Magic, Morals, and Media: What "Agatha All Along" Teaches Kids
By Harsimar Kang, Contributing Author
Warning: Spoilers!!!
Now that it’s been a few weeks since the last episodes of Agatha All Along, the much awaited sequel to WandaVision, has aired, let’s take the time to review the show in its entirety. What starts out as an over-the-top ode to sitcoms past, along with some horror to go with the Halloween timing of release, comes many shocks and plot twists at the end.
There are many themes from the show that younger viewers could pick apart. The first of which being that everyone has a role to play in a group. Whether it be your role as a certain type of witch to fit the mysterious coven rules from a ballad or just the role you play with friends and family, you bring a certain set of unique skills and experiences to the table. There are many times in the show where characters succumb to feelings of imposter syndrome, or the self-doubt that you are undeserving of your achievements. However, confidence in themselves and their role in the group (such as with Jen and her potions or Lilya and her divination) allows the team as a whole to succeed. Another interesting theme is the introduction to Death. A literal Marvel character, played by the ever-talented Aubrey Plaza, Death is described as a neutral entity, in charge of maintaining balance in the world. For the younger audiences, especially those who have not had much exposure to concepts of death in their real lives, the show offers a more holistic view of growth and decay that can be discussed alongside family.
But the biggest theme (and the most spoiler-y) is the twist that we discover from Billy. Your mind has the power to shape its own reality. Of course, this is a more literal theme in the show, but essentially Billy was influenced by all the art and media around his room, which then led to all of his experiences and behaviors from the very first episode. But to ground this mystical theme of shaping your own reality comes an idea that you may misinterpret what you see or hear, and this in turn can unduly shape your beliefs. For children, this applies to media they are exposed to – whether shows, songs, or online videos. Building critical thinking around media exposure is crucial to help them differentiate between fantasy and reality and think critically about the messages they receive. This will help them outside of just watching shows, such as fighting online misinformation and staying safe online.
To guide children in building media literacy and critical thinking, parents and caregivers can first try and co-watch and discuss shows together. This is one of the simplest and most effective ways to help children process what they are seeing. For example, after watching an episode of Agatha All Along, have an open discussion about complex characters and scenes, analyzing the viewpoint from which the narrative is being retold. This process also requires effort from the parent to model critical thinking and questioning. This modeling of curiosity teaches children that it is okay to think deeper about what they are watching rather than accepting facts at face value. Of course, throughout this process, you want to provide age-appropriate context for storylines. Providing a background for why Agatha may be acting like a villain and hurting fellow witches may require some simplification but ultimately the exercise is to help children grow into more discerning media consumers who understand the difference between fictional and real-world behaviors, stereotypes, and motivations. By practicing critical thinking and reflecting on what they watch, children are better equipped to interpret media messages. Youtube hosts other kid-oriented videos about critical thinking and media analysis.
As Agatha All Along reminds us, characters in media often have more to them than meets the eye. By guiding kids to question what they see on screen, we help them build a healthy sense of curiosity and empathy, skills that will serve them well in understanding the real world.Just as Agatha’s song reveals a surprising twist, media can reveal new insights for children if they learn to look a little closer.
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