Agatha All Along is Pure Trauma Therapy

[@ScreenCrush]

Go to drinkag1.com/screencrush to get a free bottle of vitamin d3k2, and 5 extra travel packs of AG1 with your first purchase! Thanks to AG1 for sponsoring today’s video!

[@fm9572]

Until you can chug like Cody from Some More News, your AG1 game will be 2A...

[@josemaiz1651]

Death has a connection to the soul stone

[@TheHanyou]

Missed opportunity to have a Better Help sponsor lol

[@PhilosophyAllAlong]

Thanks for having me on ScreenCrush! So excited do have been on the show. And excited to see what you all do next!

[@MsJones3]

This show was fantastic!!! I’m floored from this episode…..the topics discussed happens to be sooo necessary…keep em coming. Great show and your input top tier

[@PhilosophyAllAlong]

@@MsJones3 Thanks so much!😊

[@RuminatingRaptor]

Wanda's trauma goes way beyond losing Vision. She grew up in a war-torn county, lost her parents, her home, and her brother. She was experimented on. She accidently killed people in Civil War. She got a new home and family, only for that to be taken away from her too. Then there's the all the stuff with Vision. She was blipped and came back to nothing. The Avengers were no more, the compound was destroyed, Vision was stolen. No one else seemed to care what happened to his remains. She's endured a lot of trauma.

[@AlMoSiCe210]

TRUE!!!

[@traceyfromkc]

A metric TON of trauma! 💔

[@davidwindell]

Her trauma blows Wiccan’s out of the water. It’s not close.

[@noreenish]

While I agree with your take on Wanda's traumas, I think the last part is debatable. I don't think she endured any of it. The way she's written is that she let the trauma take over her humanity and her powers. Literally every decision and action she does until Wandavision was out of pain. That's why I like the way she's written in Wandavision because she at least owns her shortcomings and actually became a multidimensional character rather than just a powerful angsty Avenger blasting power that she don't even know how to use to its full potential. It all went downhill on MoM though lol Agatha on the other hand, endured everything and was focused on her goal to become as powerful as she can be, regardless of the pain she carries with her that she accumulated through centuries. This is why Jac Schaeffer is amazing. She brings in layers to characters like Wanda and Agatha while other writers would showcase them as just "Moms who lost their son", like a character from a soap opera that got dressed for Marvel. I really hope we get more of her writing in the future!

[@jinzo637]

When Rio said "no one has gotten special treatment like you". She wasnt referring to Agetha long life. But the 6 yrs she gave Nicolas. And when it came time to take him it hurt Rio just as much as it did Agetha cuz she knew by taking Nicolas she would be hurting the woman she loves. Hence the "she is my scar". Despite Rio's love for Agetha she has a job to do n her job is of Great importance.

[@PhilosophyAllAlong]

Yes, I do think that is what she is referring to.

[@luckas221a]

​@@PhilosophyAllAlong It's obvious that's what she's referring to, seeing a lot of witches actually have very long lifespans. Lilia is over 400 years old,

[@PhilosophyAllAlong]

@jinzo637 I do also want to suggest that Rio taking Nicky may hurt less than it seems. In my viewing. She is Nicky's other mother. And so she is sad for Agatha, and like a good parent remind him to kiss his mother good by, but she may be glad to have her son with her. She certainly seems to want that with Agatha. Being with Death is very much a metaphor literalized in this show.

[@benjaminforman8901]

I really dug AAA because it DIDN'T GIVE ME WHAT I WANTED. I am a "happily ever after" freak. I love when good people get good endings, the bad people get what they deserve (or come around to the good side), and everyone rides into a beautiful sunset. I really wanted Agatha to emerge remorseful and penitent, ready to reverse the absolute horror she perpetrated on the witch community. But the show was like, hold up, it ain't that easy bub. Let's inject a bit of REAL human complexity into this 300-ish year old traumatized fictional witch. So while I didn't get what I THOUGHT I wanted, it gave me something even better. I'll actually think about the show for a while instead of forgetting it in a month.

[@auntietoya1980]

Thank you for actually SPEAKING the dark TRUTH about Jen’s Trauma…

[@palmtreebird]

👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@MsJones3]

Powerful

[@PhilosophyAllAlong]

@auntietoya1980 Agreed. Ryan and Brianna reveal that point powerfully. I thought it was a very eye-opening moment.

