1
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I'm the youngest of four kids.
2
00:00:08,676 --> 00:00:11,512
And we had a ladder
that went up to this attic.
3
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The attic was the playroom.
4
00:00:15,349 --> 00:00:19,729
That's where all the imagination came in,
all the make-believe stories.
5
00:00:21,272 --> 00:00:24,567
I would want to play
with my sisters and my brother.
6
00:00:25,359 --> 00:00:27,320
But I never had a speaking part.
7
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So I would therefore be
the pet of the family.
8
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But I had so much emotion
9
00:00:39,165 --> 00:00:42,710
and wanting to be heard as the youngest.
10
00:00:46,964 --> 00:00:51,302
When I was seven or eight, I started
doing these camps with my friends.
11
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And we did three musicals a summer.
12
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And that, like, sealed it for me.
13
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I just loved having a space
to be seen and heard.
14
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So much mugging, and so much being a ham.
15
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And it was like, I could do it for my job.
16
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It was amazing.
17
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I'm unstoppable
18
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I'm a Porsche with no brakes
19
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I'm invincible, yeah,
I win every single game
20
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I'm so powerful,
I don't need batteries to play
21
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I'm so confident, yeah,
I'm unstoppable today
22
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Unstoppable today,
unstoppable today
23
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Unstoppable today
24
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I'm unstoppable today
25
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Most superheroes start
from something very traumatic.
26
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Wanda Maximoff,
27
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orphaned at ten when a shell collapsed
their apartment building.
28
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{\an8}Something that they'd use and overcome.
29
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{\an8}And become a hero version of themselves.
30
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But they're always still vulnerable.
31
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There's a notion
that vulnerability is not heroic.
32
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But Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch,
is such a troubled and tragic heroine,
33
00:02:26,063 --> 00:02:29,650
{\an8}and yet still manages to be
an incredibly powerful character.
34
00:02:30,860 --> 00:02:32,820
{\an8}Wanda
in the Marvel Universe...
35
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{\an8}...is one of
the strongest superheroes ever.
36
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{\an8}Her vulnerability and her emotional life
is when she's at her most powerful.
37
00:02:45,333 --> 00:02:48,211
We get to see
that feelings are okay.
38
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You took everything from me.
39
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And sometimes,
life is not easy.
40
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It can be very turbulent.
41
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{\an8}But you have
everything you need inside of you.
42
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{\an8}We are the source of our own power.
Trauma happens to all of us.
43
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That's just part of life.
44
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We can't reverse death,
no matter how sad it makes us.
45
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But we can get through it.
46
00:03:13,903 --> 00:03:16,614
I lost the person
closest to me, too.
47
00:03:17,281 --> 00:03:20,409
{\an8}There are extreme issues
that these characters are dealing with.
48
00:03:20,409 --> 00:03:24,747
I can't control this pain anymore.
And I don't think I want to.
49
00:03:24,747 --> 00:03:28,709
But we can take their motivations
50
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and bring it into our own lives,
and it empowers us.
51
00:03:33,214 --> 00:03:36,634
I think there's something
about the power of "I can"
52
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{\an8}that somehow rings a bell.
53
00:03:40,179 --> 00:03:44,850
And your superheroness
shows up at that door.
54
00:03:51,023 --> 00:03:52,817
Who is Wanda Maximoff?
55
00:03:52,817 --> 00:03:54,485
Very complicated answer.
56
00:03:54,485 --> 00:03:56,070
I think at the most simple, it's...
57
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Wanda came from
an immensely traumatic childhood.
58
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She was radicalized and was given
the power of the Mind Stone.
59
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{\an8}Wanda Maximoff is from a made-up
Eastern European country called Sokovia,
60
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who lost both her parents
at a young age from a Stark bomb.
61
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{\an8}So she thinks that Tony Stark, Iron Man,
is one of the worst people on Earth,
62
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{\an8}and volunteers for a program
that could do experiments on her
63
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to potentially avenge
her parents' death with her brother.
64
00:04:47,580 --> 00:04:53,502
{\an8}When we first meet Wanda in the movies,
she's part of Hydra, um,
65
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and she's being experimented upon
in their facility with her brother.
66
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And she's framed as this kind of creepy,
67
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uber-powerful goth girl
with telekinetic powers.
68
00:05:08,434 --> 00:05:12,772
But once she realizes that she's being
somewhat manipulated by Ultron...
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00:05:12,772 --> 00:05:17,276
You said we would destroy the Avengers,
make a better world.
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It will be better.
71
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When everyone is dead?
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She changes her tune
and, and joins our heroes
73
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and, and becomes a part of the Avengers.
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She loses her brother,
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who's her everything.
76
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He was her last remaining tie
to her humanity.
77
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And so the Avengers becomes
a surrogate family for her.
78
00:05:51,727 --> 00:05:55,314
So she's now processing
a lot of grief and trauma
79
00:05:55,314 --> 00:06:01,028
that she has dealt with
as a displaced person.
80
00:06:02,947 --> 00:06:05,491
But she's able to sort of
keep moving forward
81
00:06:05,491 --> 00:06:08,369
but not really
at a full version of herself.
82
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{\an8}We see her almost as a young, fragile girl
who's encouraged to seize her power.
