Agatha All Along Episode 7 Review
Audiences get an homage to classic fairytale witches and more in the latest episode of ‘Agatha All Along’, which also confirms the true identity of Rio Vidal, played by Aubrey Plaza. It’s also Lilia Calderu’s, played by Patti LuPone time to shine, with the episode allowing her to fully step into her role as a divination witch as she realises her purpose on The Road. It’s a brilliant episode, though the time slipping that Calderu experiences does last perhaps slightly too long, especially as the episode is quite short.
This episode is a showcase for Calderu, who both her and Jennifer return after being presumed dead a few episodes ago. LuPone carries a large portion of this episode, as Calderu has to come to grips with her powers returning, which allow her to slip in and out of different moments of her life seemingly at random. Weaved into this are flashbacks of the character when she was trying to learn her powers. The gimmick is a novel concept for the episode, intentionally confusing the audience as to what’s going on and then bringing the pieces together in a satisfying manner.
Though one issue with this format is that due to the non-linear nature, it can often be frustrating when audiences are ripped away from the present moment, especially for Agatha and Billy’s dynamic, neither trusting one another an Agatha mocking Billy at every turn. The time slipping is perhaps repeated one too many times, especially since the episode is the second shortest out of those released so far, and last week also saw audiences spend a lot of time in the past as it explored the origins of Billy Maximoff.
Tackling the episode’s biggest reveal, is the realisation that the character of Rio Vidal is actually Lady Death. Plaza gets to put on an amazing costume, one that’s equally scary and stunning. It’s well crafted, and probably the best costume the show has unveiled so far. For what this reveal means, well Agatha of course know all along, but it likely puts all of the other witches in grave danger, especially as Death will likely be a key part going forward, now the Salem Seven are out of the picture. This witchy interpretation of Lady Death is a departure from the comics, as most audiences will likely associate her with Thanos, which of course is an arc that’s already passed.
Staying on the topic of costumes, this episode perhaps showcases the best of them all. In the castle trial, a typical fairytale setting, Agatha is the Wicked Witch of the West from ‘The Wizard of Oz’, Billy is Maleficent from ‘Sleeping Beauty’, Lilia is the Good Witch from ‘The Wizard of Oz’ and Jennifer is the hag from ‘Snow White’. These more classical renditions of witches fit in excellently with the tarot reading and the swords of death, making for a unique aesthetic that reallly stands out among the other costumes and settings in the show.
As mentioned, the Salem Seven are now out of the picture, as Calderu sacrifices herself to get the others time to escape their wrath. For Calderu, the sacrifice is extremely satisfying, going out on her own terms at the end of the divination trial, and using the tarot card to spell doom for her opponents. It is a bit disappointing though that the Seven were killed without much interaction, their horror cultish appearance carried their appeal, but it’s clear they were only a motivating force for Agatha, and Lady Death will likely take the role of the villian, which makes sense as she’s more personal to Agatha and the coven.
Episode seven of ‘Agatha All Along’ features some of the best costumes found in a show that already has stellar costume work, a true dramatic end to one of the main characters and a stunning reveal with Lady Death. Minor quibbles aside, it’s a fantastic episode.
