JOE LOCKE IS INCREDIBLE! (Agatha All Along, Episode 6: Reaction & Analysis)

[@kengel100]

Joe kept up with his Latin vocab lessons

[@georgechristianjr]

interrogation scene ALL ad lib from both , even Joe saying back in the closet gay joke was all him 🤣 Back to his bedroom he has a trans rights poster

[@normaladjacent]

I don’t think the interrogation was all improvised, but Joe mentioned that the “poke the bear” and pen clicking bits were, and the closet joke was his ad lib. It sounds like the trans flag was a Joe suggestion too. He mentioned using it to replace movie posters they were going to include that he didn’t feel were appropriate. This was in his interview with The Wrap a few days ago.

[@andremaloney4128]

I love that the scene with William and Eddy in the car, has them listening to a queer musician. The song is Dead of Night by Canadian Orville Peck. Great choice by Marvel.

[@gavinneedham2013]

Orville doesn’t really call himself Canadian. I’ve seen him refer to South Africa more as home, where he was born.

[@andremaloney4128]

@@gavinneedham2013Thanks, I learned something today.

[@georgechristianjr]

Confirmed Billy IS the black heart

[@Frances86]

I agree, the scene where we see what actually happened was freakin hilarious! 😂 The „poking the bear“ part and also „I don’t wanna go back in the closet“ 😂 I was laughing so much!

[@priscilarodriguez3793]

I wasn't surprised that the video was about Agatha, what surprised me was that it was ep 6 and I was like 🤔🤔 when did he do 1-5?? 😅 anyway I'll wait because I haven't watched episodes 5 & 6

[@x0habiib0x]

Billy was a week-old figment of consciousness of Wanda’s idea of what a 10-year-old boy would be like in the body of a dead 13-year-old. He is now a 13-year-old who’s been living in the body of a dead 16-year-old’s body which has presumably continue to grow with his energy inhabiting it

[@simonsonian8977]

Slight correction, he was Wanda's idea of what a baby would be like, but he and Tommy used their reality and time control powers to age their bodies and minds to whatever they wanted to be. Meaning he's probably aged himself up to William Kaplan's age to match what he thinks he is.

[@PiadaProductionsMacTutorials]

Words cannot describe how much I LOVE your reaction videos on Heartstopper (or, in this case, AAA/Joe Locke)! I usually skip the parts where a reactor stops the video and talks for several minutes (well, most of the times, at least!) but your monologues are SO enriching, SO full of deep details and personal feelings that I never skipped a single one. Plus, since the very beginning, Charlie in HS and Joe Locke in general have been my fav ones. Therefore I really appreciated you making this video on this episode of Agatha. I studied theology (and Hebrew) at the university so, for me, to be able to hear Joe singing in Hebrew was particularly impactful and made me appreciate his talent even more!!!!! I just love how many details you notice, bring to the surface and discuss, and yes: I agree with you when you say the way this episode visually describes what is happening at the moment of the car accident is very clear IF YOU PAY ATTENTION TO THE DETAILS and do not get lost in talking without stopping the video. 😇😛 Long story short: your videos are awesome and have been very useful to understand all the details, easter eggs and deep meanings of the HS universe. So once again thank you very much for doing this! Sending all my hugs from Italy!!!!! 🇮🇹🤗

[@efferal]

I think The Goofballs(Goonies) poster might be there as a nod to Joe Locke’s favourite movie. His mention in interviews that The Goonies and Devil Wars Prada are his go to movies

[@jonmc131]

@@efferal Yeah I'm sure it is since The Goonies was inspiration for the show.

[@georgeweatherford1027]

The Goonies was referenced: the slide from the oven was straight out of The Goonies

[@Angelareadsalot]

This video made my day!! Best ep 6 AAA breakdown I’ve watched. Loving this show, and loving Joe as Billy. Amazing ep!

