WandaVision

[Ramza00]

The sitcom reference in Episode 3 did not click for me, but I was pointed out what it was later.

Spoiler: Whose House is it in Episode 3

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It is the Brady Bunch. A show I have never seen a full episode for, but I seen clips again and again.





Since it was The Brady Bunch house it "feels" differently for there was 2 people, guest-neighbors and doctor, and so on feeling so "empty" compared to the Sitcom they are referencing.

[Psyren]

The intro was also a cross between Brady Bunch (font) and Mary Tyler Moore (numerous clips including the bicycle).

[Ramza00]

The intro was also a cross between Brady Bunch (font) and Mary Tyler Moore (numerous clips including the bicycle).

*Nods*

The intro confused me for the Hexagons threw me off for I was trying to place them. I should have focused on the font and it would have made more sense when I watched it on Friday

[Willie the Duck]

The sitcom reference in Episode 3 did not click for me, but I was pointed out what it was later.

Spoiler: Whose House is it in Episode 3

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It is the Brady Bunch. A show I have never seen a full episode for, but I seen clips again and again.





Since it was The Brady Bunch house it "feels" differently for there was 2 people, guest-neighbors and doctor, and so on feeling so "empty" compared to the Sitcom they are referencing.

You are pointing to the stairs, but I also noticed the bricks and brick-colored tile, the large-piece natural rocks in the architecture, the plaid business wear, the laminate wood table, the shape of the arms on the upholstered furniture, and the ferns (oh god, the ferns!). Without leaning on the staples of shag carpet, macramé, or harvest golden/avocado/burnt orange appliances, this episode of Wandavision might be the most 70s thing ever.

[Gallowglass]

I'm very curious about what their 80s house will be. I would've assumed the Cosby Show brownstone in a vacuum as the most influential 80's sitcom, but with Bill Cosby's legacy destruction now complete I think that will be verboten. So I'm not sure what they will go with.

I'm assuming the 90's sitcom house will be Roseanne because I've seen quick shots in the preview(s) that look like the Roseanne house. And that's quintessentially 90s, but I have no idea what next episode will be.

[Mordar]

I'm very curious about what their 80s house will be. I would've assumed the Cosby Show brownstone in a vacuum as the most influential 80's sitcom, but with Bill Cosby's legacy destruction now complete I think that will be verboten. So I'm not sure what they will go with.

I'm assuming the 90's sitcom house will be Roseanne because I've seen quick shots in the preview(s) that look like the Roseanne house. And that's quintessentially 90s, but I have no idea what next episode will be.

Mustn't forget Full House...

- M

[Dire_Flumph]

Mustn't forget Full House...

- M

30 years of therapy say otherwise.

But I suppose with an Olsen sister in the main cast it's likely.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Willie the Duck
You are pointing to the stairs, but I also noticed the bricks and brick-colored tile, the large-piece natural rocks in the architecture, the plaid business wear, the laminate wood table, the shape of the arms on the upholstered furniture, and the ferns (oh god, the ferns!).

All these details went right by me. I wouldn’t have the faintest idea what the shape of upholstery says about any given decade. It certainly speaks to the loving detail lavished on every shot…but I never watched any of the sitcoms mentioned so far, except for the one considered verboten, so none of the references really register for me.

That’s likely why I’m finding the show rather difficult to enjoy. But I have hope that things will pick up in the next episode.

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Jimmy Woo’s first credited appearance will be in the next episode, so hopefully we’ll start seeing less fluff and more behind the veil.

Originally Posted by Gallowglass
I'm assuming the 90's sitcom house will be Roseanne because I've seen quick shots in the preview(s) that look like the Roseanne house.

Speaking of legacies, this might also be verboten.

[Psyren]

They will send up Full House 100%; the Olsen joke is too easy to pass up. Not to mention

Spoiler: Time

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given her accelerated pregnancy, they may age the kids up to Mary-Kate/Ashley levels or even higher by the time we see them next.

Other 80s influences could include ALF, Facts of Life, Who's The Boss, Cheers etc.

Depending on how long they keep the meta-gag going, two interesting potential developments:

Spoiler: Portrayals

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As we get closer to the modern era, sitcoms began to change their portrayal of women from being domestic homemakers into having more agency, entering the workforce etc. - we saw this with shows like Who's The Boss, Murphy Brown, Designing Women etc. We could see this manifest with Wanda herself leaving the neighborhood for a change and going to whichever part of WestView houses the corporate offices, leading to her questioning the fidelity of this reality much as Vision did.

