Agatha All Alongside season 1 episode 5 “Acquainted by Thy Aspect” actually got here by means of with the claims that this was Marvel’s homosexual present but. This comes after Marvel has hemmed and hawed for years about committing to having LGBTQ+ characters and never simply pushing us again into the closet. On this episode we actually noticed that occur to Billy and acquired to expertise his facet of the story. And Marvel did all of it in a means that proves that Agatha All Alongside isn’t a throw-away mini-series. It’s a fastidiously structured present that’s enjoyable, layered, and the most effective issues I’ve seen since WandaVision got here round. Merely put, I need extra of this and regardless of the writers of this present have cooking subsequent.
What Agatha Informed Billy
Out of the whole lot that occurred in “Acquainted by Thy Aspect,” Agatha’s speech to Billy was the one which made me tear up. Agatha simply acquired thrown right into a tar pit that consumed her on the facet of the Witches Street. She additionally simply confronted her mom and was reminded of her useless baby. And she or he’s on this loopy journey with the son of the girl who put her below a spell for 3 years. Nonetheless, Agatha made positive to inform Billy what she had at all times wished somebody instructed her. She validated his experiences and his powers whereas telling him to not be ashamed of himself. And it breaks my coronary heart on the thought that nobody has ever instructed Agatha that.
Wanting again at episode 5 “Darkest Hour, Wake Thy Energy,” we acquired to see the abuse that Agatha went by means of on the hand of Evanora. Not simply that, we additionally noticed how the presence of her mom turned Agatha into a toddler once more. Agatha begged Billy to not depart her alone together with her mom and that she might be good. This is among the strongest witches on this planet. And her monster is her mom and the reason for the deep-seated trauma response we noticed. So despite the fact that Agatha’s on reverse ends of the whole lot with Billy, she’s going to make it some extent to let him know that it doesn’t matter what he has completed, to not really feel responsible about his expertise, how he survived, and the way particular he’s.
MORE: Revisit what we realized about Agatha in episode 5 right here.
I’m nonetheless very a lot of the opinion that not all villains want a tragic backstory. However Agatha’s backstory, it made her who she is. And she or he would possibly remorse some issues, particularly relating to her baby or her love for Rio. However the energy she holds and the individual that she is, Agatha isn’t ashamed of that. She’s happy with how far she’s come and the way she survived. And she or he wouldn’t need me because the viewer to make excuses for her present actions due to her previous. As a result of she survived and he or she’s utilizing the truth that she’s nonetheless right here to ensure that the subsequent highly effective witch she comes face-to-face with will get to listen to the factor she wished somebody would have instructed her. And for that, I’m happy with Agatha.
Billy Backstory and the Seek for Tommy
For weeks on finish everybody’s been speculating on what Billy’s motivations are. And with the reveal of Wiccan in episode 5, hypothesis has exploded. Folks thought that Billy had deliberate this from day one and he’s this large tremendous powered magic person who killed Mrs Hart aka Sharon. However none of that’s true. Billy inhabited the physique of William Kaplan on the very second one died and the opposite ceased to have a physique. And it was tragic and heart-wrenching to observe the lifetime of a younger man on the cusp of maturity disappear and get replaced by one other. It’s no surprise that Billy was confused after the accident. He simply mentioned goodbye to his mother and father and his brother to get up within the physique of a young person.
Billy’s hunt for his brother Tommy in Agatha All Alongside Season 1 Episode 6 additionally is smart within the grand scheme of issues. I’ve seen some chatter on-line of individuals being mad that it was talked about that Wanda is useless and that’s why Billy’s not searching for her. However I don’t consider that. I particularly don’t consider that as a result of it’s Wanda Maximoff and Agatha’s remark about each witch with a heartbeat figuring out about him now. You assume that Wanda aka the Scarlet Witch who hopped dimensions to seek out her youngsters, isn’t going to really feel this? Additionally, Billy is just not as robust as Wanda. So if he thinks that his mom and father are useless, he’s going to go for the one individual he feels a reference to however can’t discover. He’s going to go after his brother.
However don’t get me incorrect right here or assume that I don’t need Wanda again. I do. And Billy, as soon as he grasps onto his powers and realizes his mom is on the market, he’s going to seek out her. There’s no world the place he wouldn’t go and discover her, particularly as a result of he is aware of how a lot Wanda sacrificed for him in Westview. Or I might be utterly incorrect and he learns about what his mom did after and decides to show away from her. However I don’t assume that’s going to occur based mostly on what he mentioned on the finish of this episode. He’s not that good. And he meant it much less “Oh, I’m an edgy teenager” and extra “I’ve completed issues I remorse.” So what have you ever completed Billy? Apart from, inhabit the physique of William.
And Then There’s the Kiss
I’m not even mad that we acquired to see Billy and Eddie kiss earlier than Agatha and Rio in “Acquainted by Thy Aspect.” The latter will take just a little bit longer to get to kissing territory, particularly as a result of one in all them appears to be accountable for the loss of life of the opposite one’s baby. It’s just a little onerous to recover from that. However the kiss between Billy and Eddie. Let’s speak about that. I like Marvel for lots of issues however I’m continuously pissed off with them ignoring the LGBTQ+ neighborhood. Too usually individuals like us usually are not included within the narrative and our kisses are actually deleted. And once we are included, Disney/Marvel acts prefer it’s the primary queer character they’ve ever had. It’s by no means the primary.
MORE: Agatha All Alongside has disillusioned us earlier than relating to LGBTQ+ kisses. Learn the way right here.
However it’s the first time in current reminiscence for me that they really went for a kiss. Not only a easy peck. We’re speaking a kiss that’s undeniably romantic and that the digital camera didn’t pan away from prefer it’s some large secret. This isn’t a secret. There are homosexual individuals in Marvel. And I’m right here for all of it. I’m particularly right here for it as a result of it means that there’s a younger individual someplace watching the present and seeing themselves for the primary time in Marvel. This individual is now trying by means of the comics, attending to know Wiccan, and falling in love with a personality identical to them, once more, possibly for the primary time.
No matter’s happening at Marvel proper now relating to this LGBTQ+ kiss, I hope they maintain going. Give us that Agatha in Rio kiss. Give us kisses and tales about pleased wives defending the world or two dads elevating a household on the finish of the world. Embrace us within the tales that we have now been watching or studying for many years. And please make it that we’re there for greater than two seconds. As a result of I do know that Marvel has been scared for a really very long time about negating a sure bigoted a part of their fan base. Cash talks after Our cash is simply as inexperienced as anybody else’s and also you’ve clearly by no means understood the true energy of queer stan tradition. For years I’ve watched the facility of the Stucky ship. Now think about if Marvel leaned into that, was intentional, and tapped into that stan energy. Child, you’d be really unstoppable then.
Agatha All Alongside releases new episodes every Wednesday on Disney+.