Why Agatha All Along didn’t need a post-credits scene

Agatha All Along just broke with Marvel tradition by ending without a post-credits scene, but that’s a good thing in this instance.

Ever since Nick Fury approached Tony Stark at the end of the Iron Man credits wanting to discuss the “Avengers Initiative,” post-credits scenes have become integral to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

They’ve been used to introduce new heroes and villains, pay off jokes that were set up earlier in proceedings, and to send fans out of cinemas excited about what’s to come.

Post-credits action has also become part of Marvel’s ongoing TV concerns, most notably the end of Ms. Marvel, which teased The Marvels movie in marvelous fashion.

But first out the gate was WandaVision, a show that ended with a post-credits scene in which Scarlet Witch hears her twin boys crying for help. Which brings us to spinoff Agatha All Along, a show we’re going to detail below, so SPOILERS ahead…

Agatha All Along tells a self-contained story

A 10-part musical-fantasy-comedy-drama, the show sent villain Agatha Harkness on an adventure down the Witch’s Road, while also depicting her back-story to suggest why she does such villainous things.

There were revelations along the way, concerning Rio being Lady Death, The Witches’ Road being a mental construct, and the song at the heart of the show meaning nothing, and being part of a long con instead.

But the biggest surprise was that William Kaplan was in fact Billy Maximoff, son of Wanda, and the boy they call Wiccan.

Which connected Agatha All Along to the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe. Mercifully, however, it didn’t then rely on those connections, with Ralph Bohner (Evan Peters) the only cameo of note.

Instead, the show told a self-contained story about a coven going on a quest, the complicated feelings Agatha has for Billy, some killing of witches, and Billy’s desperate desire to find his brother Tommy.

Which made a refreshing change from those shows and films that frequently have an eye on the future rather than focussing on the present.

Why “Let’s go find Tommy” is enough

Marvel/Disney

Nowhere was this more obvious than at the end of Episode 10, where there was no post-credits scene. Because Agatha All Along told all the story it wanted to tell before those cast and crew names rolled.

In the final scene, Ghost Agatha appears to Billy, and they argue before Billy attempts to banish her “into the light or Rio’s toxic embrace or wherever you deserve to spend eternity.”

When that fails because Agatha can’t bare to face her son, she comes up with an alternative, telling Billy: “We could make a good team, you and me.” And so, as one magical door closes, another opens, revealing a staircase leading up to a bright white light.

Agatha says “Let’s go find Tommy” – the perfect final words – and they walk into that light, a mismatched duo embarking on a brand-new quest. One which doesn’t need anything post-credits to set the scene or tease a potential Agatha Season 2, as that job has already been done.

If you want more MCU action, here’s a list of every upcoming Marvel movie & TV show, plus our rankings of the best superhero movies and best superhero TV shows.