This entry contains spoilers for “Agata all the time”.
Just when we thought about it, “Agata All Along” would have settled for an episodic rehearsal pattern that would have had an impact on the finale, that's what happens true serious and sloppy in the show's latest entry titled “Darkest Hour/Wake Thy Power.” The episode, featuring Agatha's (Kathryn Hahn) trial on Witch Road, ends with the long-awaited reveal: The teenager (Joe Locke) is Billy Kaplan/Maximoff's and his powers are something to watch out for, given his heritage. The impetus to reveal this identity are the events that take place during the trial, during which Agatha's mother, Evanora Harkness (Kate Forbes), possesses her with the intention of stopping her forever on the road. Here, the source of Agatha's trauma is revealed, dating back to Evanora, who instilled enough hatred in her child to drive her to embrace darkness as a means of instinctive protection.
Amid the chaos, with part of the coven eager to punish Agatha for her transgressions and Teen eager to save her, Evanora attempts to possess Agatha for good, but is stopped by the ever-active Alice (Ali Ahn), who finally manages to break her generational curse and directs the fiery blasts of magic to push Evanora out of Agatha's body. However, for a reason yet to be discovered, Agatha aggressively drains Alice's power, completely draining her and leaving her dead. It's a shocking turn of events, cruel even for the show's lighthearted and playful approach to the subject, as Alice was the only person in the coven who consistently helped everyone along this journey, without any ulterior motives, and she deserved so much more.
Since Alice's body was left behind (and not buried), with only a seemingly intact Rio (Aubrey Plaza) remaining around her off-screen, the series also leans heavily towards Rio as Lady Death who stays to claim Alice's body as part of her duties as a guide to the afterlife. While Alice may eventually return sometime in the future, let's talk about the gravity of her death in the context of the repercussions it had on the characters, becoming the unintended catalyst for the group's dissolution and revelation of what it always was.
Alice Wu-Gulliver still feels indispensable to Agatha's coven
When we first meet Alice, she is introduced as a protective witch disillusioned with the craft following the disappearance of her mother, Lorna Wu (Elizabeth Anweis), who is also the creator of The Witches' Ballad. The Wu generation curse, along with the prospect of seeing her mother again, forces Alice to join Agatha's coven and set out on the Road, even though she is initially skeptical about everything. Despite her distrust of the ship and what it stands for, Alice has always been protective of others, often doing everything in her power to help them get out of dangerous situations. She is the only one to pull Ms. Hart (Debra Jo Rupp) out of the quicksand in episode 3, keeps the group safe during the final exit from the room during the second trial, and frantically places protective circles around herself of affected coven members during her own trial, always ready to protect them from harm. The list of her conservation activities is long.
It is important to note that Alice's generational curse weighed on her throughout her life to the point where she was unable to hold a job or live in peace. The trial allows her to break this belief once and for all, and she does so through her unwavering courage and willingness to protect others, no matter the cost. Alice's death is shocking due to its twisted nature: Her act of protection is turned against her into an act of betrayal, with Agatha draining her moments after Alice saves her from eternal destruction. Not only is this cruel by the standards of the coven sisters, but it is also a gross violation of Alice's inherent goodness, which never seemed designed or driven by chance.
Agatha's shocked and barely noticeable reaction immediately after Alice's death suggests that she may have been out of control when the latter was attacked and killed. However, Agatha's tendency to play up the worst of people's perception of her as an uncompromisingly evil witch doesn't help matters, especially in light of the rest of the coven treating Alice's death as an eventuality. With the protective witch gone, can the coven even exist as a collective entity – especially now that the wild Billy Kaplan has finally revealed his intentions? Regardless of his motivation, we share Billy's fury at Alice's unjust death, because someone so gentle and kind undoubtedly deserved better.
