Agatha all the time begins streaming on Disney+ on Wednesday. The first reviews of the Marvel spinoff have arrived and they are extremely mixed.
Created by Jac Schaeffer, the show follows the spellbound Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn) as she regains her freedom thanks to a mysterious figure named Teen (Joe Locke). His request intrigues her and she embarks on the Witches’ Path, “a magical gauntlet of trials that, if a witch survives, rewards her with what she has been missing. Together, Agatha and this mysterious Teen assemble a desperate coven and set out on their journey,” the logline states.
In the series, Kathryn Hahn reprises the role of Agatha Harkness after previously appearing in WandaVisionand with Locke, Aubrey Plaza, Sasheer Zamata, Ali Ahn, Patti LuPone, Okwui Okpokwasili and Paul Adelstein.
Read on for key excerpts from some of the most well-known early reviews (of the first four episodes, as this is all that was sent to critics) following the release of Agatha all the time.
The Hollywood ReporterTelevision critic Angie Han wrote in her review: “Disney+’s Agatha all the time (or at least the four 40-minute-or-so episodes sent to critics) could be a fairly promising new adventure with a likable cast and a cheeky sensibility, but also plenty of room for further development. But the jerky pace and relentless rug-pulling ultimately make it more convincing as an exercise in brand extension than as an enchanting adventure in its own right.”
David Fear with Rolling Stone wrote: “The successor to superhero tragedy creator Jac Schaeffer pokes fun at self-serious crime series long enough to miss the blunder when it’s over… Soon that spell will be broken, Agatha all the time will play out quite well as an adventure adventure and – as is clear from the four episodes sent to the press – will make full use of the supernatural sisterhood that has come together for the task. The witch is back!”
Ben Travers, with Indiewirewrote in his review: “The half-hour episodes show some signs of growth. For example, there is no boring subplot involving government agents conducting a secret mission to smuggle MCU world-building into Westview. The core narrative also seems well-designed for episodic television, unlike so many other drawn-out MCU adventures,” however, “Agatha all the timeHow WandaVisionis too restrained for its own good. Sure, exciting plot twists can lead to exciting plot twists, but laying the characters’ backstories on the table by treating personal motivations like world-changing secrets does this frivolous fantasy a disservice.”
The New York TimesMike Hale wrote: “You can’t make gold out of a simple narrative, though, and Agatha all the time plods along its chosen path, with the coven bickering and holding each other together through a series of hectic but unexciting trials. The merits of the female empowerment theme are outweighed by the tired, generic storylines. There is a hint of snarky humor in the dialogue, but it’s not strong enough to make anyone light up.”
“You may be wondering how it was possible in the three years between the two shows, Agatha has undergone a complete personality transformation, from chirpy neighborhood goofball to hard-boiled cop,” Hale added. “But they should give more thought to why the cop show pastiche is so disappointing – so dull and aimless that talented comedians like Kathryn Hahn (who stars as Agatha) and Aubrey Plaza seem at a loss.”
Taylor Gates wrote for Collider“While the show contains the best parts of Schaeffer’s distinctive style (references WandaVision) — sharp comedy, fascinating mystery and a production design full of clever details and Easter eggs — Agatha all the time is entirely its own thing and all the better for it.”
Gates, however, praised Hahn’s performance, adding, “Theatricality and spectacle are a must for a show of this magnitude and a character like Agatha, and Hahn has that in abundance – she’s not afraid to go big, be loud and take up space. But there’s always something deeper going on beneath the surface – something Agatha tries desperately to hide. Hahn grounds this larger-than-life character with nuance, conveying vulnerability with the flicker of a single micro-expression. Her charisma is magnetic, but it’s the subtle, jaw-dropping moments of raw emotion that make us think of her and sympathize with her, proving that she was always more than just comic relief. Hahn’s performance is a brand of magic all her own.”
Television critic Robert Lloyd wrote in his review for the Los Angeles Times“It’s all cleverly done and very funny, but also exciting and a little scary, with a good combination of the supernatural and the mundane (the witches argue about who sang a magic song off-key and who sang it flat). Agatha may not be a good witch, but she’s not evil, and she has reasons for being so. Hahn is hilarious, which makes her likable and pleasant company, no matter what antics or snarky remarks she makes.”
“Agatha all the time may not have the strongest start for a Marvel series, but considering there are still seven more episodes to go, there are more than enough chances for the show to really surprise audiences and deliver some excitement, compelling storytelling, and even a few scares. It’s just a shame that the show doesn’t really start off on the right foot, but for those willing to take the road with Agatha all the timethere will probably be some trials worth overcoming,” wrote Colin Leggett in his review of the first two episodes (titled “Seekest Thou the Road” and “Circle Sewn with Fate Unlock Thy Hidden Gate”) for Gaming Rant.
GameSpotPhil Owen wrote in his review: “In the first four episodes Agatha all the time feels different. There is a lot of set-up and resolution and foreshadowing of further developments. Episodes 2 and 3, for example, are full of little anecdotes about Alice and her mother, and then in Episode 4, those details become the focus of their trial. A typical MCU television series would save those details for the episode where they are most relevant, but Agatha all the time Creator Jac Schaeffer and her writing team have accomplished this in the first half of this season.”
“But after the chaos of the MCU’s last few years, and with the franchise’s main story still being completely reworked, it’s not easy to believe that Agatha all the time will stick its landing,” Owen continued. “So many of these MCU television shows are fun for a while and then completely fall apart by the end. But the foundation laid by these first four episodes is impressive, and while I’m not Believe that it will end well, I at least have reason to Hope that it could be so.”
Television critic Kelly Lawler wrote for USA Today“Agatha tries to do too many things at once. Buried deep somewhere is a good horror series about Agatha’s journey with real scares and perhaps a mythology that is understandable. But in true Marvel fashion, more and more Things is simply piled on top of the basic story. A famous actor here. A new song from the Frozen Authors there. A complete remake of the season premiere WandaVision simply to make everything as confusing as possible from the start.”
Charles Pulliam-Moore wrote in his review for The edge, Agatha all the time is still a late-stage Marvel show, which means there are moments where your appreciation of what it’s doing depends on how familiar you are with recent events in the larger cinematic universe. But for viewers who have been reading along and are hoping that the studio will get back to releasing really weird and playful variations on the comics instead of hyping up the next big event, Agatha all the time should be a pleasure to follow – especially when their big secrets are revealed this week in the fall.”
For IGNJoshua Yehl wrote in his review: “Agatha all the time is a truly dark good time that brings back the MCU’s wicked witch of Westview, Agatha Harkness. The show is a worthy successor to WandaVisionnot only because it gives us more TV parodies and catchy songs, but also because of its sharp script, intriguing mysteries and colorful characters. With Agatha now the main character, Kathryn Hahn can really sink her teeth into the role and show us what her dark and devious witch is all about. Although the story can feel a little rushed at times, the two-part premiere does an excellent job of setting up the horrific circumstances that lead Agatha and her new coven down the witchy path.”
