Spoilers for Agatha All Along’s latest episodes ahead – you have been warned!
The latest instalment of queer-led and witch-themed Marvel show Agatha All Along is now the second-highest rated episode of TV within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) ever.
While the spin-off from WandaVision had a slow start to its fanbase, its strong storyline and LGBTQ+ characters have clearly struck a chord with viewers and is now considered one of the best MCU shows out there.
Agatha All Along follows witch Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn), who first made an appearance as an adversary to Elisabeth Olsen’s Scarlett Witch, after she is freed from her prison in Westview and recruits a coven to travel the Witches’ Road in order to regain her full powers.
Heartstopper‘s Joe Locke and Parks and Recreation star Aubrey Plaza also star.
Episode 7, titled ‘Death’s Hand in Mine’ now has a 9.2 rating on IMDB, with only one other MCU episode beating it: the season 2 finale of Tom Hiddleston’s Loki.
Loki‘s ‘Glorious Purpose’ currently has a 9.4 score on IMDB, with ScreenRant writing that it was “arguably Tom Hiddleston’s best performance as Loki to date”.
The episode featured a trial for divination witch Lilia Calderu (Patti LuPone), who learns that it is her fate to die on the Witches’ Road to save her coven. It ends with Lilia helping her coven to complete the trial and then sacrificing herself ot defeat the Salem Seven.
Comparing the Agatha All Along episode with Loki‘s is difficult as the latter has been available to stream for over a year while the former was only just released, so the rating could increase as time goes on.
“The gays command trends”
The LGBTQ+ community were thrilled to hear the news that Agatha All Along has set a new record for its episodes, taking credit for the strong figures.
One person wrote: “See what happens when you make quality content for gay people? We show up.”
Another said: “They can belittle us all they want, the gays command trends and viewership.”
A third didn’t necessarily attribute the high rating to queer people, arguing instead that Agatha All Along a “quality” show.
“No sappy storylines, no over pressured CGI artists. Just straight up good storytelling, great cinematography and good writers. Just love for the art, fun, and not being greedy or pushy, just letting things run their course,” they wrote.
The high rating could lead to further good news for fans, who hope that Marvel and Disney will choose to renew the show, unlike many others on streaming platforms that were cancelled before they could get off the ground.