Parents' Guide to Agatha All Along

Witty, fizzy, and delightfully weird, this series picks up where WandaVision left off, and tilts the action toward magic rather than superhero derring-do. Left bereft in bland Westview thanks to a spell cast by the Scarlet Witch/Wanda Maximoff, Agatha (Kathryn Hahn) wakes up to realize she's been wasting her time imagining herself into different TV show milieus, such as the Mare of Easttown-ish crime drama narrative that anchors the first episode. But once awakened, she sets off on a hero's journey of sorts, a McGuffin-esque quest to regain her powers by traveling the Witches Road. It all reads as a riff on the Wizard of Oz's yellow-road journey, but with clever writing and a simply delightful cast, it's a solid-gold kick.

Speaking of that cast: Hahn is, of course, a reliable joy, and here she's furious over her lost powers, and using every dirty trick she can think of to gain back leverage. Aubrey Plaza is deliciously arch as Rio Vidal/the Green Witch, Agatha's main adversary, and Agatha's jury-rigged coven of Witches Road compatriots is blessed with solid support from an imperious Patti LuPone, and Debra Jo Rupp's Mrs. Hart, whose suburban-mom vibe adds even more kookiness to the witchy quest. Viewers can expect showdowns, sudden reversals, and guest stars who bring their own pop culture history (look out for Selena Gomez playing a variation of her Wizards of Waverly Place sorceress). But with lots of well-scripted laughs, and a sly drawing together of mass-market witches lore (there are nods to Bewitched, Practical Magic, and Stevie Nicks, amongst other references), Agatha All Along is, more than anything, great good fun, with plenty of Marvel Easter eggs for fans.