I can’t believe it’s the end of the month already and that another wrap-up post is just ahead of us. Sometimes time doesn’t seem to pass at all and then you blink and a whole month is gone. But anyway, let’s bask in some trailers for now, among which is one of my favourite things to ever grace my screen.
I wasn’t actually tagged for the Evermore Book Tag, but I saw it over at my friend Stephanie’s blog Adventures of a Bibliophile and felt like it would be fun to do. In all honesty, I always vibed more with evermore than with folklore, so, coming up with books to fit song titles should be fun!
I hope by episode 8, you kind of know how things work on here, but just in case this is your first time stopping by (hi, by the way!), the following post is intended to be read after watching the show, because it includes SPOILERS! (If you haven’t seen it yet and you can, watch it with tissues!)
Agatha takes Wanda on a trip down memory lane to discover how the Westview anomaly was created.
When WandaVision calls an episode “Previously On”, they do not mess around. For the longest time, we have been waiting to find out what happened, how Wanda got into Westview and how the hex started. Well, this episode delivered in every possible way.
Before we get into Wanda’s history though, we learned a bit more about Agatha. The episode starts all the way back in Salem in the year 1693. You might presume that it’s part of the witch trials, with last week’s reveal about Agnes/Agatha’s real identity, but on the contrary. Agatha isn’t on trial because she is a witch, she is trialed by her coven sisters because she is using dark magic. In an intriguing show of power, she absorbs her coven members energy, remaining the sole survivor instead of the victim, showing that despite her claims of wanting to be good, she has great potential for evil. As a final act before stepping away from the corpses, she grabs the (to us) now all too well known brooch from her mother’s coat.
Fast forward a couple centuries to modern day Westview and Agatha is still as power hungry as ever. She is amazed and intrigued by Wanda’s sheer power, but also confused by her lack of knowledge and training. Agatha is sure that Wanda is a witch too, an unwilling one who doesn’t want to share her secrets, but a witch nonetheless. So, in order to learn how she created the Westview hex in a matter of moments, when it took Agatha ages to learn even simple transformation spells, they start exploring Wanda’s memory (again, unwillingly, since Agatha is holding the twins hostage).
What follows is a walk through the years, bits and pieces of Wanda’s life that shaped her. A lot of Marvel fans know about these moments, as they have been discussed in previous movies, but they have never been shown with such detail. While I understand that maybe not everyone was interested in seeing this breakdown of her life, I think it was necessary to portray that the true villain in Wanda’s life is grief and her inability to deal with it and/or catch a break from it. Let’s take a look at what we learned:
It’s only after that display that Agatha finally lets her leave this maze of memories. It’s the cries for help from her twins that bring Wanda back to reality, her children the one thing she still cares about more than anything. They are held hostage as Agatha says the words I have waited for for the longest time! We finally, finally, finally get the official name reveal for Wanda, when Agatha explains that the power Wanda possesses should be impossible. It should be nothing more than a myth. But Wanda wields chaos magic and that makes her a SCARLET WITCH!!!
I hear the people who think this episode included a lot of information that was already previously covered in the movies, but when did we ever get a chance to see it with Wanda’s eyes? To feel her pain penetrating ever cell of our bodies, drowning us in the sadness she feels with her? I thought that this was an incredible show of how powerful emotions can be. How dangerous they are if not dealt with. Even Agatha said that Wanda was dangerous and that woman was holding kids hostage while saying that.
But is Agatha really a villain? In the opening scene, she said she could not control these dark powers when she pleaded with her coven. Maybe, in the years since, she found a way to control it and is now not willing to let another powerful witch go rampage on the world. While she was accompanying Wanda through her memories, she was sympathetic, albeit still very straight forward with her comments. She seemed more curious in figuring out what she was dealing with rather than wanting to do any of this herself. Sometimes it even sounded like a tinge of worry for Wanda. I’m sure it will be resolved like many other things next episode.
Now that we know real magic is involved, it seems all the more logical to have a Doctor Strange appearance in the finale, ultimately tying this show to the Multiverse of Madness. I cannot wait!
Lastly, it looks like post-credit scenes are back for good! Once again, I just really want to punch Hayward, because he is such a massive liar. All this time, he had Visions body. All this time, he made Wanda out to be the villain when he was truly the evil one. Bringing the Vision’s body back online worries me. It can’t have his mind, that’s in Westview with Wanda … I think? Who’s to say that Hayward has any kind of control over this version of the Vision’s body? Danger lies ahead.