83
00:06:15,960 --> 00:06:19,088
Doesn't matter what you did
or what you were.
84
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If you step out that door,
you are an Avenger.
85
00:06:22,883 --> 00:06:25,511
It's a character
that has a huge evolution.
86
00:06:25,511 --> 00:06:29,765
And Elizabeth was
the perfect person to play this
87
00:06:30,015 --> 00:06:33,269
because she has such depth
and complexity as an actress,
88
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and such vulnerability.
89
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But to see where the character's gone,
I honestly never could've imagined.
90
00:06:41,694 --> 00:06:45,614
She's a magical gal in a small-town locale
91
00:06:45,781 --> 00:06:49,368
He's a hubby who's part machine
92
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How will this duo fit in and fulfill...
93
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With WandaVision
it was this gorgeous opportunity
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to see so many other sides of her.
95
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{\an8}Wanda
WandaVision
96
00:07:06,177 --> 00:07:08,429
- Is that...
- Yeah, it looks like her.
97
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You move at...
98
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In WandaVision, we get
to see her be funny, and silly,
99
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and sweet, and charming, and effervescent.
100
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Yes! Yes!
101
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Such a strange sensation.
It's kind of fluttery.
102
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Jeez Louise, did you have
to learn to walk?
103
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I finally got to be funny.
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- WandaVision.
105
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You're welcome to draw
your own conclusions,
106
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but that's just where I'm at.
107
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{\an8}Wanda's literally trying to escape
her grief through television.
108
00:07:42,463 --> 00:07:46,342
This dream world where she doesn't
have to face any of her sadness.
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00:07:46,342 --> 00:07:48,135
Zip. Zero. Zilch.
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She has an entire town captive,
living in a sitcom space.
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00:07:52,848 --> 00:07:55,559
- What are we lookin' at here?
- It's a sitcom.
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The comfort for her are
these TV shows that she loved as a kid.
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00:07:58,854 --> 00:08:04,360
And because she happens to be
an enormously powerful psychic individual,
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she can literally physicalize
that comfort for herself.
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Well, we're just tickled pink.
116
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It's the most ambitious possible concept.
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It's over decades, it's through sitcoms,
it's just unbelievable.
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WandaVision!
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What are they?
120
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What the stone was warning me about.
121
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These superhero movies become
the highest stakes every time.
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The world's ending
or computers are taking over.
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There's something so massive.
124
00:08:52,741 --> 00:08:57,204
But the really human experience
of falling in love
125
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and finding a partnership and a comfort...
126
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- We should've stayed in bed.
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...is such a basic desire and need.
128
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So that is the element
that we took from these movies
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and blew up for WandaVision,
130
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and made it
the central relationship to root for.
131
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So as opposed to saving a planet,
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it became trying to save
this relationship.
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{\an8}We wanted to bring a little bit more
of that personal journey for her
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{\an8}and how it can be developed with Vision.
135
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Thank you for humoring me
and wearing this ridiculous getup.
136
00:09:41,540 --> 00:09:44,668
I know you have a secret thing
for Mexican wrestlers.
137
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- Oh!
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00:09:50,007 --> 00:09:53,052
In the comic books,
Wanda Maximoff was a mutant.
139
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She was born with the power
to manipulate probability,
140
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which is a crazy power,
141
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{\an8}and so was always a bit on the fringes
of people not trusting her,
142
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{\an8}people not understanding
how she could be heroic
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00:10:05,648 --> 00:10:08,776
when she didn't punch the hardest
or shoot bolts out of her hands.
144
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And then later, in the Avengers,
people not quite understanding
145
00:10:13,656 --> 00:10:17,409
her relationship with the Vision,
because he was a synthezoid.
146
00:10:18,744 --> 00:10:22,081
In the comics,
Wanda and Vision's relationship
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00:10:22,081 --> 00:10:25,376
is a big part of the story
that we wanted to bring forward.
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So it was exciting to me that
that's where I ended up with WandaVision
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and we were able to honor the comics.
150
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I loved seeing Wanda Maximoff
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in this flourishing,
loving relationship with Vision.
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Aw.
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I loved seeing her as a mother.
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We get to live in a bubble
with her for a little while
155
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that she never got to live out.
156
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{\an8}Wanda Maximoff gets her own space
in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
157
00:11:09,503 --> 00:11:14,550
And we get to see what an ideal life
for Wanda and Vision actually looks like.
158
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{\an8}Through Vision, she has found comfort...
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All I feel is excitement, happiness.
160
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...after the loss
of her parents and her brother.
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And so this idea of family being
this ultimate need for her
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is the "why" for WandaVision.
163
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{\an8}I remember whenever
I watched those movies...
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I haven't actually ever
eaten anything before, so...
165
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- May I?
- Please.
166
00:11:43,245 --> 00:11:45,539
...seeing those little moments
between them,
167
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and just feeling so much for them
in the middle of all this chaos.
168
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- What is it?
169
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The irony is not lost on me
170
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that the most human of the Avengers
happens to be the android.
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I'm sorry.
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His purity and vulnerability is so tender.
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So I was very excited
to be a part of something
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that took those little moments
and drew them out.
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The arc of Wanda and Vision
in the movies and in the show
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00:12:26,914 --> 00:12:30,459
{\an8}is the love story of people
who find this commonality
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{\an8}in being different than everyone else.
