This article contains spoilers for WandaVision episode 5.
Those who have been following any kind of WandaVision coverage will have come across theories of Agnes being a certain witchy Marvel character from the comics who shares a certain ornamental brooch. There seems to be a lot of validity in that theory based on this episode and if that is the case there are still many mysteries surrounding her and her motivations.
Agnes may be Agatha Harkness who in the comics has a strong connection to Tommy and Billy and who serves as a wise ancient witch teacher who helps Wanda hone her abilities. It seems from an interaction at the top of WandaVision episode 5 that Agnes could be the most powerful being in Westview because she may control one of the most powerful avengers.
The World's a Stage and Agnes Knows
The latest episode of WandaVision begins with Agnes popping into the Maximoff house as Vision and Wanda struggle to get their newborns to sleep. Agnes says, “Do you want me to take that again?” after Vision refuses her offer to babysit. This moment of breaking the fourth wall is very telling and a lot is expressed in this one line.
Agnes is clearly in on Wanda’s performance, she is communicating that Wanda is calling the shots and communicating that she is in compliance. However, that doesn't seem to be the case entirely because when Wanda expresses confusion, Agnes tells her, “You want me to hold the babies. Should we just take it from the top?”
It's a subtle demand and a display of Agnes’s ability to perform a Jedi mind trick. After a moment of confusion or perhaps realization, Wanda decides to be persuaded by Agnes and is comforted back into her fantasy TV world when Agnes’s over-the-top sitcom performance resumes with a cheesy one-liner, the laugh track, and Agnes doing lunges while simultaneously rocking Tommy and Billy’s cradles.
What’s Up With That Lavender Spray?
Vision however needs more convincing to not be concerned by Agnes's break in character and Wanda tries to tell him that Agnes was “just being neighborly.” Vision is distracted from his doubt when he notices that the twins have fallen silent and aged a few years in the matter of an instant. This happened after Agnes sprayed something over the babies which she claimed to be lavender.
Perhaps it did contain lavender but it seemed to be some kind of potion that sedated the children. Is it possible that Agnes could have used this concoction to subdue people in other situations or might have plans to use it in a more widespread way in the future?
After Vision’s interaction with his coworker, aptly-named Norm, it is clear that Wanda is telekinetically controlling most residents, yet Agnes seems to have Wanda in the palm of her hand. She seems to have Wanda convinced that she knows her secret and that she is an ally but that Wanda is in control. Agnes and with her “high libido” acts just as Wanda wants someone to perform in the TV show fantasy she has a part in creating.
Was Sparky Doomed from the Start?
Agnes pays the Maximoff household a second unannounced visit in this episode. She shows up with a dog house in hand right after Tommy and Billy convince Wanda to adopt a cute collar-less pup.
Perhaps Agnes already knew about the new addition to the family because she planted the dog. Maybe on one of her many surprise visits, she poured some of her lavender potion in the bottle of Joy dish soap knowing that Tommy and Billy would use it to clean the dirty dog in a predictable sitcom fashion. The effects of the potion might have convinced Wanda to give into the pleas of her children and then Agnes brought over the doghouse to seal the deal.
Sparky gets his name when he tries getting too close to an electrical socket. It seems he is cursed from the start, perhaps literally? Again Vision is alarmed by these “coincidences” (as Wanda wants him to accept them) surrounding their particularly noisy neighbor and again her appearance corresponds with another extreme growth spurt for Tommy and Billy.
How much does Agnes know?
The last time we see Agnes is a somber occasion when she tells Wanda and the twins that Sparky died eating leaves of her azalea bush. Was this death really an accident, or was it possibly an elaborate way to prompt the discussion of life and death?
This dog storyline sounds very similar to something that would happen on Full House but the teachable moral moment is a bit different when the parent doing the teaching can apparently bring beings back to life.
When the twins beg Wanda to bring Sparky back to life, Agnes yet again drops her performance, this time in amazement. Kathryn Hahn’s delivery of the line “You can do that?” doesn’t seem to come from a place of surprise, but more from a place of awe and intrigue. It seems Agnes already knew about Wanda’s powers but is coming to a better understanding of the magnitude of those powers. Could she possibly have killed a dog in order to learn more about Vision?
Where Does Wanda’s Control End and Agnes’ Begin?
Although Wanda has done some villainous things in recent episodes, WandaVision gives us hints that her character may have redemption coming.
Vision, when confronting Wanda head-on about her mind-controlling of inhabitants of Westview, says “I have to believe that this, whatever this is, was subconscious at first but you only recently became aware of it.” It's unclear why Vision feels this way but if it is true it's most likely that Agnes is at the heart of this bizarre programming.
At the end of their fight, Wanda seems to be ready to face reality. The doorbell rings and Vision doesn't believe Wanda when she tells him that she didn’t manifest their new guest. She seems genuinely surprised when she opens the door to reveal her brother Pietro (played by Evan Peters, rather than the MCU's Aaron Taylor-Johnson).
It’s very likely that Agnes intentionally sent this man over at this specific time when Wanda was close to confiding in Vision. If this is the case it leaves a huge question. Where does Wanda’s control end and Agnes’ control begin? Wanda is the director of this show as she has literal control over the people of Westview.
Perhaps Agnes is in control of all of the sitcom elements, she works as the show-runner and creator if you will. Agnes claims she heard the twins crying from her house and saw the family’s new dog from her window. She must have some kind of crystal ball and saw the beginning of Vision and Wanda’s fight and made the credits roll.
Wanda’s painful past and inability to deal with loss make her putty in Agnes’ hands and it seems we only got the first real glimpses of that in this episode. But what is her plan? It seems Agnes may be trying to learn more about Wanda’s abilities and has plans to use her powers for something. What exactly that is might be revealed when WandaVision continues.