[@zacksnerdpack]

Yes! This show is amazing and Joe is a phenomenal actor for sure! 😃

[@zacksnerdpack]

As far as marvel shows this has earned its spot at the top right next to WandaVision, I have yet to watch Heart Stopper but have heard nothing but good things so may check that out soon

[@danieloneal7137]

Joe Locke absolutely knocked it out of the park in this episode

[@k4rli92]

Thank you So much Thom for setting aside the time and energy to make this. We love Joe Locke and would support anything he does ... but man is Agatha All Along an incredible journey! And add to all that has made it special this particular episode: episode 6: Familiar By Thy Side, which is just phenomenal and So worth sharing, a revisiting or ten, and delving deeply into. ** Spoiler Alert for episode 5 ** Joe giving us Billy is such a gift! And what an awesome piece of storytelling pulling us back into WandaVision. And this awesome cast, especially the amazing Kathryn Hahn with her delicious and fierce Agatha! That poking the bear scene!! 😂😂😂 So many strong moments: the Lilia scene in the "Fortune Teller" tent and all the details there; the car scene; every mind-reading scene; every easter egg and detail in William's room & Billy's room! Btw: please take care of yourself. ❤‍🩹 wishing you well, k P.S. As regards Heartstopper season 3, it is such an emotional commitment and I myself have gone very slowly pausing after episode 3 ... so just know you're not alone in going through the third season gently and slowly. It's a lot.

[@danieloneal7137]

I’ve never clicked on a video so fast. edit: on my way home from work I was thinking about rewatching this episode this evening, but rewatching it with you was even more fun.

[@tendo_pein]

The painting is Makbeth and Three Witches by Francesco Zuccarelli.

[@karouakiva1714]

I thought Billy being able to hear Ralph's thoughts was a plot hole, because he said it only happened when he was with people he cares about, but it was the first time Billy/William was meeting him. What you said makes sense, though, that hex Billy thought Ralph was his uncle, so he did care about him.

[@gavinmcmahon235]

Maybe I was just noticing it because I always assumed he was Billy. But he’s very expressive with his hands, he occasionally tilts his head when speaking (both of which Agatha might’ve noticed prior to the sigil’s removal). But his arguments with Agatha after Alice are incredibly similar to the justifications Wanda used for not being like Agatha during the fight in Westview’s Main Street which is how she finally worked it out

[@stephendaniels2213]

Joe has also matched Elizabeth Olsen's slightly lopsided smirk/smile thing that she does when thinking hard

[@polythenepam6461]

1:00-3:00 AM is "the witching hour"

[@elisabethbauman6190]

Thank you for put this out there! It was so cool to see you react to it, and about the obsession-same. Love it when you pause to read text and point out tiny details that I frequently miss. You always give a top tier reaction.

[@KnightRaymund]