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So, when the Vision is taken from her
at the end of Infinity War...
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00:12:39,927 --> 00:12:43,096
...you also understand the psychology
that thrust her into WandaVision.
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No!
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00:12:46,350 --> 00:12:49,102
It was the ultimate loss
that she could have.
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After the loss of
her parents and her brother,
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then for Vision, who helped her
find her footing, to be ripped from her.
184
00:12:58,695 --> 00:13:01,657
{\an8}Really at that point,
she truly had nothing.
185
00:13:03,325 --> 00:13:08,455
We always knew that WandaVision
would be the story of Wanda's grief...
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00:13:08,455 --> 00:13:13,877
What is grief, if not love persevering?
187
00:13:14,670 --> 00:13:18,465
And that we wanted to see
her become the Scarlet Witch.
188
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And so to do that,
189
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we aligned the episodes
according to the stages of grief.
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It's a special day!
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00:13:33,772 --> 00:13:35,858
- Perhaps an evening...
- Of great significance...
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00:13:35,858 --> 00:13:36,817
- To us both!
- Naturally.
193
00:13:37,109 --> 00:13:38,694
You really are very dashing.
194
00:13:38,694 --> 00:13:40,320
Mmm. Thank you, darling.
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00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:42,781
- It stopped.
- Yes.
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00:13:43,657 --> 00:13:47,828
The first three episodes
really are in the denial space...
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00:13:47,828 --> 00:13:48,745
Have a good day, dear!
198
00:13:49,288 --> 00:13:52,082
...especially the first episode
in the 1950s.
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00:13:52,082 --> 00:13:57,421
I mean, that's post-war optimism
and it's peak sort of appearances only,
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00:13:57,421 --> 00:14:02,134
where Wanda didn't have to plum
any of her own depths at all.
201
00:14:02,634 --> 00:14:05,554
And looking at shows
like The Dick van Dyke Show,
202
00:14:07,514 --> 00:14:08,765
and Bewitched,
203
00:14:09,766 --> 00:14:14,938
there's this real sort of frothy,
sexy innocence to those couples.
204
00:14:15,939 --> 00:14:21,194
And to see Wanda and Vision be loose
and in love and unencumbered.
205
00:14:21,194 --> 00:14:25,073
- You were tremendous, Glamour.
- As were you, Illusion.
206
00:14:25,073 --> 00:14:27,326
There is an element of denial in there.
207
00:14:27,326 --> 00:14:29,494
I have everything under control.
208
00:14:31,914 --> 00:14:34,833
Wanda creates
a safe place
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00:14:34,833 --> 00:14:39,046
{\an8}where she can try to live out
the life she thought she was owed.
210
00:14:39,713 --> 00:14:41,006
Welcome home.
211
00:14:41,715 --> 00:14:42,799
Shall we stay in tonight?
212
00:14:44,009 --> 00:14:48,221
{\an8}If I could create my own world
and be happy for a short time,
213
00:14:48,680 --> 00:14:50,307
{\an8}wouldn't we all do that?
214
00:14:51,433 --> 00:14:57,314
We wanted to pay Wanda the respect
of taking her mental health seriously.
215
00:14:58,774 --> 00:15:02,527
And so we had a grief counselor come
and speak to the writers of the show,
216
00:15:03,028 --> 00:15:07,074
which was really helpful
making the story of Wanda's pain...
217
00:15:07,074 --> 00:15:07,991
...a black dress.
218
00:15:07,991 --> 00:15:10,494
...have all of those layers.
219
00:15:11,954 --> 00:15:15,582
{\an8}It's so helpful when you know
that the people behind the scenes
220
00:15:15,707 --> 00:15:17,459
{\an8}identify with your character.
221
00:15:19,711 --> 00:15:23,674
Teyonah's character, Monica Rambeau,
of course, loses her mom.
222
00:15:25,717 --> 00:15:29,805
{\an8}When we first meet Monica,
she's trying to process
223
00:15:30,514 --> 00:15:34,184
{\an8}what it's like to lose her mom.
224
00:15:34,184 --> 00:15:35,727
- Dr. Highland!
- I can't believe it.
225
00:15:35,727 --> 00:15:37,104
Where's my mom?
226
00:15:38,188 --> 00:15:40,565
Your mom, she died, honey.
227
00:15:41,358 --> 00:15:44,069
- What?
- The cancer came back.
228
00:15:44,069 --> 00:15:48,448
Okay, stop, stop. No, you're...
My mom is Maria Rambeau.
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00:15:48,448 --> 00:15:51,660
I have a really,
really close relationship with my mom,
230
00:15:51,660 --> 00:15:54,246
and she's pretty much my best friend.
231
00:15:56,456 --> 00:16:01,670
I cannot imagine going through life
and some of the things I've been through
232
00:16:01,670 --> 00:16:04,089
without her support and love.
233
00:16:08,010 --> 00:16:11,471
But how Monica feels
with the loss of her mom
234
00:16:12,139 --> 00:16:14,182
is she just wants to get back to work.
235
00:16:14,182 --> 00:16:16,309
Monica Rambeau, S.W.O.R.D.
236
00:16:16,309 --> 00:16:21,898
She doesn't want to deal with
falling too deeply into the loss.
