If one area’s improved from 2020, however, it’s entertainment. Movie theatres are open again, albeit in reduced capacities, and having that part of my life back is a major relief. My Disney+ account has also been getting plenty of use, thanks to quality content that actually appeals to me. It almost makes me forgive my yearly subscription fee increasing to $132, but I digress. What I’d like to focus on is Disney+’s MCU shows, and how they’ve dominated the entertainment cycle. Be prepared for spoilers.
WandaVision-Sitcom:
Beginning the slate of Disney+ content in January, WandaVision, focusing on Wanda Maximoff and the sitcom reality she’s created, is the most unique. Sure, it has a big battle in the finale, but most of it’s a TV sitcom starring superheroes. Or, rather, it’s several TV sitcoms starring superheroes. Or maybe it jumps to several settings? Regardless, it’s not your typical MCU affair.
What makes this one stand out is that it can be enjoyed on two levels. It can be appreciated as a wacky spin-off in The MCU, a literal bubble reality, or as a weirdly charming series akin to something from David Lynch. I know that the latter comparison is overused, especially these days, but here it’s appropriate. This is, after all, a show that feels off enough to distract from its disturbing concept. That’s pretty Lynchian, no?
Once you get past the first three episodes, which I enjoyed, the series splits its attention between the world of Westview, and the “real world” of The MCU. And both are woven together nicely, highlighting how Wanda’s dream reality impacts everyone around her. Even in her bubble world, she’s taken people’s minds hostage so they can “play their parts”. That’s pretty messed up when you think about it. And yet, as we find out in Episode 8, we don’t begrudge her because we see why she created this reality. While not justifiable, we sympathize with her.
I’ve heard complaints about the finale undercutting the show, particularly from people who were mad about “Ralph Bohner”, but I think it sticks the landing. It even subverts the conventions of The MCU by having Vision win his fight with philosophy and Wanda win hers by outsmarting her opponent. It also has a heartbreaking ending where Wanda sacrifices her happiness. And all from a series where each episode uses a different, era-appropriate jingle. I can’t recommend it enough.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier-Politics:
Moving on to the early-Spring, we have The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Of all the MCU shows this year, it was my least-favourite. That’s not because it sucks, or because it’s boring, but because it has the most-complicated premise. This is the show that tackles the fallout from The Blip directly, so it’s a show about class politics and national borders. It’s not always successful, it misunderstands Anarchy, but if you’re looking for something akin to the Captain America movies? This is your show.
It even carries the grittier tone of Captain America: The Winter Soldier by having its threat feel grounded. This time, it’s a group of revolutionaries called “The Flag Smashers”, led by Karli Morgenthau. All they want is to unify the world, but their methods aren’t squeaky-clean. The show also has a government-anointed Captain America causing problems, especially given his more…gruesome methods. (Seriously, he decapitates someone in Episode 4.)
Despite the self-serious tone, it still retains the charm of The MCU. It has the humour and soul of their best, including a subplot surrounding Bucky’s PTSD. I especially liked the moment where he confesses to an old man he’s befriended that he’d murdered his son. It drives home the ghosts that soldiers often carry from combat, and it was treated with gravitas. If all else, that alone makes The Falcon and the Winter Soldier worth it.
I know what everyone wants me to talk about, though: Karli. Karli’s characterization has taken a beating for misrepresenting Anarchy, and I get it. But while her arc and resolution raise ethical concerns, and perhaps even some racial ones, I think people are being overly-harsh. Because she gets the conversation started about Nationalism, as well as the consequences of global superpowers not addressing the needs of refugees. If all else, that makes the experience worthwhile.
Loki-Hijinks:
Moving on, the late-Spring resolved a dangling plot thread from The Avengers: Endgame with Loki. I was skeptical of how this’d be handled; after all, isn’t Loki’s shtick that he’s a mischief maker? How could a one-note trait, even if it’s been done well in the movies, translate to a series? Well, Loki acknowledges this in its first episode, including a scene where his life gets interrogated by Morbius. It’s brutal, unapologetic and gut-wrenching. And I love it.
I, therefore, was disappointed when the rest of the show neutered Loki’s mischievousness for a Doctor Who-esque story about variants and conspiracies. It didn’t hinder it, Loki teams up with a gender-bent version of himself named Sylvie and takes on The TVA, but it didn’t feel like Loki was the same from the movies. True, Loki teamed up with Thor in Thor: Ragnarok, but that was to suit his own self-interests. Here, however, Loki’s a run-of-the-mill hero, and that’s kinda boring. But I guess we needed a straight-man to Sylvie, so what do I know?
Speaking of which, Sylvie’s a blast! Ignoring how Loki has alternate versions of himself, something that’s lamp-shaded in Episode 5, Sylvie makes Loki. She’s easily the best part, chewing the scenery whenever she’s present, and her chemistry with Loki, while unconventional, makes for great comedy and sincerity. I especially like their escape on Lamentis-1, and how it ends up not mattering. That level of unpredictability is quintessentially Loki!
