Editor’s Note: For the next few weeks, the Lifestyle section will be showcasing their favorite podcasts, TV shows, movies, books and more to help UMass students while self-sequestering, quarantining or just to pass the time as COVID continually keeps us indoors. Welcome to Getting Through. 

This series would simply not be complete without mentioning a tv show that is readily available for your viewing pleasure. This week is the season finale of Marvel’s latest installment, “WandaVision,” so you still have time to catch up on the eight episodes that have been released on DisneyPlus. With episodes around only thirty minutes long, it’s the perfect quick binge to get you through the week; not to mention, it’s a highly entertaining superhero saga with twists and turns that will leave you wanting more, although perhaps slightly confused. 

Each episode of “WandaVision” is like stepping back in time. The first episode places us in a 1950s sitcom, complete with a laugh track to accompany the black and white visuals. We also get to see the ’60s, ’70s, ’80s, ’90s and up to the present day, with each episode delivering a distinctly different feel. What I really enjoy about this show are the costumes and attention to detail; it definitely feels like each episode really is from that time period. That is, if you don’t count the fact that Wanda is a powerful magical being and Vision is the most advanced android on the planet.

“WandaVision” is definitely not your regular scheduled Marvel special; it’s different, to say the least. It blends multiple genres into one. We get the classic Marvel, with our titular superheroes and their powers, and the classic large organization, in this case, it is “S.W.O.R.D.,” that is trying to protect our human world from superhero chaos. However, “WandaVision” dips its toe into comedy as well, romance and the supernatural. Because each episode takes place in a different era, the show mirrors what was popular for cable at the time. The ’80s episode has a distinctly “Full House” feel, whereas the 2000s episode is describable to a parody of “Malcolm in the Middle.” Yet, “WandaVision” manages to navigate through all these genres without losing the foundational story, as disjointed as the time periods and styles may be. 

We slowly learn that this changing universe is not all that it seems. From the beginning, we have the creeping feeling that something is very wrong with this utopic universe that our lovers Wanda and Vision find themselves in. Strange things begin to happen, and of course, there is the widely known fact that one of the protagonists actually died years earlier in “Avengers: Infinity War” (spoiler alert; it was Vision). What is this world? How is Vision alive? And why do all these strange things keep happening? (Also, maybe less important, where did Wanda’s distinct “Sokovian” accent go?) 

If you don’t have a DisneyPlus account, it may be time to consider subscribing or asking your friend for their login info. “WandaVision” is a great binge for a variety of audiences, even if you are not necessarily a Marvel fan. Although there is some potential background information you may miss if you’re not fully caught up on all the past films, because it strays so far from Marvel’s classic tropes, I would recommend this show to anyone who is a fan of suspense, period pieces, dramas and romance. There is truly something for everyone and I can’t wait to see how it ties everything together this coming week. Although if we know anything about Marvel, they do have a knack for leaving us all hanging. 

Email Emma Sammuli at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @emma_sammuli