It also eerily feels like all those theories thinking that Hayward is Ultron or controlled by him make sense. His animosity after Wanda’s betrayal understandable, his lack of faith in humanity and heroes also very on brand. It would be in tune with the animated version, so I’m curious to see if that will actually be true.
It’s Thursday, which means it’s time for the Thursday Movie Picks feature. This series is hosted by Wandering through the Shelves and offers you a weekly prompt to post some movie recommendations/talking points according to the theme. Usually, you are supposed to post about 3-5 examples, which I find a very manageable amount.
The entirety of February is dedicated to a special Romance Edition, focusing on many, many typical romance tropes and themes. This is the final week of the romance themes, as we are in the final week of the month, but it’s also a departure from films and a move to TV shows again. Today we’re going to focus on one of the most dreadful tropes (at least for most people) – Love Triangles. Can there even be such a thing as a good love triangle? Or are some just more notorious than others? Let’s check out my picks!
This feels like one of my first and truly OG love triangles. I was very invested in Dawson’s Creek from a young age on and so very disappointed when people in High School did not actually have these existential crisis and philosophical way of talking. It got to a point, where grade school me really mimicked Joey’s mannerisms … I was always an old soul.
Anyway, to get to the point – this was the first love triangle I was invested in and woah, did I always root for Pacey. He was the one for me.
CONTROVERSIAL, because this is not canon. Veronica Mars has got me through my early teens like no other show. I worshiped Veronica and dang, did I want to be a PI for a while, if only I had the guts and interest in crime like she did. Logan was always my favourite love interest of hers (Duncan Kane who? Piz was cute but could not keep up with her and while I love Leo, they had terrible timing and she was way too young when they first met), but I could not deny seeing a certain spark between her and Weevil. I swear, that had so much more potential than they gave them credit for.
We are going to ignore the final minutes of Season 4 of Veronica Mars exist!!!
My favourite show set in publishing! At first glance, you don’t think any of these relationships should work, with how they all started out with lies, but they both work so well. Charles and Liza are age appropriate, intellectually compatible and both sexy and sweet, but Josh – do not underestimate him! It was clear for a while that he wanted things in life that Liza wasn’t likely able to give him (*cough*children of his own*cough*) but he supported and loved her like no one else. They gravitate towards each other for a reason and I still can see them ending up together eventually.
Simon and Zoey have this deep bond and understanding, both struggling with the death/illnesses of their fathers. It’s something not everyone will get and being able to have serious conversations about grief with someone is essential and beautiful in a partner. But then … I have such a thing for friends to lovers and Max is adorable. He might not get 100% what Zoey is going through, but he still always will keep showing up for her and that’s what you’re looking for too. Could not choose!
The love triangles mentioned above are probably my favourites. I’m usually not very invested in them, but here are some other love triangles of shows (that I sometimes didn’t even finish) and my preferences:
I hope you all had a good week. It’s only today that my removed wisdom teeth doesn’t make a fuss anymore, so I’m hoping that’s a good sign that I can eat normally again soon. That’s really all I want right now, but you are probably here for trailers. Let’s get started on that!
Publisher: Balzer+Bray 
Page Count: 480
I’m definitely not the most up to date person when it comes to book releases, but after reading the marvel that is Soulswift, I can whole-heartedly say that this book deserves more attention. I’m going to do my very best to not spoil anything for you, while still trying to convince you to pick up this fantastic story in the near future!
First off, I want to point out that Soulswift is a standalone fantasy, which is a rare bird to come by to begin with (pun fully intended). So very often, you have to brace yourself for multiple volumes to release over an extended period of time to get to your conclusion, but somehow Bannen managed to pack a fully formed story, neither rushed nor dragging, into this one single book. I am in awe of that woman’s writing!
Stories about faith, even made up ones, are never easy in my opinion. There is such a fine line between religious fanaticism that feels harmful and a certain naivete towards the world and other beliefs that might be frustrating and annoying at times (although it didn’t feel annoying to me here), but which ultimately offers great potential for growth. Bannen allowed us to draw our own conclusions, hearing different aspects and exploring the various angles. It felt very natural for the world she created and I loved that I knew that there were always going to be three sides to the belief system: Gelya’s version, Tavik’s story and the truth.
Why should I worship something that cares so little for me, or for you?
As I moved through Soulswift, I found myself attached to Gelya and Tavik more and more. Their enemies to friends to lovers dynamic and banter was endearing like nothing else, but they were also great characters of their own accords. They both have to overcome a vast amount of prejudice and yet their bond is so strong and frankly beautiful. You will weep for these characters, without a shadow of a doubt, because they are so dedicated and devoted.
