WandaVision Episode 9, “The Series Finale,” wrapped up the show's storylines while opening others for the MCU's Phase Four. A huge part of the finale was Wanda Maximoff (aka Scarlet Witch) finally seeing the effects of her magic on Westview’s residents. But the finale left many fans questioning whether the Scarlet Witch was let off the hook for her actions. Now, series director Matt Shakman has responded.
In Episode 9, Scarlet Witch was confronted by the residents of Westview (thanks to power-hungry Agatha Harkness). After saying goodbye to Vision and her sons, Wanda Maximoff decided to leave the small town and, as she departed, she felt the hate from the residents through their glares. But does that mean Wanda technically got off easy after everything she'd done? Matt Shakman spoke about this with Rolling Stone, stating:
I don’t think we’re letting Wanda off the hook. She realizes in that final episode what she’s done. She’s brought to that moment by Agatha — ‘Are you a hero? Are you a villain? Heroes don’t torture people.’ — and she tries to let them go in that moment but realizes that she’s not fully able to say goodbye to her family yet. So, the crisis in the middle of the episode is important to her story, that she is ultimately moving towards accepting the loss of Vision and her family. The show was always about grief and how we come back from loss, so it always had to end with her accepting that loss, but also accepting this new mantle of the Scarlet Witch and what that means. But that final scene, she comes into town, it’s her walk of shame as she walks through town and feels the daggers being stared at her, meant to be this indictment of her. She is a pariah, and she’s not being forgiven by them. The conversation with Monica is about two people who have bonded over grief and loss understanding the motives behind it. Doesn’t mean it excuses it, and Wanda acknowledges that. She flies away from this town knowing that it wouldn’t really welcome her back.
As Matt Shakman pointed out, Wanda Maximoff did feel the ramifications of her actions as she left the town. According to Shakman, the unkind looks from the Westview residents is a larger representation of Wanda's status as an outcast. Although she didn't suffer physical consequences from the town, this entire ordeal has now solidified the fact that she'll never be welcome in the town -- and potentially in other places, too, depending on how fast word of the Westview Anomaly spreads.
Overall, the Disney+ series really allowed the Scarlet Witch to deal with the pain of loss in a way she couldn’t in any of the films. I mean in those cases, she didn’t have much time given she typically had a universe to help save. Unfortunately, the controversial element of this for fans is that her handling of grief and loss here led to others having to suffer as well. Needless to say, Jac Schaeffer’s writing and Elizabeth Olsen’s acclaimed performance have given viewers a lot to chew on.
Wanda's status has definitely changed and, given the WandaVision post-credits scene, it appears she has a major journey ahead of her (specifically in regard to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness). Even the Spider-Man: Far from Home rumors hint at further ramifications from the Disney+ series. Many questions remain after the finale and, until we see more, we can only speculate. Hopefully, the Phase Four slate might provide some answers in the future.
