'You've heard of people who leach all the colour out of the room? Well, I'm so bad, I even do it to myself.' Photos: Handout
During a perilous moment for herself and her hastily-assembled coven – one revolving around an enchanted rock ballad – everyone's (other) favourite witch Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn) exhorts a comrade: "Stop phoning it in! Play like a witch!"
In truth, no one in the cast or creative team behind Marvel's new streaming series Agatha All Along can be accused of phoning it in.
This delightfully batty effort picks up a while after WandaVision left off, with Agatha still powerless and trapped in the faux reality of Westview.
Thanks to a nosy youth she dismissively nicknames Teen (Joe Locke), Agatha remembers who she used to be and sets out on the Witches' Road, a dangerous path that could nonetheless lead to the return of her powers.
First, though, she has to find it – and that's where her coven, or rather a lack of one, comes in.
So it's all about building a team first and then a "hero's" journey next; albeit one filled with snark, rhymes-with-witchiness, perhaps an overload of contrivance, and oh, so much fun.
And a load of hazards, of course, with characters getting into mortal danger quite often over the initial batch of episodes made available for review.
'Behold! Reciting the Ballad of the Witches' Road has unveiled to us... a giant slab of blue cheese. Thanks for nothing, girls.'
Conjured up by WandaVision creator Jac Schaeffer, Agatha All Along is a breezy, bonkers ride for its first third or so, and we can only hope it keeps this up all the way through.
Hahn is in fine form here as she rapidly switches gears from selfish to bossy, manipulative to rhymes-with-witchy, snarky to sneaky, in making Agatha – well, to be honest, she's far from sympathetic and maybe just halfway approaching likable.
But at a time when there seems to be a near-universal struggle with empowerment issues in one form or another, she's certainly relatable enough.
Such a deliciously rendered character needs top-notch foils to play off against, and there's a great line-up assembled – from Locke to returning WandaVision co-star Deborah Jo Rupp (That '70s Show) to Saturday Night Live alumnus Sasheer Zamata, Broadway veteran Patti LuPone (Evita) to Ali Ahn (Raising Dion, The Diplomat).
Oh, and let's not forget a tantalising turn by Aubrey Plaza as frenemy/warrior witch Rio, who has a history with Agatha.
'The person who jinxed me isn't a Destiny's Child fan. For some reason I just can't say my name, say my name.'
The show also honours its roots, not so much the comic-book origins but screen depictions of witchery, from the "traditional" to the offbeat and quirky, notably recent fare like The Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina or Wednesday.
If anything, its vibe – at times bordering on Burtonesque – might seem a tad familiar (pardon the witchy reference), though mostly in a comforting way.
Special mention must also be made of the haunting Ballad Of The Witches' Road – a prerequisite to access said pathway – composed by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez.
Expect (at least) two amazing renditions of it from the cast, one a "sacred chant" and the other a full-blown rock ballad (with dire peril attached).
You would think they need not have gone to such lengths as to develop an entire musical number, twice at that, but it just adds a whole other appealing dimension to the show.
It all goes to show how wide and full of wonders the Marvel Universe is, even its darker corners. And with Halloween approaching, exploring those nocturnal nooks makes perfect viewing fare for the season.
Put the cauldron on, boils and ghouls, we've got viscera. Uh, visitors.
Agatha All Along starts streaming on Disney+ Hotstar on Sept 19. New episodes arrive weekly.
Summary:
Creepy. Kooky. Snarky. Witchy.