237
00:16:21,898 --> 00:16:23,692
She is really compartmentalizing,
238
00:16:23,692 --> 00:16:25,027
and says, "You know what?
239
00:16:25,027 --> 00:16:27,654
"That will be dealt with,
but right now there's other things to do."
240
00:16:29,573 --> 00:16:31,241
Maximoff located.
241
00:16:31,241 --> 00:16:32,242
Well done.
242
00:16:32,784 --> 00:16:37,205
She's also processing her grief
by trying to help Wanda...
243
00:16:37,205 --> 00:16:40,584
This is Captain Monica Rambeau.
Can you hear me?
244
00:16:40,584 --> 00:16:43,920
...by just being
a voice of reason for her.
245
00:16:43,920 --> 00:16:45,630
I just wanna talk. That's it.
246
00:16:47,090 --> 00:16:48,675
Both of them
are in denial,
247
00:16:48,675 --> 00:16:50,761
trying to not address
what they really need.
248
00:16:51,136 --> 00:16:55,348
{\an8}And I think that's a big part of the show,
is like, figuring out what you need.
249
00:17:00,771 --> 00:17:02,939
Who are you?
250
00:17:02,939 --> 00:17:05,817
Wanda's really good at anger.
251
00:17:07,486 --> 00:17:09,905
At the end of Episode Three,
252
00:17:09,905 --> 00:17:13,950
Wanda sees Monica as being a threat.
253
00:17:15,327 --> 00:17:18,038
Wanda feels threatened
at the moment she becomes a mother.
254
00:17:18,038 --> 00:17:19,039
Wanda...
255
00:17:19,664 --> 00:17:22,459
And so mama bear really kicks in.
256
00:17:22,459 --> 00:17:27,005
And any other that feels like
a potential threat to her and her family,
257
00:17:27,005 --> 00:17:29,424
like, just forget about it.
258
00:17:29,424 --> 00:17:31,510
You're definitely not my friend.
259
00:17:31,510 --> 00:17:34,513
And then we see in Episode Four
260
00:17:34,513 --> 00:17:37,933
that she kicks Monica out
of this hex that she created.
261
00:17:42,562 --> 00:17:44,523
But what Wanda didn't realize
262
00:17:45,232 --> 00:17:48,193
was Monica Rambeau,
the person that she feared the most...
263
00:17:49,277 --> 00:17:52,656
...was the woman who was
her real, honest ally.
264
00:17:54,991 --> 00:17:59,746
But what took over her judgment was anger.
265
00:18:01,748 --> 00:18:04,251
But Monica keeps going,
266
00:18:04,251 --> 00:18:07,838
trying to be a voice
and an ally, really, for her.
267
00:18:09,339 --> 00:18:15,428
The thing that is always unspoken
is their mutual pain of loss.
268
00:18:16,221 --> 00:18:20,559
And that is something
that really connects Monica and Wanda.
269
00:18:28,525 --> 00:18:31,611
At the end of Episode Five,
270
00:18:31,611 --> 00:18:35,157
we see Wanda wants
to keep things as they are.
271
00:18:37,159 --> 00:18:40,370
Our big bargaining moment is
when she storms out of the hex...
272
00:18:40,370 --> 00:18:41,621
Is this yours?
273
00:18:42,247 --> 00:18:45,083
...then interfaces with Hayward.
274
00:18:45,083 --> 00:18:46,459
Stay out of my home.
275
00:18:46,459 --> 00:18:49,671
You don't bother me, I won't bother you.
276
00:18:49,671 --> 00:18:51,548
I wish it could be that simple.
277
00:18:51,548 --> 00:18:54,718
It's her trying to, you know,
have her cake and eat it, too.
278
00:18:54,718 --> 00:18:56,678
You've taken an entire town hostage.
279
00:18:56,678 --> 00:18:59,306
Well, I'm not the one
with the guns, Director.
280
00:18:59,306 --> 00:19:00,765
But this is not something
281
00:19:00,765 --> 00:19:02,267
where, like,
she, doesn't have a handle.
282
00:19:02,267 --> 00:19:07,272
It's like, no, actually, she is very much
in control of everything.
283
00:19:07,689 --> 00:19:10,150
What could you possibly have to offer me?
284
00:19:10,150 --> 00:19:11,276
With bargaining...
285
00:19:11,276 --> 00:19:12,569
What do you want?
286
00:19:12,569 --> 00:19:15,030
...Monica tries to move in
287
00:19:15,030 --> 00:19:18,283
with the least amount
of impact and destruction.
288
00:19:18,283 --> 00:19:21,536
It's about understanding really
what's going on with people
289
00:19:21,536 --> 00:19:23,538
and trying to untangle things.
290
00:19:23,538 --> 00:19:24,748
I want to help you.
291
00:19:25,790 --> 00:19:27,792
Monica is coming in, saying,
292
00:19:27,792 --> 00:19:30,045
"Let me help you."
293
00:19:30,045 --> 00:19:33,215
{\an8}And that's just not the place
that Wanda is in.
294
00:19:36,009 --> 00:19:37,302
- Wanda.
- Stand down.
295
00:19:37,302 --> 00:19:38,762
She's going through grief.
