Filled with mystery, darkness, fun and stunning visuals, Marvel Television’s “Agatha All Along” is a one-of-a-kind series that prioritizes meaningful storytelling and authentic characters. The nine-episode “WandaVision” spinoff has all the flair and spookiness one would expect from a show following a coven of witches while also delivering an unexpected narrative filled with heart and humor.

Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn) joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in “WandaVision,” the first Disney+ series in the MCU, and became an instant fan favorite. Since her debut, fans have yearned to see her return to the screen, and that return has been magnificent.

With “Agatha All Along” becoming the 11th Marvel Disney+ series and most new Marvel projects receiving mixed reviews, show creator Jac Schaeffer clearly wanted this project to bring something new to the table and knew just how to do it. 

“Agatha All Along” had a relatively low budget compared to similar projects by the studio, costing less than $40 million as compared to projects like “Hawkeye” and “Loki” costing over $150 million. The creative team opted for more practical effects, sets and wardrobe decisions.

This practicality was almost entirely to the benefit of the show as there is clear intentionality with every visual aspect, from Agatha’s mysterious brooch to the contents of Billy Maximoff’s (Joe Locke) bedroom. Additionally, using computer-generated imagery sparingly made the moments that it was used more profound and spectacular.

Two of the best and most iconic moments from the show were the performances of “The Ballad of the Witches’ Road.” Both the “Sacred Chant Version” and “Cover Version” had a unique appeal that pulled the audience into the story with an incredibly catchy melody as well as expressive performances from the cast. 

The “Sacred Chant Version” was the most visually enticing on screen as the Salem Seven (Okwui Okpokwasili, Chau Naumova, Bethany Michelle Curry, Athena Perample, Alicia Vela-Bailey, Britta Grant, Marina Mazepa) chased Billy around Agatha’s house while the coven of witches sang in harmony, seemingly unbothered. The voice of Patti LuPone’s Lilia Calderu was incredibly satisfying as LuPone’s iconic sound delivered haunting harmonies with effortless brilliance.

As beautiful as the scenes were with the Salem Seven in them, the group lacked substance, existing only to move the plot along and create suspense without real stakes. They were depicted as a dangerous threat, scaring Agatha into gathering her coven, but the audience never saw any combat or fight scene to indicate their power or strength. All they did for the whole series was chase the coven around, which was a relatively failed attempt at suspense after their first appearance in the second episode.

As mentioned before, LuPone’s performance as Lilia was by far the most engaging and touching. Lilia is a divination witch, and her consciousness experiences short slips into the future throughout the series, creating a string of ominous premonitions. LuPone’s depiction of these slips was equally captivating and startling. 

The seventh episode, which focused on Lilia’s backstory and journey, profoundly depicted fate, mortality and transformation. Lilia’s acceptance of death as inevitable allowed her to confront her self-doubt in a moment of crisis and gain clarity on who she needed to be to the witches around her. Lilia had immense depth and an outstanding character arc.

While Agatha’s arc and growth were also wholehearted and successfully blurred the lines of villain and anti-hero, her comedic appeal was more distinct with her quick-witted quips and flawless timing. Her line, “If you want straight answers, ask a straight lady,” was particularly gratifying after watching the romantic and sexual tensions between her and Rio Vidal (Aubrey Plaza) grow.

“Agatha All Along” was promoted by the cast as being Marvel’s “gayest project yet,” which it definitely accomplishes through Agatha and Rio’s relationship and Billy’s gay identity. Billy has been a fan favorite for gay comic book fans since his “Young Avengers” appearance in 2005, and “Heartstopper” star Locke continues the character’s gay legacy in a fresh way.

However, Locke’s performance sometimes lacks throughout the series as his American accent isn’t perfected, and his delivery of lines can occasionally feel a bit monotone. Regardless, Locke makes the role his own by adding his own charm and having great on-screen chemistry with the rest of the cast.

In an era where spinoffs are disappointing nine times out of 10, “Agatha All Along” is an intentionally crafted series that hopefully encourages other Marvel projects to prioritize meaningful storytelling over all else.

“Agatha All Along” is now streaming on Disney+.