[@gileswb]

❤❤❤

[@Connor_Moore]

I think one tiny piece left out was the trauma inflicted on the people of Westview. The show is not shy about the enduring pain left on the whole community. From the anti-Wanda graffiti, to Sharon Hart’s flash back in the first trial, Wanda’s trauma is perpetuated through this entire town. This localized trauma could be seen as a way of showing how natural disasters (or maybe even acts of domestic terrorism) can be the inciting event to be passed down. This complements show’s depiction of other inciting incidents.

[@Hosanna_zh]

.....and yet they endure Agatha insanity (off world, naked etc) while she is still under Wanda spell.......at most "oh no...not again...."

[@iloveentertainment]

We also saw Ralph’s trauma from what he went through during WandaVision. I think Westview’s residents went along with Agatha because they probably had sympathy for her as she is continuing to be held under Wanda’s spell; the same one they had been under 🤔

[@katesullivan4707]

A random thought also, I know everyone points out the SAW mechanics of each trial, but you also supect that they were influenced by a teen's understanding of what his mother, Rebecca here, does for a living (she's a therapist). And it could be why he might have some more control than Wanda ever did, besides his preference for and knowledge of analog magic, you know the Kaplans probably had him in therapy after the accident.

[@PhilosophyAllAlong]

That's really smart. I wish I had thought of it. Excellent point. I'm going to have to think about this.

[@heynonnie]

This was exactly what I needed to hear today. Losing many 💔 friends & animals by one death on top of the other. Needed that reminder that I need to get out of cycling through the stages of grief over and over again. I need to accept that they have crossed over & have found peace.

[@TheLanach]

🎵 It was trauma all along! 🎵

[@MUNNYCAT]

PLEASE DO MORE OF THESE VIDEOS! We love it =)

[@khaledzou]

Yes please =)

[@Mattgyver1987]

I always thought Agatha believed that she had to kill to keep Nicholas alive. The one time we see him not help Agatha kill death comes

[@mcart4762]

That was my opinion too, in order for Nicholas to live, Agatha has to give Death the bodies of others.

[@ParticleZon]

She outright states that she does it “to survive.” That if they try to live with witches “they will kill us.” Nicky has always been kind of sickly, but is getting worse the night he dies. “Sometimes, boys dies” whether she’s killing witches or not. His time was up.

[@PhilosophyAllAlong]

Hey Matt, this is an interesting interpretation. But part of what I'm getting at is that there is actually very little evidence for it other than what we WANT to be the case. We want Agatha to be murdering just to save her son, but look at when she first kills those witches. Is there any evidence it is FOR Nicholas? We just kind of assume so because in one instance where they don't death takes him. BUT let's say you are right, which could be the case... What does it mean? I think it makes Agatha WORSE. What I mean is let's say she's killing people (at first) to help Nicky. Well is that what Nicky wants? He seems clearly concerned about helping with murder. But she does it, without his permission, against his will... to save his life? Imagine she asked Nicky if he wanted this? I think he would be horrified. Imagine the trauma of finding out you are only alive because your mother is sacrificing people to death. So the real issue becomes who is she doing that for? Is that an act of love? Is she respecting Nicky as someone who wouldn't want that? No. She is murdering because SHE wants him to live REGARDLESS of what he would want! So either way, she's being a very selfish person.

[@PhilosophyAllAlong]

@@mcart4762 So I have some thoughts on that. BUT I think another interesting point is that Death is his mother (in my viewing). He's made with no spell, and there is no father (that we have any reason to believe exists). Agatha is, presumably, a gay woman. So where does Nicky come from? He is a product of the love of Agatha and Rio. That being said, also look at Agatha's face back in Wandavision when she kills her Coven. When she is revealed (stops pretending to be good) she gives a little half smile. Agatha, even back then, wasn't innocent. She was already apparently at least thinking about dark deeds

[@Mattgyver1987]

@PhilosophyAllAlong Thank you for taking the time to reply! I will answer your questions chronologically. Nicky was coughing and Agatha was trying to console him. Afterwards he was happy and giggling.

