill, at least to Wanda. Not so to Vision. He’s clearly out of his element. That’s unusual for the android who tends to be rather clinical when it comes to emotions. Since episode 1, this Vision has been acting totally different to the Vision we know from «Avengers».

Speed pregnancy, on the other hand, is not new to true connoisseurs. In the comic books, Wanda also has twins with Vision whom she created using her powers. They’re called Tommy and Billy. And there we have the names again. There’s one problem, though. Wanda accidentally used fragments of Mephisto’s soul when creating the twins.

Wait. Who in the devil is Mephisto?

In the Marvel comics, Mephisto is one of the most dangerous, immortal demonic beings around. Maybe even the devil himself. After all, he does rule over a dimension that some would say is the biblical hell itself. And Mephisto is an excellent liar, constantly on the hunt for souls (that’s how the Ghost Rider was created) and powerful enough to bend the past and present to his will.

Is he the show’s villain?

It wouldn’t be surprising if he was. In the comics, it’s also Mephisto who later reabsorbs the fragments of his soul, completely erasing Tommy and Billy's existence. It’s a tragic incident that drives Wanda mad. Mephisto, the cunning demon, takes advantage of the situation. He encourages Wanda to create a new reality in which the twins are still alive.

What if that’s exactly the reality we’re experiencing in «WandaVision»? There were already hints in the very first episode. Remember the wine bottle with the «Maison du Mépris» label? Loosely translated into English (and abbreviated), you get «House of M».

This would have colossal consequences for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In the comics, «House of M» describes the series of events after Mephisto successfully manipulates Wanda. In short: Wanda uses her powers to change the entire fabric of reality, bringing her children back to life, but causing devastating effects on all living beings on Earth.

The event slashed the mutant population: thousands became just 198.

Can we expect the this very story in «WandaVision»? I'm pretty sure we’re headed in a similar direction, at least. Especially since we know that Disney recently acquired the rights to -Men. And the next «Doctor Strange» movie will be titled «Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness» and Wanda is supposed to play an important role in it.

Géraldine – or rather Monica Rambeau

The fact that we’re in an alternate reality bubble becomes clear by the end of the third episode at the latest. Let’s recap: Géraldine, played by Teyonah Parris, helps Wanda give birth to twins Tommy and Billy. Then Wanda reveals that she herself is a twin, mentioning her brother Pietro.

It’s a noteworthy moment; it’s the first time Pietro’s been mentioned since «Avengers: Age of Ultron».

Pietro. The name seems to trigger something inside of Géraldine. She remembers that Pietro was killed by Ultron. This throws Wanda off her game. Probably because anyone apart from the Avengers should hardly know about it. Or at least no one in Westville, Wanda's sitcom reality.

But Westville's residents seem to have long known they don’t actually belong where they are. We hear statements like «you know how difficult it is to get out of this city» or «strange things happen». And the residents reveal to Vision, who’s still somewhat confused, that Géraldine is there to help.

But just as Vision rushes into the house to check on Géraldine and Wanda, we learn from Wanda that Géraldine «had to rush home».

«Rush home» is a bit of an understatement – Géraldine is unceremoniously (and literally) thrown out of sitcom reality by Wanda. The aspect ratio changes from 4:3 to 21:9. We’re back in the real world. Where S.W.O.R.D., apparently a military organization, is laying siege to Wanda’s reality construct. S.W.O.R.D. stands for Sentient World Observation and Response Department. In the comics, S.W.O.R.D. is a subdivision of S.H.I.E.L.D. that operates largely autonomously and deals with extraterrestrial threats.

Extraterrestrial threats, eh? Géraldine has already dealt with some of those. In «Captain Marvel», back when she was a kid. Géraldine is, in fact, none other than Monica Rambeau. We know this because actress Teyonah Parris was officially cast as Rambeau months ago, and no one’s making that a secret.

In the comics, Rambeau has abilities similar to those of Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel. In the movie, on the other hand, she doesn't. At least not as a kid. What the deal is in «WandaVision» is unclear as of yet.

But the reality bubble seems to be a concern for S.W.O.R.D., in any case. Like in «House of M», Wanda's reality construct threatens to have repercussions of unimagined proportions on the rest of humanity. This must be averted.

Probably with the Monica Rambeau’s help.

The lowdown

We’re getting a bit closer to the true core of the series. More and more cracks are being put into the concept of sitcom series of past decades. And not just content-wise. Also visually. Good stuff. The whole sitcom concept is really cool, but it can't be kept up forever. It's time to find out why we’re even watching «WandaVision» in the first place.

One thing is certain: the «why» is shaping up to be a big one. All the «House of M» hints leave no room to doubt that.

What did you think of this episode? Are there any more Easter eggs I've missed? Let me know in the comments. See you next Friday for the next episode discussion.