In addition, sitcoms began to also focus on marital relationships that were much less idealized and more complex/grounded. We started to see husbands and wives that argued with each other on screen and in some cases could even resent one another, like Married With Children, Frasier, The Jeffersons, Martin etc. I expect that we may see Wanda and Vision actually have a dust-up on screen, functioning simultaneously as a meta-commentary on the evolving nature of these relationships on TV, a contrast to the more placid portrayals of marriage from the earlier era, and an opportunity for Vision to confront her with his misgivings about the neighborhood as a whole that she is unwilling or unable to see.

[Gallowglass]

They will send up Full House 100%; the Olsen joke is too easy to pass up.

Yeah I didn't think of that. I would be sad if they did Roseanne for the 80s and Full House for the 90s as both sitcoms were contemporaries (87ish to 95ish)

Other 80s influences could include ALF, Facts of Life, Who's The Boss, Cheers etc.

I thought of three of those. I dismissed ALF as not influential enough/too niche and Facts of Life and Cheers as not really representing the family house sitcom. Cheers was in a bar and Facts of Life was (technically) a school followed by a cake shop with house attached.

Didn't think of Who's the Boss though. That's definitely a good contender.

[Dire_Flumph]

They will send up Full House 100%; the Olsen joke is too easy to pass up.

I would *love* it if she got her sisters to cameo in a Full House scene when they ended up snubbing the Netflix series.

[Ramza00]

Yeah I didn't think of that. I would be sad if they did Roseanne for the 80s and Full House for the 90s as both sitcoms were contemporaries (87ish to 95ish)

Episode 1 was D|ck Van Dyke show 1961 to 1966. It was trying to feel 1950s but if that was their goal they would have done I Love Lucy, Leave It To Beaver, etc. Except D|ck Van Dyke still works for the show at the time was trying to tap into the JFK Camelot energy and we associate said energy with the first half of the 1960s and some of the 1950s in our cultural mind eye.

Bewitched did both black and white plus color so it has a different styles of 1960s cultural tv energy.

It is not going to happen but a wish for which family sitcom to emulate I wish will happen.

Spoiler: A very 90s show, with some character ideas of which actor will play which person

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How about a Frasier family sitcom but change a few details. The twins Tommy and Billy can be Frasier and Niles but do so as two teenagers who just argue with their sibling . Vision can be Martin, Daphne Wanda, and while I dislike this 00s character Pietro can show up as Daphnes horrid Brother from across the Pond.

Mainly I want to see my twins, my Young Avengers Babies argue as two teenagers. While at the same time there is a greater farce going on that the whole family has to participate in.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Dire_Flumph
I would *love* it if she got her sisters to cameo in a Full House scene when they ended up snubbing the Netflix series.

You’re not alone in wondering about this, but according to this and other sources, it’s not in the cards.

[Rodin]

All this discussion makes me realize why I didn't have nostalgia in episode 3. I got my sitcom knowledge from Nick-at-Nite as well as catching other really old sitcoms, and a lot of the tropes made their way into (or were parodied by) The Flintstones.

On the contrary, I watched almost no "contemporary" sitcoms, so I never watched an episode of Brady Bunch or Full House. I only started watching "modern" sitcoms in the 90s.

Funnily enough, my knowledge of British sitcoms in the 70s is far superior. Thanks, PBS!

[Willie the Duck]

In addition, sitcoms began to also focus on marital relationships that were much less idealized and more complex/grounded. We started to see husbands and wives that argued with each other on screen and in some cases could even resent one another, like Married With Children, Frasier, The Jeffersons, Martin etc.

I am fully down with an episode where one of the leads is an unseen character only alluded to by the other and the supporting cast, Maris-like.

Funnily enough, my knowledge of British sitcoms in the 70s is far superior. Thanks, PBS!

So should Wanda dig up their yard and start growing their own food, or start working in a clothing store? Ooh! Better yet, her English skills deteriorate, and she becomes the Sokovian waiter at a hotel run by a tense, rude, frustrated hotelier (portrayed by a modern iconic British Comic basically portraying a live-action Daffy Duck, minus the duck part).

[Psyren]

To be clear, while I wouldn't mind them lampooning 80s-00s sitcom-ery, I also don't want the joke to overstay its welcome. Now that we have a view of the outside of Westview, the metanarrative can and should begin to progress as well.

I would definitely see episodes 1-3 as "Act 1" if we're viewing the entire season as a three-act structure, with the end of Act 1 (i.e. the "inciting incident") being either the twins' birth or "Geraldine's" reveal (or both) depending on where they decide to take the story from here.

