Note: This is a spoiler-free review

Marvel has been breadcrumbing the LGBTQ+ community for way too long—are you really telling me that Loki couldn’t have been fabulous in his bi-ness and gender-fluidness from the very first Avengers movie? But I have remained a (critically engaged) fan—probably because the cinematic universe keeps coming back to the queerest of tropes again and again: found family. And there is nothing that screams ‘queer found family’ more than a coven. Agatha All Along is all about the idea of covens vs solitary witches. It is also about overcoming trauma and breaking generational curses. But most of all, it is about how absolutely sexy the chemistry between Kathryn Hahn and Aubrey Plaza is.

Also read: Marvel’s Captain America: A True Masterclass in Queerbaiting

Hahn plays the titular dark witch Agatha who we last saw in WandaVision, and when the series opens she is trapped in some version of Wanda’s sitcom reality spell. The story follows what happens when the Teen sneaks into her house and asks to be taken down the witches road. This is what the show does too; it unapologetically and unabashedly abandons superhero avenue to follow a story that is about everything magic and mystique, and it delivers beyond anything that I could have imagined.

The actors are absolutely phenomenal- from Joe Locke (playing Teen) of Heartstopper fame to the brilliant Sasheer Zamata (playing Jennifer Kale). Every single one of them somehow does a great job with both comic timing and serious scenes. It helps that each of them gets to be the protagonist for at least one episode, giving them the space to develop their character’s backstories and show us their full range. My favorite episode was undoubtedly #7 where we get to learn so much about the divination witch, Lilia Calderu, who is played by the legendary Patti LuPone. The storytelling reached a completely different level in this episode, and the stalwart’s performance brought it all together like bibidi-bobbidi-boo. It is almost like a masterclass in spinning a witchy yarn, and I can imagine myself coming back to it again and again.

Also read: How Wanda Maximoff Became a Queer Icon

While I genuinely believe that the writers have come up with one of Marvel’s best shows yet—take a bow, Jac Schaeffer, who is the showrunner and has delivered another masterpiece after WanderVision—I must confess that the last ten minutes of the show did leave me a bit baffled as they felt anti-climatic and unnecessary. Turning to the internet for answers made me understand why this was the route that they chose to go (it ties with Agatha Harkness’ journey in the comics) but I still wonder if there would have been a neater way to end it. Thankfully, these last few minutes do not undo any of the amazing scenes, dialogues, and plot points so the show still stands as a solid watch. A big hats-off to the costume department as well because it keeps outperforming itself with each episode. Costume Designer Daniel Selon previously won a Primetime Emmy for WandaVision, and if it were up to me, another one would be served to him on a silver platter for this show. Also, can we get a ‘Hell yeah!’ for Monica Monserrate’s set decor? I am pretty sure that this is the set designer’s most imaginative work in a mainstream series yet, and it definitely immersed me in the world of the show completely.

The best thing about Agatha All Along, however, is that it is organically and seamlessly super-duper queer in the best possible way. I am talking singing-a-ballad-with-your-coven queer, every-character-having-main-character-energy queer, the-outfits-slaying-and-shimmering queer, and we-are-definitely-cooler-than-you queer. Agatha actually says,‘You want straight answers? Ask a straight lady!’ and then we see her navigate her attraction towards an ex during the show. The Teen is also queer (and has the cutest scenes with his boyfriend), as is Jennifer, the potions witch, because the show seems to understand that queer people do not just exist as tokens in straight people’s groups but do actually hang out together and interact with each other.

And of course, the cuntiest queer character is undoubtedly Rio, played by Aubrey Plaza, who has acted so brilliantly and looked so drop-dead-gorgeous (you will understand the pun when you see the show) that her mere presence on the screen prompted the ‘Which five celebrities do we each have license to sleep with?’ conversation in my monogamous relationship. In Aubrey Plaza’s portrayal of Rio I have found my calling, my religion, and my salvation; and I am sure you will too!