'Agatha All Along': Did The Events Of 'WandaVision' Actually Improve Life In Westview?

WARNING! SPOILERS for WandaVision and Agatha All Along.

Poor, Poor, Westview. Westview was initially just a small suburban town in New Jersey, until Wanda Maximoff, grieving the death of The Vision, inadvertently created a hex around the town, trapping the residents in a new reality in which they were all characters in a sitcom, cycling through various decades as the situation both in and outside of the hex deteriorates. Within the hex, Wanda creates a new Vision and eventually gives birth to twin sons, Tommy and Billy. Tragically, she loses all three when she eventually takes the hex down.

Unbeknownst to Wanda, at least at first, being under her control was a traumatic experience for the people of Westview. Many of them likely revisited some of that trauma upon witnessing the battle between Agatha, Wiccan, and Rio/Death in the penultimate episode of Agatha All Along. However, fans have pin-pointed a few clues through the spin-off series' run hinting that the events of WandaVision may have actually improved life in Westview.

Westview before Wanda

Sometime between the events of Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War, The Vision purchased a plot of land in Westview, and had drawn up plans for the home he intended to build there for himself and Wanda Maximoff. Unfortunately, Vision was killed by Thanos before any of these plans could come to fruition. The plot, plans, and Vision's few other worldly possessions were willed to Wanda, but thanks to her own temporary death in the Decimation, she was not able to collect her inheritance until five years later.

In 'Previously On..', the eighth episode of WandaVision, Wanda travels to Westview for the first time to view her plot of land. As she drives through the town, it seems relatively run down, the streets and shops not nearly as crisp and clean as they become under the hex. The houses, while better than the shopping strip, are not as well maintained as they appear later, in Agatha All Along. The town later suffers additional damage in the battle between Wanda and Agatha, though most of this is corrected by the dissolution of the hex.

So, why and how does Westview look so much better in Agatha All Along?

Government repairs/Clean-up

We don't know why exactly Westview was in a state of disrepair prior to Wanda's arrival. It may have been an area that was neglected after the decimation, or maybe it had been under resourced even prior. In either case, Wanda's hex would have forced the authorities to take notice of the little town.

Due to the involvement of S.W.O.R.D (and possibly Nick Fury's network of Skrulls), and the fact that the authorities try to pass off the Westview anomaly as an Avengers training exercise gone wrong, the Government would likely have been obligated to repair any damage done to the town, or even leave Westview in a better state than they found it. This could explain the improved appearance of the Westview Mall and surrounding areas in Agatha All Along's early episodes.

Hush Money

As mentioned above, Government authorities try to pass off the Hex and surrounding events as an Avengers training exercise gone wrong. The one potential flaw in this plan is the fact that the people of Westview know the truth. Some fans theorise that the residents were potentially paid off, in exchange for keeping their mouths shut.

If true, some residents may have used their pay-outs to move out of Westview, explaining the population drop on the 'Welcome to Westview' sign between WandaVision and Agatha All Along. Others may have put the money into doing up their existing houses. If this theory is true, it would also offer an extra explanation as to why the people of Westview don't mention Wanda's name.. they do not want to violate any Non-Disclosure agreements that they signed.

There's no doubt that the events of WandaVision were traumatic for all involved. However, Westview may just be a nicer place to live because of it.