Disney+ MCU: Wandavision | January 15, 2021 | UNTAGGED SPOILERS ALLOWED! ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK

[Menor the Destroyer]

I find the mystery pretty compelling and the sitcom parts funny, so I guess I disagree with FilmCritHulk here (which I often do). For me, the issue with mystery boxes is if there's nothing inside the box. There's nothing wrong with them in and of themselves. 

[Daxtreme]

He's entitled to his opinion but I fully disagree with every single thing he said.

 

It's funny for me. I find the mystery riveting. I like what they're going for and the reason behind the mystery. So pretty much exactly the opposite of what he says.

[Legion Again]

Yeah, it’s just too soon to judge the mystery box at this point imo. The first 3 episodes have been good, but it will depend on how they stick the landing.

[lorddemaxus]

1 hour ago, Daxtreme said:

the reason behind the mystery. 

I think his point is less that he doesn't like the reason behind the mystery and more that it doesn't exist at this point at all. 

Edited January 23, 2021 by lorddemaxus

[Legion Again]

24 minutes ago, lorddemaxus said:

I think his point is less that he doesn't like the reason behind the mystery and more that it doesn't exist at this point at all. 

I think our point is that just because he doesn’t know what it is yet doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.

[lorddemaxus]

11 minutes ago, WandaLegion said:

I think our point is that just because he doesn’t know what it is yet doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.

But clear conflict and motivation is something that should exist at all points of a story. These things should not be the mystery that's later revealed. Again, going back to Lost, it involves the narrative having clear central mysteries and character goals right from the first episode, which it then expands on with its reveals and twists. 

Edited January 23, 2021 by lorddemaxus

[terrestrial]

I think people who set too narrow rules for how a genre should be handled miss too often eg genre-mix tries, or tries to create a - even if its only slightly differing - variation that uses atypical building blocks.

A bit like music not being true country, rock, blues, and as such waving away a ix of those.

 

In this case its atypical building blocks as I think they are - even if its a new aspect, something not introduced yet - building up on expecting the viewers to have at least seen the Avenger movies and probably the big (character amount wise) overlap movie CA Civil War.

There is only the need to introduce the new factor as a starting point, the variation, the black-and white world, plus the hints for something is not normal inside and that there us an outside of today still. 

The usual mysteries have another starting point, also another need of speed, as those are often one episode cases or one episode cases with an additional story arc winding through a season.

 

Today we are a bit more used to eg cop TV series take for their cases the time for being a season long till ione is solved, see The Wire, or the first of those, Stephen J Cannell’s Wiseguy, but those are still a small part of the sum.

 

As Wiseguy appeared first, then too some people - at first - were not that happy based on not following the rules, later. as people started to understand and adjust, it earned eg a Golden Globe.

 

Not saying it will end with noms, but me too think certain simpler details are actively a rather good decision, if she or one other entity  created the situation.

No one dreams every little detail to a deep dimensional degree, as... dreaming

[terrestrial]

19 minutes ago, lorddemaxus said:

But clear conflict and motivation is something that should exist at all points of a story. These things should not be the mystery that's later revealed. Again, going back to Lost, it involves the narrative having clear central mysteries and character goals right from the first episode, which it then expands on with its reveals and twists. 

Lost needed to add a more obvious script, as viewers din’t knew what should be the normal, amd honestly? Lost has nothing to do with this show in my POV

[Menor the Destroyer]

39 minutes ago, lorddemaxus said:

But clear conflict and motivation is something that should exist at all points of a story. These things should not be the mystery that's later revealed. Again, going back to Lost, it involves the narrative having clear central mysteries and character goals right from the first episode, which it then expands on with its reveals and twists. 

But Wanda's current motivation is pretty clear. The mystery is in how all of this came to be. 

[lorddemaxus]

5 minutes ago, Menor said:

But Wanda's current motivation is pretty clear. The mystery is in how all of this came to be. 

It hasn't been made explicit in the show yet though. There's a vague idea that's obscured here and would only make sense if you watched Infinity War. And the question of "how did all of this come to be?" hasn't been posed by the narrative itself either and again requires a familiarity with the character for the audience to even ask. I think a problem is that the main character is a character who probably already knows quite a bit of the answers and it's hard to reveal much about her at this point without spoiling a large portion of the mystery. It's kinda like if they made Jacob the main character in Lost or for another example. Anthony Hopkins's character the main character of Westworld.

[terrestrial]

1 hour ago, lorddemaxus said:

watched Infinity War

But how few will even watch WandaVision without having seen those?

