'Agatha All Along': Did The Coven Actually Pass Agatha's Trial?

WARNING: SPOILERS for Agatha All Along 1xo5, 'Darkest Hour'/'Wake Thy Power'

Agatha All Along delivered an epic mid-season twist in the closing moments of episode five, with the reveal that Joe Locke's mysterious Teen character is actually Wanda Maximoff's son, Billy, who is destined to become the Young Avenger known as Wiccan.

However, there could be another twist on the way. The coven spends the bulk of episode five in what they believe is Agatha's trial, attempting to commune with the dead. While they believe they passed, some fans believe the Wiccan reveal has distracted viewers from vital clues that the trial was not as it seemed.. if they even entered a trial at all.

No change in Aspect Ratio

When the coven enters Jen's trial in episode three, and again when they enter Alice's trial in the fourth episode, the screen aspect ratio changes from a widescreen 2.35:1 ratio, to 16:9 HD ratio common to Television shows. Eagle-eyed fans have taken note of the fact that this change does not occur when the coven enters Agatha's supposed trial in episode five. The aspect ratio remains the same as it is in scenes set on the Witches' Road.

The reason viewers are placing such importance on Aspect Ratio as a potential clue is due to Agatha All Along's parent show, WandaVision. Scenes set inside the Westview Hex, and therefore under Wanda's control, appear in the most common aspect ratio used during the sitcom era of the current episode.

Scenes set outside the Hex use the usual screen-ratio of most MCU projects.

Because of this, some have formed a theory that Agatha's trial may be a false trial, or that it is still ongoing despite the group believing they had passed it, or even, given the episode's ending, that the whole scenario was created/manipulated by Teen/Billy.

The Coven breaks nearly every rule of the 'Trial'

Upon the Coven's arrival at the supposed trial, the boy at the time still known only as Teen discovered a list of rules for using the Ouija board. The rules were as follows:

• Don't talk over each other.
• Don't remove your hand from the planchette.
• Never use the Ouija Board alone.
• Don't taunt the spirits.
• Always end your session with Goodbye.

They are also not meant to discuss Death. Almost all of these rules were broken during the trial. Some viewed Agatha's impersonation of the late Mrs. Hart as taunting the spirits, and once they begin their real session, Agatha removes her hand from the planchette, releasing her Mother, Evanora Harkness. The coven constantly struggle not to interrupt or talk over one another. Billy uses the Ouija Board alone, making contact with Nicholas Scratch, but at least he followed the 'Goodbye' rule.

While an exit appeared, many have questioned how the trial could be considered a pass when so many rules were broken.

Going Up! But wait..

Fans have also noted a difference in how the coven exited Agatha's trial in comparison to the previous two. The end of Jen's trial required the coven to slide down a tunnel that appeared through the oven, while the exit of Alice's trial appeared down a flight of stairs. 'Down' being the operative word. The coven exiting the trials downwards fits references in the early episodes, made by both Agatha and Billy, to the importance of following the path set out by the Ballad of the Witches' Road.

"Down, down, down the road, Down the Witches' Road.."

The exit to Agatha's trial, appearing in the form of a ladder to climb, does not fit this pattern, adding to theories that something is not quite right.

A Word from our Creator

Word of God, aka WandaVision and Agatha All Along creator and Showrunner Jac Schaeffer, mostly debunks the failed trial theory. The trial was not so much about following the Ouija Board rules, as it was fulfilling the wish of the contacted spirit, Evanora Harkness: To punish Agatha.

According to Schaeffer, the coven passed the trial, because Agatha was punished by being forced to face the rest of her coven after killing Alice, as well as having the death of her son confirmed when Teen/Billy contacts Nicholas Scratch through the board, and is able to speak his name without interruption from the sigil. But just because the coven technically passed doesn't mean we won't see some twists in the tale.

As to the death of Alice Wu-Gulliver, the whereabouts of Rio following the trial, and the circumstances of Billy Maximoff's survival, Schaeffer had this to say:

"See future episodes."

We'll just have to wait for more answers.