Agatha All Along: Episodes 8 & 9 Spoiler Review 👻

 “Follow Me My Friend / To Glory at the End” 

& “Maiden Mother Crone”

This post is going to be filled with spoilers for the final two episodes of Agatha All Along. Do not read any of this if you don’t want to know what happened. What a great set of episodes full of surprises I never would have guessed. Wow. One of my favorite shows I have ever watched and I look forward to watching it again. 

Agatha and Nicky

~ I like that the scenes from Agatha’s past focused on her relationship with Nicky. They make the rumor that Agatha gave up her son for the Darkhold so much more sad and terrible. She adored that little boy with all her heart. Rio even asks why she lets people believe such terrible things and Agatha says it’s easier. I believe it’s easier for her to have people disgusted with her instead of feeling sorry for what actually happened to him. We open Episode 9 with Agatha in labor with Nicky and going through the forest. It was so sad when Rio came while she was trying to give birth. So, he was supposed to die during childbirth but Agatha was able to make a deal with Rio for a little bit of more time. She appealed to her love and it worked, if only for a short time. 

~ I wonder if that is part of the reason she went after all the witches. She was able to get powers from them but was there more to it? From what we see of their relationship in the show, Agatha seems to be used to getting bodies for Rio. Does Agatha kill so much so that she can continue to live on way past her time and does she try to do the same thing for Nicky?

~ It was so sad watching this episode knowing Nicky was not going to make it. I had assumed that he had died and Rio just had to do her job. She hinted at this earlier in the show. This did not make the scene when she had to take him away any less sad, especially when we see Agatha’s reaction to it. I think it’s interesting that she had a romantic relationship with Death, when she has also been running from her for so long. 

~ The biggest shock was finding out that Agatha and Nicky made up The Witches Road song themselves. I love how we heard an early version of it until they came up with what we first heard in the beginning of the show. Then we find out after Nicky died, Agatha started using the song to get witches to try and join her in a coven and used this to get their powers. Just like she tried to do during episode 2 of this show. I liked the scene when we see her throughout time tricking so many witches. Then we get the final confirmation of the biggest reveal of the show. 

The Road- It was Billy All Along

~ What a reveal at the end of episode 8 and into episode 9! There were so many clues throughout this entire show to this reveal but I did not see it going the way it did. I figured that Billy had some control over at least what the Road was looking like, especially since so many elements from his/William’s room was on the Road. But I never would have thought that the Road was not real or that he created it himself. 

~ I could not believe when we found out that the Road never existed and it was all a story made up by Agatha to get powers. All of it starting with a song she made up with Nicky. It was great that they showed us the clues to it throughout the show. I had assumed that Agatha was so surprised it worked because she had never been on the road and wasn’t even sure if it had existed to begin with. Now, we know she just planned on using the same story again to get power from the witches, knowing it was not real. And then Billy comes along and creates the Road himself. 

~ This reveal makes me wonder what Billy is capable of doing with his magic. He did so much unconsciously, so what can he do when he’s able to control his magic? Also, he was able to help each of the witches in the coven, even if most of them died on the Road. Sharon was reunited with her husband (I still hate that she died), Alice was able to end her family’s curse, Lilia was finally able to accept her fate and finally had a coven, Jenn was able to be unblocked, and Agatha sacrificed herself for someone else. Cannot believe Agatha was the witch that bound Jenn! 

Coven of…Two

~ I was thinking Agatha would die at the end of this show, so it didn’t surprise me. She has been avoiding Death for a long time and Rio showing back up in her life only meant it was a matter of time. You can tell how much Rio cared for her after it happened. Such a sad scene. 

~ I adore the relationship between Agatha and Billy and am eagerly awaiting to see more of it in the future. She sacrificed herself to save Billy. So beautiful and funny that she decides to tell him that she didn’t do it. Agatha has been living her life and doing everything to better herself and stay alive. She has not had someone in her life that she cared for in such a way since Nicky and she finally has that again with Billy. I don’t think it’s sad because she has been running from it for so long and she did it for a good reason. She finally did something selflessly and I believe that is a beautiful ending for her. 

~ It’s great that we are getting ghost Agatha and Billy going off at the end to find Tommy. I look forward to seeing them work together some more. Kathryn Hahn and Joe Locke are incredible and their dynamic is top-notch. I can imagine what will happen next in their story. Supposedly, they are making a Wiccan show. So here’s hoping.

