Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe proved to be a disjointed mess of aimless stories without much of anything substantial connecting them, with Marvel’s actual shows and movies being of wildly mixed quality. Phase 5, on the other hand, has a clearer aim and focus on the multiverse, with Kang having shown up in places as a way to build him up as the next Thanos — before that failed miserably and the character got scrapped from the MCU.
Just like Phase 4, the current phase of the MCU has fluctuated in terms of quality, producing some of the lowest-rated titles in the entire Marvel experiment (like “Secret Invasion”) as well as some truly special and deservedly acclaimed movies like “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.” In between those extremes, however, is a curious case. “Agatha All Along,” the latest Marvel TV show, and the first spin-off of another MCU series, has gone from just another Marvel title with a bad Rotten Tomatoes score to breaking a Phase 5 record.
That’s because “Agatha All Along” has the highest Rotten Tomatoes audience score for a Phase 5 Marvel Cinematic Universe TV show, surpassing “Loki” season 2. Not just that, but it’s also one of the highest rated Phase 5 titles in general, just behind “Guardians 3” and (if you count it) “Deadpool & Wolverine.”
Agatha All Along is the most acclaimed Phase 5 MCU TV show
It makes sense that “Agatha All Long” has connected so strongly with audiences; despite a relatively weak start, it’s ultimately proven to be one of the best and most unique stories produced by Marvel Studios yet. (Give creator Jac Schaeffer anything she wants, you cowards! She doesn’t fail.) Likewise, in her review for /Film, BJ Colangelo justly described “Agatha All Along” as “deliciously chaotic, whiplashing between prestige TV and kooky, campy goodness.”
The thing that really makes “Agatha All Along” work is its ability to carve out its own unique identity while balancing MCU connections that make both its predecessor “WandaVision” and even “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” better. We’ve had horror titles in the MCU before, particularly the incredible “Werewolf By Night,” but “Agatha All Along” is different. It’s a show that fully embraces its witchy side, unapologetically telling one of the most feminist Marvel stories in years, and certainly the most queer since “Jessica Jones.” It even gets something right that most modern horror stories get laughably wrong, offering a wonderful portrayal of Tarot.
People seem to agree; both critics and general audiences connected with “Agatha All Along,” resulting in the show earning an 83% score on RT’s Popcornmeter (previously known as the Audience Score). And while it does, in fact, introduce characters with potentially big repercussions for the rest of the MCU, it’s the self-contained and personal nature of this series that truly makes it special.
“Agatha All Along” is now streaming in its entirety on Disney+.
