All Along I’ve Been Watching the Disney+ Series Agatha All Along by Michael Katz

Agatha All Along is an intelligent and entertaining blend of character, comedy, camaraderie, and creepiness.  It is one of the best things Disney+ has put out since The Mandalorian.  Watch it before you read any spoilers about the series.  Then when you’re done, watch it again.

Somehow, these short episodes (35 minutes or so each) present fully fleshed characters who go through true character arcs.  Some of the players are more complete than others, but all have interesting aspects to their personalities.  The main character, Agatha, ably played by Kathryn Hahn with a blend of snark, sass and sadness, is shown to have different personas at different times. Hahn shows a wide range as an actress. 

And she is not even the main character in each episode.  The ever-delightful Aubrey Plaza is a mysterious, dark character whose secrets outnumber her witty barbs.  Patti LuPone is a seasoned stage and screen actress who plays Lilia to a tee.  Episode 7 focuses on her and is particularly powerful.  Perhaps the most intriguing person is the youth at times called only Teen, played extremely well by Joe Locke, who should have a future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Each episode has a version of a catchy song called The Witches’ Road, different versions of which occur at different times in the series.  Five women and a teen boy head down the namesake Witches’ Road, a dangerous journey that sets forth a series of tests where each character has special abilities that must come into play.  They are being followed by the Salem Seven, a seriously chilling coven of witches seeking to kill Agatha and her traveling team. The Seven’s design, their method of movement, send shivers down one’s spine each time they appear on camera—and they don’t even show up for long periods of time.

If you get to Episode 6 you see some of the backstory filled in, as some the characters crossed paths with each other before we met them.  Episode 7 highlights Lillia, a divination witch/fortune teller who has lived centuries and whose life is not linear.  Her past and future meet in a particularly powerful storyline that loops in on itself and ends on a strongly satisfactory note.

There are so many small things going on in the background of each episode that it is worth watching the series more than once. The writers, the directors, the set designers, have filled every episode with callbacks to the history of magic, to the Disney+ WandaVision series, and to other movies and TV shows that have loaned their influences to Agatha All Along.  From dialogue to set pieces to backgrounds, there is so much to take in that the internet will be a great help—when you are done the series.

Best of all, the series is going to lead somewhere. Some of the characters are seeking something in particular at the end of the Witches’ Road.  In particular, Teen’s goal is likely to appear in future Marvel projects.  And with a double episode left to go in the series, I wouldn’t rule out any past characters coming back to make guest appearances.

The series is well worth watching. Head down the Witches’ Road and enjoy the trip.