Final Thoughts

~ Agatha All Along is the witchy show I have been wanting with all my heart for a very long time. I adored WandaVision and was eagerly looking forward to this show. It is great to be able to say it was even better than I believed it would be. Being back in Westview was a dream come true and I’m glad we even got to see the residents a couple of times throughout the show. 

~ Agatha is a great villainous character who secretly cares for people deep down. She was enjoyable to watch in WandaVision but was even better in her own show. I love that we delved deep into her character and learned so much about who she was. There’s still more they could do with her and I’m looking forward to more MCU projects with her.

Agatha All Along: Episode 7 Spoiler Review 💀

 “Death’s Hand in Mine” 

Episode 7 of Agatha All Along is definitely my favorite episode by far. I knew we were going to get a Lilia focused one based on what this was leading to the entire time and it was everything I ever wanted it to be. Don’t read the rest of this post if you do not want to be spoiled. I will be talking about the entire episode and this will spoil everything. Only one more week left of the show. 

Lilia’s Traveling

~ I love that this whole episode focused on Lilia’s traveling through time and that we got to see it from her perspective. It was interesting getting it out of order and seeing the pieces all add up in the end as Lilia realized what was going on. We have had pieces of her traveling ever since episode 2 of the show. I love how we get to see each of those scenes in this one. Time travel, whatever form it takes in a fictional work, will always be one of my favorite devices. 

~ The storytelling was top-notch to show Lilia’s story. I cannot wait to watch this entire show again knowing what we do after this episode. 

~ It’s interesting to see how Lilia is not able to control her abilities in the ways she would like. She even tells Jenn that she in the past tried to ignore them. This gives me more reason to believe that Agatha is telling the truth about her own power to take other’s magic. I don’t believe she can control it either. 

~ Lilia’s Maestra from her childhood was an important part of Lilia’s journey throughout this episode. She helped Lilia bring the pieces together to figure out what was needed to be done for her coven. 

“In the end, all roads lead to me”-Death

~ I wish the Funko pops were not spoiled online before this episode. It would have been awesome to get the reveal of Rio being Death here instead of in a blurry leaked photo. There have been clues the entire show but still. 

~ We will probably see Lilia, Alice, and Sharon again when Rio went to collect their souls. It will probably be in the next episode. At least, I assume so. That’s probably why Rio was in the area when the coven was trying to call upon a green witch. She was collecting Sharon’s soul. It would also explain where she was after Alice died. 

~ Most likely, that is why she has been on the road with them because “Death” was following their path. Lilia was probably able to see Rio’s true form during this episode because of her power. She has been able to see when people would die before it happened since she was a child and knows what is going to happen to herself later on in the episode. 

The Trial

~ The trial’s theme was very fitting for Lilia, especially with her aversion to the stereotypical witch. I loved seeing each of the coven members dressed as such iconic witches. Lilia as Glinda, Agatha as the Wicked Witch of the West, Jenn as the Evil Queen from Snow White, and Billy as Maleficent. This made me wish we could have seen who Alice, Rio, and Sharon would have been in this. 

~ It was also obviously perfect for Lilia’s divination powers. I like how we saw the trial first just with Billy and Agatha before Jenn and Lilia find their way in. This helped show how important each witch is for the different trials on the road. You cannot leave your coven behind because they are needed to complete it. I love that they really are showing the importance of having a coven for witches, especially in this episode. First, Lilia’s Maestra asks Lilia if she has a coven and when Lilia says she hasn’t had luck with them her maestra tells her how important it is to have one. What Lilia has been missing is a coven and she realizes this when she is doing the Tarot reading for herself. I loved that scene so much hearing how happy she was to realize this.

~ Before Billy and Agatha get to the trial, we do get another heated conversation from them. This time about Wanda. I don’t think that Wanda is dead and I’m hoping this might be one step closer to getting her back. Especially, since Agatha is not sure if she is dead or not. 

~ I love seeing Lilia go through the Tarot cards on the table and showing when she realized who each member of the coven was in regards to the cards. I do remember many of these scenes but some of them I didn’t notice when she said them the first time. There were so many details given to us throughout the rest of this show that really played off here. So damn clever!