Ugh. Misclick and lost a big comment. Bleh. Let's see what comments I can remember.... Sorry you've been struggling with the HS video but no need to apologize. No rush. I am very glad this video came out of it. I'm loving Agatha and I love your analysis. Reading in Hebrew using his American accent. In interviews they've stressed how important it was to get this part right. I mean, the Blip happened like a month ago to them. Ignoring how impossibly stable things still seemed to be after the Snap, that has got to be so hard on people. Damn, I hadn't thought of it like that. He saved his parents and it cost him is life. Poor, poor William.... That crash is so hard to watch. And you're right, the scene with the heartbeat and the voices is just so expertly done. I was a little meh on Alice in episode 2, but quickly grew to love her in 3-5. I know it works for the story but I still hate what happened. I hope she's revived somehow by the end. Yeah, I can't imagine waking up and having no memories of... anything. Just... damn. Huh, nice catch with the funny bit. I admit, I found the 'my treat' line a little odd but it makes more sense in that context. Clearly the subtitles should have shown that thought. Eddie was great. If he did become Teddy I would not complain. We just really need his character! If you have to reassure people that it's 'totally safe' then maybe... yeah.... I could totally see DADC (Damage Control) threatening them to keep many of them quiet. And I imagine others are so traumatized they just really don't want to talk about it. Yeah, Wanda really messed up there. She didn't mean to start the hex, but she kept it going. She somehow deluded herself into thinking they'd enjoy her perfect little fantasy life too. Which, even if that were true, it's still not ok to force that on people. At least, once confronted with their pain she was causing, she freed them. Seems like the 'intense emotions' part is more important. Or it could be your theory. Hadn't heard that one before. Yeah, I was thinking pepper spray too. I love that song too. All the versions/singers so far. Huh, yeah. I guess Alice would be older than she looks but still young by witch standards. Yeah, the chant from the book doesn't quite match up with what he says. Ah well. I'm not as taken with the goth look. The eyeliner's a bit much, though Joe pulls it off. But just a personal thing. He does look good. I agree about Rio. They may not have shown her to simplify things. And they had to work around Plaza's schedule as she was working on something else at the time too I hear. If she wasn't there then she was at least projecting herself in because she's clearly trying to snap her out of it. And she was obviously physically there when she tore up the house. The whole sequence from his arrival in Westview to the closet is just pure comedy gold. Neither is nearly as athletic as they imagine. The cute way he says he can't have a criminal record. Joe barely keeping it together in the bear scene. The pen. And that closet line. Oh, it's so, so good! Yeah. He says William and it's like she doesn't believe him. Then he says Billy and she's like 'interesting'. It also means the sigil works on both names. Yeah, the 'I'm not that nice' seems like he's trying to act tougher than he is. Steel himself and to stand up to her. Ok, that was a lot of comments. Ah well. Loved the video. You did a great job. Thanks for putting it out!

[@temporarystranger95]

I agree, Thom. While I was watching Epi. 6 in real time, I thought it was “phenomenal” and a “showcase for Joe Locke.” I saw Joe in Sweeney Todd and, yes, he has an “angelic voice.” Great analysis, Thom. 👊👊

[@jonmc131]

Joe is incredible in this!!! Yes Billy is Jewish in the comics. The sound effects manage to convey Billy Maximoff becoming Billy Kaplan was just beautiful considering how complex it is in the comics. As someone whos read Young Avengers comics as well as latest Scarlet Witch Witches Road one too My current theory is that Billy created the Witches Road as if you watch his room, it is littered with thibgs from the road. In the comics Wiccan becomes the Demiurge who crestes America Chavez universe (who was in MoM) The idea of the tower is interesting because ive seen thoughts it might also me about Wanda dropping Mount Wundagore on her. There's a statue of Wiccan carved in those walls. Episode 7 is Lilia's episode so we should see everything from her perspective and I find the boyfriend incredibly suspicious. I appreciated the Vision joke about how nobody knows where he is. We believe its Rio driving the truck that drives them off the road. Also the WandaVision post credits makes so much more sense now.

[@knighthawk3749]

I am pretty sure it was Bohner escaping Westview who was on the wrong side of the road.

[@BrianLe-yf6fe]

1. I heard theories that Billy did break the rules and Lilia is protecting him from far worse than Agatha. She's protect him Lady Death 2. Billy doesn't remember Agatha, so I don't think he would know if Agatha some way about that from his pov.

[@Taraxacum_sp]

I also loved episode 6! It was so fun to see a Joe focused episode, and he nailed it! How adorable was he as a 13 years old William Kaplan? 🥹 Agatha is my first Marvel tv show. And before that, I had only seen the original Spiderman movies and Iron Man 1 yeaaaars ago. Needless to say, the episode 5 reveal completely flew over my head. I hoped episode 6 would provide some context, and it did, but I was still left with so many questions that I decided to go back and watch WandaVision. Two episodes in, and I already get so many references now! Thank you for this episode commentary. It was really helpful. 😊 The show just keeps getting better and I can't wait to see what's to come!

[@jonmc131]

Aww that's great!! Definitely watch WandaVision because it's incredible in how it expands Scarlet Witch. I'd also watch Multiverse of Madness!!