[@traceyfromkc]

This breakdown was EVERYTHING. Very impressive how you uncovered and discussed the themes of grief, generational trauma, and healing. Well done!!! I wanna share the video far and wide, but some of my friends haven’t seen it yet, and I don’t wanna spoil it for them. But for my friends who have seen it, I think they’ll appreciate this video for sure!

[@grizzadams5490]

Alice crying, realizing the curse is real, breaks my black heart everytime. 😢

[@Willcrushyou10]

They just released an hour of the making of agatha , you have to watch it

[@MallRatsXoXo]

I don't have to do anything

[@critter5248]

no I don't have to watch it, dont tell me wat to do

[@TomekChojnacki404]

​@@MallRatsXoXoit's not to you but the creators, chill

[@khbell25]

What platform is this on?

[@critter5248]

@@khbell25 Milk TV

[@phredbookley183]

So I think that's three for three. I'm enjoying an episode then it ends with "The writer of this episode was Brianna" and I"m like...yup. Sounds about right. Solid stuff once again!

[@christopheryee4881]

My favorite video of yours so far! I was struggling to tell people what I found so great about this show, but it's pretty much everything in this video. Thanks for summing it up so succinctly!

[@PhilosophyAllAlong]

@@christopheryee4881 So glad you enjoyed it!!

[@davidwindell]

I think you were struggling because the show wasn’t actually great, in fact it was pretty terrible. From the crude effects to the “I think I’m a lot more clever than I really am” writing, AAA was an awful show that channels like this are desperately trying to make out to be great. If you want a truly great Comic Book/Fantasy TV show, watch Penguin, Peacemaker, or Andor.

[@MsJones3]

@@davidwindelltrauma response

[@MsJones3]

@@PhilosophyAllAlongpretty epic! U did THAT

[@PhilosophyAllAlong]

@@MsJones3 😊😊😊

[@wonkywaddlingwaterwingedwriter]

This is honestly edited phenomenally well. Every time I see a clipped in interview it's always a bit janky but this video did a really good job about minimizing that and that's also Ryan. Gj cuz damn that wasn't as jarring as it could have been.

[@carlcampbell1045]

This was an amazing episode of Screen Crush!!! You touched on an issue that millions and even billions of people face. I didn't notice the deeper meaning of the show before but it's clear as day, now. Thanks to you and the writer.

[@Jordan_541]

Great episode! I really enjoy the insightful commentary from the good Dr! I agree, it would be really powerful to have Nicky be the one who decides when Agatha is redeemed.

[@aldairalarcon8]

Awesome video! I loved your analysis and mental health information. Now I love the show even more.

[@AlbAlPasa]

1- Why did Agatha kill witches before, during and after Nicky? 2- Doesn’t Agatha’s magic work without killing and recharging? 3- How did she gain her succubus power? 4- Why did her mother say she was born evil? 5- How did she become lovers with Death? 6- What changed in her daily life after possessing Darkhold?

[@PSykes-n7v]

Yes, these are the things I’d like to know! One more….what led up to her coven wanting to kill her?

[@Hosanna_zh]

About point 1 and 2. If Agatha drain all power, the cgi would be the last blue color flow into her, but it's shot as she swing her arms to break the flow, as though she leave some behind. But all witches died old and ugly....... indication they use magic to be young and alive. Without enough magic, they turn back into their true aged form, way after they should had been dead. Billy is young in nature.....therefore no effect on him. Witches regain younth by magic, cheated death. Killing witches revolve the witches cheats, giving death what her duty whould had been entitled. Thus my take on point 5.

[@Hosanna_zh]

As for point 4: the term "evil" is also coined as "against what I wanted". In traditional sense, most (?) witches are evil themself , so evil's evil may not be that "evil" . Witches basically takes and not gives, so Agatha born to takes magic FROM them are "evil" to witches point of view. Therefore point 3: her power by born (Agatha's "evil"). The 300 years of killing is another thing (her own choice, not by birth).

[@Bleepurchin]

Fantastic insights into the deeper themes behind this show. First class! 👌🏻💫✨

[@MusicLover-my6fo]

Wanda & Agatha - We just want to live quite lives with our children. Marvel - Nah, you can have trauma instead.

[@Guerreropowerr]

I'm so glad I was wrong about Agatha. I was originally thinking it would be bad/unnecessary. Boy was I wrong!