~ Lilia’s sacrifice was so sad but I had a feeling it would happen for awhile. What really broke me was when she was talking to everyone at the end before she stayed behind. She did also give her final prophecy to Agatha when she said “When she calls you a coward, hit the deck.” So I guess we will be seeing what she means pretty soon. Her line “I loved being a witch,” got me crying. Lilia has been my favorite of the witches pretty much since the beginning. She was definitely the one I wanted to know the most about. I’m glad we got an episode like this for her. Beautiful. 

Agatha All Along: Episode 6 Spoiler Review 🌀

 “Familiar By Thy Side”

Episode 6 was one of the best episodes yet. I love how much context we got and also seeing Billy’s backstory. Below, I will be talking about everything that happened in this episode. Don’t read after this paragraph if you do not want to know what happened. I will be spoiling everything from this episode. I highly recommend this entire show. 

William Kaplan

~ I’m glad we got introduced to William and his family before the car accident. We see who William is as a person and it really helps compare him to the teen we meet in Episode 1 and have seen throughout the show. They really make you feel feel sorry for this poor family which changed more than they know. I’m hoping we get to see more of William’s parents and Eddie eventually. 

~ It was interesting that when the Kaplans are driving in the car after leaving the bar mitzvah, how the radio was playing sound clips from WandaVision. Then when Billy’s soul goes into William’s body, you hear Billy and Tommy say good night to each other, right before Billy/William comes back to life. I love that his first word is Tommy once he wakes up. 

~ I don’t believe William is completely gone though, especially after Lilia’s palm reading when she said his lifeline was in two. This could mean he had the one life as William and then would have one as Billy, but it could also mean that he has two souls. Though, Billy does say he died when he is talking to Eddie in the car, and then something else came into him. He won’t admit to who he is at that moment but does show Eddie what he is trying to figure out with Wanda’s hex. This at first made me wonder how much he could remember from his time as Billy Maximoff. We then find out his true intentions for going on the road. He wants to find Tommy and doesn’t think his parents are alive. 

~ Joe Locke really showed how great of an actor he is while playing both parts. The scenes when he is getting overwhelmed because he is hearing other people’s thoughts were great. The way he can convey so much without saying a word, especially with his eyes, is outstanding. He is such a talented actor. Love him as Charlie in Heartstopper but I love him as Billy/William just as much.

The Sigil

~ So Billy, met Lilia and Alice before the road and saw Jenn’s videos. We knew he knew about Jenn because he is the one that brought up the information about her lawsuits. But I loved finding out he had met the other members of the coven before. 

~ Lilia is the one who created the sigil that hid Billy/William’s identity from all witches. I like how she did this to protect him because she sensed the goodness of him. Also, their scene together was intriguing. She could see both sides he was going to have, William and Billy, so she decided to protect them both. Lilia has admitted that when she does fortune tellings it’s usually fake so this one obviously took her by surprise causing her to give him more information than she meant to. 

~ As soon as I saw the palm reading stand at William’s bar mitzvah, I knew who was going to be there but it still was shocking to see that they met so early. I never would have expected for Lilia to be the one who put the sigil on Billy. Patty Lapone has been great this entire show, but this episode really shown off her talent. All of the actresses and actors in this show have been doing an incredible job. 

~ The black heart was such a misdirection. It was Billy the entire time and the only reason Lilia wrote a black heart is because she couldn’t write his name because of the sigil. Rio is not supposed to be in the coven and Billy is. That is why the road didn’t open until Billy ran to the door. They needed him. 

Billy’s version of the Agnus in Westview Clips

~ Going into this episode, I knew we would get Billy’s viewpoint of what was going on in Episode 1, but it was so much better than I thought it would be. It is so hilarious seeing what everyone else was seeing versus what Agatha was seeing in the hex. I could not stop laughing during those scenes and I kind of want to see everything from the first episode from the residents of Westview’s perspective. 

~ I like how we saw what Billy was saying when the sigil went over his mouth. The first time he says William Kaplan and then the second time he says Billy Maximoff. Such a great reveal. This also makes me believe William’s soul didn’t die in the car crash because Lilia’s sigil protected them both not just Billy. 

Agatha with Billy

~ I love the conversation Agatha and Billy have after she comes out of the mud. Kathryn Hahn is incredible in this scene showing both a clear affection for Billy and also her villainous side. Agatha clearly cares for Billy, who she is able to identify right away. She doesn’t get Tommy’s name right but she does know Billy. Also, she admits to having a feeling of who he was from the moment they met in Episode 1 but not being certain until he showed his powers. It was great hearing her say “It’s nice to see you again Billy.” I believe this was genuine just by the way she said it. 

