The Nostalgia In ‘WandaVision’ – A Nod To Decades Of Iconic Tv Shows

By R. Liaw

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Picture: https://www.cbr.com/wandavision-dual-posters/

 
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqyZkB1UCAg – Opening credits to all episodes
 
In light of this issue’s theme, ‘grainy nostalgia’, this article will be diving into the references to iconic tv shows, as well as Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) easter eggs, of WandaVision. It is not quite a review, so by reading on, I am assuming you know the plot. If not, I really hope you are convinced of watching (or re-watching) it if you haven’t already.
 
No need to be said, but obviously there are a lot of SPOILERS AHEAD!
 
Overview:
How to even begin unpacking this metaphorical, content-heavy, surprise-filled, turning-point of a masterpiece? This is one of my favourite shows I have ever watched, not only because I am a huge Marvel fan, but mostly due to the way in which it is set and structured. Whilst following the story of Avengers Wanda Maximoff and Vision’s lives in the small town of Westview after Endgame, the show mimics sitcoms from different time periods: episode 1 is 1950s-styled, episode 2 features the 60s, episode 3 the 70s, and so on… besides being an absolute treat to whoever watched the shows they drew inspiration from and exposing younger-audiences to older television culture, the purpose of moving from decade to decade is explained through a deep-rooted flashback into Wanda’s origin and childhood.
 
Commercial Breaks
WandaVision includes commercial breaks advertising a certain product during each program. They may seem insignificant at first glance, but are all packed with MCU easter eggs and deeper meanings related to Wanda’s mental state and origin story. They metaphorically walk the viewer through Wanda’s life as the show progresses. These are also reminiscent of the epoch that the specific episode is set in, following societal norms and marketing culture of the time. They really look as if they belong to that decade! We will be breaking these down too.


Episode 1: "Filmed Before a Live Studio Audience" – 1950s

Picture: https://www.vulture.com/article/wandavision-series-premiere-recap-season-1-episode-1.html

Episode 1 is in black and white and has a square-frame fit: both classic 1950s-shows’ features.
 
Inspirations:

• ‘The Dick Van Dyke Show’ – Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige and ‘WandaVision’ director Matt Shakman even had lunch with actor Van Dyke to get a better insight. Even though this show is set in the 60s, the Disney Plus’s show is a homage to it.
• ‘I Love Lucy’ – Wanda’s housewife character in this episode is very similar to protagonist Lucy.

 
Episode 1 commercial: Stark Industries ToastMate 2000 toaster oven.

• Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuRmAMkGyF4
• Relevance to the MCU: Stark Industries is the company owned by Howard Stark, father of Iron man and friend of Captain America during World War II. It is also the company that dropped the bomb that killed Wanda’s parents in Sokovia.
• How it relates to the 1950s: Why hello, misogyny. This commercial screams sexism; pretty common at the time, also present when Wanda is portrayed as an all-obedient housewife in this episode. (but don’t worry: the commercials become increasingly more feminist as the show progresses!)

 
 
Episode 2: "Don't Touch That Dial" – 1960s

Picture: https://tvweb.com/wandavision-season-1-episode-2-recap/

 
The world of Technicolour technology has still not reached Episode 2. Viewers will straight away decipher where the influence for the opening credits sequence stemmed from.
 

• ‘Bewitched’ – The animated intro to this episode is very similar to the famous one in Bewitched. Wanda is a witch hiding her powers from her neighbours exactly like Samantha does.
• ‘I Love Lucy’ – Audiences may notice that Wanda and Vision, a married couple, sleep in separate single beds in Episode 2: another homage to this show. When I Love Lucy was in production, there was a rule about men and women not being shown in the same bed in television.
• ‘I dream of Jeannie’ – Also a series from the 1960s which inspired Episode 2. More specifically, the magic show scene where Wanda and Vision attempt to hide their powers from mortals.

 
Episode 2 commercial: Strücker watches.

• Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyY0WFirb-0
• Relevance to the MCU: HYDRA alert! You know, the Nazi organisation that once upon a time tried to take over the world? Yeah, they are the company that made this watch. The commercials are walking us through Wanda’s story, now referencing the time she and her twin brother volunteered to experiment for the terrorist organisation.
• How it relates to the 1960s: The transatlantic accent by the man, popular in this era’s movie industry, is a nice touch. A man’s ‘special lady’ is also referred to as an ‘accessory’? Seems coherent enough for the 1960s, I guess.

 
 
Episode 3: "Now In Color" – 1970s

Picture: https://www.cnet.com/news/wandavision-episode-3-easter-eggs-and-marvel-references-uncovered-on-disney-plus/

 
The episode’s title and the groovy clothes say it all: welcome to the 70s! The show now permanently continues in glorious, vibrant colour. The fact that Wanda is pregnant is another nod to television culture at the time, since sitcoms used to avoid having pregnant characters before this. The end of this episode has the camera’s aspect ratio move from widescreen to full-screen.
 