[@Paintimenti]

Aaah what a great deep dive video essay holy crap. I need more video essays by the SC team!

[@MusicLover-my6fo]

It's very nice of you to upload this video on my birthday, Ryan. Thanks for thinking of me. 🎂

[@ScreenCrush]

What did you think of Agatha All Along?

[@JosephFerguson-bi1ul]

Well put together show about relationships across time and relatives influencing people long after their death.

[@marcusyates3044]

Every Horror Movie Era Explored in Agatha All Along? Recap: Every Clue That Rio Is Death?

[@Coryalan2]

It was gay af

[@BirdiFanOfficial]

Amazing show! Hoping for a season 2

[@BirdiFanOfficial]

@@marcusyates3044bot

[@JoeIPA]

I just finished watching this show the other day. I genuinely enjoyed all of it. It was a fun show. I hope we see more of Agatha and Billy.

[@redcrest5]

Really good and coherent analysis! The way the trials are set up as visual confrontations between each witch and her lifelong demon/trauma was brilliant and really makes sense as to why I felt like the successful trials (even and *especially* Lilia’s that ends immediately in her death) feel so triumphant and rounded out/at peace even though these characters I really liked and wanted to see more of died and ended their stories. But I see now that they healed the biggest and most important/core wounds each of them carried regarding death, before they actually ran out of time and had to face death. It makes perfect sense as well that the introduction of the character of Death into the MCU should be in this show that deals so elegantly and honestly with our mortal fears of death and grief.

[@laradirks7876]

Hi! I’m a practicing licensed marriage and family therapist and I adored this breakdown. I hope that it will help anyone that’s struggling with grief understand that there is hope and help.

[@rkms5606]

Grief and trauma. Thank you for your MFT service🎉

[@Arcticgreen]

The theme of "generational trauma" is itself a story. Agatha and The Witch's Road is a story unto itself. When you combine stories like this you always run the risk of one story undercutting the other. I for one would have LOVED to see "more Agatha, and less Trauma-message" in the show. Heck, I wrote up an alternate path it could have gone, I did it in a couple of minutes. A witch's power is steeped in "change" of some sort. This explains a lot, what kind of change the witch can reach for is what determines their specialty, like the green witches changing aspects of life and living. The more powerful the witch, the more they extend their reach and the more things they can change. There are "light witches" and there are "dark witches", these were always the leaders of their respective covens. The covens make a covenant to protect each other, defend each other and each other's secrets, and never to betray their coven. They are always lead by a high-witch, which is either light or dark. The High witch is decided by The Witch's Road. The Witch's Road will selectively kill off the unworthy until only one remains. That last one can either die as well, dooming the rest that were "killed off" or succeed... but at a cost. Said cost can turn them into a "light witch" or a "dark witch". After becoming a high-witch, said high-witch steps off the road, and takes her followers with her, returning them from death on the road. This is the trial that binds them together (initially) and begins the coven. At the end of the road, the high-witch-to-be is faced against Mephisto, who convinces them that ultimately, Mephisto is in charge of the change, and forces them to become his servant. This is what turns them into a "dark witch", where they are convinced they have no choice and thus, "choose" to serve him. Because the trial with Mephisto is subjective, there is no real way to give any other witches any kind of heads-up on how to deal with him. The Light witches are those who reject his claim and look within, changing themselves, ascending, essentially. For my re-write of Agatha All Along, I would have changed it such that "Billy" really is "Nickolas", but Agatha doesn't believe it, and believes that he is Billy. I also change it that Agatha didn't sacrifice Nicki, Nicki sacrificed himself to Mephisto so as to protect Agatha. This forced Nicki into Mephisto's service. Mephisto then lies to Agatha and telling her that a sacrifice such as this requires compensation... he "gifts" her the Darkhold. Again, this is a trick of Mephisto, he gives it to her, convincing her it is because of Nicki's sacrifice, knowing it will tempt her to perform more evil than she would have done if she had merely given in to his deceptions at the end of the road anyway. So Mephisto gets two prizes. Nicki comes to Agatha to warn her about Mephisto, because the Darkhold didn't just contain Mephisto's power... it also held him back. So, with the Darkhold destroyed... Mephisto is coming. The Sinister Seven aren't even after Agatha, they're after Nicki. And they do not go down without a fight. From there, I think a much more interesting story would have unfolded, instead of what we got.