~ It will be interesting to see their relationship as the show continues. As we have seen from the rest of the show, I believe they both care for each other, even just a bit. Agatha is not as bad as the facade she lets everyone believe. I think it’s easier for her to let everyone believe she is completely evil instead of letting them see her true self. She shows she is a much better person than her mother when she tells Billy “don’t you dare feel guilty about your power, that’s what makes you special.” You can tell how much this means to Billy when she says this and also that he is a witch. He’s so happy to hear it. 

The Cosy Autumn Book Tag 🍁

I found the perfect tag for this time of year. It was created by @TheBookBelle and here is a link to her video: THE COSY AUTUMN BOOK TAG. 

1. What book always reminds you of fall/autumn?

    🍂 The Wizards of Once by Cressida Cowell-  This series is my favorite spooky read for younger readers, especially the audiobooks which are narrated by David Tennant. One of my favorites for this time of year. Perfect read for Halloween and fall. 

2. What is your favorite autumnal book cover?

    🍁 Ravenfall by Kayln Josephson- The first thing I thought of when I saw this cover a couple of years ago, was that this looked like an autumn book. I am planning on reading this book very soon. 

3. What is your favorite autumnal drink to read with?

    ☕️ Pumpkin spice hot chocolate- I’m usually a green tea drinker but pumpkin hot chocolate is the best. 

    🫖 Sweet Harvest Pumpkin tea- This is another new favorite that I’ve been loving this fall. It won’t beat out pumpkin hot chocolate, but it is very good. 

4. Do you prefer to read late at night or early in the morning?

    🌕 I’m definitely a nighttime reader. 

5. Halloween is coming! What is your favorite spooky read?

    👻 Insanity series by Cameron Jace- My favorite spooky read is definitely the Insanity series by Cameron Jace. This is a thriller retelling of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. It takes characters and elements from both and makes a murder mystery which is one of my all-time favorite series.

6. What is the ultimate comfort read for you?

    🏰 Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones- Every time I have read Howl’s Moving Castle, it comforted me in a way I will never forget. It has become my favorite book of all-time and I cannot recommend it enough. 

7. What is your favorite autumnal reading snack?

    🎃 The pumpkin cookies that my mother and I make every year. They are great! Though, I would read them before or after I read. Wouldn’t want to get messy fingers on my books. 

8. What is your favorite autumnal candle to burn whilst reading? 

    🕯 I don’t burn candles but I will always be a sucker for fall scented candles, especially pumpkin or apple cider.

9. When you’re not reading, what is your favorite autumnal activity?

    🍁 I love watching Halloween movies, specifically Halloweentown 1 & 2, Hocus Pocus, Tower of Terror, and Interview with a Vampire. 

10. What is on your autumn/fall reading list?- There are so many books I would like to read this fall. Here are some of the books I would like to read in the next two months.  

    📚 Ravenfall by Kalyn Josephson- Cannot wait to pick this up soon. It’s comp title is Halloweentown, which makes me ecstatic to pick it up. 

    🍁 The House with Chicken Legs by Sophie Anderson- I’ve been meaning to pick this up for quite a while. I have really enjoyed all of the books I have read by Sophie Anderson so far. 

    🍂 Hooky Volume 3 by Miriam Bonastre Tur- I need to finish this series this year. 

    📚 The Crimson Crown by Heather Walter- This is one of the ARC books I have from Netgalley. It is going to be my next read and I cannot wait! I have been waiting to read this ever since Heather first talked about it. 

    🍁 The Dead Fathers Club by Matt Haig- A reimagining of Hamlet but set in modern day and about a young boy. Call me intrigued. 

    🍂 Wicked by Gregory Maguire- This is a book I will definitely be reading this fall. I want to read it before seeing the movie in November. I cannot believe Wicked is finally almost here. YAY!! My witchy/musical loving heart is ecstatic. 🧹🫧

Agatha All Along: Episode 5 Spoiler Review 🧹

“Darkest Hour / Wake Thy Power”

 

This was an enjoyable episode full of creepy, hard-hitting, and jaw-dropping scenes. I love the elements of horror they have sprinkled in throughout this show. There are so many of those scenes in this episode. Don’t read after this paragraph if you have not watched the episode and want to without being spoiled. I will be spoiling everything.

