Agatha All Along Episodic Coverage: “Maiden Mother Crone”

“Maiden Mother Crone” Has More Surprises For Us

“Maiden Mother Crone” finally, fully, completely confirms the name of this show. While I’d argue Billy did a lot of it, it was Agatha’s actions that kicked off everything. The song she and her son sang, the schemes she managed to pull off: everything comes back to her, her relationships, and her mistakes. It lends cohesion to the series. It makes this twisty story more than the sum of its parts.

As for me, the reviewer, Agath All Along tested my ability to observe things. As I mentioned in my review of “Follow Me My Friend/To Glory at the End,” some of my theories were disproven, but the dislikes I had turned out much more prescient. Even way back in the early episodes, the whole “you can always find a coven” rule that seemed so absurd was absurd. “Maiden Mother Crone” shows that Agatha has been making stuff up for decades. It’s just by the time the show happens, she’s gotten very good at the con. And Billy, naïve about magic and idolizing Agatha, just goes with it.

And yes, since we’re on the topic, I could be annoyed that technically most of the events were Billy’s dream in the end. That is functionally the twist of the series. But I’m not annoyed. Agatha All Along sidesteps that by having the consequences be real. Ten people actually did die. The Road is technically real for as long as someone with reality-warping powers keeps it real.

The Story Did Not Exactly Lie About Its Big Events

As to the actual episode itself—not just how it plays into the overall narrative—“Maiden Mother Crone” is basically split in two. Part one is mostly a very slow-moving tragedy where we know the end result well ahead of time. Several scenes exist to make the death more painful and/or hammer home the history of “The Witch’s Road” and its emotional resonance. And part two is just wrapping up the story and allowing room for a sequel—through any means necessary. I don’t think ghosts have ever shown up in Marvel before, but it’s whatever at this point. Billy’s soul invaded a corpse. The “Soul Stone” is a magical item in this universe. I accept ghosts exist—and, even if it’s not a normal thing in this universe, Agatha has a special relationship with death and Billy can warp reality. There are plenty of reasons.

Ghosts Make More Sense Here Than Other Shows

It’s a later problem, anyway. I’m definitely happy with this show. I rarely review media this way, episode by episode, but this turned out a perfect series for the format. The last five episodes all have some major twist or reveal. Each week I was left wondering where Agatha All Along could go from here, and each week the answer was interesting. There were missteps, certainly—for one thing, I don’t like how the narrative desperately tries to soften Agatha and Billy’s multiple murders—but it’s clear that this is a show done by people passionate about storytelling, having fun, and crafting interesting characters. The actors all did fantastic jobs. The set designers did a great job. The Witch’s Road song is catchy and spooky. It’s a series that both works on its own, and feels connected to the greater Marvel canon, and I just really enjoyed it. I hope that no one reads this who hasn’t seen the previous episodes, but if you’re somehow wondering if Agatha All Along is worth your time, it absolutely is. I may even rewatch it someday, now that I know the secrets.

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