[@johnannada]

This kind of layered analysis is why I subscribed to this channel in the first place.

[@trulanrockwood]

Shoutout to Brianna y’all! She KILLED it with these videos this season!

[@nikkywalks9271]

this might be my favorite video yall have done. kudos.

[@PhilosophyAllAlong]

@@nikkywalks9271 😊

[@AphidKirby]

Suuuch a cool video! Very in-depth conversation!

[@ItsTheGLife]

Great points. Well-captured and well-said ✨✨

[@isaaclopez-eb6yg]

I like how in the first episode when Rio wants to kill Agatha, Agatha says she can't do that it's not allowed. Death doesn't take a life intentionally she cannot interfere in killing someone she merely collects souls as they die. Yet she wanted to defy the natural order of life in order to get back at Agatha after all those years.

[@corinneferrarolam5101]

Incredible job with this analysis. Love this.

[@mister.h61]

I enjoyed Dr. Michaud's additions to this video!

[@PhilosophyAllAlong]

@@mister.h61 Thank you! 😊

[@phyllismargretgabor]

i literally just watched the whole season again today. it's so good

[@antonharmacinski276]

I think Agatha was killing witches as part of her deal with Rio. Even though it wasn't shown on screen, an earlier episode showed her making a deal with Rio (Ep 2 or 3) and it just felt familiar, like they'd made similar deals in the past. So I think that's why she was killing witches. Not because she's jaded, (well, not entirely) but because she felt the more bodies she brought Rio, the more time Nicholas would have. Hence, the one day they didn't kill, was the day Rio came for Nicholas. But that's just my $0.02

[@tonygibson2924]

THIS is why the show was great. I was soooo in my feels most of the watch. Now I know why. Great Essay 👍🏿

[@bewhateveritis]

Love the long form essay format!

[@palmtreebird]

Gosh I love this channel!

[@talesyuki]

Y'all should do more videos like that. That was like, really good. Video essays ftw

[@crystalbrownmua]

I definitely thought of “Memento Mori”, symbolic use of skull imagery in art to remind the viewer of the cycle of life and death. I thought the dandelion here was used in the same way.

[@JustMe-dc6ks]

The seed of life inside the memento of her son. Watered with her grief. And the soil for it to grow in only becoming available after she helped Jen and Billy to get what they needed.

[@crystalbrownmua]

@ Yes! So many layers to this story :)

[@PhilosophyAllAlong]

@crystalbrownmua Great point! One of my professors discussed it as Life-Death. Reminding us that they are in essence the same thing. They define each other.

[@crystalbrownmua]

@ Awesome! I’m pleasantly surprised to find so much depth in this show. I knew it would be good but the writers went above and beyond!

[@Scarletwitch._.06]

Wow one of the best videos I’ve seen❤️

[@benbrown8258]

Freaking wow. That explains why the series was so satisfying and cathartic. It wasn't simply overpowering the bad guys. Few media junk food that destroys minds is worth paying for to watch. This was not media junk food.

[@geniejunkie]

It's a well found explanation of themes. I think plotwise It's heavily suggested the post birthday witch murder is transactional with death. In some ways this transactional death is passed on to Billy and he's literally haunted by his mentor in the various deaths caused to get to bringing back his brother. Billy's emotional state is the future of any conservation on themes and the measuring stick of how much the next Wiccan appearance embraces a character arc established in the show

[@rkms5606]

So well done.❤

[@jeffreycarman2185]

Thanks for the video.

[@JosephFerguson-bi1ul]

Imagine having Woodrow Wilson as you great, great, great Grandfather. What a hard thing to reconcile throughout your life

[@wpaunan]

I find it crazy that a show with a character who isn’t a superhero and in a show we didn’t ask for and think we needed turns out to be one of the most creative and talked about shows of the year. And one of the best Marvel shows ever. Crazy times.

[@CarlosGonzalez-dg2jb]

great stuff!

[@lizaronni]

When the advertising plug works as a comedic break from the subject matter

[@georgeweatherford1027]

The theme of this show is profound: how we deal with trauma and how not dealing with it passes it along. Billy acknowledges the harm he has done in response to his trauma. He honors those who he (inadvertently) took down. Unlike Wanda and Agatha, he tries to atone and to not lose hope and get caught in guilt and pain. Agatha is the only one who insists on passing on her trauma. Deep message.

