Agatha All Alongepisode 2 ends with the titular character’s new coven beginning their journey down the Witches' Road, raising several questions in the process.Agatha All Alongbegins in trueWandaVisionfashion, with Agatha Harkness still trapped in a solo Hex where she sees herself as a grizzled detective. Upon the introduction of more ofAgatha All Along’s cast members, however, Agatha breaks free and realizes her powers are gone. In a bid to gain them back, thewitches ofAgatha All Alongare formed into a makeshift coven, set on walking the Witches' Road.
The Witches' Road is the primary location ofAgatha All Along, a mystical realm used to retrieve something magic users are desperately missing at the end. ForJoe Locke’s Teen inAgatha All Along, this missing element likely links to his mysteriously bewitched backstory. For Agatha, though, the Witches' Road is a way to retrieve her powers amid threats against her life byAubrey Plaza’s Rio Vidal. At the end ofAgatha All Alongepisode 2, the fledgling coven removes their shoes and begins walking the Witches' Road, setting the stage for a spooky season of Marvel TV.
The Witches Need To Connect With The Mystical New Realm
AsAgatha All Alongepisode 2 ends, the main characters of Agatha’s coven descend the spiral staircase leading to the Witches' Road. After briefly taking in their surroundings, the coven begins walking down the Witches' Road. However, one of the more interesting elements of this scene involved the characters removing their shoes before doing so. Naturally, questions are raised over why the coven needs to be barefoot before embarking on their quest.
Interestingly, the answer to this question is found in the end-credit sequence ofAgatha All Along. Behind the credit for series creator Jac Schaeffer, a passage can be found explaining why witches remove their shoes when embarking down the Witches' Road:
“Ye shall remove your shoes before touching the hallowed ground.In order to connect to the power of the earth, you must touch your feet to the soil and channel her divine magic through you.There must be nothing in between, no rubber, or wood, not a sole, just your soul.”
This is a creation forAgatha All Along, though has some connections to real-world religious practices relating to Paganism. A big element of Paganism is a reverence for nature, with many who practice these beliefs walking outside without shoes to better connect with the natural world.Agatha All Alongwas likely inspired by this practice, with the witches walking the Witches' Road barefoot to connect to the power of the realm around them.
The Witches' Road being the primary location ofAgatha All Alongis incredibly exciting for several reasons, mainly due to its significance in the world of Marvel and its symbolism. The Witches' Road is a big part of Marvel Comics and was linked heavily to Scarlet Witch during one of the character’s solo runs. In this run, Wanda walked the Witches' Road to find the source of a sickness infecting witchcraft, aided by the ghost of Agatha Harkness. Eventually, Agatha and Wanda find the Goddess of Witchcraft and Chaos, two incredibly powerful magical beings, and fix the blight against their powers.
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Aside from its significance in Marvel Comics, the Witches' Road is simply a location filled with symbolism. The idea of an actual, physical, or even spiritual road that someone can walk down to find something they desperately need at the end is symbolic of person and character arcs in general. The Witches' Road will clearly be filled with many dangers and personal traumas forAgatha All Along’s coven to overcome, again symbolizing their own individual journeys via more overt threats.
Similarly, the Witches' Road also evokes the Yellow Brick Road fromThe Wizard of Oz.The Wizard of Ozsaw the concept of a Yellow Brick Road become an iconic element of storytelling, with Dorothy having to find the road to embark on her journey. This naturally draws comparisons to the Witches' Road inAgatha All Along, as does the idea that what is at the end of both roads may not be what many expect.
ThroughoutAgatha All Along’s two-episode premiere, references are made to the titular witch’s first journey down the Witches' Road. However, Agatha remains stand-offish and avoidant of the subject, begging the question of whether she has actually done so before. Based on what has been provided thus far, it seems as though Agatha has not walked the Witches' Road before. The first hint of this comes from the musical sequence near the end of episode 2, which evokes the musicalelements ofWandaVision’s story.
Agatha seems notably shocked by the opening of the portal in her basement, with that shock extending to the door being sealed off behind her…
Agatha does not act surprised when the ritual does not work regarding opening the door to the Witches' Road instantly, as it is revealed she wanted to goad the other witches into attacking her to see if her magic would be restored. Afterward, Agatha seems notably shocked by the opening of the portal in her basement, with that shock extending to the door being sealed off behind her. Kathryn Hahn’s performance adds credence to this, with the actor imbuing Agatha with shock, wonder, awe, and fear at the first sight of the Witches' Road, masked by a cool, unbothered facade.
