Ive Just Worked Out What The Title Of Agatha All Along Actually Means & Im So Annoyed It Took Me This Long

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With the story using some intricate moves that went back and forth through the MCU timeline to show events like how Lilia's powers affected her perception of time, and how Billy Maximoff came to have taken over William Kaplan's body, the tale of Marvel magic had many details that looked very different the further you got into the show. As it turns out, one of the details that looks different after viewing a certain amount of the show is its own title, which takes on a new meaning following the final two episodes.

Agatha All Along's Title Looks Very Different After The Show's Ending

The History Of The Witches' Road Means It Really Was Agatha All Along, All Over Again

Initially, it seemed that Agatha All Along's title was a playful reference to the song of the same name from WandaVision, which revealed that "Agnes" was in fact Agatha Harkness, and that Harkness had secretly been tampering with Wanda's altered version of Westview throughout the course of the show. Since this was one of the big things that made the character so beloved - and thus led to her getting her own spinoff show after WandaVision - it made sense that the series would want to evoke memories of this catchy number.

However, Agatha All Along episode 8 & 9 - which released on the same day - changed the tune regarding the show's name significantly. After spending episodes on the fabled Witches' Road, it's revealed that the fable was previously just that, and the Road was a fake story made up by Agatha in order to trick other witches so she could absorb their powers and kill them, with Billy Maximoff's chaos powers having him accidentally and unknowingly make the Road a reality.

This means that the title has a much more direct meaning, as once again, it was Agatha all along who was secretly responsible for the ordeals the main characters were going through - only this time because she made up the Witches' Road. With the character establishing herself as so untrustworthy both in WandaVision and throughout Agatha All Along itself, I can't believe it took me this long to make the connection, though the double meaning of the title is a really fun bonus detail for the series when looking back.

Agatha All Along's Name Means The Show's Big Twist Was In Sight From Before Its Release

The MCU Show Swapped Names Several Times, But Settled On Agatha All Along Well Before Release

Agatha All Along underwent several title changes before its release - being Agatha: House of Harkness, Agatha: Coven of Chaos, Agatha: Darkhold Diaries, and briefly and playfully Agatha: The Lying Witch with Great Wardrobe before its final title - with the actual name of the series having been in place from May 2024, which was several months before the show's September debut. This means that well before the first episode, the show had already set up a way for its big Agatha twist to be hiding in plain sight.

Naturally, since the title is also an allusion to a song that audiences of the show would be familiar with, it's not one that many would have thought about for long. This is especially true with the focus beforehand often being more on the sheer number of other titles that came and went for the MCU release, which meant there was less speculation about the actual final title than there potentially could have been were it to have been the concrete name from the start.

Similarly, since Agatha All Along episode 1 kicks off with some major reveals about the aftermath of WandaVision, allusions to what happened to Scarlet Witch, and the mystery around the identity of Teen, thinking about the show's title seemed to be the least interesting part of things from the start right up until the ending reveal. On the plus side, this adds to the potential rewatch value of the series, as on another viewing, almost everything about the early episodes looks different - including even its own title.

I Can't Believe I Didn't Realize Agatha All Along Was Pulling The Same Trick A Second Time

Agatha All Along Sees Agatha Harkness Pull Off WandaVision's Trick All Over Again - On The Characters & The Audience Alike

While I think anyone who didn't immediately realize upon watching the Agatha All Along ending that the title is also set up to refer to Agatha's involvement in creating the Witches' Road could be forgiven for not putting the pieces together - myself included - I am kicking myself for not noticing that the show was setting up to repeat the exact same trick that WandaVision pulled off. This is doubly true since Agatha being responsible for much of the weirdness surrounding an offshoot of the main MCU universe has been her entire story in the franchise thus far.

Agatha's suspicious behavior makes it clear something is afoot from pretty much the first moment we see her, but this is initially explained by her being still trapped in the Agnes identity after WandaVision's ending. After that, there's so much chaos on the Witches' Road itself that it's hard to say her reactions of surprise are anything more than fair responses to what simply could have been different trials to the ones she previously faced - until it becomes clear she never faced any.

One of the biggest strengths of Agatha All Along is the way it keeps viewers on their toes regarding several big mysteries, and then takes care to ensure these major mysteries get satisfying answers that also expand the franchise and its story all the more. The fact its title ties in to this intricate balance isn't surprising, even if it managed to hide in plain sight for most of the show's actual run.

Agatha Harkness, after the events of "WandaVision," seeks to regain her magical powers. Joining forces with unexpected allies, including the son of an old adversary, she battles new mystical threats while uncovering hidden secrets in the magical realm.

Release Date September 18, 2024