If I have one complaint about Loki, it’s the finale. Because it doesn’t have one, instead leaving on a tease for a Season 2. It’s basically Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop all-over, except much better. Still, that I now have to wait another year to continue this story, which ends on a depressing note, is maddening. Oh well!
What If…?-Hypothetical:
Arguably my most-anticipated show of the Summer, What If…? is the most unique MCU series visually. It tackles hypothetical scenarios from the first three phases in a hand-drawn/CGI hybrid style of animation. All the episodes are narrated by The Watcher, a cosmic being who serves as a guide through these scenarios. Each episode’s also self-contained, so they can be watched out of order and enjoyed on their own merits. Considering I normally binge these shows leading to their finales, having an episodic structure allowed me to keep up with it weekly instead…
…Is what I would’ve said, but all that goes out the window with Episode 8. The show then pulls a two-parter that ties back to the previous episodes, as well as a hypothetical one that never aired. It’s annoying that the show does that, as I could no longer enjoy it weekly. It also brought back every focal character from the previous episodes to fight Ultron, and that was a head-scratcher. I mean, I get why it did that, it wanted a big battle, but it didn’t need it…right?
Whatever, I guess it’s this show’s Avengers-esque fight. And it’s not like everything ends up meaning nothing, as each of the prior episodes is still fun. Even Episode 7, arguably the weakest, has its moments. Though my favourite is still Episode 4, which focuses on Dr. Strange fixing the timeline so he can be with Christine, only to keep failing. It’s dark and depressing, and it ends in a dark and depressing way, even calling out The Watcher for not breaking his oath to interfere. I love it.
The other episodes are also fun! I like Episode 3 for being a whodunnit story, and Episode 1 for giving Agent Carter a starring role. But I can’t go without mentioning T’Challa as Star Lord. He’s easily the best Star Lord ever, and it saddens me that he was only theoretical. Then again, given Chadwick Boseman’s death, it’s sad that we didn’t get to see him more as T’Challa either…
Hawkeye-Festive:
Beginning with Thanksgiving and ending before Christmas, Hawkeye’s the Winter offering on Disney+. It’s quite interesting too, taking place around Christmas and focusing on Clint’s demons coming back to haunt him. And all while passing the torch to Kate Bishop, an overambitious 20-something who’s his biggest fan. It’s a buddy series, albeit with a superhero premise. I enjoyed it, but I also had some mild reservations. Though I’m getting ahead of myself.
The two best parts are Kate and the show’s antagonist. With the former, I liked her from the show’s first scene, which travels back to The Avengers. She’s dedicated, motivated, ambitious and fun to see on screen, and her optimism immediately sold me. She’s also a clever detective, and the subplot with her mother’s fiancé’s good stuff. I even liked how she took on Kingpin almost singlehandedly, beating him with her wits.
For the latter, Echo’s interesting in her own right. It’d have been easy to use her disabilities as punchlines, but the show was clever enough to not do that. She’s basically a victim of Clint’s stint as Ronin, her father having-supposedly-died at his hands, and she wants revenge. But revenge doesn’t suit her, so she’s conflicted. It’s an interesting parallel to Kate being enamoured with Clint, to the point of fixation. Plus, conversing in ASL the whole time was neat.
I guess my issue with Hawkeye is Clint. This is the third time where he was set up to die, and it copped out yet again. Not that I mind the ending, his reunion with his family was heartwarming, but considering he had Echo, The Tracksuits, Kingpin and Yelena from Black Widow after him, as well as Kate being handed the torch, it feels like a running joke at this point. Still, if it means seeing Clint console Yelena and convincing her not to take his life, which I liked, then I guess I’ll forgive it. But I really could’ve done with an emotional send-off...
And there you go: the 5 MCU shows that debuted on Disney+. I don’t know if this’ll become a recurring series, but either way, I’ll see you all in 2022!
The two best parts are Kate and the show’s antagonist. With the former, I liked her from the show’s first scene, which travels back to The Avengers. She’s dedicated, motivated, ambitious and fun to see on screen, and her optimism immediately sold me. She’s also a clever detective, and the subplot with her mother’s fiancé’s good stuff. I even liked how she took on Kingpin almost singlehandedly, beating him with her wits.
For the latter, Echo’s interesting in her own right. It’d have been easy to use her disabilities as punchlines, but the show was clever enough to not do that. She’s basically a victim of Clint’s stint as Ronin, her father having-supposedly-died at his hands, and she wants revenge. But revenge doesn’t suit her, so she’s conflicted. It’s an interesting parallel to Kate being enamoured with Clint, to the point of fixation. Plus, conversing in ASL the whole time was neat.
I guess my issue with Hawkeye is Clint. This is the third time where he was set up to die, and it copped out yet again. Not that I mind the ending, his reunion with his family was heartwarming, but considering he had Echo, The Tracksuits, Kingpin and Yelena from Black Widow after him, as well as Kate being handed the torch, it feels like a running joke at this point. Still, if it means seeing Clint console Yelena and convincing her not to take his life, which I liked, then I guess I’ll forgive it. But I really could’ve done with an emotional send-off...
And there you go: the 5 MCU shows that debuted on Disney+. I don’t know if this’ll become a recurring series, but either way, I’ll see you all in 2022!
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