Nishan Chakrabartty
‘WandaVision’ gives a radically new treatment to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The sitcom reality gives us a new flavor to Wanda’s and Vision’s story as we wait eagerly for the truth behind it. Throughout the series, many strategically placed clues point out a sinister underpinning behind the alternate universe. Wanda delivers a pair of twins from a pregnancy whose origins are unknown. Vision is flummoxed at the happenings, and the strange behavior of their neighbors makes matters confusing.
We also see Geraldine, Wanda’s friend from Westview, thrown out to the outside world as she mentions the truth behind Pietro’s death. Wanda’s control over her reality is quite strong, and she doesn’t want any figment from her past to disrupt her fairytale life. Episode 4 of ‘WandaVision’ brings us closer to reality and answers some pertinent questions about Westview and the subtle clues that surprise Wanda and Vision. SPOILERS AHEAD.
WandaVision Episode 4 Recap
It is the time of the reversal of Thanos’ snap, as we see Monica Rambeau reappearing in a hospital. The environment is chaotic with the sudden appearance of the people erased in the events after ‘Avengers: Infinity War.’ Monica is devastated as she gets to know that her mother, Maria Rambeau, has died. After recuperating, she joins her previous workplace, Sentient Weapons Observation Response Division, abbreviated as S.W.O.R.D. Tyler Hayward, the director of S.W.O.R.D, assigns Monica a case involving missing persons after the FBI requests for S.W.O.R.D’s help.
Hayward also mentions that protocols have changed in the aftermath of Thanos’ snap, also referred to as the “blip.” She meets with Jimmy Woo, an FBI agent dealing with the case, on the outskirts of Westview, New Jersey. They find that Westview’s entire population is missing, and the place seems to be abandoned. Upon careful examination, Monica finds that the town is cut off by a forcefield. She tries to push it through and gets sucked into it.
After the incident, S.W.O.R.D establishes a research base on the town’s outskirts, where we see Darcy Lewis (‘Thor,’ ‘Thor: The Dark World’) investigating the forcefield. She manages to catch some broadcast signals on an old television set that shows Wanda’s and Vision’s sitcom reality. S.W.O.R.D sends Agent Franklin down the sewers to infiltrate Westview from within. In the end, we are taken back to the moment when Wanda throws Geraldine away from her reality. Wanda then settles down with Vision and her two kids.
WandaVision Episode 4 Ending: Why Does Wanda Expel Monica?
The episode takes us through to the original reality in which authorities from the FBI and S.W.O.R.D are investigating the curious case of Westview. Things get more complicated when Monica Rambeau is sucked into the forcefield. Wanda has built the alternate universe to purge herself of the sorrow that entails Pietro’s and Vision’s deaths. Monica sets herself up as Geraldine and tries to gather intel about the happenings. She helps Wanda deliver the twins but, in a moment of callousness, mentions Pietro’s death at the hands of Ultron.
This remembrance pushes Wanda back to the reality that she tries to hide by creating the alternate universe. Wanda is visibly angry at Monica and wants to know about her details. She gets an idea that Monica is from the outside world and poses a threat to the life that Wanda has conjured. Miffed, Wanda throws Monica out from her dimension to the research base of S.W.O.R.D. Monica says that the entire universe has come out from Wanda’s powers. It is well established by now that Westview is the idyllic family life that Wanda craves for, and any threat to her peace will be met with furious resistance.
Vision’s Death
The episode clarifies that Vision is dead and has not been resurrected. The Vision that we see in Westview is Wanda’s creation by which she wants to fulfill her desire for a family. After she expels Monica from Westview, a fleeting moment of reality catches on to her. At that moment, she sees Vision’s lifeless face with the mind stone uprooted.
She immediately conjures Vision’s synthezoid body back to remove the element of harsh reality. The scene implies that Wanda is consciously blocking the reality in her mind by creating an elaborate façade. In essence, the world of Westview is Wanda’s coping mechanism from the tremendous guilt that she bears within herself. It will be safe to assume that Vision’s death has had a deep impact on Wanda’s mental state.
The Broadcasting Signals
Darcy and Agent Woo try to establish contact with Wanda through a radio, but the dissonant voice makes Wanda anxious. As Darcy tries to view the happenings, there is an abrupt cut in the signal where the narrative changes suddenly. Darcy points out that the signal is being censored, and the crucial moments are cut out. An interesting thing is the advertisements related to Hydra, which are placed after a signal break. In one of the scenes, the commercial is seen playing right after Darcy is startled at the jump in the broadcast signals.
It might be presumed that Wanda censors the signals as an effort to block out invasion from outer reality, or there is an external agency that is overseeing Wanda’s reality in Westview. Even though the episode answers most of the queries regarding Westview, it doesn’t divulge further details about Westview residents other than the few people who have been identified by S.W.O.R.D and the FBI. Perhaps more answers will follow as the narrative takes us further into Wanda’s vision.
Read More: WandaVision Episode 3 Recap and Ending, Explained