[@TheeNicoleJackson]

Thank you for delving into Jen's trauma

[@louhimself]

"Hurt People, Hurt People." That's nice. I always say "Make people cry, make people cry." But yours includes the people you don't want to give the satisfaction.

[@stephanieflores277]

i am a therapist and i agree that there have been some people who are in therapy cuz others are concerned but the individual does not want to work. However, when I work with those earnestly wanting to get better, the results are amazing.

[@chrisbeaudoin1852]

I love how similar rio in this is to death in the sandman

[@SmokeGSU]

Shoutout to Brianna McLarty for writing this. I think a lot of us, myself included, are too quick to pull up a a video like Agatha, get our chuckles every now and then, and be glad that after a long day at work we got to turn our brains off for a while. It's so easy to miss the deeper meaning that writers will insert into stories... but I suppose we're often also dealing with terrible writing that's very shallow that it can be difficult to pick up the deeper meanings in some shows. I was watching another Tuber who was discussing The Penguin and how much of the show deals with the "Oedipus Complex", a theme that was nagging at the fringes of my mind, but after dealing with toddlers for several hours before watching the show, again, it's difficult to sometimes pick up the deeper meanings when your brain just wants entertainment for entertainment's sake. So that being said, I really appreciate the commentaries on shows like this where writers who understand the deeper meanings can narrate those ideas and philosophies for us. It makes me have a much deeper appreciation for the shows and the writers like Brianna, who can put it all together in an easily digestible format for us. *chef's kiss*

[@PhilosophyAllAlong]

@SmokeGSU YES! She did an amazing job! To your other point, it's interesting though because Oedipus usually also involves patricide. So in some ways I find that perspective compelling, but I also wonder, "Who is the father he wants to eliminate in order to possess his mother?" The brothers are the likely contender for that. Certainly the disability speaks directly to the Oedipus myth, so I do like that connection. The part I would want to dig into deeper would be the problem of Oedipus being someone who is foretold to do something that he believes he could never do. But his name determines his fate (Oedipus's name basically marks his disability). So is the penguin a retelling or the Oedipus complex... OR a rejection of it? By that what I mean isn't Oz someone who creates his own future and rejects fate through his actions. From his perspective, rather than damned is blessed by the end.

[@stephanieflores277]

i think it was interesting to see generational trauma in the show represented as the curse for alice. it was also eye opening to see agatha's CPTSD from being in a witch trial, the birth of her son and the death of nicky

[@jamiedoe6822]

Great analysis

[@gametime2227]

Generational trama. It is very real.

[@Hosanna_zh]

As christian About that death balances......my take: "for sin shall be death"......(yes) Thus balanced . But sin has much more. Darkness exist due to lack of light. Sin also reject what's pure,holy,light,right,love, kindness, rules and order...........for which human has the freedom to choose. For which God will honor that freedom given (of rejecting)........to be lack of all, after death balances, ......and that lack shall be hell (total chaos etc). Btw,"total chaos" means lack of rules, including the rule "strongest wins". So don't think being the most bad rule in hell . So when after death balances("took away"), there shall have more.

[@ingridrapala1223]

Seen in this light, it makes sense why she says “I can’t face him.”

[@NavarinoDC]

Jac Schaeffer (spelling?) seems to understanding grief really well. Watching Agatha weep over Nicky was hard. Katheryn Hahn seemed to be drawing on her own emotions too.

[@Thisismyself-n5r]

This story very much reflects therapy through psychedelics. Face your trauma which is terrifying and will force you to move through it or run from it. Then face death. Either the death of the trauma or you actual mortality. And then regain your power after moving through it all

[@baz-o-matic]

Wow! Very cool 😎

[@Cognus1234]

I love how deep this show was 🔥🔥💯

[@chefadamcooks]

With the reveal of Billy creating the road I’m constantly questioning what is real and what isn’t. For example did Agatha’s mother’s ghost appear to torture and attack Agatha or was she conjured by Billy? This can go all the way to the beginning. Did Billy make Lilia write the list of women they needed for the road when it didn’t even exist? After all the people on the list were woman that Billy had already met and interacted with.