Aside from really enjoying the religious aspect, the created world and the characters, it was the small things that made this novel stand out for me. It challenged gender norms and stereotypes without throwing it in your face, but rather letting the characters question their world view through dialogue and realistic situations. For example, I cannot recall another Fantasy novel where a character got her period while on the road, which wasn’t dismissed here, but also not made into this awkward big deal. I really appreciated that!
Life and Death
All things in balance.
Aside from the topic of faith, which might not be everyone’s cup of tea, be it fictional or not, the ending isn’t something every reader will love either. I’m fully in the camp “a good ending doesn’t mean a happy ending”, but if you seek a story that will leave you warm and joyful, this is not it. I’m not saying it ends it utter devastation, because everything makes sense and is very beautiful in its own way, but also tragic. So very tragic and sad. I cried.
Fazit: 5/5 stars! 100% one of my new all-time favorites!!!
Here comes the obligatory warning that the following post does in fact include SPOILERS, so if you haven’t been able to watch the episode yet, I recommend you return afterwards. Here we go!
Wanda starts to loose grip on her universe after expanding it, while Monica tries to reenter the hex to help everyone inside before Hayward does something drastic.
If this episode wasn’t a mix of Modern Family and The Office, then I don’t even know. I guess we are through all the decades now? It should be interesting what the theme of next week will be, as I do believe we have now reached the end of Wanda’s broadcasting era. I was a little disappointed to see that the episode wasn’t longer though, because there was an announcement that the last three episodes would be an hour long, but I am happy about whatever WandaVision content I can get and it was obviously going to end on a cliffhanger anyway, since we are in the final stretches of the show.
Still, this episode had some reveals that a lot of us had guessed for a while, which may not seem super exciting to most, but it was the big set up for the grand finale. I don’t think it was the best episode of the season, but I also thought that the reveals were well done. There’s grief, pain and still a lot of fight left in our characters to explore.
I’m going to keep the “outside Westview” thoughts really brief, because as we know from last time, most of it has been absorbed into the hex now.
Poor Wanda. Just when she wants a day for herself, it becomes abundantly clear just how little control she has over Westview. She was really on the brink of giving in to life just being meaningless, letting her grief and depression almost reach a peak. Here are my observations about what’s happening inside the hex:
Ad Break: I’m not sure my theory from last week about the ads reflecting the infinity stones really pans out here, because none of this screamed Power Stone to me. Anyway, the commercial seemed pretty straight forward, addressing Wanda’s state of depression, wanting to be left alone and escaping to your own reality. The name for the anti-depressant, Nexus, was well chosen. In the Marvel universe, the nexus is the interdimensional gateway between all realities, once again heavily referencing the multiverse. Wanda is also a Nexus being, which means she can open portals etc.
I know I say this pretty much every week, but what a gamechanger! I adore that WandaVision still keeps upping the stakes, even though a lot of us guessed that Agnes would be Agatha Harkness. It’s not so much about the surprise of it all as it is about the repercussion this knowledge has. The revelation still worked and added great tension for what’s to come. After all, it doesn’t look like Agnes/Agatha is working alone either.
ALSO, I hope none of you clicked away before our first post-credit scene of the season! We see Monica snooping around Agnes’ house and finding the entry to the basement, just to be caught by “Pietro”. Is he the infamous and never seen Ralph? And who is Ralph really? “Snoopers are gonna snoop”, so we shall find out!
It’s Thursday, which means it’s time for the Thursday Movie Picks feature. This series is hosted by Wandering through the Shelves and offers you a weekly prompt to post some movie recommendations/talking points according to the theme. Usually, you are supposed to post about 3-5 examples, which I find a very manageable amount.
The entirety of February is dedicated to a special Romance Edition, focusing on many, many typical romance tropes and themes. Since this is the third week in a row with the theme, I think you get the gist. Today is all about Forbidden Love, which isn’t my favourite trope in love stories although I understand the appeal, but let’s see what I can come up with.
Starting out with a controversial pick, maybe? What Maisie Knew has a lot of complex adult relationships, but I also like to think of the love shown towards Maisie. She receives the most attention and warmth from those who aren’t actually her parents. Is that forbidden? No, but it should be forbidden for parents to be so negligent and self-centered.
Anyway, there’s also some intricate falling-in-love-stuff though, so … that part can be the forbidden love part if we aren’t counting the surrogate parents feelings towards the child.
Noni, a famous but troubled and very unhappy singer almost ends her life, but gets rescued by police officer Kaz. In order to hide this truth from the media, Kaz has to lie, which he does not like. Eventually he falls for Noni though, but their worlds are so vastly different. Can. they. make. it. work??