[@williampepper4789]

My theory is that the sigil was never about protecting Billy. Hiding him led directly to Wanda destroying Darkhold Castle (i.e. The Tower Inverted). The promotional art for Lillia's tarot, The Tower's normal golden crown has been replaced with Billy's blue one, and the mountain below has been made more craggy, resembling Mount Wundagore.

[@sallymarr5329]

Me, checking KZbin daily for your next Heartstopper video. Me waking up this morning and seeing this, after just watching this amazing episode last night. You have definitely made my day! I'm so sorry about Benny. Being a pet owner is so heartbreaking but worth it for the short time we have with our beloveds. Much love to you.

[@Prinsassy777]

This Episode is amazing, I've watched it several Times! I love to watch it now with you again... lets go 😘

[@cuteorangeedits9001]

I´m so glad you made this video. I love Hearstopper so much! But I´m in love with Agatha at the moment. And Episode 6 is INSANELY GOOD!!! Are you gonna do reactions for other episodes? That would be great! And of course, I can't wait to see your other reactions to Hearstopper episodes.

[@dancarey2307]

Some theorize Tommy is in Senor Scratchy the rabbit, Agatha's other familiar/pet.

[@BrotherTypo]

It has been so impossible as someone in the Heartstopper space to avoid anything about Agatha XD I feel like i've seen this entire episode through clips alone on social media. Joe does such an amazing job with his physical acting and being able to portay emotions. Him and Kathryn are so hilarious together, I know i've seen various things about the interogation having some improv as well as Joe ad-libing the "I don't wanna go back in the closet" line. Which is so good lol I do think the sigil breaking when it did meant that Agatha learning who he was invalidated the need for it. It would be neat if Lilia does remember everything she forsaw with William and explains that she did place the sigil to protect him from Agatha's view until this point. Cause i'm sure we can all guess how even MORE interested Agatha would be in just messing with him for being Wanda's son. Honestly probably wouldn't have even let him anywhere near the road unless she did have those doubts that maybe he could be her son. "Will we ever learn who was driving the truck on the wrong side of the road?" My brain: It was Agatha All Along~ Hope you feel better soon, I know what it's like to not be in the best headspace for something like Heartstopper. Many well wishes

[@mamabeth834]

I didn't see you mention it, but there was actually a trans lives matter flag in his bedroom (Behind Eddie when he's putting his jacket back on to hide those arms), so I do think he likely does identify with the trans community in that feeling of not feeling right in his body. Jac Shaeffer and Joe Locke did confirm that Billy is the Black heart of the coven. I always thought it was interesting that everyone was sure that it was Rio when Lilia would have just written down Rio Vidal or Lady death if she was part of the coven. At the end, when Billy says he doesn't trust her and she does that mustache thing- so many people miss that he stares her down and she switches to a genuine 'Got it' because she can see he's not putting up with her antics at that moment. I think she is both in awe of his and afraid of him. Yes, he doesn't have control over his powers, but he has powers and he's more powerful than her and she knows it.

[@jessicafrechette5575]

Lol I made the mistake of taking a drink at 1 point and couldn't hold in my laughter so I ended up doing an accidental spit take and it was funny. family was like omg are you okay

[@spacemonkeymafia4756]

The sigil of course did something else. It let the Doctor Strange movie happen. If Wanda could sense Billy, she would not have tried to steal other kids.

[@elisabethbauman6190]

Exactly! Not sure what implications there might have been of Wanda discovering him, but with both of them being so powerful and untrained, I’m sure it would not have been totally benign.

[@tendo_pein]

My witchy aunt taught me some basic palm reading. I indeed can see the life line on this close-up to have an intriguing parallel to it. But it might be just some normal and insignificant line just exagerrated by the position of the thumb, i'm not sure. What I am sure, though, is that this hand belongs to a sensitive, empathetic person - multiplicity of minor lines says that. Fits Joe, I guess.