 

Earnestly, I do think its not needed to be that narrow in its story telling rules based on probably (example)  98% of the viewers actually do know the background and so on, maybe a few young ones might gotten added, but those too will have a general knowledge already

[XXR vs XXR]

1 hour ago, lorddemaxus said:

There's a vague idea that's obscured here and would only make sense if you watched Infinity War. And the question of "how did all of this come to be?" hasn't been posed by the narrative itself either and again requires a familiarity with the character for the audience to even ask.

 

I mean, yea. Not understanding WandaVision because you didn't see Infinity War or Endgame is like complaining that you didn't understand season 3 of Game of Thrones after missing seasons 1 and 2. 

People have to adjust their thinking. The MCU is serialized storytelling across multiple platforms/franchises. It's time for people (fans and critics) to evolve and not need their hands held through every event.

[lorddemaxus]

20 minutes ago, VenomXXR said:

 

I mean, yea. Not understanding WandaVision because you didn't see Infinity War or Endgame is like complaining that you didn't understand season 3 of Game of Thrones after missing seasons 1 and 2. 

People have to adjust their thinking. The MCU is serialized storytelling across multiple platforms/franchises. It's time for people (fans and critics) to evolve and not need their hands held through every event.

None of what I'm talking about is the same as having your hands held lol. And what you said would be true if the MCU actually did work like that but each different MCU mini-franchise work fine by themselves. The MCU is nowhere near as heavily serialised as an actual TV show. They don't intentionally obscure basic plot and character elements in the name of mystery either. 

 

And watching Infinity War doesn't solve the problem either because again, her motivation and goals aren't explicitly stated there either. It's just a pretty easy guess based on the events of that film.

Edited January 23, 2021 by lorddemaxus

[FilmFincher]

Again, enjoyed the episode just fine. Was entertained. Nothing meaty to dig into, the same as the last two episodes 'look as us being a sitcom' for a majority of it and then a quick tease to the actual plot. 

 

I think the key to it, is how entertained and gripped are you by the sitcom aspect of the show (especially because it makes up the bulk of the episode). I was very entertained by Ep.2 and thought I could do with more of this. However Ep.1/3 were very hit or miss for me comedy wise and I found myself just waiting for the larger narrative to kick in. 

 

It's the same any show with this standalone/tease structure. Are you entertained by 'Mando helping the local sheriff, Jack chasing the ghost of his dead father, Daisy and Coulson in a time loop, The Winchester boys tracking down a ghost'. Whatever it is, you have to be entertained by that first and foremost or you're going to be tapping your toes waiting for things to get a move on. 

Edited January 23, 2021 by FilmFincher

[charlie Jatinder]

I don't know who this critichulk guy is, but for something like WV I will take opinion of fans of the community than some critic.

[Madhuvan]

I am not that familiar with all the American sitcoms. Yes, I knew about I love Lucy and Bewitched but never watched and I still loved both episodes.

I don't understand why you need to be familiar with sitcoms to understand WandaVison. It's fairly easy to grasp. Yes, there is a mystery shrouding all the events but it will become clear with each episode. 

 

Also, I am really excited for Episode 4. Kevin Feige has hinted that from 4th episode Act 2 starts. 

[terrestrial]

9 hours ago, VenomXXR said:

The MCU is serialized storytelling across multiple platforms/franchises. It's time for people (fans and critics) to evolve and not need their hands held through every event.

best answer about the difference of MCU to eg solo TV series (in this case).

It has in so e details its own rules, can work with other building blocks, can test and try things that can (and mostly do) work.

[eddyxx]

That 3rd episode was so good. Wish I had the rest now lol.

[Spidey Freak]

19 hours ago, terrestrial said:

Not saying it will end with noms, but me too think certain simpler details are actively a rather good decision, if she or one other entity  created the situation.

No one dreams every little detail to a deep dimensional degree, as... dreaming

Exactly. The argument that "This is not exactly how The Brady Bunch was but how people think of how the show was" unintentionally makes the case for the show as this situation has been created by Wanda or someone trying to trick Wanda by using their personal impressions of these sitcoms.

[Legion Again]

Per Elizabeth Olsen:
 

Quote

I think the reason why they show the press the first episodes is because Episode 4 is quite a shift. It's a really fun perspective swap and I think a lot gets understood at that moment.

Sounds to me like Act 1 is over and we’re about to get some Woo/Darcy/Sword perspective.