296
00:19:39,262 --> 00:19:41,932
And she didn't want to accept
that this woman
297
00:19:41,932 --> 00:19:44,267
is potentially someone
that could help her.
298
00:19:45,185 --> 00:19:50,148
And so she goes back
to this safe space she created.
299
00:19:58,698 --> 00:20:00,992
Look, we've all been there, right?
300
00:20:01,451 --> 00:20:03,828
Letting our fear and anger
get the best of us,
301
00:20:03,828 --> 00:20:07,457
intentionally expanding the borders
of the false world we created.
302
00:20:09,084 --> 00:20:13,004
We had a lot of fun
with Episode Seven,
303
00:20:13,004 --> 00:20:16,841
{\an8}leaning into the tropes
of depression, you know.
304
00:20:17,008 --> 00:20:20,136
She's in her pajamas,
and her hair's messy,
305
00:20:20,136 --> 00:20:23,306
and she's eating,
and she's watching TV,
306
00:20:23,306 --> 00:20:26,393
all that sort of like
"girl who's been dumped,"
307
00:20:26,393 --> 00:20:28,520
you know, like,
"can't kind of keep it together."
308
00:20:28,520 --> 00:20:33,316
I'd get up, but...
I... just don't want to.
309
00:20:33,942 --> 00:20:37,112
But the subtext is so much more profound.
310
00:20:40,031 --> 00:20:44,244
Who hasn't had those moments
of depression, or anxiety, or pain?
311
00:20:44,244 --> 00:20:46,913
It's probably just a case of the Mondays.
312
00:20:46,913 --> 00:20:48,039
Am I right?
313
00:20:48,623 --> 00:20:50,959
And there's something
different on the inside
314
00:20:50,959 --> 00:20:52,627
{\an8}than they're presenting to the world.
315
00:20:52,627 --> 00:20:53,962
{\an8}I mean, it's so human.
316
00:20:55,922 --> 00:21:00,010
You really can see how vulnerable she is,
how fragile she is.
317
00:21:00,468 --> 00:21:05,682
I'm fine.
I'm fine. I'm fine. I'm fine.
318
00:21:06,141 --> 00:21:07,058
I'm fine.
319
00:21:07,684 --> 00:21:09,144
Everyone goes through loss...
320
00:21:09,144 --> 00:21:10,437
I'm fine.
321
00:21:10,437 --> 00:21:13,773
{\an8}...and to explore that
on such an intimate level,
322
00:21:14,316 --> 00:21:19,863
{\an8}I found really, um, cathartic.
323
00:21:20,238 --> 00:21:22,741
My dad died
almost seven years ago of cancer,
324
00:21:22,741 --> 00:21:27,412
and so I knew how difficult it was
to go through that.
325
00:21:28,788 --> 00:21:33,293
You lose a little bit of yourself
and implode a little bit.
326
00:21:34,377 --> 00:21:36,046
We all in different ways can relate
327
00:21:36,046 --> 00:21:39,883
to a feeling of either
loneliness or abandonment
328
00:21:39,883 --> 00:21:42,302
in different aspects of our life.
329
00:21:42,302 --> 00:21:45,930
And feeling like
there's no bottom to hold you.
330
00:22:02,572 --> 00:22:07,494
Her acceptance is
when Agatha offers her
331
00:22:07,494 --> 00:22:09,829
the opportunity to live without pain.
332
00:22:11,206 --> 00:22:15,835
The name's Agatha Harkness.
Lovely to finally meet you, dear.
333
00:22:17,754 --> 00:22:20,715
What I thought was so brilliant
was that we would see
334
00:22:20,715 --> 00:22:23,885
Agatha first playing
a character called Agnes,
335
00:22:24,677 --> 00:22:28,098
this nosy neighbor trope
that we've seen in sitcoms
336
00:22:28,098 --> 00:22:30,475
{\an8}throughout the entirety of sitcoms.
337
00:22:32,310 --> 00:22:33,269
Oh!
338
00:22:33,269 --> 00:22:34,187
Hello, dear.
339
00:22:34,354 --> 00:22:36,231
- Hiya, kids.
340
00:22:36,773 --> 00:22:38,691
Hi, Agnes, come on in.
341
00:22:38,691 --> 00:22:41,903
{\an8}I think it was really fun
and challenging to write Agatha.
342
00:22:41,903 --> 00:22:46,199
That you should stumble when
you walk into a room so he can catch you.
343
00:22:46,199 --> 00:22:49,035
Because she is a mentor
and a villain and a friend.
344
00:22:49,035 --> 00:22:52,247
And to kind of set her up as Agnes,
who's like that friend that's there
345
00:22:52,247 --> 00:22:54,082
and always comes in when she needs help.
346
00:22:54,082 --> 00:22:57,293
Auntie Agnes is here, and I've got
a couple of tricks up my sleeve.
347
00:22:57,293 --> 00:22:59,379
- Why don't we give your mom some me time?
348
00:22:59,379 --> 00:23:02,882
But then you see
that she is like a succubus,
349
00:23:03,675 --> 00:23:06,803
{\an8}constantly on the prowl for more power.
350
00:23:09,222 --> 00:23:12,684
{\an8}Agatha Harkness is
a centuries-old witch...
351
00:23:14,060 --> 00:23:16,980
...that has been told that she was bad.