I thought of three of those. I dismissed ALF as not influential enough/too niche and Facts of Life and Cheers as not really representing the family house sitcom. Cheers was in a bar and Facts of Life was (technically) a school followed by a cake shop with house attached.

Didn't think of Who's the Boss though. That's definitely a good contender.

Regarding ALF:

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FBI agent Jimmy Woo is already confirmed to show up in WV at some point, so the klutzy government agent that the paranormal protagonists get to fool while hiding their secret would fit.

As far as Cheers - we're already seeing aspects of Vision socializing with other men in the neighborhood as the details get fleshed out, so I could easily see the aperture being expanded to a more social setting like a bar or bowling alley. I agree it's not likely though since he can't drink.

EDIT:

I am fully down with an episode where one of the leads is an unseen character only alluded to by the other and the supporting cast, Maris-like.

We pretty much already have that (Agnes' refrain of "my husband Ralph").

So should Wanda dig up their yard and start growing their own food, or start working in a clothing store? Ooh! Better yet, her English skills deteriorate, and she becomes the Sokovian waiter at a hotel run by a tense, rude, frustrated hotelier (portrayed by a modern iconic British Comic basically portraying a live-action Daffy Duck, minus the duck part).

This raises an interesting point I meant to comment on:

Spoiler: Sokovian

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Anyone notice Wanda's accent came in much more strongly when she was reminiscing about Pietro/thinking about the outside? But when she's fully immersed in the fantasy, it's nowhere to be heard.

[Mordar]

I thought of three of those. I dismissed ALF as not influential enough/too niche and Facts of Life and Cheers as not really representing the family house sitcom. Cheers was in a bar and Facts of Life was (technically) a school followed by a cake shop with house attached.

Was Facts of Life 80s? Surprised. I remembered it as 70s, and very contemporary with Three's Company. Google says it started in 79 and ran through 88...but I certainly only remember it as fitting the 70s niche much more. Wasn't a fan of ALF, and lump it in with Too Close for Comfort. Classic 80s family sitcoms to me are Cosby Show and Family Ties, with a little Growing Pains tossed in for good measure, and in that order. They all rely on too many primary cast members to work for a one-off 30 min spoof that is the window dressing for a real story, though. So maybe just some fashion and contemporary commentary.

This raises an interesting point I meant to comment on:

Spoiler: Sokovian

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Anyone notice Wanda's accent came in much more strongly when she was reminiscing about Pietro/thinking about the outside? But when she's fully immersed in the fantasy, it's nowhere to be heard.

Spoiler: Baseline

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People tell me I lose my intentionally affected way of mispronouncing words when I refer to things in Minnesota. Probably the same sort of thing. You revert to baseline when immersed/dealing with/referencing things that were prominent in your baseline.

- M

[Lapak]

You are pointing to the stairs, but I also noticed the bricks and brick-colored tile, the large-piece natural rocks in the architecture, the plaid business wear, the laminate wood table, the shape of the arms on the upholstered furniture, and the ferns (oh god, the ferns!). Without leaning on the staples of shag carpet, macramé, or harvest golden/avocado/burnt orange appliances, this episode of Wandavision might be the most 70s thing ever.

Don't forget the sunken living room!

I'd be interested to see them continue to carry the time-progression on throughout, both for the inherent fun it brings but also because I'm very curious about where Wanda would carry it if she 'caught up' timeline-wise. Though I suspect that the meta-narrative will have overwhelmed the sitcom fantasy by then.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Lapak
Don't forget the sunken living room!

Hey, I have one of these. Pre-dates the 70s.

Originally Posted by Lapak
Though I suspect that the meta-narrative will have overwhelmed the sitcom fantasy by then.

For my part, I sincerely hope so. I get that a lot of people are tickled by the lightsome romp through sitcom history, but I’m more than ready for the veil to be pulled asunder.

[Psyren]

Don't forget the sunken living room!

I'd be interested to see them continue to carry the time-progression on throughout, both for the inherent fun it brings but also because I'm very curious about where Wanda would carry it if she 'caught up' timeline-wise. Though I suspect that the meta-narrative will have overwhelmed the sitcom fantasy by then.

Yeah, either at present or sometime right before it (90s? 00s?) we'll have "caught up."

Spoiler: Baseline

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People tell me I lose my intentionally affected way of mispronouncing words when I refer to things in Minnesota. Probably the same sort of thing. You revert to baseline when immersed/dealing with/referencing things that were prominent in your baseline.

