This WandaVision spinoff is a “magical, joyful show” that ranges from “playfully creepy to downright scary.”

It’s been three years since Agatha Harkness was revealed as the Big Bad of WandaVisiona show that riffed on classic sitcoms as it proved that the Marvel Cinematic Universe was capable of more eccentric storytelling than its formulaic filmmaking would suggest. While Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda Maximoff was finally confirmed as the legendary Scarlet Witch, it was Kathryn Hahn’s Agatha (and her much-used wink) who stole the show as “Agnes,” Wanda’s nosy neighbor who was actually a centuries-old dark witch herself. And now the fan favorite has her own solo outing in the form of Agatha All Along, also led by WandaVision showrunner Jac Schaeffer.

Fittingly, for a spinoff of a spinoff, Agatha All Along initially follows in the footsteps of its predecessor by delivering a story wrapped within another story. The sequel of sorts follows in Wandavision’s genre-bending footsteps, picking up after Agatha’s attempt to steal Wanda’s powers leaves Agatha herself powerless and trapped in her Agnes persona. Where Wanda processed her trauma through sitcoms, Agatha’s downfall has led her mind to a darker alternate reality: a prestige crime drama. It begins with Agatha as a straight-talking, small-town detective in a Mare of Easttown parody called “Agnes of Westview.” Like the WandaVision sitcoms, the show-within-a-show is both knowing and exceptionally well-executed, with “Agnes” as a no-nonsense, flannel-shirt-wearing, quirky cop confronted with a gleefully cliché-filled Jane Doe case.

But the first layer of the Russian doll story is shed early on, when Agatha is freed from the spell by the arrival of a witch-obsessed fanboy played by Heart Conqueror‘s Joe Locke, who convinces her that the path to regaining her powers (and saving herself from the wrath of the terrifying Salem Seven) is to embark on an obstacle course of trials known as the Witches’ Road. Here, Agatha All Along steps away from WandaVision and, in the first four episodes available for review, begins to take on a form of its own: a puzzle box show that uses genuine horror elements alongside the adventurous fun of Scooby-Doo and the high camp of Hocus Pocus to unravel its mysteries.

Needing a coven to reach the Road, Agatha must shed her lone-wolf tendencies (or at least hide them for the time being) and launch a recruitment campaign straight out of a heist movie. The group she assembles is pleasingly scrappy—misfits, even in an ancient community of outsiders. Patti LuPone plays Lilia, a fortune teller with money problems, Ali Ahn plays Alice, daughter of a legendary witch rock star, and Sasheer Zamata plays Jen, a witch turned wellness expert who sells retinol creams and jade eggs.

But the biggest draw is Aubrey Plaza as Rio Vidal, a green witch with whom Agatha shares a thorny history and some downright scandalous sexual tension. First appearing as a federal agent in Agatha’s detective drama fantasy, Rio teases, taunts, and tries to kill Agatha before joining the coven as their resident agent of chaos. Plaza couldn’t be more in her element.

The pair’s sizzling chemistry is at the heart of what the cast and creators have proudly touted as Marvel’s “gayest” offering yet, a claim bolstered by multiple queer characters, musical numbers, and a series of extravagant makeovers for the coven. But the show’s queerness resonates deeper than the superficial homosexuality of a scene in which LuPone performs flamboyantly as a one-woman percussion section (majestic as it is). The show’s themes of otherness, identity, persecution, and chosen family will say as much about the LGBTQ+ community as it does about the show’s concern with the cultural history of witch show.

And the witchcraft of Agatha All Along can’t be overstated: this is a show that sticks to its pre-Halloween release schedule. It ranges from playfully creepy to downright scary, arguing that witches are more complex than pop culture would have us believe. It also plays to certain expectations: sisterhood, summonings, generational curses, and the eye of a salamander (a fancy name for mustard seed, apparently).

The coven, largely devoid of their inherent supernatural powers, must rely on the “craft” portion of witchcraft and hard work to overcome the Road, but the quest element of the series is supported by larger mysteries that fans have already speculated about: the true identity of Locke’s character known only as “Teen”; or Wanda (who was last seen sacrificing herself in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness) may still be alive; and what really happened in Agatha’s past, particularly regarding her absent son.

By remaining in plain sight in WandaVision , Agatha, and thus Hahn, were confined to the show’s periphery. Here, both character and actor seize their chance to shine, with Hahn playing up Agatha’s snarky self-interest and revealing her vulnerabilities (and demonstrating the value of employing truly gifted comedic actors to deliver funny lines).

If there’s occasionally a chill in Marvel productions – the green-screen work and sprawling spectacle can distract from the characters and the emotional charge – Agatha proves that there’s no substitute for good old-fashioned chemistry. This is a cast that’s deeply – and often literally, thanks to the songs – in tune with each other, and clearly happy to deliver a magical show that’s as willing to get weird as it is dark.

Agatha All Along is now streaming on Disney+.