352
00:23:16,980 --> 00:23:19,107
You have betrayed your coven.
353
00:23:19,107 --> 00:23:20,233
Please...
354
00:23:20,233 --> 00:23:21,651
I can be good.
355
00:23:22,360 --> 00:23:23,695
No, you cannot.
356
00:23:24,654 --> 00:23:26,781
And so what happens to a being...
357
00:23:28,116 --> 00:23:30,493
...that is told that they are not worthy?
358
00:23:33,663 --> 00:23:35,999
Is that of course it becomes this person.
359
00:23:36,791 --> 00:23:38,835
I think that's very relatable to anyone
360
00:23:38,835 --> 00:23:42,255
that, like myself, would consider
themselves a weirdo.
361
00:23:45,967 --> 00:23:51,306
When I was a kid in Cleveland,
I had a lot of feelings of self-doubt.
362
00:23:52,056 --> 00:23:54,642
But I knew I was gonna be an actor.
363
00:23:55,518 --> 00:23:59,147
I felt the biggest,
and most beautiful and powerful,
364
00:23:59,147 --> 00:24:02,192
and most myself, when I was performing.
365
00:24:05,069 --> 00:24:10,074
And to be able to have scale
and have voice and have power
366
00:24:10,074 --> 00:24:13,161
was a really thrilling thing
about this part.
367
00:24:16,206 --> 00:24:19,083
{\an8}And I think Agatha considered herself
368
00:24:19,083 --> 00:24:21,669
{\an8}the most powerful witch
that there ever had been
369
00:24:22,253 --> 00:24:25,256
{\an8}before this young hotshot showed up...
370
00:24:26,758 --> 00:24:30,970
...who's created a world
and held hundreds of people captive.
371
00:24:31,554 --> 00:24:33,848
A lot of jealousy and a lot of also just
372
00:24:33,848 --> 00:24:36,976
trying to figure out how,
and then steal it.
373
00:24:41,231 --> 00:24:42,565
Wanda, Wanda.
374
00:24:43,066 --> 00:24:46,819
You didn't think you were
the only magical girl in town, did you?
375
00:24:48,112 --> 00:24:53,618
So finally, Agnes shows herself
as Agatha to Wanda.
376
00:24:53,618 --> 00:24:55,703
I need you to tell me how you did this.
377
00:24:56,412 --> 00:24:57,789
I didn't do anything.
378
00:24:59,958 --> 00:25:00,959
From Agatha,
379
00:25:01,626 --> 00:25:05,672
Wanda is given this gift
of knowledge and tools...
380
00:25:05,672 --> 00:25:09,300
You'd rather fall apart
than face your truth.
381
00:25:09,300 --> 00:25:12,262
...that help her process her grief.
382
00:25:13,221 --> 00:25:14,347
Parents dead.
383
00:25:15,056 --> 00:25:16,140
Brother dead.
384
00:25:17,475 --> 00:25:18,685
- Vision dead.
385
00:25:20,562 --> 00:25:24,566
What happened when he wasn't there
to pull you back from the darkness, Wanda?
386
00:25:24,566 --> 00:25:26,818
- I can't do this anymore...
- Come on, Wanda.
387
00:25:26,818 --> 00:25:29,696
You are right there.
388
00:25:29,696 --> 00:25:33,533
And one of her tools is the Darkhold.
389
00:25:33,533 --> 00:25:38,788
Did you know there's an entire chapter
devoted to you in the Darkhold?
390
00:25:39,497 --> 00:25:41,499
That's the Book of the Damned.
391
00:25:42,959 --> 00:25:45,837
And it's something
that Wanda learns from.
392
00:25:45,837 --> 00:25:49,299
Your power exceeds
that of the Sorcerer Supreme.
393
00:25:49,799 --> 00:25:52,218
I'm not a witch. I don't cast spells.
394
00:25:52,218 --> 00:25:53,428
Oh, really?
395
00:25:54,012 --> 00:25:55,722
{\an8}She didn't really know
the extent of her powers.
396
00:25:55,722 --> 00:25:57,348
{\an8}They'd gotten away from her.
397
00:25:57,348 --> 00:26:00,351
{\an8}And she's forced to look inward
to solve that problem,
398
00:26:00,351 --> 00:26:01,978
once she learns from the Darkhold
399
00:26:01,978 --> 00:26:05,815
that she's created this bubble
so she didn't have to deal with her grief.
400
00:26:05,815 --> 00:26:07,358
We feel your pain.
401
00:26:07,358 --> 00:26:10,194
- No. No, stop.
- Your grief is poisoning us.
402
00:26:10,194 --> 00:26:12,405
- Please, let us go.
- Please stop.
403
00:26:12,405 --> 00:26:15,617
Once Wanda realizes
that the reality is of her own making,
404
00:26:15,617 --> 00:26:17,201
she can't un-know.
405
00:26:17,577 --> 00:26:20,747
{\an8}And we go with her
on a journey of self-discovery.
406
00:26:21,789 --> 00:26:25,752
She has to choose
between this false world she's created
407
00:26:25,752 --> 00:26:29,547
and the safety and happiness
of innocent people.
408
00:26:29,547 --> 00:26:32,884
And Wanda Maximoff is,
in her core, a hero.
409
00:26:32,884 --> 00:26:35,553
I will let you go. I will. I will.