[@davidcheater4239]

A couple of things about The Tower Reversed. I hadn't noticed what was in her crystal ball the first time I watched it - but her poster of The Tower is reflected in it upside down beside the Teen. She is literally seeing The Tower Reversed. The Tower means change or revelation - but it's always painful/destructive. ie. The loss of a job or failing school. In the upright position it is something external/outside the control of the person getting a reading. Reversed can also indicate that the change is internal and under the querent's control. Outside of the show, it could indicate coming out, the destruction of a false self in order to create an authentic self. Her saying that it's just a representation of becoming Bar Mitsvah (AKA entering adolescence) would be a fair reading for someone who isn't a main character in a Dark Fantasy TV show.

[@elisabethbauman6190]

Thanks for sharing that explanation!

[@georgechristianjr]

i dont mind the long time, i get annoyed with small clip reactors doing a 9 min KZbin vid off a 30 min vid & beg for Patreon $$$$$ Plenty of time do do both like you do equal time for full / cut episodes with full responce on said episode pausing as to not miss & talk over episode / movie. 1 reaso why you are 1 of my personal fav reactors ❤

[@thom_is_trans]

Long videos like this take a LOT of time and effort to do, so I definitely don't fault creators who opt for sharing shorter reactions. But I'm glad people enjoy my long-winded videos - it makes all the effort feel worth it!

[@Ontir]

I've not watched but, there was a thumbnail, the other day, suggesting that William/Billy is a Trans allegory.

[@dswxyz2]

I'm pretty sure the yellow flowers are from Herb's hedge. "Agnes" saw instead a yellow police tape that Herb was standing behind.

[@thom_is_trans]

This occurred to me about five minutes after I posted this video, because my brain has great timing like that.😆But yes, I do think you're right!

[@georgechristianjr]

Bohners address so he prob looked it up seeing it was his house 😂

[@Sarahthelunsford]

I'm pretty sure the woman who took the coat was William's mom.

[@normaladjacent]

It’s a different actor, she’s listed on IMDb as “Event Planner.”

[@Sarahthelunsford]

@@normaladjacent I see. I thought the hair looked similar. ☺️

[@snowtonight-111]

I can't watch until later on but yes! He was so great in this episode and it seems a bit like a fever dream that this show even exists. Looking forward to watching it again with you. 😊

[@georgechristianjr]

what happened to episodes 1-5 lol I thought i was going crazy that i missed something lol No worries ya mental health is whats more important. Were here for you ❤ As i say PHENOMINAL BRILLIANCE that is #JoeLocke

[@corvus1374]

Those really are New Jersey license plates, William is also older than Billy.

[@georgechristianjr]

electric candles lol hes safe lol

[@Frances86]

17:38 omg lmao 🤣 That was my exact same thought when I first watched that scene 😂😂😂

[@georgechristianjr]

apparently the Toby joke wa a typo in 1 old comic that theyve run with 😂

[@snoopy_J]

A mind reading goth teen in a thing you're working on 🤔🤔🤔 I will assume this refers to Jackson's crush Sebastian. Can't wait to find out if I'm wrong. 😁

[@normaladjacent]

