‘Agatha All Along’ season 1 finale review: Death comes for the witches at the end

Agatha All Along delivers another jaw-dropping twist in its Season 1 finale. If you guessed it or believed the theories, you deserve a pat on the back. True to its name, Agatha Harkness was behind yet another scheme to claim witchy powers from her coven. However, the Disney+ season (series?) finale unveiled that a more powerful witch was pulling the strings on the Witches’ Road. It’s the “a-ha!” moment that will make you want to rewatch Agatha All Along over again to pick out the easter eggs. By the second the credits roll, you’ll be blown away by this mini-series and its connection to WandaVision.

Answers await at the end

Between “Follow Me My Friend / To Glory at the End” and “Maiden Mother Crone”, Episode 8 felt more like the series finale than the actual finale. This could be due to storylines being wrapped up and the big climax coming to fruition in the final fight. The main story of the Witches’ Road finds its end in episode 8. The living characters get their answers, Rio/Death make their attempt for the soul, and the remaining members of the group escape the Witches’ Road. Comparatively, “Maiden Mother Crone” is more of an epilogue to tie everything together and step into the next phase of the story.

However, you can’t miss out on Episode 9 because of its shocking twists. The finale sheds new light on the entire experience of Agatha All Along Season 1. And while I previously thought Agatha’s backstory could’ve been shifted earlier in the season, the placement has to be at the end so as to not spoil the big mystery. Agatha All Along knew by design that it needed to finish the Witches’ Road before we could venture into the past with Agatha, Nicholas, and Rio. It cements the surprise with one big swing of a hit.

Unbounded by the truth

The final trial on the Witches’ Road is a simple yet heartbreaking test. Firstly, having the Road wrap itself around right back to the beginning would’ve been devastating to experience. Agatha, Billy, and Jennifer seemed ready to break down if the shoes hadn’t transported them to the final trial. If they were forced to walk the Road again, Agatha would’ve surely killed them both. You don’t play with a power-hungry witch.

But the trial itself set in a cold and empty morgue is the perfect metaphor for their coven. They must find the truth and strength within themselves; if not, they die. And based on each member’s personal test, this trial was so satisfying. The revelation of Jennifer finding out that Agatha was the one who bound her power was so heartbreaking. Sure, it meant nothing for Agatha since it was only a paid job requested by Jennifer’s enemy. However, the look of healing and pain on Jen’s face as she unbound Agatha’s curse said so much with so little. Sasheer Zamata does an incredible job channeling the turn of emotions Jen felt as she reclaims her magical powers again. You can feel her finding peace again. It’s a beautiful moment.

The scene where Agatha helps Billy to access his inner power is a great turn to their story. Agatha always acts selfishly, but she stands in this moment a mentor to help Billy overcome his hurdle. The truth of Billy holding the power within himself to bring Tommy back was a surprising feat. Billy needs the guidance and push to find a vessel for his brother. Billy has the power; he was the witch, not Tommy. The scene of Agatha teaching Billy to find the vessel is exceptional. The use of the fading and flashing lights in the morgue heightened how powerful Agatha and Billy can be if they worked together. And the flashes to the real world teased who Tommy would become, and the eventual reunion of Wiccan and Speed.

Agatha faces Death head-on

Agatha during “Follow Me My Friend / To Glory at the End” is on her journey of redemption. She needs to come to terms with what happened to Nicholas or else it will eat her alive. Having her trial connect to the locket and earth magic was an interesting pairing to what would eventually happen with Rio/Death in the climax. She has spent so much time running from the truth, but in the end, it was her tears and a bit of earth that saved her life. Agatha needed to grow from her heartbreak and what she had done in her past.

When it came to the big battle, did anyone think she would actually sacrifice Billy to Death? Sure, she made the deal with Death to survive, but we’re talking about Agatha here. She could literally do anything; she’s unpredictable. I loved their magical battle in the backyard; the special effects looked well done and powerful. Plus, when Billy appeared in full Wiccan costume and attacked Death, it made the fight so much more climactic! We need more witchy fights like these. It’s a shame we only got a small bit of it; with Death, Agatha, and Wiccan at full strength, the battle could’ve raged on.

But at least the battle ended with true redemption for Agatha and her story. Agatha not draining all of Billy’s power when he tried to help her was already a big win in the books. (Let’s never forget the sacrifice Alice made back in the chaotic cottage.) Agatha has learned to stop the siphoning and prioritize the well-being of someone else. However, it was her sacrificing her life to Death in exchange for saving Billy’s life that the biggest growth emerged. Agatha did all she could to save Nicholas in the past, but she wouldn’t be selfish this time around. This moment was truly Agatha’s most selfless play that changed what she had done from WandaVision and in the past.

A circle sewn in lies

Now, for the big reveals of “Maiden Mother Crone”: was anyone else shocked that the Witches’ Road was a con made by Agatha? The title of the show basically clued us into it. I mean by this, that the legend of the Road was a ruse perpetuated by Agatha to steal powers from witches. And that the song has no power; it’s just a melody she and Nicholas made up together.

Agatha All Along is a miniseries that needs to be rewatched because of the easter eggs that become clearer in a second play. For instance, Agatha was upfront with Billy on their first meeting that the Road was a con. Plus, she was always surprised and acted unsure whenever anything happened on the Witches’ Road. She always wanted off because she knew this reality was out of her control.

The truth about Nicholas Scratch was a more heartbreaking reveal than evil. It makes sense why Agatha wanted everyone to believe that she gave up Nicholas to get the Darkhold. The reality of her killing witches is more sinister than the lie. Agatha had been deemed a “covenless witch”; she killed handfuls of witches just so Nicholas could get some extra time alive. It’s a selfish bargain made out of love and desperation. She would never want to face the truth of what she had done. And the coincidence of the moment Nicholas made her not kill witches was also the night that Rio/Death took Nicholas away wasn’t lost on any of us. All the deaths she had caused amounted to nothing. Death still found her way to Nicholas… and eventually to Agatha too.

A Maximoff specialty

The biggest twist of the series? Wiccan is the one who manifested the Witches’ Road with his ability. It’s a jaw-dropping reveal that played on the same level as the Scarlet Witch on WandaVision. Once Billy notices all the clues in his bedroom, you realize that every trial, every design, and the end credits were inspired by his bedroom. The Witches’ Road was created along the way subconsciously as Billy faced it. And Rio/Death slashing through the wall was a clear sign that we were trapped in yet another false reality.

Billy didn’t know he had this power within himself, but now that he has embraced the role of Wiccan, it’s a new start for where his character could go. And with ghost Agatha by his side to mentor him, the pair could lead to the answers he needs. Like which body did Tommy end up in? Will Wanda return from the grave? What will the future hold now that Jennifer has her powers? Will Rio/Death return to claim more lives? The future could lead anywhere.

“Follow Me My Friend / To Glory at the End” and “Maiden Mother Crone” wrapped up the miniseries on a high. We were treated to a thrilling conclusion on the Witches’ Road, and then a satisfying cliffhanger for future MCU stories to come. The season finale packed plenty of exciting twists and turns for where the story could go. And we grieved the loss of Sharon, Alice, and Lilia for being the coven members who didn’t make it. These two chapters made this a captivating and fitting end for the series, and it cemented Agatha All Alonas one of Marvel’s/MCU’s best TV series to date.

Agatha All Along Season 1 is available to stream now on Disney+.