[@PhilosophyAllAlong]

@chefadamcooks Yes, I think there is a very purposeful kind of "Inception" vibe to the show. The show even hints at this in the first episode in which Agatha has to break back into reality. I do think one answer, though is that Billy doesn't *make* people do as they do on the road. They seem to retain free will. BUT to your point Lilia writing the list must be predetermined because her death as it was to occur was predetermined. Time is an illusion as she notes, and all events have already happened. So she both writes the list, which causes events, but she is also written BY the the list. One way to look at this is although Billy created the illusion that traps them, Billy is also trapped in the illusion of time, so HIS writing of the road was also predetermined by forces beyond his control!

[@gregariuss]

17:00 no I know it’s speeding a dead stick with a horse, but she was corrupted by the Darhold. I feel like people forget it.

[@411bvRGiskard]

Really good show

[@marcusyates3044]

Every Horror Movie Era Explored in Agatha All Along? Recap: Every Clue That Rio Is Death?

[@JockKowboy]

I'm very curious as to what Visionquest is going to be all about since Wandavision dealt with personal grief and Agatha All Along dealt with generational trauma.

[@411bvRGiskard]

Lilia’s story was fantastically written

[@weirdogoat]

Honey, death's face is always beautiful in the most terrifying way.

[@dc0208]

Coming to see you in Chicago! Doubt it but are puppy's welcome? We have a Shih Tzu that wants to meet Doug!

[@kcivts]

I can relate, I just spent 9 episodes in your mom's snatch then wandering afterwards, "what does it all mean?"

[@BlackHatCinephile]

BOOZE has all the vitamins and minerals my body needs.

[@ericeinhorn1420]

Well-reasoned hypothesis and it may be true that the story arc in Wandavision and Agatha may follow the "5 Stages of Grief" as a literary device. I use quotes because psychological research and understanding is quite clear that there are NOT 5 stages of grief. People go through many different emotions and experiences when processing grief. Some may experience each of the alleged 5 stages, and some of those people may experience them in that order, but they are by no means a universal truth of the human psyche. Many others will experience different emotions, just some of these emotions, and/or in different sequences. Propagating the myth of the 5 Stages causes a substantial amount of unnecessary harm to those facing grief when they question their own processing because they don't experience grief the "right" way. If you are struggling with grief, reach out to others who care about you and if necessary seek professional help. Those who are trained to help people through grief and loss are much better prepared to offer solace and growth than is incorrect pop psychology.

[@ninadee7407]

Random thoughts. Agatha and Nicky. There's a reason why losing a child is psychologically the greatest trauma a person can experience. It goes against the natural order. They're supposed to bury you, not the other way around. It isn't really a trauma one gets over (nor is having your likely abusive mother try to kill you). But I think Agatha's ultimate arc is to channel her power in a positive way. To help other. Which is what we start to see in the end. I disagree with the idea that, in contrast, Wanda made amends to the people she hurt. She freed the enslaved citizens, but "sorry," doesn't quite cut it. Slinking away to study the Darkhold doesn't either. She hid. Agatha lashed out. Two sides of the same traumatized coin. Wanda still has amends to make as well. Before Nicky's death, Agatha may have killed out of a mix of toxic self-defense and the rush. After his death, her killing seemed more like someone burying their pain in an addiction to the rush of getting the score and absorbing the drug of their life force. This just came to me, but that montage felt like watching a bender.

[@richal13]

I also feel like she was only killing witches initially to stave off Death for Nicky. Notice the day she didn’t kill witches, Nicky was taken by Death. Then she used the Ballad after that to lure and kill witches for their power.

[@skzip888]

Generational Trauma is also the reason the past 10 Pixar movies have had the exact same plot.

[@beccab8015]

I do wish you had mentioned that Agatha's initial trauma wasnt her coven trying to kill her, it was the way her mother always treated her. She was literally treated as if she was evil since birth. That's traumatizing AF. She's got A LOT of unprocessed trauma.

[@PhilosophyAllAlong]

@@beccab8015 I tend to read it as she is an allegory for the rejection of family for being gay. Her illicit affair with Rio both literalizes it and makes it a metaphor for everyone who is treated as if loving someone of the same sex makes you "dead to me".

