“Agatha All Along” debuted over a week ago with its first two episodes. Initially, viewers were enthusiastic, but critics had a more negative response. Since then, opinions have leveled out, with the show currently holding an 83% approval rating from critics and 81% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes.
Surprisingly, the show drew a significant audience, which is impressive considering it focuses on a lesser-known character and has a storyline that might not resonate with many casual Marvel fans.
Before the release, there were expectations that the show would be heavily review-bombed, similar to ‘The Acolyte,’ mainly because of its queer themes and representation in the MCU.
Like ‘The Acolyte,’ the cast and crew made several “charged” statements, with Plaza claiming that the show would be the “gayest Marvel show” ever.
While the review-bombing did not happen right away, the show’s score on IMDb rose a few days after the premiere, only to be followed by a wave of 1-star reviews.
Since then, the rating has stabilized, but another surge of 1-star reviews has appeared on the site.
‘Agatha All Along’ currently has a 6.7 rating on IMDb, with 34.3% (4.8K) of ratings giving it 10 stars, while 1 star accounts for the second most common rating at 18.4% (2.6K) reviews.
What leads us to suspect targeted review-bombing? Only a small number of users who rated the show with 1 star actually left a review explaining their dislike.
Targeted review-bombing is often linked to DEI politics in the show. Although ‘Agatha All Along’ features a naturally integrated queer storyline that doesn’t feel forced, it still faced review-bombing.
Regarding legitimate criticism, the one-star reviews are telling. Viewers slammed the writing as convoluted, amateurish, and contradictory, making it hard to connect with the characters or the story. Many found the dialogue cringe-worthy and noted a lack of depth in the script.
Numerous viewers felt the characters were uninteresting and poorly developed, leading to little investment in their arcs.
Many critics argued that the show offered nothing new to the Marvel universe, labeling it as mediocre and reminiscent of superior magical series that provide a more thrilling experience.
The overall tone was seen as childish, disappointing fans who expected a more mature narrative, especially given Marvel’s previous successes.
There is some merit to these negative reviews. Personally, I think the show is okay, but I struggle to see it as part of the MCU, largely due to its campiness. It feels out of place, and connecting it meaningfully to the larger MCU will be challenging without the character seeming out of context.
What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below!