410
00:26:36,679 --> 00:26:39,807
She owns her power,
quite literally,
411
00:26:40,475 --> 00:26:44,103
and embraces that part of her
that she was running away from.
412
00:26:52,820 --> 00:26:54,280
It's her acceptance.
413
00:26:57,825 --> 00:26:59,535
Come on, run!
414
00:26:59,535 --> 00:27:02,997
The lesson is, maybe you have
more power than you think you do.
415
00:27:03,623 --> 00:27:04,874
That's Wanda's whole arc.
416
00:27:06,250 --> 00:27:09,295
And it's only by realizing
that the power is inside her...
417
00:27:11,172 --> 00:27:12,674
that she can control her power.
418
00:27:16,386 --> 00:27:19,389
And we see her become the Scarlet Witch.
419
00:27:30,900 --> 00:27:35,113
We all have
to confront grief sooner or later,
420
00:27:35,947 --> 00:27:37,490
but this makes you stronger.
421
00:27:39,367 --> 00:27:42,328
{\an8}I have personal losses in my life.
422
00:27:42,328 --> 00:27:45,707
{\an8}And I tell you that it's two ways,
423
00:27:45,707 --> 00:27:48,334
you go down or you go upward.
424
00:27:49,669 --> 00:27:53,756
And she became strong
through acknowledging this,
425
00:27:54,716 --> 00:27:58,010
so she could become the Scarlet Witch.
426
00:28:00,179 --> 00:28:04,434
And so now having this new discovery
of her own mythology,
427
00:28:04,434 --> 00:28:05,977
of being this witch,
428
00:28:07,228 --> 00:28:10,690
is where we pick up with her
in Doctor Strange.
429
00:28:10,690 --> 00:28:11,649
The Darkhold.
430
00:28:11,858 --> 00:28:13,401
You're familiar with the Darkhold.
431
00:28:13,401 --> 00:28:15,069
I know it's the Book of the Damned.
432
00:28:15,069 --> 00:28:17,113
The Darkhold only showed me the truth.
433
00:28:17,780 --> 00:28:19,824
Doctor Strange
in the Multiverse of Madness,
434
00:28:19,824 --> 00:28:22,827
that power has grown even more
since she started to study the Darkhold.
435
00:28:23,411 --> 00:28:26,956
If you knew there was a universe
where you were happy...
436
00:28:26,956 --> 00:28:28,708
- Chocolate!
- Hey!
437
00:28:29,208 --> 00:28:30,585
...wouldn't you wanna go there?
438
00:28:30,585 --> 00:28:33,838
She wants to recapture
this family nucleus
439
00:28:33,838 --> 00:28:36,799
that she created from WandaVision.
440
00:28:36,799 --> 00:28:38,885
I'm going to leave this reality,
441
00:28:38,885 --> 00:28:41,304
and go to one
where I can be with my children.
442
00:28:41,304 --> 00:28:44,557
This is where she uses the most power
443
00:28:45,433 --> 00:28:46,559
that she has yet.
444
00:28:47,310 --> 00:28:49,562
And it's for the love of her children.
445
00:28:59,363 --> 00:29:00,865
In a negative way,
446
00:29:00,865 --> 00:29:05,661
Wanda Maximoff could be distilled
into female hysteria.
447
00:29:06,746 --> 00:29:09,749
But the way I like to think of her arc
448
00:29:10,249 --> 00:29:12,001
is through mental health.
449
00:29:13,795 --> 00:29:17,757
We're in this amazing time
of embracing mental health,
450
00:29:17,757 --> 00:29:20,760
and it becoming less taboo
to use the language
451
00:29:20,760 --> 00:29:23,137
of depression, and panic and anxiety.
452
00:29:24,931 --> 00:29:27,934
And the more we can tell stories about it,
453
00:29:27,934 --> 00:29:30,895
- then the people having the experiences,
-
454
00:29:30,895 --> 00:29:33,773
potentially, could stop feeling shame
455
00:29:33,773 --> 00:29:35,775
or isolation.
456
00:29:36,901 --> 00:29:39,862
And that's a very important topic for me
457
00:29:39,862 --> 00:29:43,866
because it's everywhere
and we don't see it,
458
00:29:43,866 --> 00:29:45,034
because it's private,
459
00:29:45,952 --> 00:29:48,621
but you need to communicate with someone.
460
00:29:50,248 --> 00:29:52,458
It shouldn't be
an, an isolated experience.
461
00:30:02,844 --> 00:30:04,011
{\an8}I am Dr. Janina Scarlet.
462
00:30:04,011 --> 00:30:07,473
{\an8}I am a clinical psychologist,
author and a full-time-geek.
463
00:30:07,723 --> 00:30:10,852
{\an8}And my favorite character in the MCU
is Wanda Maximoff,
464
00:30:10,852 --> 00:30:12,478
aka the Scarlet Witch.
465
00:30:14,981 --> 00:30:19,068
When I was a small child,
my family and I lived in Ukraine,
466
00:30:20,027 --> 00:30:23,531
and I was exposed to Chernobyl radiation.
467
00:30:24,365 --> 00:30:27,910
I spent most of my childhood
in and out of the hospital,
468
00:30:27,910 --> 00:30:31,455
not knowing
if I would make it to adulthood.