[@davidchism6081]

Wanda had a lifetime of trauma since she was ten years old; when her parents died because of one of the war time situations that just happened to involved Stark Industries weaponry at the time. Then indirectly killing her brother by fiddling with Tony's brain, Tony created Ultron, Ultron ultimately caused direct mass destruction of Wanda's home town, and subsequently Wanda's entire country by indirect means. Then the straw that broke the camel's back in Captain America Civil War, accidentally killing people in a building(even though people would have died on the ground; lose-lose I think), etc.

[@xxmlghostxx]

"magic's just science we don't understand yet"

[@belo2999]

Bi-cycle 💜

[@SamsonLeung-c3f]

Great video. It ties many things together. I still don't understand the significance of the dandelion in her locket and making it grow?

[@jonathanwright4732]

It's almost like Wanda was possessed by the Darkhold, like Evil Strange.

[@anandafricawala]

Agatha killed witches to extend his son's Life. The day they didn't kill, that night Nic was taken by Death. Then after his death, she started killing for fun.

[@LadyCylia]

That. My take is, that she is like his Heart Lung Machine. He is not really alive, Rio just didn't sever his soul from his body. So Agatha keeps him actively alive through her Magic. And since she can't power up herself (Jac said so in an interview), she has to power up using other witches. After Nickys death it's just Anger, Hunger and Addiction.

[@PhilosophyAllAlong]

This is an interesting point, but I'm not sure there is a lot of evidence she is killing to keep him alive. But let's say it's true... how appalled would Nicholas be to find out she was killing people to save him. He's given no real choice in that. So even if it's true, she's violating him. Erasing him for her own desire to keep him alive. So it's almost worst... "I'll use you to do something you dont want to do to keep you alive to keep doing it."

[@anandafricawala]

@@PhilosophyAllAlong That is why she let others believe that she traded Nic for Darkhold because she knows that they are doing worst things. As Nic grew up even he felt ashamed about their deeds, thus he hesitated to kill the witches from the bar.

[@LadyCylia]

@@PhilosophyAllAlong Well, it's implied. When she goes to the coven in the woods Nicky is sick, crying, and after she killed the coven he is content and she says "You liked that, did you? We will make a good team". And that he dies the night after he refused to lure a coven to their death is also very telling.

[@PhilosophyAllAlong]

@@anandafricawala I think this is a very fair point. I think she may be afraid of facing Nicky again because she will have to face the way she used him and the song they wrote together as a means by which to commit murder to gain power for herself.

[@capnkoko]

Of all the in-episode advertisements… why wasn’t this one “BetterHelp”?

[@helpfixstupid6190]

Great research! How did Billy manifest the world of the Witches Road? Just from hearing the song? How did he manifest how and why each witch would be healed?

[@mrtierney2]

if agatha had warned everyone that the road asn't real we wouldn't have a story

[@tbryan5437]

Yup, as far as I'm concerned, DSMOM is not cannon. Just someone's fever dream.

[@CordajeRushing]

This guy definitely watches The Why Files

[@Fireandbubbles]

I think overall a magic road is a thousand times more likely to help a person than therapy

[@michaelmcchesney6645]

The most important question about the sponsor Is: Is AG1 safe for puppies? You seem to be recommending that Doug drink it.

[@gwheele3]

I thought Agatha not killing Billy when taking his powers proved that she CAN CONTROL her powers. She killed her coven bc they tried to kill her.

[@JustMe-dc6ks]

She may not have been able to control it the first time, or right after being possessed by her mother’s ghost.

[@ParticleZon]

Both Jac Schaefer and Kathryn Hahn have said that Agatha was not in control of her powers with Alice. She was coming off of emotional trauma and possession and reacted out of muscle memory. Plus, she was SO hungry. Jac said (in an interview with House of R) the she was able to control things with Billy because she didn’t want to drain him and he is so powerful that she essentially got a full charge without a full draw. (Queue House of R banter: is Billy complex carbs or stuffed pizza?) Jac has also said, about Agatha’s original coven, that rather than helping her to control her powers and guiding her natural curiosity, they called her evil and tried to kill her. She’s said that Agatha’s trial was intended to show viewers her “source trauma” and explain why she behaves the way she does.