I didn’t know how much I needed Agatha All Along

When Wandavision ended, I worried it may be the last time I saw Agatha Harkness. Lucky for all of us, we were gifted with an incredible show dedicated to the purple witch herself, Agatha All Along, the latest Marvel series showcasing a coven of witches led by the legendary Agatha Harkness. The mesmerizing cast is led by Kathryn Hahn returning as the eponymous witch, joined by Aubrey Plaza, Joe Locke, Sasheer Zamata, Ali Ahn, Patti Lupone and Debra Jo Rupp with Jac Schaefer returning with Hahn from Wandavision as showrunner. Each cast member brings their own divinity to the show, their own unique chapters in the book of Agatha. From potions witches to blood witches to green witches and those in between, there’s a place for everyone amongst the coven.

I sincerely wish I could hug and thank each and every person involved with this show. My words are my gratitude for this incredible group of people who helped weave magic back in to my life. From costuming to craft services to the cast, there was so much precious, intentional energy placed into this project, like a coven true indeed. I am eternally grateful to every single soul involved both on screen and behind the scenes.

As a millennial, representation was few and far between growing up and often steeped in stereotypes and misconceptions. I faced bullying and harassment when I expressed curiosity in LGBTQ characters or my own budding sexuality. Not only that, I also had a deep interest in paganism and witchcraft. At an early age I was fixated on Greek dieties despite being Catholic—attending catholic school. For me to look back upon my past knowing that I finally found a piece of media that captures so many layers of myself is a true blessing. Sexuality is never forced in Agatha, either. It’s natural, normalized as it should be. LQBTQIA+ people don’t run around with flashing signs over our heads, we’re just like anyone else. Who we love is just part of our existence. Wether it’s a gay couple sharing a kiss in a car, or Agatha’s “If you want straight answers? Ask a straight lady,” these moments fit perfectly in the puzzle. These simple moments truly help make the entire picture clearer. The show has already had a deep and powerful impact, creating friendships, finding love and life partnerships. It’s reuniting folks who’ve lost touch and opening eyes to just how important LGBTQ representation can be and how hungry for that representation this audience is.

It also brought an earnest look at what witchcraft looks like, witches drawing power from earth, water, fire, air, and spirit. Tarot is shown as a gift rather than a con, avoiding the pitfalls of projects like American Horror Story or the eponymous film, Tarot, that both portrayed tarot as doom and gloom, shrouded in death and agony. Agatha brews potions with the same intention and love as the Owens sisters in Practical Magic, and protects from demons not with priests brandishing crosses but with symbols, runes, and incantations set to protect. Just like the real witches who practice their craft quietly away from the prying eyes of those who vilify them, the coven in Agatha is made of queer people of all shapes and sizes, a lesbian loner, her pining former lover, a gay teen questioning his identity, women who never overtly label themselves casually agreeing about getting “her phone number.” Statistically, witchcraft attracts those who are both attuned with who they truly are and those cast out by society for that self-awareness. The intention and integrity paid to this craft, is so breathtaking, refreshing and grounded in a world that balances the mundane and fantastical on the blade of a sword.

That intention is present in the costuming work of Daniel Selon. He carefully added runes, tarot imagery, plants, and symbology to the costumes, from Agatha’s incredible coat or the tarot details in Lilia’s clothing. Jennifer Kale, the spellbound potions witch had a costume so intricately detailed with Kale’s craft they had the fabric for it customized with icons representing the ingredients of her potions and elements of alchemy that shimmered off of the screen with an iridescent glow. He partnered with sculptors to bring elements of the witches power into their accessories, from Teen’s eerily familiar crown to the sharp peaks of the meticulously sculpted and hand-painted crown for Rio Vidal’s big character reveal. Even in the otherworldly Salem Seven, Selon’s attention to detail is impeccable, utilizing insect exoskeletons, bird’s nests, scales, feathers, and sculpted veils emulating the shapes of the animals the feral coven transfigure into. There were also a few flourishes in common, utilizing color palletes and a uniform outer garment that was simultaneously skirt, cape, and hood to represent their hive-like connection and move with visual synchronicity. There truly is magic woven throughout this masterpiece of modern media.

To say that is special seems like an understatement at this point. It is a hurricane of hope and change. A major family oriented company like Disney, showcasing a sapphic lead? It’s something I didn’t expect to see in my lifetime. In the recent past, Disney and the MCU have had minor queer characters, and for a while it seemed like that was all we were getting. Then we got two different LGBTQ kisses on Agatha - the second between Agatha and Rio caused an uproar of excitement for sapphic fans. For some of us, it didn’t even seem real, and yet there it is - a moment that could change the future of Marvel and Disney forever. What may seem just like a kiss could lead to more and more LGBTQIA+ relationships and representation in the future of this massive media machine. There’s hope on the horizon in trying times.

For me, Agatha has brought so much joy into my life. Like others, I’ve reunited with old friends and made new ones. I am socially anxious autistic adult, so making connections can be difficult. I also deal with agoraphobia and have difficulty leaving my safe space. This show helped me find connections not just online but in person. I’ve made and met many new friends because of this show. It’s opening doors and helping me find my voice after some of my own trials and reignited a deep love for people I’ve admired for years like Kathryn and Aubrey. It’s sprinkling magic over my own relationship, sending us on witchy adventures in our Coven two, strengthening our love that feels centuries old. Agatha has given me a safe space to exist in a world that isn’t always be easy for me to be part of. I have a coven now, and I will no longer have to walk the road alone. I cannot even properly express how much the friends I’ve made because of Agatha All Along mean to me, and how excited I am for the friends I’ve yet to meet because of these incredible witches. Thank you again, eternally, to everyone who sprinkled some of their magic on this very special show.