It’s that time again where us Marvelites discuss and fangirl about all things WandaVision! Welcome back!
Today, we have another two-fer for your! We’ll be talking about all the tricks and treats hidden in both episode 6 and episode 7. Let’s get to it!
EPISODE 6: All New Halloween Spectacular!
Wanda and Pietro’s accents
In the last episode, we saw the return of Wanda’s Sokovian accent. This is important to note because it signifies the return of her old self: the scared, frustrated and traumatized person she used to be before she became an Avenger. After Pietro was killed by Ultron, the Avengers became her new family. All of that came crumbling down after Infinity War/Endgame. The steady decline since then has her reverting back to her old headspace, allowing her to surrender herself to isolation and anger.
Pietro’s curious appearance, however, provides a lack thereof. His accent could possibly have disappeared due to an entirely different reason: He’s not the same Pietro from the MCU. In fact, he could very well be a different Pietro from a parallel universe. This could explain why he and Wanda have different childhood memories and why he’s aware of Wanda’s reality-warping.
Wanda’s control over Vision
Much to Wanda’s dismay, it seems like Vision has finally achieved full autonomy. By the end of the episode, he’s able to sneak away toward the barrier without Wanda knowing. Unlike the other citizens of Westview, Wanda cannot fully control Vision because of 3 reasons:
- He’s not human—Townsfolk like Herb, Dottie, and Norm are more likely to fall under Wanda’s mind control because they have human minds that can easily be influenced through supernatural means. Vision, however, is a highly sophisticated computer program with a synthezoid body and an Infinity Stone for a mind. No one’s getting inside his head if he doesn’t want them there.
- He’s dead—Remember, Wanda is using Vision’s real life corpse to keep his memory alive, literally. Whatever changes she’s made to his mind can easily be undone due to reality fixing itself.
- Both of their powers originate from the Mind Stone—They’re immune to each other’s abilities.
Uncle Pietro being a Vampire comment
Last time we checked, Pietro was shot to death by genocidal robots. Like Vision, he shouldn’t be alive in any way, shape, or form, yet here he is. Thus, Billy and Tommy are right in this regard; Pietro is very much a vampire.
Bleeding, Broken or On Fire Comment
Besides Monica, there are three other major characters who have experienced severe trauma prior to the series: Pietro, Vision, and Wanda. Pietro, for starters, died from being shot multiple times by Ultron’s army. We’re constantly reminded of this through flashbacks, but in this episode specifically we see a terrifying glimpse of Pietro in his dead form, bleeding bullet wounds and all.
Even though Vision is not human, he’s definitely had his fair share of trauma and devastation. The love of his life had to blast his body to bits while Thanos ripped his brain from his head. He couldn’t even rest in peace as S.W.O.R.D. thought it would be appropriate to experiment on his corpse. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that Vision is very broken, in more ways than one.
When Monica recovered from being in Westview, she describes the experience as an all-consuming world of grief. She never specifies whose grief she’s feeling, but most signs point to Wanda. In theory, Wanda could be feeding off her own feelings of despair and isolation in order to fuel her telepathic abilities; very similar to how flames in a fire grow as they consume everything in their path.
Vision stepping out of the bubble
It’s crucial to remember that Vision is dead in our universe . . . very dead. In Westview, Wanda has twisted the natural laws of reality so much that she was able to resurrect Vision in all his robot glory. So, in a way, he’s safe . . . as long as he stays in Westview’s curious version of reality. If he so much as steps out, even for a few seconds, reality will catch up with him and he’ll die horrifically (for the third time, no less).
Unleash Hell Demon Spawn Comment
Pietro and Wanda chaperone Billy and Tommy while they go trick-or-treating around Westview. This is the boys’ first Halloween, so they’re pretty excited. As they head off in search of candy, Pietro jokingly calls them demon spawn and tells them to “Unleash hell”. This may seem like an innocent little comment, but it reveals more about the origin of Billy and Tommy. In the comics, the twins were born as a result of Wanda siphoning energy from a powerful demon named Mephisto, thereby making them literal demon spawn. Is Pietro saying this because he’s from a reality in which his nephews truly are demon spawn, or is this just another example of the writers alluding to the source material? I’ll let you decide.
Extent of Wanda’s powers
During the episode’s main story arc, Vision tries to get some answers by exploring the outskirts of Westview. At first all is as it should be: Trick or treaters are running amok, parents are chasing after their children, the usual Halloween shenanigans. But then Vision reaches a part of town where people are literally frozen in time. Bewildered, Vision turns into his synthezoid form and soars above town to get a better view on things. He quickly realizes that the people who are near Wanda are actually still able to move around while those who are closer to the edge (and farther away from her) aren’t moving at all.