469
00:30:35,209 --> 00:30:36,127
When I was 12,
470
00:30:36,335 --> 00:30:39,422
my family and I managed to immigrate
to the United States
471
00:30:39,422 --> 00:30:41,048
as refugees in secret
472
00:30:41,549 --> 00:30:43,801
in order to get away from violence.
473
00:30:43,801 --> 00:30:47,388
I had experienced health trauma,
I had been subjected to bullying,
474
00:30:47,388 --> 00:30:48,806
antisemitism.
475
00:30:51,684 --> 00:30:55,396
And so I was that awkward and weird kid
476
00:30:55,396 --> 00:30:57,523
that didn't quite fit in.
477
00:30:58,816 --> 00:31:01,235
I thought I was the only one going through
478
00:31:01,235 --> 00:31:04,030
PTSD and depression and anxiety,
479
00:31:04,030 --> 00:31:05,865
but I didn't know any of those terms,
480
00:31:05,865 --> 00:31:08,993
because nobody talked about mental health.
481
00:31:11,579 --> 00:31:15,041
And so I really became fascinated
with Wanda
482
00:31:16,918 --> 00:31:20,254
when I went to see Age of Ultron.
483
00:31:23,132 --> 00:31:28,346
Watching the way that she deals
with trauma and grief
484
00:31:28,346 --> 00:31:29,555
really resonated with me.
485
00:31:32,183 --> 00:31:33,476
Like Wanda,
486
00:31:33,476 --> 00:31:39,315
I had to learn that the only way we heal
is by processing our emotions.
487
00:31:41,359 --> 00:31:43,110
And, like Wanda,
488
00:31:43,110 --> 00:31:45,863
it was a really painful lesson
for me to learn,
489
00:31:45,863 --> 00:31:47,281
but it was a life-changing one.
490
00:31:51,702 --> 00:31:52,536
A lot of times,
491
00:31:52,787 --> 00:31:57,458
what I do with my clients
is ask who their favorite superhero is.
492
00:31:58,459 --> 00:32:02,046
And if there was a time that character
went through loss, grief, or trauma
493
00:32:02,588 --> 00:32:04,090
that they can relate to.
494
00:32:04,090 --> 00:32:07,468
Because realizing
that there is at least one other person,
495
00:32:07,468 --> 00:32:11,180
or even a fictional character,
that has gone through something similar
496
00:32:11,180 --> 00:32:13,808
can allow that person to feel less alone.
497
00:32:13,808 --> 00:32:17,603
And can actually help people understand
that their traumatic experience
498
00:32:17,603 --> 00:32:19,271
is merely an origin story,
499
00:32:19,271 --> 00:32:22,149
but the rest of our life choices
are up to us.
500
00:32:23,401 --> 00:32:27,905
Seeing Wanda become the Scarlet Witch
was a really important reminder for me
501
00:32:27,905 --> 00:32:33,536
that I had my identity change
from the little quiet girl that I was,
502
00:32:33,536 --> 00:32:35,788
to the woman that I am now.
503
00:32:37,248 --> 00:32:41,168
And that I was able to find
what my own superpower is,
504
00:32:41,168 --> 00:32:46,298
so that I can help other people
find their own superpowers, too.
505
00:32:49,093 --> 00:32:52,930
{\an8}I think most people can find a superhero
that they specifically relate to.
506
00:32:52,930 --> 00:32:55,599
I think that's
the power of, of superheroes.
507
00:32:55,599 --> 00:32:56,809
Oh, no!
508
00:32:58,102 --> 00:32:59,729
If watching WandaVision...
509
00:32:59,729 --> 00:33:01,105
Oh, that's better.
510
00:33:01,105 --> 00:33:03,858
...And seeing these women in these roles
511
00:33:04,650 --> 00:33:07,695
had helped anybody through a tough time,
512
00:33:07,695 --> 00:33:10,740
or helped them to find their own power,
513
00:33:11,198 --> 00:33:15,411
or to not be afraid to be weird
or not afraid to come out,
514
00:33:15,411 --> 00:33:17,705
not afraid to, like,
be exactly who they are
515
00:33:17,705 --> 00:33:19,957
in their beautiful, whole selves,
516
00:33:19,957 --> 00:33:23,419
then I'll never forget it,
and I'll hold that to my heart forever.
517
00:33:25,337 --> 00:33:27,298
Superheroes are
not always successful,
518
00:33:27,298 --> 00:33:28,883
and they don't
always make right choices.
519
00:33:28,883 --> 00:33:31,886
But to see someone
try to use their power for good
520
00:33:31,886 --> 00:33:36,348
{\an8}I think is just so important
to internalize and to aspire to.
521
00:33:37,683 --> 00:33:39,060
Playing this character,
522
00:33:39,060 --> 00:33:43,439
it's quite literally been
watching a young woman become a woman,
523
00:33:43,439 --> 00:33:46,233
and have emotional growth...
524
00:33:47,610 --> 00:33:49,153
...and acceptance and love for herself.
525
00:33:50,488 --> 00:33:53,074
And I think we all
in different ways in our lives...
526
00:33:53,074 --> 00:33:53,991
I love you.
527
00:33:54,241 --> 00:33:56,327
...can relate to Wanda's journey.