Inspirations:

• ‘The Brady Bunch’ – According to Tenoyah Parris (who plays Monica Rambeau), the characters are “a Brady Bunch Situation” in this episode. The iconic wooden staircase is even makes an appearance, along with the famous 3x3 grid opening credits. Director Matt Shakman that “there are key reference points that were about this idea of family”, which is consistent since the classic 70’s tv show follows a family of 6 children.
• ‘Good Times’ – Tenoyah Parris said she considered this show as her “point of reference and source”. The aesthetic inspiration of Good Times in WandaVision is apparent.
• ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show’ – Elizabeth Olsen, who plays Wanda, said her performance was based on "an amalgamation of Mary Tyler Moore (star of this sitcom) and Elizabeth Montgomery (protagonist of Bewitched)."

 
Episode 3 commercial: Hydra Soak bath powder.

• Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXXDS9yKKQA
• Relevance to the MCU: HYDRA reference, once again. The slogan “Find the Goddess from within” may be pointing to the moment Wanda saw an embodiment of the Scarlet Witch whilst she was experimenting with the mind stone (the woman also says, “You read my mind”). This means HYDRA was the catalyst for Wanda developing her powers.
• How it relates to the 1970s: The commercial man is now absent (even though he does narrate), and the focus is placed on the commercial woman. We can see that the adverts are becoming increasingly more progressive.

 
 
Episode 4: "We Interrupt This Program"

Picture: https://www.flickeringmyth.com/2021/01/marvels-wandavision-featurette-delves-into-decades-of-fashion/

This episode is focussed on the bigger picture; what is going on outside Westview (hence, the name). What we do see of Wanda and Vision is stylised as a continuation of episode 3.
 
Also, no commercial break ad in this episode because this is the most prominent transition to ‘the real world’, and a great part of the story takes place outside of Westview from the perspective of Monica Rambeau.
 
 
Episode 5: "On a Very Special Episode..." – 1980-90s

Picture: https://www.cnet.com/news/wandavision-recap-episode-5-marvel-cinematic-universe-gloriously-shattered/

 
The title of this episode, like all others, is characteristic to the era it is set. In the 80s, it was common for a voiceover to interrupt a program to announce: “Tonight, on a very special episode of… [fill in this blank]".
 
Inspirations:

• ‘Family Ties’ – coherent to the name of the show it pays homage to, this episode also deals with the troubles and joys of raising children. Although it focuses more on Family Ties’  aesthetic, style and outfits rather than its content. Once again, the opening credits are extremely similar to those of the show: probably the closest resemblance of all the intros so far.
• ‘Full House’ – Whilst  Full House isn’t directly mirrored in WandaVision like Bewitched or The Dick Van Dyke Show, the Disney Plus show’s creator Jac Shaeffer says it is “embedded in the fabric of what we’re doing”. Olsen’s sisters acted in the show, so she used to visit Full House’s tapings when she was younger.
• ‘Growing Pains’ and ‘Step by Step’ – aesthetic inspiration

 
Episode 5 commercial: Lagos paper towels.

• Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuQEKJZ3Ngk
• Relevance to the MCU: The name of the paper towels, ‘Lagos’, is also the name of a Nigerian city which the Avengers take part of a mission in the opening scene of Captain America Civil War. The slogan for this commercial is, “for when you make a mess when you didn’t mean to”, said after a red juice is spilt on the table. This references how Wanda accidentally killed many people in this mission, even though she did not intend to.
• How it relates to the 1980-90s: The commercial man is now gone from the picture, with a woman narrating the advert. “Husbands can use it too you know”: a contrast from the very first commercial where the toaster was ‘easy for wives to use’.

 
 
Episode 6: "All-New Halloween Spooktacular!" – 1990s-2000s

Picture: https://www.cbr.com/wandavision-episode-6-pietro-true-intentions/

 
Hey, Hallowe’en special (even though this show came out mid-January)! This episode is a real treat for Marvel Comics fans, with Vision’s, Scarlet Witch’s, Tommy’s, Billy’s and (surprise, surprise!) Quicksilver’s holiday costumes paying homage to the original heroes’ outfits.
 
Inspirations:

• ‘Malcom in the Middle’ – WandaVision’s opener is very similar to that of this show, down to the font and rock theme song. Wanda’s kids also break the fourth wall like protagonist Malcom often does. The style of the house that Pietro stays in is also very similar to the one in Malcom in the Middle. This episode is the most similar one to a sitcom since Episode 1 with the Dick Van Dyke Show.
• ‘Boy Meets World’ and ‘Friends’ – These are a few examples of sitcoms from this era that have elaborate Halloween specials.