What Were All The Animals Following Agatha?
Ominous Tidings Follow Agatha Harkness To The Witches' Road
One of the more intriguing elements ofAgatha All Along’s premiere is the various animals she spots following her. These animals are accompanied by moments of panic or fear from Agatha, as well as ominous music. From a rat in a mall and a crow outside Lilia Calderu’s store to a coyote on the streets of Westview, Agatha’s animal followers are the other forms of the show’s central villains:Agatha All Along’s Salem Seven. The Salem Seven are included in the show’s end credits and are seemingly being positioned as the main threat the coven will overcome on the Witches' Road.
Salem Seven Snake
Marina Mazepa
In Marvel Comics, the Salem Seven have the power of shapeshifting too. While the MCU makes some changes regarding what the Seven can shift into, the concept remains the same. InAgatha All Alongepisode 2, the Salem Seven use their animal forms to warn Agatha that they are coming, heralding their appearance at the end of the episode. To make matters more interesting, the Salem Seven could connect deeper to Agatha, even hinting at possibilities for a continuation of the show via future generations in the potentialAgatha All Alongseason 2.
Why Are The Salem Seven After Agatha Harkness?
The Salem Seven’s MCU Motivations Could Link To Agatha’s History, Or Marvel Comics
Despite the Salem Seven being introduced as the primary villains ofAgatha All Along, it is not outlined why they are after Agatha. It is mentioned that the many witches Agatha wronged beforeWandaVisionwould seek her out now that she is free of Wanda’s Hex, yet the Salem Seven remains an enigma.The Salem Seven could be linked to Agatha Harkness' MCU backstory, as she was shown to be part of a witch coven during the Salem Witch Trialsof the 1600s.
As she is being destroyed, seven witches from the coven are shown to be blasting Agatha before having their powers drained by her…
The flashbacks to these events duringWandaVisioninterestingly show Agatha being prosecuted by her coven for practicing dark magic. As she is being destroyed, seven witches from the coven are shown to be blasting Agatha before having their powers drained by her.It could be the case that the MCU’s Salem Seven are these same seven witches, now out for revengeagainst Agatha.
If the Salem Seven are the witches from Agatha’s trials, it would stand to reason that her mother is not far behind, who led the prosecution of her daughter.
Beyond that, the Salem Seven could link to Marvel Comics. In the comics, the Salem Seven are the grandchildren of Agatha Harkness, the children of her son,Marvel Comics' Nicholas Scratch. Hints towards Nicholas Scratch are found inAgatha All Alongvia her rabbit, Señor Scratch, and the hints at her having a child in Wanda’s Hex. If Nicholas Scratch is retconned as a character to have existed, it could be revealed that the Salem Seven are his children and have a much closer, familial link to Agatha than first thought.
Why Agatha Ignored The Black Heart On The Coven List & Who It Refers To
Agatha Has A Connection To Aubrey Plaza’s Rio Vidal
The final major question ofAgatha All Alongepisode 2’s ending is who the green witch of the coven was supposed to be. It is unclear as of yet what a green witch exactly is, but it is mentioned that the coven needs one to walk the Witches' Road. Lilia Calderu wrote down a black heart to symbolize the green witch of the coven, with Agatha understanding the meaning of this yet ignoring it. As it turns out, the black heart was likely referring to a big factor inAgatha All Along’s positive reviews.
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Based on the first two episodes ofAgatha All Along, it is safe to assume the black heart was referring to Aubrey Plaza’s Rio Vidal. Plaza’s character is introduced as someone helping Agatha escape from the Hex, though it is soon revealed she wants to kill the titular witch. The two evidently have bad blood between them, yet there is also an underlying tension that seems sexual or romantic. It could be that the two are exes, explaining the symbolism of a black heart inAgatha All Alongand setting up Rio Vidal’s return.
Agatha All Along
Cast
Agatha Harkness, after the events of “WandaVision,” seeks to regain her magical powers. Joining forces with unexpected allies, including the son of an old adversary, she battles new mystical threats while uncovering hidden secrets in the magical realm.