- M

I viewed it differently:

Spoiler: Accent

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Her accent did fade a bit over the course of the MCU, but even in Endgame it was noticeable (see her "you took everything from me" exchange with Thanos, or later at Tony's funeral.) At the start of WandaVision though it was completely gone. I view that as yet another expression of her core desire: "I want us to fit in" from e2. She has reimagined herself into the quintessential American housewife with Vision.

For my part, I sincerely hope so. I get that a lot of people are tickled by the lightsome romp through sitcom history, but I’m more than ready for the veil to be pulled asunder.

Even if they don't rip the whole thing, more peeks behind the curtain (like the most recent episode) would tide me over personally.

[Kitten Champion]

To me the whole American sit-coms through the decades veneer is what's going to make this show memorable for me. I don't have nostalgia for these shows really, but using them as creative framing for this has me a lot more invested than I would be for, say, a Disney-made Netflix Marvel-esque show.

Every episode thus far has felt and looked different in both obvious and subtle ways which are fun to pick up and examine, while the mystery which pokes out from underneath provides a deeper significance to where any of it actually matters and we aren't just watching Wanda playing her favourite holodeck program, so to speak.

It's especially notable as this is the first Disney+ Marvel Studios production and they're willing to go so outside the box with this.

[J-H]

Partly as a result of discussions from this thread (we don't have TV or streaming), we borrowed a DVD of Dck Van Dyke from the library. Finally got around to watching the first episode last night. It was funny! As a married couple with small kids we both related really well to the situation and how it played out.

It was nice to watch something funny and clean that wasn't attacking (directly or indirectly) our values, and that is safe for small children.

[Draconi Redfir]

My personal theory as of episode 3:

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From all the clues and things we've given, it seems clear that Wanda was abducted by Hydra. The Beekeeper and the various Hexagon symbolism though suggests a possible re-branding into a "Hive" sort of deal, or perhaps both Hydra and this "Hive" organization both teamed up. The toaster from the first episode sounded a lot like a heart monitor, so my guess is Wander is in a medically induced Coma, and what we're seeing is basically her coma-dream. As per the ending of the first episode, this Dream is somehow viewable to those in reality via TV. With each episode jumping forwards a decade (40's, 50's, 60's so far) as to what kind of show it manifests as.

Since Wanda's pregnancy in the third episode happened so quickly, my guess is that her captors induced a pregnancy in her in the real world as well, and while only a single day passed for her, she's been in this coma for at least a year now. time seeming to pass much slower for her due to many long stretches of complete unconsciousness. Her body is always in it's current state though, so when she starts dreaming again after several months, it appears like her pregnancy has jumped forward several months from her perspective. Maybe the real-world baby is also the child of Vision, or perhaps not. But i think Hydra / "Hive" is trying to get a superhero of their own through Wanda, hoping her powers will be genetic. Something similar to the plot of the F.E.A.R. franchise I'm guessing, psychically-controlled clone army is still a possibility.

Except for Wanda, all the characters (Vision included) are likely all fictional and made up by Wanda's mind. From the neighbor's talking in the 3rd episode though, it seems like they may be at least somewhat aware of their fictional status, as that's what I'm guessing they were trying to tell vision, "We're all... because we're all..."

At the very end of Episode 3, it kind of looks like Monica was ejected completely out of the dream entirely and into the real-world. This could either mean it's possible to make Wanda's fictional characters real, or that Monica was a real person who was somehow able to ender the coma-dream to communicate with Wanda (Which seems to be implied from the neighbors, saying she didn't "have a home" and "came here" and all that.) If she IS a completely fictional person who was just ejected into the real world though, this could possibly be a way to get Vision back into the real-world, by ejecting him out of Wanda's dream.

From that final segment, it seems like there was a small town kind of sanctioned off and surrounded by polls projecting some kind of stasis field or something, so it's possible Wanda's dream is actually occurring in a physical location, perhaps all the characters inside are actually real-people that are almost being puppeted to fit Wanda's dream. Or perhaps the layout of the town is just being mapped into Wanda's dream to keep things consistent? i don't know. It doesn't look like Monica was ejected from that barrier surrounding the town though, more like some nondescript location in the sky nearby. so it's really up in the air i suppose. Either way, I'm pretty sure that was Hydra / Hive surrounding her at the end there, being at the center of it all.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Kitten Champion
To me the whole American sit-coms through the decades veneer is what's going to make this show memorable for me.

Interesting. For me, it’s just something to put up with.

“Wanda and Vision together again” is memorable enough for me, I don’t need all the cutesy with the sitcoms. It’s certainly a lavish homage for those who enjoy that sort of thing—and by all means, enjoy!—but I’m ready to move on to the real story.