Such a good episode and breakdown by you! First time reactions are fun, but I also find it annoying when people speak over the show and miss very obvious things. Billy introducing himself as “Billy Maximoff” to Agatha after learning what he did from Ralph Bohner and purposefully concealing his true motivation for wanting to walk the Witches’ Road (Tommy) did not make much sense to me. I’m going to chalk it up to them wanting to create a dramatic TV moment and establish for the audience that the sigil works on both names. I noticed the lacking KZbin descriptions too. Jen’s account was also missing a profile picture, there was a typo in Billy’s Reddit handle, his sent DMs were on the wrong side of the window, and his texts with Eddie from the same day were time stamped “last week.” His wallpaper seemed off brand too. For all the incredible attention to detail everywhere else in this show, it seems like they dropped the ball a little with the fake screens lol. I think Billy’s “tell” might be that, like his mom, he can unconsciously manifest things into existence, and that ability is influencing the Witches’ Road without him realizing it. Items from Billy’s bedroom and representations of his interests have shown up at every trial. His moon lamp was in Jen’s trial (maybe his dad’s sous vide, too), the same Fleetwood Mac poster he has in his room was in Alice’s, and most tellingly, his triangle string lights and Eastview banner appeared in Agatha’s trial. You mentioned his off brand Goonies poster.. the water slide they used to escape Jen’s trial was very Goonies. Also potentially telling, when the door to the Road appeared, it glowed blue, like Billy’s magic. And you noticed the bar mitzvah centerpieces. From the trailers it looks like we’re going to have another trial in a castle, with Lilia and Agatha dressed as Glinda and the Wicked Witch of the West. Billy has a model castle in his bedroom, and tons of Wizard of Oz paraphernalia (poster, book set, figurines). I think Agatha has clocked that this is happening, and Billy is oblivious. When they first enter the Road, Agatha seems a little surprised or confused by it. Then Billy says it’s “exactly how I pictured it,” and Agatha says, “it suits you.” There’s also the scene in episode 4 where Billy is digging Sharon’s grave, and Agatha says, “I didn’t know you had it in you” and winks, to his confusion. Jac Schaeffer has all but debunked the theories that emerged from this that Billy killed Sharon, but if Agatha thinks he has some level of influence over the Road, that could explain her comment. Then there’s her comment in this episode that “none of this would be nearly as dramatic” if Billy wasn’t a Maximoff, gesturing vaguely at the Road around them. Just an idea 👀

[@jemals1982]

Will you react to the other episodes?

[@elisabethbauman6190]

Joe did a great job learning the Hebrew for the Torah blessing and the Torah reading. You can even tell he has a mid-Atlantic Reform accent. He’s obviously learned from transliteration, but to be fair, a lot of Jews rely on that if they haven’t gone to Hebrew school. That is to say, his pronunciation isn’t perfect, but it’s believable for his character. You can tell that he and a dialect coach put some time in to making this important scene authentic. The whole montage was obviously something that the Production team put care into crafting. That having been said, it felt a little uncomfortable to see and hear someone performing such a sacred part of the ceremony. I wonder if other viewers feel the same when they see an actor muttering a Catholic prayer on their knees in a cathedral or a Muslim doing their daily prayers on a prayer rug. It never occurred to me before that popular culture doesn’t think twice about using fictional portrayals of communion with God for entertainment purposes until I saw it here. Perhaps it feels taboo for me because of a very loaded history of Jews being forced to say or not say things under persecution, so there’s an emphasis on meaning what you say when you are able to pray freely. In summary, everyone did a great job in depicting the Bar Mitzvah rituals authentically, especially Joe, but I would have been more comfortable if they had him showcase his amazing voice with a common, recognizable song that wasn’t such a holy prayer, like a closing song or one of the songs that concludes the silent meditation, which are not really prayers but are still sung in Hebrew.

[@thom_is_trans]

Personally, I thought it was wonderful to see such a positive, beautiful representation of the Jewish faith in mainstream media, but I'm not in any way religious, so I can't comment on whether or not it was appropriate for them to do so. I thought it was a beautiful scene, though.

[@elisabethbauman6190]

@@thom_is_trans Agreed. I have also been incredibly relieved not to have encountered any anti-Semitic remarks on reactions, yet, either. Fingers crossed that continues to be the case, given the current political climate.

[@knighthawk3749]

Joe studied for 4 months with a Rabbi to learn to sing, read, and pronounce Hebrew correctly. I think that shows great respect for Jewish religion and culture. It also exposes, possibly for the first time, many people to something they have never seen and how normal it is. So many reactors and their viewers learned that it is called Bar Mitzvah and it is celebrated by boys at 13.

[@georgeweatherford1027]

Feeling like you are in a body that isn't yours. Huh. No added meanings there.

[@elisabethbauman6190]

Jessie Gender After Dark did a video essay about Episode 6 being a trans metaphor that wasn’t centered around gender and praised this depiction as a way to make the trans experience more accessible to cis people and show how it’s much more layered than cis people understand it to be.