Wanda Grieves

Disney+ premiered WandaVision in February 2021.  After returning from “The Glitch,” Wanda has the time to grieve the loss of her loved one, Vision.  Wanda and Vision’s love is unlike any other.  When Pietro, callsign “Quicksilver,” dies in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Wanda releases a large wave of energy that obliterates the robots she is fighting.  This unique couple, however, still displays common trends identified in behavioral psychology.  Wanda’s grieving process follows the Kubler-Ross model, more commonly known as the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.

Feeling numb to the world, Wanda ventures to S.W.O.R.D., a department under S.H.I.E.L.D., believing seeing Vision will help her find closure for his passing.  Without the mind stone, Vision is a human-shaped vibranium filled with wires.  Director Tyler Heyward, concerned with the possibility that adversaries will weaponize Vision, leads the project to disassemble Vision.  Wanda leaves mourning that she cannot give her husband a proper funeral. 

Wanda embraces the stage of denial when she first visits Westview, New Jersey.  Before his two deaths in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Vision began planning a future with Wanda.  He bought a property in Westview hoping one day to live a quiet and “normal” life with Wanda.  In pain, Wanda casts a hex over the small town and materializes her Vision.  Her new life begins to play out through the lens of television shows through the decades. 

S.W.O.R.D. learns of strange events occurring in Westview and establishes a mobile base to begin investigations.  They attempt to send in small objects and field agents to learn what Wanda has created.  Heyward escalates these attempts by sending in a drone armed with a missile.  Wanda returns the missile to Heyward in anger, the second stage, declaring, “Leave us alone!”[1]  Unfortunately, not even all the magic in the world can stop curious people.  Vision attempts to leave the hex seeking help from S.W.O.R.D.  This version of Vision only exists in the hex, so he begins to dematerialize.  Fueled with the energy released in a Fight of Flight instance, Wanda saves Vision by extending her hex and engulfing the S.W.O.R.D. base.[2] 

WandaVision grazes over the bargaining stage.  Although there is not clear period of “What if?” and “If only…” thought, Wanda experiences periods of doubt for projecting her pain onto the citizens of Westview.  Pietro Maximoff, revived and recast, inquires Wanda’s motivation for building this utopia.  She cannot maintain this lifestyle forever, and time clouds her initial intent in this creation.  Is Wanda the hero or the villain of this story?  Depending on the character’s perception, the answers to this question will vary.

After an eventful Halloween night, Wanda falls into a state of depression, the fourth stage of grief.  Filled with regret and doubt, Wanda seeks remediation for her actions: “As punishment for my reckless evening, I plan on taking a quarantine-style staycation.  A whole day, just to myself.  That’ll show me.”[3]  Uncontrollable magic begins to take over; objects rapidly change to various forms throughout the decades.  Even Wanda cannot explain these happenings: “Yeah, I don’t know what That’s about.  It’s probably just a case of the Mondays, am I right?”[4]  Her depression continues to set in: “I’m starting to believe that everything is meaningless.”[5]  Wanda’s hex justifies her feelings of regret and remorse.

Sometimes, the transition from depression to acceptance requires outside assistance.  Anti-depressants do not fall under this category.  Fortunately (or unfortunately), Wanda’s nosy next-door neighbor, Agnes, reveals herself as the dark witch Agatha Harkness.  Intent on learning Wanda’s source of chaotic magic, Agatha catalyzes the stage of depression: “I tried to be gentle, to nudge you awake from this ridiculous fantasy.  But you’d rather fall apart than face your truth.”[6]  The two witches travel through time, visiting memories that shaped Wanda’s shows.

Agatha takes the nature over nurture approach where events experienced by a person shapes their behavior.  Thus, the objective of taking Wanda through pivotal memories may inspire strength and power.  Packed with emotion and pain, Wanda relives both euphoric and terrifying events surrounding death.  In a memory where Vision attempts to console Wanda over the loss of Pietro, Wanda begins to regain her mental strength.  Vision explains, “It can’t all be sad, can it?  I’ve always been alone, so I can’t feel the lack.  I’ve never experienced loss because I’ve never had a loved one to lose.  But what is grief if not love persevering?”[7]  Strengthened by the power of love, Wanda concludes her morning of depression.

Recall Wanda seeks closure for the death of Vision.  Having lost everyone in her family, creating a family helped make some of the couples “normal life” dreams a reality.  In the fifth and finals stage of grief, acceptance, Wanda finds her long-desired closure.  The season finale of WandaVision demonstrates the power of family with multiple fight scenes: The Scarlet Witch against Agatha Harkness; Wanda’s Vision versus White Vision; Billy and Tommy against the military.  Nevertheless, all good things must come to an end.  Wanda takes down the hex around Westview, and the family spends their last few moments together.  Wanda comforts her sons: “You know, a family is forever.  We could never leave each other, even if we tried.”[8]  For a third time, Wanda loses Vision.

Completing acceptance, Wanda moves on.  She leaves the destruction created in Westview to begin a new life.  Similar to Bruce Banner and Thanos, self-isolation follows great acts of destruction.  Wanda lives in a cottage in the middle of a large field where her astral projection studies the powers of the Scarlet Witch.

 

Note from the Author

I do not have a degree in psychology in sociology, only an interest.  With an elementary understanding of behavioral psychology, I attempt to apply the Five Stages of Grief to Disney’s WandaVision.  My opinions are my own, with no endorsements or support from Disney.

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[1] Season 1, Episode 5: “On a Very Special Episode.”  Written by Peter Cameron and Mackenzie Dohr.  Directed by Matt Shackman.  Aired February 5, 2021 on Disney+.

[2] Season 1, Episode 6: “All-new Halloween Spooktacular.”  Written by Chuck Hayward and Peter Cameron.  Directed by Matt Shackman.  Aired February 12, 2021 on Disney+.

[3] Season 1, Episode 7: “Breaking the Fourth Wall.”  Written by Cameron Squires.  Directed by Matt Shackman.  Air February 19, 2021 on Disney+.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Season 1, Episode 8: “Previously On.”  Written by Laura Donney.  Directed by Matt Shackman.  Aired February 26, 2021 on Disney+.

[7] Ibid.

[8] Season 1, Episode 9: “The Series Finale.”  Written by Jac Schaeffer.  Directed by Matt Shackman.  Aired March 5, 2021 on Disney+.