‘Agatha All Along’ Faces Another Wave of Review Bombing

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As a long-time Marvel fan who has weathered numerous ups and downs in the expansive universe, I must say that ‘Agatha All Along’ left me with mixed feelings. Having followed Agatha Harkness since her first appearance in the original WandaVision series, I was excited to delve deeper into her character. However, the show’s execution felt somewhat disjointed compared to other Marvel productions, leaving me yearning for a more cohesive narrative.

Approximately a week has passed since “Agatha All Along” premiered, airing its first two episodes. Initially, viewers showed great excitement, but critics were less favorable in their reviews. However, opinions have become more balanced over time. As of now, the show is receiving an 83% approval rating from critics and 81% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes.

To my delight, it’s astonishing to see such a massive turnout for this show, given its focus on an underdog Marvel character and a narrative that could seem unrelatable to some mainstream fans.

Prior to its debut, there was speculation that the show might face intense negative reviews akin to ‘The Acolyte’, largely due to its portrayal of queer themes within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

Similar to ‘The Acolyte’, the team behind it delivered a series of assertive comments. In particular, Plaza declared that this show would set a new record as the most LGBTQ+ inclusive Marvel production to date.

Initially, the show’s rating on IMDb didn’t plummet immediately following its premiere. However, a few days later, the rating started to climb upwards, and subsequently, there was a surge of one-star reviews.

After that point, the rating has remained consistent, however, a new wave of 1-star feedback has popped up on the platform.

Currently, ‘Agatha All Along’ boasts a 6.7 IMDb score, with an impressive 34.3% or 4,800 viewers awarding it a perfect 10, while approximately 18.4% or 2,600 reviews assign it the lowest rating of 1 star.

Suspicion arises when only a few users, who gave the show a single star rating, choose not to provide an explanation for their negative feedback. This pattern could potentially indicate targeted review-bombing.

The practice of deliberately giving negative reviews (review-bombing) to ‘Agatha All Along’, a show with an organic representation of LGBTQ+ characters, is sometimes associated with debates around diversity and inclusion (DEI politics). Despite its authentic portrayal, the show still experienced review-bombing.

In terms of constructive feedback, the one-star reviews provide valuable insights. They’ve expressed discontent about the narrative, labeling it complex, unpolished, and inconsistent, which made it challenging for them to empathize with the characters or the plot. Many remarked that the dialogue was awkward, and they felt the script lacked depth.

Many people found the characters lacked depth and appeal, making it hard for them to engage or care about the character development.

Some reviewers contended that the program failed to introduce anything fresh within the Marvel universe, instead being deemed average and bearing similarities to other enchanting shows that offer a more exhilarating viewing experience.

Fans felt let down because the general vibe seemed immature, considering they anticipated a more sophisticated storyline, especially considering Marvel’s past accomplishments.

There’s a grain of truth in these critical assessments. To me, the series is passable, but I find it hard to fit it into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, primarily because of its overly playful nature. It seems disconnected, and finding ways to tie it effectively to the wider MCU could prove tricky without making the character seem mismatched or out of sync with the established universe.

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2024-09-30 11:14