In a scene from Agatha All Along, we see from left to right Rio Vidal (played by Aubrey Plaza), Agatha Harkness (played by Kathryn Hahn), and Lilia Calderu (played by Patti LuPone) perform as a band. Rio plays the drums, wearing an animal-print, V-neck long-sleeve dress with a pink flower behind her right ear. Agatha sings, dressed in a headband, a V-neck black vest with gold details, pleated flare pants, and holding a black shawl. Lilia plays the maracas, wearing a sparkling gold jumpsuit. The frame is tinted with red and purple hues from the set’s lighting, and the background features a recording studio booth and a stone wall.

Magic, Mayhem, and Melodies: Unraveling Agatha All Along with Director Rachel Goldberg

By Cecilia Sarantopoulos

Editor’s note: This article contains spoilers for Episodes 1–5 of Agatha All Along.

“Darkest hour, wake thy power, earthly and divine.” Every Wednesday at 6 p.m. PT, this mystical chant heralds a new episode of Marvel Television’s Agatha All Along on Disney+. The series whisks viewers into the spellbinding world of Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn), a once-powerful witch determined to regain her former glory. Stripped of her powers, Agatha sets out to assemble a coven and navigate the treacherous Witches’ Road—a magical path offering to fulfill one’s deepest desires, but at a perilous cost.

Agatha’s evolving coven now features Lilia Calderu (Patti LuPone), Jennifer Kale (Sasheer Zamata), and Rio Vidal (Aubrey Plaza), with former members including the protection witch Alice Wu-Gulliver and neighbor Sharon Davis (Debra Jo Rupp). Rachel Goldberg, director of three episodes of the series, teases the looming dangers of their journey: “If you’re bold enough to challenge the Road, good luck. It’s a force that makes you confront your deepest fears and traumas.” This mystical entity, the Witches’ Road, becomes a perfect narrative device for unearthing the characters’ darkest secrets—giving audiences a front-row seat to the raw, emotional depths of each witch.

In a scene from Agatha All Along, Rio Vidal (played by Aubrey Plaza), Alice Wu-Gulliver (played by Ali Ahn), Jennifer Kale (played by Sasheer Zamata), Teen (played by Joe Locke), Agatha Harkness (played by Kathryn Hahn), and Lilia Calderu (played by Patti LuPone) stand in a forest with bare trees and purple leaves scattered on the ground. Teen lies on a tree stump while Alice, Jennifer, and Agatha tend to him, looking worried. Lilia observes from nearby, and Rio, on the far left, holds and gazes at a flower. Moonlight filters through the trees, casting a soft glow.

The Witches’ Road isn’t just a path; it’s a psychological labyrinth, revealing what each character is running from. The tension it creates heightens the connection between audience and story, as fans witness these witches grapple with their most personal demons. Balancing these individual journeys is no small feat, but Goldberg credits the finely tuned scripts and the talented ensemble for making it all work seamlessly.

Accompanying the coven is Teen, who was recently revealed to be none other than Billy Maximoff, Wanda’s son. Though not a witch himself, Billy’s reverence for Agatha draws him deeper into the witches’ world. But will his true identity fracture the bond he’s built with her? “In Episode 5, we see Billy realize that witches will always chase power—people die, witches die, and these women aren’t who he thought they were,” Goldberg hints, signaling even more intense dynamics ahead.

Agatha All Along uses magic as a lens to explore human nature—examining our wants, our doubts, and our relationship with power. It digs far deeper than the stereotypical witches on broomsticks (as Lilia Calderu herself asserts). Curses, in particular, are a central theme, highlighting how unfinished business and unresolved pasts can block us from realizing our full potential. Goldberg, drawing from her own Persian heritage, notes, “There’s a lot of superstition in my culture, and I was drawn to the idea of things being passed down from generation to generation—not necessarily as curses, but as gifts. The idea of unfinished business resonates with everyone in the coven, not just Agatha.”

In a scene from Agatha All Along, Alice Wu-Gulliver (played by Ali Ahn) extends her hands, releasing orange neon beams of magic. Her face reflects the effort of conjuring the magic. In the background, Lilia Calderu (played by Patti LuPone) and Teen (played by Joe Locke) watch in shock.

And while the magic may be serious, the show also revels in Hahn’s signature wit. “The tone is all Kathryn,” says Goldberg. “She can shift from sarcastic and menacing to hurt and vulnerable in an instant.” Agatha embodies the show’s unique blend of dark humor and emotional intensity. Many of the show’s funniest moments come from improvisation, such as Rio Vidal’s hilarious Beetlejuice-inspired grunt (“The Green Witch”), or her deadpan question to Agatha: “Sweetheart, are you okay?” These moments underscore the series’ commitment to balancing peril with humor—a hallmark of Agatha All Along.

Another key element? The music. The very title, Agatha All Along, comes from the song by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez used to reveal Agatha’s true identity in WandaVision. For Agatha All Along, the duo returns to compose “The Ballad of the Witches’ Road,” a haunting tune that evolves with each episode. From spell-casting rituals to nods to Fleetwood Mac, the song is central to the show’s identity. “It’s integral to me, to Jac [Schaeffer, creator, showrunner/head writer, director, and executive producer], and to the Lopezes,” Goldberg shares. For fans of MCU Easter eggs, she adds: “Pay close attention to the lyrics, the costumes, the production design—there are clues everywhere.”