 
Episode 6 commercial: Yo-Magic yogurt.

• Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGUZHr-wI3E
• Relevance to the MCU: No direct reference to the MCU, but there may be a connection between this creepy commercial showing us the child’s skeleton at the end and the previous episode giving the audience a glimpse of the synthezoid corpse of a dead Vision.
• How it relates to the 1990s-2000s: Claymation adverts were very popular in the late 90s, and commercials began to be more directed to children.

 
 
Episode 7: "Breaking the Fourth Wall" – 2010s

Picture: https://www.slashfilm.com/wandavision-season-trailer/

 Modern, 21st century audiences will recognise key characteristics of their favourite shows straight away: from the camera angles, sound effects, (fictional) product placement and outfits.
 
Inspirations:

• ‘The Office’ – This show is notoriously famous for… *drumroll*… you guessed it, breaking the fourth wall. The characters also have funny one liners and snappy clapbacks similar to how they do in The Office.
• ‘Modern Family’ – The mockumentary setup that Wanda is interviewed in resembles the iconic one from this series. Some may find Wanda’s mannerisms and way of speaking similar to the character of Claire Dunphy
• ‘Out of This World’ – WandaVision creator Jac Schaeffer specifically referred to the pilot episode of this show.

 
Episode 7 commercial: Nexus antidepressants.

• Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItRKNU_KmBA
• Relevance to the MCU: Besides the obvious (Wanda is suffering from depression in this episode and the ad tells her to mentally return to real life), ‘Nexus of All Realities’ is an interdimensional gateway which allows travel through infinite realities in the Marvel Comics. This may reference the upcoming MCU Dr. Strange and Spiderman films which feature multiverses. In the 1985 West Coast Avengers #61 comics, Agatha (I see what you did there, Marvel), reveals that the Scarlet Witch is a Nexus being.
• How it relates to the 2010s: Mental health started to be more discussed in the 2010s, and different antidepressant commercials similar to this one were not uncommon.

 
 
Episode 8: "Previously On" and Episode 9: "The Series Finale" - Modern cinema

Picture: https://www.sportskeeda.com/esports/wandavision-episode-9-vision-vs-vision-rise-scarlet-witch-darkhold-headline-emotional-finale

 
The final two episodes of the series are stylised like other modern MCU movies and tv shows. The whole series provided the audiences with a trip through time, starting in the 1950s and ending with modern cinema (specifically, Marvel’s superhero movies).
 
No commercial break. We have now permanently exited Wanda’s sitcom ‘world’.
 
If you read everything up to here… this is your sign to GO REWATCH THE SHOW! This time, pay attention to every homage, detail and easter egg Marvel included for us.
 
 
 
Bibliography

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Bojalad, Alec. “WandaVision: The Sitcom Influences of Episode 5.” Den of Geek, 9 Feb. 2021, www.denofgeek.com/tv/wandavision-episode-5-family-ties/.

Delbel, Julia. “Analyzing the Influences of the 50s and 60s Episodes of 'WANDAVISION'.” Murphy's Multiverse -, 18 Jan. 2021, www.murphysmultiverse.com/analyzing-the-influences-of-the-50s-and-60s-episodes-of-wandavision/.

Gemmill, Allie. “'WandaVision': MCU Easter Eggs You Might Have Missed.” Collider, 6 Mar. 2021, collider.com/wandavision-easter-eggs-mcu-disney-plus/.

Krajnyak, Zack. “What Sitcoms WandaVision Episodes 1 & 2 Are Inspired By.” ScreenRant, 15 Jan. 2021, screenrant.com/wandavision-episodes-1-2-sitcoms-love-lucy-bewitched/.

Perine, Aaron. “WandaVision: Why Episode 4 Has No Commercial Break Ad.” TV Shows, Comicbook.com, 1 Feb. 2021, 3:19 pm, comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/wandavision-commercial-ad-why-episode-4-has-no/.

Romano, Evan. “A Quick Reminder Why Lagos Is Important in the MCU.” Men's Health, Men's Health, 5 Feb. 2021, www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a35432124/lagos-marvel-wandavision/.

Salazar, Savannah. “What Are the Commercials in WandaVision Telling Us?” Vulture, Vulture, 19 Feb. 2021, www.vulture.com/article/wandavision-commercials-marvel-mcu-clues-easter-eggs.html.

Sarkisian, Jacob. “Every TV Show 'WandaVision' Is Based On.” Insider, Insider, 6 Mar. 2021, www.insider.com/wandavision-what-tv-show-inspirations-disney-plus-marvel-2021-1#good-times-6.

Torres, Caesar. “Review: WandaVision Tackles the '70s in Its Third Episode.” Winter Is Coming, FanSided, 22 Jan. 2021, winteriscoming.net/2021/01/22/wandavision-tackles-70s-third-episode-review/.