"Episode 4" of WandaVision set out to answer many of the lingering questions established in the show's first act, tackling the narrative from a completely different angle .
Elizabeth Olsen has seen much praise for her portrayal of Wanda Maximoff, but found that approaching the character for the Disney+ show quite "intimidating."
Scarlet Witch is known as a character that represents mental health, an aspect that drew the WandaVision actress to the role. The character is clearly dealing with plenty of trauma throughout the series, which recently came to a head with the mention of her brother Pietro .
Trauma seems to be underlying the events in Westview, which is made apparent by the series' use of commercials . Olsen has now spoken on Wanda's place in the narrative of the series, describing it as an empowering experience for the character...
WANDA MAXIMOFF GOES THROUGH THERAPY
In an interview on Vanity Fair's Still Watching podcast, Elizabeth Olsen compared the events of WandaVision to therapy for Wanda Maximoff.
Olsen was asked about the importance of having a woman at the helm of the show, particular with how Scarlet Witch's portrayals from male comic writers have garnered criticism at times. The WandaVision actress acknowledged that mental health is a large part of Wanda Maximoff's character, but reflected that the show frames this journey as a of a "kind of therapy experience:"
"I think of this show as...y'know in therapy, some therapists believe, or classically believe, that you need to talk to, like, the child that lives inside of you and, um, connect with those experiences that have been trauma and then you take accountability and you have, maybe like an intervention with yourself and you can move forward in a different way in your life. And I do feel like this show represents this kind of therapy experience, which I -- which maybe it is female, but there's nothing wrong with that being female because that means it's evolved - thinking."
Olsen continued by discussing how confronting these experiences serves to empower Wanda:
"And it means you don't have to just be this reactive person in the world, that you can take ownership of your life experience and make that, um, power you up for the rest of your life. And so I do think that's what this show does because we had [showrunner] Jac [Schaeffer] at its helm, and it could've been, y'know, this kind of interesting trope of a show, um, but that's really the gravity of the show, I believe, with Wanda."
WANDAVISION'S APPROACH TO TRAUMA
Though Wanda Maximoff may have received negative portrayals in the past mediums, it seems that WandaVision will strive to make the events of the show a positive experience overall.
The show is currently leading Wanda on a dark path, fueled by her traumatic experiences over the course of the Infinity Saga. While it would be easy to make the Scarlet Witch the outright villain of the series, it seems that Wanda will be her own worst adversary.
Rather than having to battle a big CGI foe, Olsen seems to suggest that Wanda will have to confront herself and "take accountability." Though Wanda Maximoff may have done potential harm to others, it is very possible that the show will force her to come to terms with her actions and her inner demons in order to move on.
By comparing WandaVision to therapy, it seems that the Disney+ series will ultimately be a moment of growth for Wanda Maximoff, allowing her to overcome her past strife as opposed to being defined by it. With showrunner Jac Schaeffer steering the ship, WandaVision is in capable hands to stick the land by the time the finale rolls around.
"Episode 4 - We Interrupt This Program" of WandaVision is available now on Disney+.
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