Along with 104 it's my favorite episode of the season, and once again I've been wondering what it is that makes it so satisfying. I think it's really just one technique, used in a couple different ways:
GIVE THE PEOPLE (SOME OF) WHAT THEY WANT.
Over the course of 105 the twins go from newborns to tweens. Once they're there the obvious question is, Who are these kids and what are they making of this whole thing?
And that's a big part of what 106 gives us: the opening credits are designed as though from their point of view of their family, and over the course of the episode until things get really serious we keep returning to Tommy as narrator, sharing his observations of what's going on.
It's useful to get other points of view on the Westview reality, but for me even more satisfying is just the delight of getting to hang out with these two new characters, who are both such fun.
The introduction of Quicksilver works similarly. His presence elevates the episode simply by virtue of the fact that he's so entertaining. (Evan Peters is such a treasure.)
But then he also becomes a means to something else we've wanted from the beginning: Wanda's own take on what she's done.
As always, the writers are brilliant at matching the tropes of their sitcom periods to the needs of the story. Little brother coming to town, knowing his sister like nobody else and giving her the chance to open up about the challenges of being a mom controlling a bottle universe and everyone inside it is just classic stuff.
And I don't know about you, but for me that scene near the end where he's admiring what she's done and you see her finally let down her guard with someone else for the first time--she gives that amazing look (below)--is one of the most exciting moments in the whole series.
I could seriously have watched just this conversation for ten more minutes. It's actually the peak moment for Wanda's character in a lot of ways. The episodes that follow start to back away from the idea of Wanda as in control and aware of what's going on, in favor of the idea of her more responding instinctively and unconsciously. Here she owns what she's been doing; that's always a more exciting and empowered position for a character.
In terms of series high points, 106 also has Vision trying to escape Westview. And while I wouldn't say we've been waiting exactly for him to make that attempt, certainly the whole concept of a group of people being trapped naturally calls out for us to see some kind of escape attempt.
The moments of Vision fighting to escape, begging the people watching to help the townsfolk is everything you want in a Marvel series: it has heroic self-sacrifice, pathos and an underlying sense of tragedy. Plus it's painfully gorgeous to look at.
Having Kat Dennings' Darcy on hand to cry out for Vision is a nice touch, too. She really adds to the sense of both danger and loss.