Come… We Fly

~ We got the Salem Seven back in this episode and they definitely didn’t disappoint with the creepy scenes. The one that has cicadas come out of their mouth gave me the chills while watching this. Also, the way they bend their bodies back is so damn creepy. What a way to start this episode. 

~ I like how we got scenes with the coven creating and flying on brooms. It is neat how they are having so many witchy tropes and then having Lilia make commentary on them. I loved how they were enjoying themselves for just that little bit of time while flying. Too bad the Road didn’t want them to be happy. 

Not a Real Coven

~ There is a theme in this episode about Agatha’s past. We get the Salem Seven (the daughters of the women she killed in her coven), then we get Agatha’s mother, and then the voice of Agatha’s son. So far on the road, each witch has had a trial that helped them move on from their past in order to be able to complete the trial. Jenn had to believe in herself to complete the potion and Alice destroyed the demon in order to protect everyone else. 

~ But this has always been with the help of the other witches in the coven. They have to work together to get off of the road. In their first trial, they lose Sharon because they didn’t fully work together the way they should have. First, Agatha tried to cheat by not drinking and took a lot of their time away. Then, they completely forget about Sharon for awhile and never use her hair in the potion. They are not working as a coven and are losing members because of it. I wonder if the other witches in the coven helped Agatha out instead of turning on her, if Agatha would have been able to complete this trial without killing Alice. If Agatha actually traveled the Witches’ Road as she says she did, this is probably why none of her coven survived. You have to work as a group. 

~ The eighties cabin was such a clever device for this trial. It was interesting that it was meant for Agatha. I love how they were all dressed up as if they were having a sleepover and then the use of the Ouija board. Each house has reflected the witch the trial was meant for. That is just intriguing to think about for Agatha. Is friendship what Agatha wants the most? Does she secretly want that closeness deep down?

Ouija Board

~ Agatha’s imitation of Sharon was hilarious. I actually believed it was Sharon for a bit there.

~ The possession scene was so damn creepy and I was very surprised to see who possessed by her mother. Was not expecting that at all. There were rumors that her mother was going to be coming back into the show, but I was thinking it would be in a flashback scene. 

~ We get to see a protective side to Rio in this scene, when she is trying to keep Agatha away from her mother. I have a feeling we are going to see bits of their relationship from the past and that it will be from the time period with Agatha’s mother. 

~ There is so much we don’t know about them and I’m looking forward to finding out more. We are seeing so many different sides to Agatha, that she hides most of the time. I love seeing the moments of vulnerability show through, like in the picture below. 

Agatha’s Haunting Past

~ I don’t believe Agatha was completely in control of herself when she took Alice’s powers. She obviously is taking the power within her body, but at least at first she was not trying to. But she keeps going and takes it all from Alice. I want to know more about her power and what happened since she was a child to make her mother say such terrible things.

~ I hate what happened to Alice in this episode. She finally stops her family’s curse and then dies trying to protect someone in her coven. It’s really quite terrible to watch. Had me in tears. 

~ It was also sad to hear Nicholas Scratch right after Teen uses the Ouija board again. He was so young. My goodness. Agatha’s past really was coming back to haunt her. 

Wiccan 

~ The reveal of the Teen being Wiccan was very expected because of all the clues, but damn did it shock me in this episode. Never would have expected it to happen this early in the show. I love how they chose to show it in this episode. He’s so powerful.

~ First, having Agatha talk about Billy’s mother and then giving us the reveal when he possess the other witches. I’m surprised that they gave us such a reveal about halfway through the show. Now, they are making me wonder what they are going to do with the rest of it. Love how the WandaVision theme plays when Agatha says “You’re so much like your mother.” Ahhhh!!! 😮Literally, sat with my mouth open when the crown formed on his head. This is going to be so damn awesome. I cannot wait for the next episode. 

~ I believe Billy always had his powers. He was able to get Agatha out of her spell, though I will say all of that was going on when Agatha was in Wanda’s hex. So, it might not have happened the way we saw it in the first episode. 

Questions I have after this episode

1.) What does Billy/Wiccan want from the road? 