This movie is SO messed up. Basically, this lady is so in love with her partner, that she carries out a pregnancy of his clone, essentially raising the love of her life. I will not go any further, you can see how that pans out yourself in the movie, but … it’s messy.
If you missed previous installments of the Romance Tropes Edition, you can check out the following:
It’s not been two weeks yet, but I still wanted to talk about a couple things I watched, because I didn’t want the list to get too long. It’s also a decent mix of shows and movies at the moment, so I gotta seize that opportunity to hopefully create a well rounded post!
I’ve always been a fan of Omar Sy and not just because of the Intouchables or whatever it was called in English, but because he is a fantastic actor. Seeing him as the lead in this gentleman-thief-esque story had me so excited and the show did not disappoint. Everyone I know enjoyed this and even though I warned my parents about the massive cliffhanger, they binged it too. Well, at least we can all be happy to know that the next part in the series is coming this summer already! (I have a sneaking suspicion that they filmed more and then split it up)
Please, do yourself the service of watching it in French with subtitles. I know dubbed versions exists, but the voices are just so much better in the original.
For fans of: Omar Sy, international Netflix content, heists, thieves, revenge stories
When I first saw the trailer of Equinox, it felt like a Danish Dark in a way and … that is a fairly accurate description of the show, just adding more of a mythology aspect to it. I should probably mention that this is based on a Danish podcast “Equinox 1985”, which was super popular and sounded like a true crime podcast, but was actually fiction. I’d be interested to see more podcasts turned into shows.
At times a bit too slow for my taste (and I usually like slow, but if I can skip 30 minutes and not miss a thing … eh, time to overthink that scene), it still had me interested in its mystery.
I know I shouldn’t compare it to Dark so much (and it’s not Dark and nothing will be as good as Dark, but yeah, here we are anyway), but it had that same generation-spanning, “who is behind this?” and time-warpy feeling. I also didn’t like any of the characters really, which much reminds me of the beginning of Dark too, but it was still such an interesting ride. You get some, but not all the answers in Season 1. To me, it felt like it could be a limited series and end there with some things in the air, but I think they might continue the show. (nothing is renewed yet)
For fans of: international Netflix content, Dark, the OG podcast?
I was unsure because some of the voice-actor-casting, but eventually, I just wanted another emotional animated movie and I really liked it. I enjoy when stories focus on family and grief, as you probably know if you have been a long-time reader of this blog. I thought that especially the brother-relationship was done so well and I ended up crying. As I often always do with Pixar movies. This is definitely one for the whole family!
For fans of: movies about family and magic
Okay, so … I wasn’t sure if I should read the book before or after the movie. I have done it both ways already and I always liked the thing that I read/watched first better, which is also the case here with me having read Always and Forever before watching it. I liked some of the improvements in the movie, like Margot not completely hating Mrs. Rothschild and the Lara Jean and Gen growth was magnificent, but there were also some bits and pieces I really missed.
I thought the dad-storyline with Peter felt rushed and his mother never even appeared in this one at all. She was kind of elemental in some ways. I also did not grasp why Chris dated Trevor? I will never object to having Ross Butler on my screen for however little time, but I did not feel their point exactly. The family issues on the Covey-Song front just fell a bit short for me as well, although they attempted to include parts of it.
In general, I believe that choosing between what’s right for your own future and wanting to be with someone is a decent premise. It’s also a bittersweet and cutesy ending to this series. I still believe that the first one was the best movie though and I whole-heartedly believe it’s because it was directed by a woman and like in so many other cases, the sequels were directed by men who definitely let Peter shine more than Lara Jean (this is more of a dig towards movie 2 than 3 …).
For fans of: the previous movies, the cast, the books, cutesy romcoms
My brain tells me that this was an average movie, but my heart really really loved it. Much alike to Palm Springs, this feels like a not-so-tired version of the groundhog-day-scenario, just targeted at teens.
I thought that the casting was really charming, it never felt too long for me and had a way that made you cherish the small things as well as some deeper things in life. Maybe the logic doesn’t work out entirely (because … is that really how it all started?), but it still feels sweet and warm and sad. I cried, but not ugly-cried, so this was a good kind of sad.
For fans of: Palm Springs but make it teen, groundhog-day-scenarios
I was just gonna ignore it, since I am not celebrating, but in case anyone would like to hear it anyway – happy Valentine’s day! Now on to what this post is really about, the trailers! Since I don’t want to do any Kiss, Marry, Kill posts either this year, you will have to just stick to the old ones I did.
Life and Other Disasters 