WandaVision is an ode to sitcoms
Image: Disney When times are tough, the sitcom is a refuge. Like late-night talk shows, the multicamera sitcom is one of the oldest formats in television. It's affordable and efficient for the people who produce it, and comforting and familiar to viewers. Problems are introduced and solved in 30 minutes or less, usually with the realization that they were never that big of a deal in the first place. Characters have signature tics and catchphrases we love them for; in time, they come to feel like our friends. The best of the bunch are syndicated long enough that we're able to introduce them to our children. What a pleasant thing it is, to retreat into the uncomplicated pleasure of a sitcom - a half-hour white lie to tell ourselves whenever the real...