- Billy obviously does not need to get his powers at the end of the road, so what does he want. I think he is either looking for his mother (Wanda) or his brother (Tommy). We are probably going to get an episode before the events of this show next. Though it would be interesting if it were Vision he sees at the end of the road. 

- I have a feeling that Billy Maximoff’s soul went into another teen’s body after the events of WandaVision or even Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and this is that teen. Or something along those lines.

2.) Did Billy/Wiccan know who he was the entire time or did the sigil break?

- I wonder if Billy has been purposefully hiding his identity and powers from the other witches. He has seemed suspicious many times throughout this show. I believe he knew more than he was telling them. It could have taken Alice’s death for him to finally crack and show his true self to the witches because of their nonchalance at losing yet another member of their coven. He was getting very close to Alice before this. 

- But I also wonder if the sigil was real and he didn’t actually know. What happened to cause it to break? That might be why Agatha is able to recognize who he is finally. Or the pieces might have finally clicked for her, with Billy saying Nicholas Scratch in the last episode, Rio telling her that he isn’t hers, hearing Nicholas tell her to stop, and then when Billy says he doesn’t want that type of power. She might be the reason why the sigil broke because of him seeing how evil she really is. 

Agatha All Along: Episode 4 Spoiler Review 👹

  “If I Can’t Reach You / Let My Song Teach You”  

   Agatha is such a fun character. Absolutely adore how damn dramatic she is. I think Episode 4 of Agatha All Along answered quite a bit of questions that I have had about the show so far. Or at least gave some hints towards answers. It was not my favorite of the episodes but there were so many moments that made it another great one for me. Episode 4 had a good mixture of laughs and hard hitting moments for me. Looking forward to see what will happen next. This review is going to be full of spoilers after this paragraph. Please do not read if you don’t want to know what happens in Episode 4. 

Is Rio…?

~ There is a rumor going around that Rio is Death and after this episode, I’m beginning to believe that is correct. Agatha blatantly tells Rio “no” multiple times throughout and it isn’t completely spelled out why. The first time is after Rio says “boo” and then looks right over at Teen. This was right after Rio comes out of the ground like a zombie. Then Rio explains that she was in the area. She could have been in the area because she was following Agatha, but I’m wondering if this is a hint because of Sharon’s death. Was she in the area because she was doing her job?  

~ Then, after Teen gets hurt in the house Agatha tells Rio “don’t” when they are all trying to save him. This tied in with Rio talking about having to do her job and it causing Agatha to be her scar. Makes me think that she is Death. I believe when she tells the rest of the witches about her scar, she is talking about what she did to make Agatha hate her. So, this makes me wonder if what happened to Nicholas Scratch/Agatha’s son is because of Rio. Did she have to do her job and and made Agatha hate her for it? 

~ Agatha definitely knows the truth about Rio with her sad “don’t” and the heartbreak behind that single word. My gosh, it was devastating to see her reaction to what happened to Teen and her very clear fear of losing him. Her reaction to Sharon’s death at the beginning of the episode really helps show this even more. She’s so nonchalant about Sharon and doesn’t seem to care if anyone else lives or dies on the road. But then we see a different side of her when Teen gets severely hurt. Her visible distress sticks out. And that ending was so sad. Damn, I feel so bad for Agatha. Kathryn Hahn is doing an incredible job with her and I hope we will see her even more after this show. I’d love more of all the witches. 

Alice’s Task/ Wizard of Oz Parallels

~ I was surprised to find out that Alice’s reason for being on the Witches’ Road was not to find her mother. She wanted a way to save herself and I wonder if she actually defeated the curse. Hopefully. Up until this point, I was not as interested in Alice as the rest of the characters, but this episode helped flesh her out a bit more. The fact that Lorna’s version of “The Ballad of the Witches’ Road” is a protection spell was such a cool reveal. Alice was incredible in this episode. I love that Alice is a protector witch and her mother’s only wish was to protect her daughter. How beautiful she was able to do so through her song. Looking forward to seeing Alice use her skills to protect the other witches.

~ The trek down the road is definitely showing heavy parallels to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz with the tasks each character has to complete and gain what they need most. Showing they had what they wanted all along, though in the book the Wizard does give them tangible items. Makes me wonder if we are going to get a Wizard character who is not going to be who they say they are. Maybe Teen. 

~ I’m looking forward to seeing what happens with Lilia, especially with the spontaneous fragments of visions she keeps having. It’s interesting that she seems to have them about the people she is talking to. This episode it was about Alice. Lilia is the witch I am most interested in learning about. 

