Julie Bogen

“I want to watch 100 episodes of this,” I lamented to Jake (my husband, for people who don’t know us) after the season finale of “Agatha All Along.” 

What had been billed to me as arguably a niche Marvel spinoff was actually, in fact, a witch heist. And I was hooked. Kathryn Hahn stars as the witch Agatha Harkness, who is joined by members of her new coven and a boy known only as “teen” as they embark down the fabled witches’ road — a series of challenges tailored to each character and matched in theme by gorgeous costumes and an era-appropriate soundtrack. The goal is ostensibly for each witch to reclaim something as part of the journey, but of course, could it be maybe that it’s really about the friends they make along the way?

It’s a fun watch. Exciting, compelling, and just the right blend of sadness and humor. Hahn, whom I’ve been following for more than 20 years since her appearance as secondary character Michelle Rueben in “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days,” is magnetic. Her Harkness is a charismatic antihero — compelling, mysterious, and dare I say likeable. The cast is stellar and diverse in both age and race, and the show really perfects the blend of both being for the deep-cut Marvel fans as well as the new folks who maybe haven’t been following the universe as closely. There’s also a number of queer romance narratives that aren’t asking for DEI gold stars and are truly either just offering joy or are legitimately important for character development. 

Hahn is supported by (if one can be “supported by”) Patti LuPone, Aubrey Plaza, Sasheer Zamata (of SNL fame), Ali Ahn, and Debra Jo Rupp. I’m a particular fan of Zamata’s Jennifer. Hahn’s counterpart for much of the season is Joe Locke’s “teen,” whose true identity is revealed several episodes in and makes the show all that more exciting. But my favorite part, honestly, was bearing witness to women of varying ages embracing their power, both literally and figuratively. The show is one of a kind — like Hahn herself — and, like I said, about 91 episodes too short.

As I write this, “Kathryn Hahn movies and TV shows” is trending as a search term on Google Trends, as is “Death Becomes Her” (someone on Reddit said the pieces have similar vibes) and “Ana Gasteyer” (presumably because people frequently confuse the two actors). ScreenRant reports that, “Agatha All Along has surpassed expectations by becoming the joint-best-rated MCU Phase 5 TV show by audiences,” and Sophie Gilbert at The Atlantic called it, “the most vital Marvel series yet.”

Buckle up, and settle in. You can watch “Agatha All Along” now on Disney+