Main cast: Kathryn Hahn (Agatha Harkness), Joe Locke (William Kaplan), Sasheer Zamata (Jennifer Kale), Ali Ahn (Alice Wu-Gulliver), Okwui Okpokwasili (Vertigo), Patti LuPone (Lilia Calderu), and Aubrey Plaza (Rio Vidal)
Director: Jac Schaeffer
Oh Agatha All Along, you sly, bewitching delight, you’ve done it again.
Just in time for spooky season, Death’s Hand in Mine conjures up the best episode yet, and I’m not just saying that because I have a direct line to Disney’s promo department (I don’t, but if they offered me a truckload of chocolate-covered money, I might not say no). No, really, this episode sparkles and crackles like the good old days, when witches were fabulous, curses were more stylish than sinister, and viewers weren’t left wondering, “Wait, who’s Agatha again?”
Let’s talk about the real star here: Patti LuPone as Lilia. That’s right, Ms. “Give-Me-An-Oscar-For-This-TV-Show” herself graces us with a performance so raw, so poignant, you almost forget this is a Marvel series with approximately seven viewers. In this episode, she brings all the YAAASSS MAWMA energy we’ve come to expect, but with layers so deep you’d think we were peeling back the entire history of witchcraft one monologue at a time.
And that final scene—good heavens! I was clutching my seat, my forgotten chocolates melting slowly into puddles of sugary regret. If they do her character dirty in the next episode, I may just start hexing people myself.
Joe Locke is holding his own, too, and it’s about time. At this rate, he’s shaping up to be the secret ingredient in this witch’s brew, getting better and better with each episode. It’s almost like he’s challenging Patti to a duel for the show-stealing crown, and while she’s still winning, he’s definitely worthy of a few “Bravo, darling!”s of his own.
But, um, about Agatha. You know, the titular character? It’s starting to feel like she’s less the star of her own show and more the magical equivalent of a background plant. Sure, she’s still around, cackling and occasionally looking diabolical, but she’s also strangely one-note these days, like the writers left her development in the attic next to the plot holes. It doesn’t help that the other witches are so forgettable I literally can’t remember their names without Google. Maybe Disney should’ve just called this show Lilia All Along and let Kathryn Hahn cash her check elsewhere.
On the bright side, the production value is killer—no pun intended. The sets are so gorgeous and spooky that even with a Halloween décor budget that’s basically pocket change compared to some other shows (cough The Acolyte cough), the whole thing still looks ten times better than that soulless CGI wasteland. So kudos to the visual team for proving you don’t need a billion-dollar budget to craft a bewitching spectacle.
In short, this episode is pure magic, and it’s all because of Patti LuPone. Take a bow, ma’am, and maybe cast a spell to give Agatha some of your mojo while you’re at it. If she’s not careful, Agatha might just disappear altogether, and we wouldn’t even notice!