Originally Posted by Kitten Champion
It's especially notable as this is the first Disney+ Marvel Studios production and they're willing to go so outside the box with this.

The silver lining here is that they might really go for broke with the Loki series.

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Based on the most recent trailer, I'm holding out hope for a Heimdall cameo.

Originally Posted by Draconi Redfir

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The Beekeeper and the various Hexagon symbolism though suggests a possible re-branding into a "Hive" sort of deal, or perhaps both Hydra and this "Hive" organization both teamed up.

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Well, Hydra does have a fairly significant member emeritus named Hive, but it was dealt with pretty thoroughly in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Not sure if they’d want to bring it back—it would make more creative sense to design a new villain for a new show—but it's certainly an interesting coincidence.

[Clertar]

I'm really curious about the show, and really like what they're doing. I hope that they have some of the Modern Family documentary style for the 2000-10s.

I also enjoy how the same small-loud crowd that spent years complaining about the "Marvel formula", and how repetitive the MCU media is, now complain that this is too different

[Willie the Duck]

Interesting. For me, it’s just something to put up with.

“Wanda and Vision together again” is memorable enough for me, I don’t need all the cutesy with the sitcoms. It’s certainly a lavish homage for those who enjoy that sort of thing—and by all means, enjoy!—but I’m ready to move on to the real story.

For me, I already have a whole bunch of that kind of stuff -- Marvel Agents of Shield, presumably the upcoming Hawkeye series, Loki, plus of course the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, which in total runtime is well over a single season of 1 hour tv shows. For me, I'm happy to see them do something different with this one, same with how they went comedic with Guardians and the last Thor. Did it jive perfectly with the rest of the 'verse? Certainly not. Was it a nice diversion? Definitely. Obviously, if Scarlet Witch and Vision are personal favorites or the like, I can understand wanting to get their 'real story' superhero action-adventure story. I don't, so having them do this thing (particularly with the assumed alternative of them doing nothing in particular with these characters) is a nice little side project.

That said, I do think it is a inherently limited concept -- metahumor and 4th-wall winking only works if there is a baseline to subvert (same reason Deadpool and similar spend a lot of the actual run-time not being cute with the self-referential humor and just telling a story). I'm reminded of a TV show I caught in the late 90s called Thanks -- it was about (a comedic-fictional interpretation of) the Bostonian Puritan community and how all the trapping of the US Thanksgiving holiday tradition began. Audiences seemed to agree that the six episodes made were pretty darn fun, but no one knew what to do with the thing afterwards. So, in the end, I agree -- they should get on with the main story, because this side premise has pretty much run its course.

[Ramza00]

Interesting. For me, it’s just something to put up with.

“Wanda and Vision together again” is memorable enough for me, I don’t need all the cutesy with the sitcoms. It’s certainly a lavish homage for those who enjoy that sort of thing—and by all means, enjoy!—but I’m ready to move on to the real story.

Well this story as it is unfolding, well it was made for me

Sorry it is going slow for you, but I am liking this pace and all that is happening

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Willie the Duck
For me, I'm happy to see them do something different with this one….

Different is fine. It’s just that in my case, sitcoms aren’t really my thing.

If Wanda was solving cases as London’s first female private detective, or riding horses along the cliffs of Cornwall, I might enjoy it more.

Originally Posted by Ramza00
Sorry it is going slow for you, but I am liking this pace and all that is happening….

I’m glad there are folks who can appreciate it to the fullest. I’ll just listen to the laugh track, and pine for Falcon and Winter Soldier.

[Ramza00]

I’m glad there are folks who can appreciate it to the fullest. I’ll just listen to the laugh track, and pine for Falcon and Winter Soldier.

See different tastes, I love Evans, Stan, and Mackie but I just am not into CA: The Winter Soldier or CA: Civil War. I want to watch those characters in other things, not the style of MCU movies that I got.

I am afraid*, I am going to get disappointed by Falcon and Winter Soldier, but it will cause me delight if I do not like it, but other people are really into it and thus it is not all a lost of potential.

^{*I hope to be surprised here, I really hope I enjoy it to the fullest! But part of me is afraid I am going to be disapointed.}

[Hopeless]

Regarding Monica Rambeau

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Is it possible she has her powers?
That might explain how she got in since she can transform into any energy frequency of the electromagnetic spectrum thus could just fly through?

I had hoped the Captain Marvel movie would have revealed Carol and Monica's mum was test flying that prototype and although Monica's mum ejected she received enough of a dose of that drive Carol blew up to empower her unborn child.

Oh well maybe this is how she gets her powers?

Being thrown out of that alternate reality field by Wanda?