This post contains major details from the final two episodes ofAgatha All Along.
Agatha All Alongs epic conclusion came with an unexpected turn on the Witches Road.
The final two episodes revealed that, in fact, the Road never existed at all.
Agatha All AlongChuck Zlotnick/Disney+
So, then, how were they on a physical Road, trials and all?
Theyve got Wiccan to thank for that.
For a refresher, heres Deadlines recaps ofEpisode 8andEpisode 9.
Watch on Deadline
DEADLINE: How did you approach these last two episodes?
Theres so much in them, Im just wondering where you started and how you landed here.
JAC SCHAEFFER:Theres so much to say, and thats such a big question.
I wanted I have this concept of like, the show is a spell.
That was my obsession with the development the show is a spell.
Then the other touch point for me was, what is Agatha this truth?
How do we marry those things?
Its not my strong suit.
I struggle with it.
I put it off.
With this show, I wanted to have, essentially, a fake finale.
He came up with a lot of different versions of it.
Im so pleased with how it landed.
SCHAEFFER:Its both.
He didnt want to kill witches.
He didnt want to live her lifestyle.
I think theres so much shame for her in that.
She cant get full.
She cant fill herself up, and so shes just eating and eating and eating.
I find it really heartbreaking.
SCHAEFFER:She has that line where she says, Because the truth is too awful.
That is all easier for her and less painful.
DEADLINE: When Rio visits Agatha at Nickys birth, theres already a history there.
Did you think about including more of their backstory?
You never know how shows will be received.
I feel like those are stories for another day.
I look at the show and Im like, Theres a lot of story there that we can revisit.
And theWandaVisionuniverse, of which I feelAgatha All Alongis a part, they are inherently non linear.
I feel we can visit any character at any time because of that.
So I do feel like theres more to explore.
DEADLINE: Billy gets so emotional when Agatha is talking to him about not being ready to face Nicky.
Whats going through his head there?
SCHAEFFER:I love Joes performance in that scene.
Im so moved by it.
He is the perfect combination of little boy and new man.
Hes right on that precipice, and you’re free to see both.
I find that so beautiful.
As a mother especially, I find it really beautiful and really poignant.
I think hes crying about all of it.
I think hes horrified at what has transpired.
I think hes furious at Agatha for not telling him what she knew, for not revealing things.
I think he blames himself.
He blames her, and he wants her gone.
So I think thats the transition.
Its a really poignant moment.
SCHAEFFER:Im pretty sure that Peter wrote, Am I killing this boy so my brother can live?
I think that was Peter.
I wrote, No, Billy.
Sometimes boys die, because that, to me, thats the nut.
Thats the very bottom of the thing is that, I dont believe that death is an injustice.
I wanted for Agatha, as a witch, that she would understand the permanence of his death.
The implication is that he had no clue he did this, right?
Not even in the back of his mind?
It was more that she was in denial.
Whereas with Billy, it was our feeling that it truly was his subconscious that did it.
He really, truly had no awareness.
We were trying to sort of try that case by showing how unpredictable his magic is.
Its kind of firing all the time when he wants it to, when he doesnt want it to.
Its chaotic, to use an appropriate term.
DEADLINE: Do you think Billy holds any culpability in the deaths of the other witches?
SCHAEFFER:I dont.
we talked a lot about it, because he didnt directly kill anyone.
I mean, yes, the road is an extension of his mind, but its sort of circumstantial.
I do agree with him taking it extremely seriously.
I really love Joes performance where Agatha says, I do tend to kill my coven members.
He takes it really seriously.
I think, what I hope weve established, is Billy as a character who will hold himself accountable.
DEADLINE: Have you gone down the rabbit hole of where theyre off to next?
Whats in store for them now that theyre off to find Tommy?
SCHAEFFER:Im so happy with sending them off.
Because in the comics, she spends a lot of her time as a ghost.
It seemed really obvious to me.
I thought everyone would guess it, and bravo to those of you on the interwebs who did.
There were scenes that I wrote that demonstrated what their quote-unquote, working relationship would be moving forward.
So I certainly explored that, both on the page and in the room.
DEADLINE: Something Ive been thinking a lot about is that Rio would definitely know if Wanda is dead.
Given Rios relationship to Agatha, does Agatha know if Wanda is really dead?
And yeah, its my opinion that Rio does.
I think the word gone is important.
I was instructed to use the word gone.
DEADLINE: Another big question mark is Nicholas Scratchs father.
Hes also a bit of a question mark in the comics.
Did you think about answering that?
SCHAEFFER:Well, yeah, like I said, I feel like theres a lot of story left.
We had a lot of discussions about that.
And ultimately, for this story, it doesnt matter.
And we loved that.
DEADLINE: What about Mephisto?
Was there ever plans to bring him into the fold?
It was something that was a given.
It was just a feature of his life that was that was important, but not the point.
I followed their lead.
And Im really proud.
DEADLINE: Going off that, how did you navigate Agathas queerness and telling that story?
SCHAEFFER:Im so happy to say that it was such a natural process.
There was no agenda.
To use an appropriate term, in the room, it was very fluid.
Mary Livanos was instrumental in the characterization of Rio.
So we did not start, like, at point A, Agatha is queer.
Thats just where it went for us.
DEADLINE: Jens line about it making total sense that Agathas ex would be death made me chuckle.
It does make total sense.
SCHAEFFER:That was legitimately from the room.
We couldnt think of anybody else.
It means she has to kill all the witches around her.
Its really, really tragic.
She cannot fulfill her natural instinct to be tribal because of this power that she has.
So whats she gonna do?
Shes gonna get with death, the only lady whos gonna be excited by her career.
DEADLINE: I know you already said it but I just want to ask one more time.
You dont have anything in the works?
SCHAEFFER:No, I dont have anything in the works.
