Why Herb Cutting The Wall Hints Agatha’s Powers Have Increased

Episode 7 “Breaking the Fourth Wall” of WandaVision reveals that Agatha caused Herb to glitch and cut the wall back in episode 3, which may hint at her increasing powers. Long speculated by fans to be Salem witch Agatha Harkness, Agnes finally introduced her true self to Wanda and the audience at the end of the episode. Judging by how effortlessly she casts a spell over Wanda after, it is likely Agatha’s powers have been amplified – but why?

In a montage set over her very own theme song, Agatha is seen manipulating certain town events, Herb, and Pietro. Back in episode 3, Vision witnesses Herb cut through the boundary wall between their properties and has a strange exchange later on with Herb and Agatha, posing as Agnes, regarding “Geraldine.” In retrospect, this “glitch” and subsequent conversation seems designed by Agatha to breed suspicion in Vision, leading him to demand answers of Wanda in following episodes and eventually breach Westview’s barrier on behalf of its suffering residents. Meanwhile, Agatha seems to be making more of an effort to get closer to Wanda and the kids.

This proximity to Wanda may likely be the reason why Agatha’s powers have developed between manipulating Herb and manipulating Wanda. Agatha touches Herb to gain control over him, whereas she doesn’t need to make physical contact with Wanda to warp her mind. A lot of speculation has risen around her motivations and what Agatha’s plans with Scarlet Witch and in Westview are. The fact that Agatha no longer needs to touch someone to cast a spell is very telling. Since Wanda is a powerhouse of cosmic energy and magic, it’s very possible Agatha is actively feeding off her abilities and using that energy for her own malevolent purposes. It would also explain why Agatha is so keen to separate Billy and Tommy from Wanda, since Billy, in the comics at least, is destined to become more powerful than his mother. Agatha’s parasitic tendencies are working to her advantage, as Wanda is now vulnerable to her enchantments.

Agatha’s manipulation of Herb also hints at his very humanity and free will being stripped away. This aligns with how Norm reacts when Vision awakens him in episode 5. Norm is frantic as he begs Vision to stop her. Though he doesn’t mention Wanda by name, it’s likely he may mean Agatha. As her powers grow, Agatha follows no moral code regarding the people she’s using – she even admits to killing the family dog Sparky. Who knows how many more residents Agatha has taken over? She sends Pietro to Wanda’s front door. Perhaps Agatha froze all of the residents on the outskirts of town to attract Vision’s attention.

Using Herb demonstrates that Agatha’s powers are steadily escalating as time goes on. Wanda’s Hex expansion probably gave Agatha a major boost in magic, so that may factor into how Agatha compromised her so quickly. With two episodes remaining in WandaVision, Agatha’s purpose and extent of her powers should be answered soon.