Why Does [SPOILER] Die in Agatha All Along Episode 3?

Warning: The following article contains major spoilers for Agatha All Along Episode 3, “Through Many Miles / Of Tricks and Trials.”

Agatha All Along‘s third entry, “Through Many Miles / Of Tricks and Trials” ends with Sharon Davis (otherwise known as Mrs. Hart) succumbing to a magic poison – even though she drank the antidote! So, why does Sharon die in Agatha All Along Episode 3, exactly?

Why Does Sharon / Mrs. Hart Die in Agatha All Along?

Early in Agatha All Along Episode 3, Jennifer Kale points out that Sharon Davis’ presence on the Witches’ Road could have dangerous consequences – both for Sharon and the rest of Agatha’s coven. After all, Sharon has no knowledge of magic, nor does she demonstrate any innate talent for witchcraft. Jennifer’s quickly proven right, too. Sharon strays from the path almost immediately, something the Ballad of the Witches’ Road expressly warns against. The brief misadventure that follows isn’t fatal, however, it sets the tone for Sharon’s subsequent misfortunes in Episode 3’s big Witches’ Trial. Here, she guzzles down a healthy serving of wine – not realizing it’s actually magical poison.

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Unsurprisingly, the “wine” doesn’t react well with Sharon’s magic-free physiology, and she quickly faints. This leaves the rest of Agatha’s coven to figure out an antidote, guided by potions expert Jennifer. It’s a super stressful situation – not helped by the literal ticking clock incorporated into the trial. Fortunately, the coven successfully whip up an antidote and pour it down Sharon’s throat just as the clock hits zero. Or, so they think. Once they’re all back on the Witches’ Road, the Teen discovers that Sharon didn’t survive. Why? It’s not entirely clear. Maybe the antidote didn’t hit Sharon’s system in time. Or maybe a magic-based poison was always going to be too much for her to bounce back from. Either way, RIP Sharon!

Agatha All Along Showrunner Explains Why Sharon Had to Die in Episode 3

Predictably, a lot of Marvel fans were sad about Sharon’s death. And funnily enough, even Agatha All Along showrunner Jac Schaeffer debated whether it was the right call. “It was a big question – do characters die in the show?” she told Total Film. “We went around and around, it was a decision that we made quite late. The scripts were all written, we were even cast, we weren’t shooting yet but I usually like to have the answers to those questions earlier. But it was dicey. What does it do to the audience? Do we do this?”

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“The answer was yes because we wanted the show to have teeth,” Schaeffer continued. “This is a show about a character who is classified as a villain. Also, there is something about witchcraft that if you remove death, those bigger stakes like that, it becomes soft, toothless, and inauthentic. So yeah, we kill someone.”

Agatha All Along is currently streaming on Disney+, with new episodes dropping weekly.