WandaVision Episode 8 recap: Bring on the waterworks

In WandaVision Episode 8, “Previously On,” we witness the greatest sorrows of Wanda Maximoff’s life. Plus, some answers about how Westview became such a magical town.

The Disney Plus show has been endlessly entertaining for the past seven episodes. But there is no doubt that the tone has been getting darker since the Halloween installment.

“Previously On” leans into the darkness wholesale. It is a relentlessly sad episode with barely any moments of joy. WandaVision Episode 8 needs to be watched with a tissue box by your side.

2020 has been a difficult year for everyone, but especially for people who have lost loved ones. If the darkness in this episode gets too much, it’s best to take some breaks while watching “Previously On.”

WandaVision Episode 8 – Who is Agatha Harkness?

WandaVision Episode 8 inexplicably opens in 1693, Salem, Massachusetts. A familiar witch is being taken to the stake—Agatha Harkness, who had taken on the guise of friendly neighbor Agnes in the WandaVision show.

But there’s more to this witch-burning than meets the eye. Agatha isn’t on trial for being a witch—she’s on trial for using Dark Magic and betraying her coven. Agatha’s judge is her own mother, Evanora (Kate Forbes).

Though Agatha defends herself against her mother and the rest of the coven, saying she didn’t do anything wrong, Evanora doesn’t believe her. And so, the execution begins.

The witches project hexes against Agatha, but it doesn’t work. Agatha pretends to be hurt, but she absorbs their powers and converts them to her signature purple spells desiccating the witches.

Only Evanora is left, and she is powerful—no wonder Agatha is so strong. But even Evanora is no match for Agatha. Before the night is over, the entire coven is gone except for Agatha. Agatha looks on at the decayed corpse of her mother, which has on it the cameo broach that is now a wardrobe’s signature item.

In Westview, present-day, Agatha reveals her real reason for confronting Wanda—she wants to know how Wanda came to have such magical powers. Agatha refuses to believe that the Mind Stone made Wanda magical—there’s more to Wanda than that.

The only way to unlock that secret is for Agatha to take Wanda through her past events.

WandaVision Episode 8 – What is Grief?

The first trip that Agatha takes Wanda on in WandaVision Episode 8 is her childhood in Sokovia.

Marvel Cinematic Universe fans will be excited to see Wanda and Pietro’s parents for the first time—Iryna (Ilana Kohanchi) and Olek (Daniyar).

Wanda watches as Olek comes home with videotapes of their favorite sitcoms—all the shows that WandaVision has been referencing so far. That explains Wanda’s love for these shows.

As the family enjoys TV night together watching The Dick Van Dyke Show, fighting continues outside their home. And then, the fateful explosion referenced in Avengers: Age of Ultron orphans Wanda and Pietro.

As young Wanda (Michaela Russell) and Pietro (Gabriel Gurevich) keep watchful eyes on the unexploded Stark Industries missile lodged in their home, Wanda reaches out in hopes of protecting the only family she has left.

According to Agatha, this was one of the earliest times when Wanda used her powers. Young Wanda didn’t know it, but she was always magical. That explains why the Stark Industries missile didn’t explode.

But this incident isn’t enough to explain Westview. The next stop on the sorrow tour in WandaVision Episode 8 is the Hydra facility, where Pietro and Wanda got their powers.

When Wanda is introduced to Loki’s scepter, the Mind Stone immediately comes to her. Wanda sees through the Chitauri shielding to the Mind Stone’s true yellow hue. She also gets a glimpse of the stone as it would be housed in Vision’s forehead.

There is yet another “vision” that the Mind Stone shows her—one that looks a lot like the Scarlet Witch of the X-Men comics. Is that where Wanda got the idea for her Halloween costume?

The Hydra facilitators see none of this. The video shows Wanda walking into the room and then collapsing. The Hydra goons want answers, but they’re more delighted that one subject has survived. They send Wanda to her cell, where she gets to watch more sitcoms.

Agatha is getting an idea of how Wanda’s powers work, but there are a few more stops in WandaVision Episode 8. Next up, Wanda’s room in the Avengers compound, shortly after Pietro’s death.

Once again, Wanda is watching sitcoms. She realizes that Vision is hovering in his room and invites him in. Vision is awkward, and doesn’t know what to do about Wanda’s grief, which is coming over her in waves, threatening to drown her.

Having been born only hours before Pietro’s death, Vision has no concept of love and loss. But he makes an astute observation when he asks: “what is grief, if not love persevering?”—time for that second box of tissues.

WandaVision Episode 8 – Who’s Got Double Vision?

By now, Wanda wants to know the secrets of her magic as much as Agatha does in WandaVision Episode 8. They need to make one last stop—at S.W.O.R.D. HQ where Wanda went to retrieve Vision’s body to give him a proper funeral.

Director Hayward allows her in, and she goes to his office to ask about Vision. Hayward insists on showing her something first—it’s Vision’s dismantled body.

Hayward is so disrespectful—he refuses to acknowledge that Vision was a person and deserves a funeral like anybody else. As far as Hayward is concerned, Vision is made of billions of dollars worth of vibranium. He also doesn’t think Wanda should have Vision because she could “bring him back online.” What does that mean?

Wanda is traumatized by the sight of her only remaining family in pieces. She breaks into the room and uses her power to reach Vision, but she doesn’t feel him. This is a callback to Wanda and Vision’s way of declaring their love for each other in Avengers: Infinity War. Where’s the nearest tissue box factory?

And then, Wanda leaves. She’s been given a letter that directs her to Westview. The town is washed up, and the people we’ve seen in the WandaVision show look worn down.

Wanda drives to a plot of land. And then Wanda reveals her reason for being there. Vision bought the land for them to build a home and grow old together. We thank the tissue boxes for their sacrifice.

It’s all too much for Wanda. She lets her grief out, and her powers go into overload, transforming Westview into the 50s setting from Episode 1. The Hex is set up, but more than that, Wanda’s powers recreate Vision. No wonder he can’t remember his life from before Westview—he literally didn’t exist before.

Wanda’s journey through her past comes to an end, and she’s faced with a harsh reality—Agatha has her children. Agatha levitates outside Wanda’s home, her powers strangling Tommy and Billy. And Agatha finally has her answer—Wanda is powered with Chaos Magic. She is a Scarlet Witch.

Another mystery is solved. This whole time, Hayward has been pretending that Wanda broke into the S.W.O.R.D. facility and stole Vision’s body. We see in WandaVision Episode 8 that he lied through his teeth. Why?

Because Hayward has had Vision’s body put back together. He uses the drone that Wanda had hexed to bring this altered Vision online. Hayward really is the absolute worst.

Final Thoughts – WandaVision Episode 8 Cements Wanda as a Complex Character

WandaVision Episode 8 was a tough episode to watch. It is extremely sad and a bit too real in its depictions of grief. But Vision’s dialogue about grief was an excellent piece of writing. That interaction between Wanda and Vision was cute and reinforced why they’re such a happy couple.

There are a lot of moments in this episode that Marvel Comics inspires. Wanda’s magical powers, her being a Scarlet Witch, and even the altered Vision all have roots in the comics.

This episode’s events also lead perfectly into Wanda teaming up with Dr. Strange in the Sorcerer Supreme’s sequel.

But there’s a lot to wrap up in the series finale. Will Wanda defeat Agatha? What will alt-Vision do in Westview? What did Fake-Pietro do with Monica? Will everybody please beat up Hayward? So many questions and just one episode to answer it? We can’t wait to find out how.

What did you think of the WandaVision Episode 8? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

WandaVision is airing weekly on Disney Plus.