Warning: this article contains SPOILERS for episode 7 of WandaVision
Fans of Disney+’s WandaVision know how the series has packed in many twists to make it one of the most popular TV shows in the world.
But the stunning revelation in episode 7 was so huge that it literally crashed Disney Plus. This may not be surprising given what a game-changer it was.
Who Is Agnes?
For six episodes, it appeared that Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) was somehow controlling the town of Westview. Her reality-controlling powers altered the town into various TV sitcoms with all those inside under her spell.
But episode 7 revealed that the real force behind Wanda’s “Hex” was eccentric next-door neighbor Agnes (Kathryn Han). Or, to use her true name, Agatha Harkness.
First appearing in 1970, Agatha is a centuries-old witch who had been a mentor to Wanda in the comics. Usually depicted as an older woman, she uses her power for good but has been tempted by dark magics.
From her first appearance on the show, Agnes/Agatha has been the one person in Westview not affected by Wanda’s powers. She’s merely been playing along while subtly manipulating Wanda’s actions.
All this time, Agatha had been playing a long game to trick Wanda with the ultimate goal of gaining her trust and becoming close to Wanda’s sons.
Crashing Disney+
The demand for the episode (even before word of Agatha’s appearance spread) was so huge that Disney+ itself could barely handle it.
As reported by DownDetector, almost 17,000 reported issues (from buffering to lagging to simply unable to run the site) had been reported at 3:00 am EST, which is when the episodes first appear.
The issues seemed to continue until at least 4:30 am before being resolved.
While those issues have been normalized, the more the news of the Agatha twist spreads, the more likely people will flood the service, so the issues may continue.
What this means
While some viewers had theorized Agnes was Agatha, the confirmation was a huge shakeup to the show. Now, fans are wondering what the endgame can be.
It’s still unrevealed just how long Agatha has been manipulating Wanda and what her own magical abilities are. It’s also debatable how involved she is with the resurrection of Wanda’s brother Pietro (now played by Evan Peters of the X-Men movies).
A major fan theory is that Mephisto, the Devil of the Marvel Universe, is somehow involved in all this. Agatha could be an agent of Mephisto using Wanda for their own ends.
The episode showed Agatha possesses the Darkhold, an ancient volume of dark magic referenced in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Runaways. This can easily be used with Wanda’s powers to summon Mephisto to Earth.
Another reference was to the Nexus, an interdimensional gateway in the comics. This could foreshadow the upcoming Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness film where Wanda will star.
Still another turn in Episode 7 was Monica Rambeau (Teynoah Harris) managing to enter the field around Westview, which granted her superpowers. This promises to set up Monica’s own turn to become a heroine like in the comics.
The reveal of Agnes as Agatha is a huge twist that changes everything about WandaVision. With just two episodes to go, the series seems set to raise the stakes for a stunning finale.
WandaVision airs new episodes every Friday on Disney+