Down, Down, Down The Road. Down The Witches’ Road.
Agatha All Along has concluded, and what a wild ride it was! If you watched the Watching Now Agatha All Along series, you’d know that I freaking loved it! But you would also know that there was a little disagreement about the nature of the Witches’ Road, the place Agatha’s coven traversed for most of the series.
The disagreement boiled down to one question: was the Witches’ Road real?
On the surface, this question is easy to answer, and you might call me stupid, delusional or even accuse me of not actually watching the show for even posing it. However, in reality, there are three possible responses to that question, so I’m going to answer it the same way Agatha does when Billy asks her if Wanda is dead: Yes, No, Maybe?
I’m just not going to tackle them in that order.
Let’s get this out of the way: was The Witches’ Road real? No. That was the point of the two-part finale. Billy Maximoff (or Kaplan, I guess) fabricated the Witches’ Road just like his mama, Scarlet Witch Wanda Maximoff, created The Hex in Westview.
The Witches’ Road didn’t exist, and Agatha had used the myth to her advantage over the years to kill unsuspecting covens who had wanted to earn their greatest desires by making it to the end. It was even part of Agatha’s ruse to act like it existed so she could goad witches into attacking her, hence allowing her to drain them of their power. Hell, she was going to do it to Jen, Lilia, Sharon and Alice before she was blindsided by a magical entrance!
The Witches’ Road had never existed in the context of a supernatural trial that dishes out rewards to brave travelers who manage to reach the end. There’s not even usually an entrance to embark on this quest. They would either fail to open the imaginary portal, or they would be killed by Agatha after failing to open the imaginary portal.
There is this concept in the world of Supernatural called a Tulpa. A Tulpa is a “physical manifestation of a thought, resulting in the creation of a being or an object.” This is shown multiple times across seasons, often bringing folk tales to life because of people’s belief in them, like a ghost or a thin man from a copypasta.
Or a Road, mayhaps?
The legend of the Witches’ Road, passed down through centuries of tradition, had a whole lotta belief attached to it. Lorna Wu had a hit song that thousands of adoring fans sang! Ultimately, the Teen, Billy Maximoff, believed in it so much he brought it into being. However, the Road acted like it was the real deal, sticking to the rules Billy had believed in. It had a mind of its own, evidenced by Alice’s trial almost killing its creator. Yet, in his reduced capacity, the reality of the Witches’ Road didn’t waiver. Surely, on the brink of death, the mirage would falter?
Furthermore, the entrance remained in Agatha’s basement. It was not localized around Billy as it was with Wanda’s Hex; it was in a fixed position. All signs lead to Billy bringing it into being from his head-canon, but not as a temporary illusion. It became a living, breathing embodiment of the Witches’ Road, trials and all.
So, maybe it became real in the show… before Billy closed off the entrance.
This is the most interesting interpretation because it requires imagination.
The Witches’ Road is the ballad that Agatha and Nicky created over a period of time. Let me take you on a journey with this one because I pose it to you that, as corny as it may seem, the Witches’ Road was the equivalent of “the friends we made along the way.”
The ballad is the story of Agatha and Nicky’s very real life. That’s why I’m saying the Witches’ Road is real. However, it’s not the supernatural trial you may be thinking of. The Witches’ Road is Agatha’s story as much as “Toss a Coin to Your Witcher” is the story of Geralt in The Witcher.
The following is Nicky’s final version of the song:
There’s a road that’s wild and wicked
Winding through the woods
Whеre all that’s wrong is right
And all that’s bad is good
Through many miles of tricks and trials
We’ll wander high and low
Tame your fears, a door appears
The time has come to go
Down, down, down the road, down the Witches’ Road
Down, down, down the road, down the Witches’ Road
Down, down, down the road, down the Witches’ Road
Follow me, my friend
To glory at the end
The lyrics say it all. Agatha and Nick traveled down roads, winding through woods and wilderness. Agatha, being evil, teaches right is wrong and wrong is right. How else would she be able to convince the child to go along with her plans to kill numerous witches? Through many miles of tricks and trials refers to Agatha’s teachings with regards to the magic she possesses.
The next parts are specifically for Nicky. Tame his fears, and a metaphorical door appears. As Snagglepuss would say, “Exit, stage left.” Nicky would get the heck out of there after a close call luring witches to Agatha. Glory was always at the end of the road after following her son, where she would drain unsuspecting witches of their power, which he had lured to their doom.
You see? It was real! It had nothing to do with supernatural trials, as people came to assume, but originally, the Witches’ Road was Agatha and Nicky’s life put to song. It was their journey. What’s more real than that?