The Visuals

~ I wanted to take some time for this episode to talk about the visuals in this show. This was one of the best with the 70s vibes in the new house and I loved the eerie feel of the entire thing. Their outfits were great and they all looked stunning. I adored their cover of Lorna’s version of the ballad. It was so great. I know I will be listening to it on repeat.

~ I knew from the first house that each witch was going to get a trial that was going to fit them and then a house too. The first was for Jenn and it fit the vibe she is trying to give off for her clients, which she doesn’t like. She even makes a point of saying that she looks like one of her clients, and obviously is disgusted. This one was obviously for Alice, who is always thinking about her mother. Her flashback/nightmare was also set in the 70s. I’m looking forward to seeing the ones for everyone else. 

~ They definitely are hinting at parts of Lilia’s past in each of these episodes, this time with images of the witches on the wall. Her focus and reaction for the one with the witch being tortured is very telling. She has probably seen so many other witches/friends tortured and killed over the years. Also, her hatred of the portrayal of witches plays into this. Lilia’s house is definitely going to play on the way witches have been shown over time. Maybe a witches’ castle or something fairytale-esque. 

The Sigil 

~ We learn a bit more about the sigil in this episode when Teen questions Agatha about it. I’m still wondering if he knows what is going on, but after what Agatha says here, maybe he doesn’t. She does say she might not know if she put it on him or not because it could hide her knowing about it also. So, if he were the one to have done it he might not know. So it really could be anyone. I wonder what is going to be the reason it gets broken.

The End of the Year Book Tag 2024 edition

 The End of the Year Book Tag was created by Ariel Bissett many years ago. 

It’s one of my favorite tags to do every year right around fall.   

1.) Are there any books you started this year that you need to finish?

    🦉 Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher 

- I started this book earlier this year and never finished it. It is the book I keep saying I am going to finish and then never do. So right, now I am making it my only goal of October.  

 

2.) Do you have an autumnal book to transition into the end of the year?

    🍁 Ravenfall by Kalyn Josephson

- This book is described as a cross between Halloweentown and Supernatural. I have been wanting to read it for years and cannot wait to pick it up during October. 

3.) Is there a new release you’re still waiting for?- I cannot just pick one new release when both of these books are coming out this year.

    🍂 The Colour of Revenge by Cornelia Funke (Inkworld Book 4)

- I adore the Inkworld series and have been anticipating this book ever since I saw it was coming out years ago. It will be one of the books I am going to read very soon, since I have an arc copy. I'm still debating if I should reread the first three. 

    🦉 Odyssey by Stephen Fry

- Another book I have been waiting for for years. I have wanted Stephen Fry to release this ever since I first heard he was doing Troy. The Odyssey is one of my favorite classics and I cannot wait to read Stephen’s version.

4.) What are three books you want to read before the end of the year?

    🍁 Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson

- I have been wanting to pick this book up ever since I bought it last year and just never have. Now, I want to read it even more because it is narrated by Hoid and I loved him in The Way of Kings.

    🍂 Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Fairies by Heather Fawcett

- Another book I have wanted to read since last year. Love anything described as a cozy fantasy.

    🦉 Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson

- I read The Way of Kings earlier this year and fell in love with the world of The Stormlight Archive. Definitely, have to get to this by the end of the year.

5.) Is there a book you think could still shock you and become your favorite book of the year?

    🍁 I don’t believe I will love a book this year more than I loved A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher. If anything will though, I think it might be The Colour of Revenge by Cornelia Funke. The original Inkworld books are some of my favorite books of all-time so I am highly looking forward to picking it up. 

6.) Have you already started making reading plans for 2025?

    🍂 Yes, I know many of my reading goals for 2025. These may change by next year, but they are the ideas I have so far. 

            🦉 Read 100 books- My reading goal for each year is always to read at least 100 books. I don’t plan changing this anytime soon. 

            🍁 Pick out a series to read/finish in 2025- Many years, I try to at least finish one of the series I have started previously. I don’t know what this will be for 2025, yet. I will pick this out by the end of the year. Some ideas I have are The Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden, The Stormlight Archive (the first part) by Brandon Sanderson, or The Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde. 

            🍂 Read at least 5 tomes- Another repeat goal that I definitely will be doing next year.