Not much is explained regarding this phenomena, but there are two very plausible explanations behind it:
- Wanda’s powers are distance-based. Her ability to control someone depends on how far away from Wanda that person is. This explains why all the trick or treaters surrounding Wanda are moving around while those who are further away are lifeless statues.
- Wanda conserves her energy. In the previous episode, Wanda explains to Vision that it’s impossible for her to control every single action of every single citizen in Westview. She implies that her powers aren’t that extensive and the toll on her would simply be too much. Perhaps, Wanda succeeds in taking over Westfield by simply choosing to only affect those who are in her immediate vicinity.
EPISODE 7: Breaking the Fourth Wall
Nexus Commercial
One of the most popular aspects of WandaVision are the whimsical and somewhat unsettling commercials. They usually take the form of a random fictional product that seemingly has nothing to do with the storyline. If you listen closely, however, you’ll find that the writers always manage to sneak in a well-concealed Easter egg or two.
For Episode 7, the commercial revolves around Nexus, a fictional anti-depressant. It has the look and feel of a real life pharmaceutical commercial, complete with a sad-looking woman, a calming narrator, and a long list of side effects.
But what’s this ad really selling? Well, let’s look at the name of the drug.
According to the Marvel wiki, a Nexus is a multi-dimensional gateway that allows access to all realities, timelines, and parallel universes. In terms of WandaVision, Wanda’s ability to create an entirely original pocket universe would definitely be considered as opening a Nexus.
The list of side effects also provide a ton of clues:
- Feeling your feelings—It’s not hard to see that Wanda is in the middle of a mental breakdown and is definitely feeling some repressed emotions.
- Confronting your truth and seizing your destiny—Wanda is depressed but is too afraid to admit it to herself. So her subconscious is trying to help her move on by forcing her to right her wrongs and confront her grief.
Possible Nexus Beings
Now that we’ve defined the word Nexus, let’s look at the individuals who are associated with them, also known as Nexus Beings. In the comics, a Nexus Being is a person with the ability to affect probability and therefore has control over the future of their given reality. They wield extraordinary power over the forces of time and reality which allows them to access all points of the multiverse. Because of this, they are often considered to be the physical anchor between realities.
According to lore, there can only be one Nexus Being for each reality, but many Marvel fans theorize that the MCU reality already has multiple. Here are a few possible Nexus Beings from WandaVision:
Wanda
Wanda is of course the most obvious candidate for a Nexus Being; her powers very closely resemble that of the Reality Stone. Not to mention she’s the one responsible for creating and maintaining an entire pocket dimension that’s independent from the real world.
Monica
Before episode 7, we only had a handful of clues regarding Monica’s bourgeoning powers. Throughout the series, she is constantly reminded of not only the death of her mother, Maria, but also how she fearlessly spearheaded the S.W.OR.D. program. There’s no doubt that Monica is feeling some pressure to live up to her mother’s legacy. This constant connection with her mother goes one step further when you realize that the word Photon was Maria’s codename. Photon just so happens to be the codename of Monica’s character in the comics.
Another element that foreshadowed Monica’s powers was the fact that her cells were changing due to her exposure to the Hex. She was able to pass through it twice without getting killed or erased from reality. After recovering at the S.W.O.R.D. base, she still had all her faculties and was even able to recall what being in the Hex felt like. So, it’s no surprise that Monica had developed powers that enable to her pass through Hex without being affected . . . powers that only a Nexus Being would be able to wield.
Vision
Although we’ve established that Vision is definitely not in fine working order, he can still possibly be a Nexus Being. He’s able to unlock the subconscious of anyone in Westview and he was able to detect that something sinister was at work behind the scenes. In a way, this is Vision’s own form of reality warping since it allows him to sense and look beyond the reality of Westview.
Final Thoughts
With only two episodes left, there are still so many questions that desperately need to be answered. Who else is a Nexus Being? Is there a correlation between the Infinity Stones and the main characters? Will Vision be resurrected once and for all this time? And for the love of God, where is Doctor Strange when you need him?
Hopefully everything works out well for Wanda. Maybe we’ll get some background information regarding the true nature of her powers. Maybe Agatha will end up being an ally to Wanda the same way Loki was to Thor. But then again, this is WandaVision, anything can happen, right?
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