It would be too easy to just say the show is awful, or the whole affair is empty. Yet it may be fair to say it emphasizes style over substance.

Don't get me wrong, it tries. It tries oh so hard. As does Elizabeth Olsen, the actress playing Wanda.

The underdevelopment of a character that must carry a multidimensional tone but written and performed as an off key singular note is problematic.

It is hard to blame Ms. Olsen's caricature of the 50s housewife and lack of comedic likeability of a Mary Tyler Moore, Elizabeth Montgomery or a Lucille Ball but it is painfully evident. Ultimately it is too tough of a mashup to pull off for almost anyone, let alone Ms.Olsen. (Whom I have adored throughout her career.)

A storyline that is ultimately about loss and it's psychological effects could of been a rich area to mine with depth beyond any film from the MCU.

Yet the construct of aping old classic sitcoms through the decades falls flat. They may achieve the look of each decade with robotic precision but the tone is all wrong. It is all window dressing for big action but ultimately a shallow exercise.

It all comes back to the writing. There is no real sense of heart. Tons of plot, very little heart. More vulnerability may have balanced this odd tone but who knows?

The time and length of storytelling they go through to reveal a tiny morsel of connective tissue to string the series together is downright infuriating. The first three episodes are a borefest. Not until episode four does the show reveal anything worth mentioning.

The show started to become tolerable when Monica Rambeau's backstory is revealed in the fourth episode. After displaying depth and a multilayered approach in this frame, they u-turn right back to the odd mashup of light sitcom, military heroism with faux melancholy in the following episodes.

The show is odd and I give them credit for taking a swing, but the awful writing is so hard to overcome.

The one dimensional cardboard character of Military Director Heyward and his cliché war monger heavy is laughable and seems abrupt and out of touch with this fantastical event they are witnessing.

Yet there are some bright spots. Paul Bethany has the ability to overcome the writing and saves just about every scene he is in with his light wit, charm and screen presence.

Teyonah Paris and Randal Park are good in their supporting roles. Yet it is KAT Dennings that truly shines in her supporting spot, she steals scenes and lights up the screen. When paired with Paul Bethany you have the makings of something special.

It feels as though Marvel had a gimmick and tried to shoehorn a superhero movie inside of a half baked concept based on a clever title. Although parts of WandaVision are unique and there are inspired moments (too few) it is tough to give this bombastic convoluted effort more than a middling review.

Yet those moments are far too few to save WandaVision.