As I watched Billy allowing Agatha to absorb some of his magic in the eighth episode, my mind ran back to Episode 5. There, Agatha absorbed Alice's magic, leading to the death of the protection witch. Sure, Billy stopped the process in between by shouting "Nicholas Scratch," but... Agatha did take some of Alice's powers, right? So my question is, how is she not able to cast spells with the bit of magic she absorbs from Alice? Does Agatha need to fulfill specific criteria like crossing a particular limit? And if she cannot meet such conditions, then that means she has failed to steal the other witch's magic, which means that the other witch should be alive. So why does Alice die? Her death indicates that the absorption process succeeded, so why does Agatha remain powerless? What am I missing?
Episodes 8 and 9 of Agatha All Along have been released simultaneously. How's the big finish? It has its moments but is largely repetitive. What's worse is the schmaltzy tone that is used to provide a beating heart to this series, especially Episode 9. When Billy, Jen, and Agatha reach the end of the Witches' Road, they realize they have arrived at the starting point. The Witches' Road, it turns out, is a circle. A frustrated Billy says fuck you to the road, wears his shoes, and finds himself in the final trial. Jen and Agatha soon join him, and it won't be a spoiler to say that the trio successfully completes the trial. One thing leads to another, and we finally get the typical Marvel Big Fight with a dull background and bad CGI. And then, during the final moments, Episode 8 tips its hat to The Usual Suspects as a character notices things around his room and the walls and realizes something.
Episode 9 takes us back to the 1700s to show Agatha giving birth to her child. She asks Rio to spare her son, but the latter only promises to give her more time. At first, you wonder what the point of watching Episode 9 is. All it tells us is that Agatha is a backstabber - a sly, manipulative woman who only loves her son. The previous episodes have made this point clear to us. Is the episode present to simply tug at your heartstrings? The images are not revelatory but too obvious. You do feel a sting when Nicholas dies, and the whole truth about the Witches' Road is displayed with an appealing flamboyance. Agatha was really a very cruel witch/person. She can also be a sexy comedian, as is evident in the scene where Jen unbinds herself, and Agatha, with a comic sensuality, says, "Say it like you mean it." But Episodes 8 and 9 spoil themselves by repeating the same beats again and again. Agatha's sacrifice in Episode 8 comes after plenty of lines that all merely convey, "Will Agatha die, or will she do more emotional manipulations?" The aim might have been to generate uncertainty and suspense, but you get bored after a while. And when Agatha mentions that she is not ready to face Nicholas, you feel confused because she didn't do anything to betray her son. Why is she so afraid? The decision to keep her "alive" only highlights Marvel's tendency to be reluctant when it comes to saying real goodbyes. The universe is already overcrowded with too many superheroes and supervillains. Perhaps the movies and the shows should stop acting like fanboys and let the dead people take a rest.
Final Score – [4.5/10]