The Witches' Road is a myth. And yet, the glory that it promises is tantalizing to any witch who seeks that power. It's merely a question of accessing it and surviving through arduous trials. That's how the story goes. It will provide whatever is missing from a witch's life. It's not a prize delivered upon reaching the end. Instead, the trials provide the members of the coven with the tools to obtain their desires themselves. Lilia loved being a witch. She sacrificed herself for the good of her coven. The pieces of her life finally locked into piece. She achieved that clarity. It came at the end of her life. The same was true of Alice. She broke her generational curse. She died protecting another witch. Death is inevitable. It comes for everyone including witches. Rio serves as that guide to what comes next. She fights against those who seek to disrupt the natural order of life. Agatha has escaped too many times. Her life has been prolonged by stealing from others. Meanwhile, Billy avoided death by escaping into another body. He has the potential to reincarnate again and provide the same sanctuary to Tommy. That's dangerous. Death must stop him for good. These stakes are laid out. And yet, plenty of mysteries are dropped to make everyone question the true purpose of this mission too.
Agatha makes a deal with Rio. She has a love-hate relationship with Death. She's drawn to the power. It will also kill her. They are forever caught in this battle. The Salem Seven have been killed. That threat is gone. The danger posed by Rio is just as imminent. She didn't need to partake in the trials. Nothing is missing from her life. She has the power to walk in and out as she pleases. She has a role to fill as the witches die. That too cements Agatha as a witch without a coven. She isn't destined to belong. She is meant to be a rogue figure. She has so much humanity though. She allows people to believe fake stories about her because the truth is too painful. Death believes Agatha has been given special treatment. Agatha doesn't see it that way. Everything was taken from her. She was constantly fighting just to survive. That made her a true witch. She deceived and bargained out of self-preservation. She promises to deliver Billy to Rio willingly. She wants to fulfill that deal in the end too. Billy can reach out to her humanity though. All it takes is the mention of her son for her to be willing to make a selfless sacrifice.
The fifth and final trial is meant as the test for the green witch. The remaining members of the coven know the basics. They aren't skilled in this particular section of the craft. They are meant to grow something in an otherwise sterile room. The true test is helping each member come into their own power. Again, the Road provides them with the tools to achieve what's missing. It's up to them to realize the opportunity and take ahold of it. Jen never knew how she was tricked. She has been bound for over a century. And now, she realizes Agatha was the witch who took her power. It was merely a service Agatha provided to satisfy the patriarchy for money. She didn't care who got hurt in the process. Jen has suffered for a long time. The unbinding spell works. That delivers her safely off the Road. That's miraculous. That wasn't the same fate that befell Alice and Lidia. Their catharsis was quickly followed by death. Jen and Billy are lucky in that regard. Billy knew Tommy was close because he still had access to his magical energy. Tommy couldn't fall into a body like Billy did. He doesn't have that power. It requires Billy to concentrate and guide him into a vessel. Billy isn't killing someone to resurrect his brother. He's simply taking advantage of a tragic situation. He is given more of a choice. It just requires some hard truths recognizing the extent of his power.
Similarly, Agatha has the power to escape the trial after she is left on her own. Everything assembles for her to be able to grow something. The tools are present even after Billy is gone. She breaks her way to freedom. That leaves everyone back in Westview. They have survived their adventure on the Witches' Road. Agatha still lacks power. She's at Death's mercy. Rio has waited for this moment for a long time. Agatha broke their promise. Billy arrives to save the figure he has come to care for. He sacrifices his power in service of restoring hers. He suddenly trusts that she won't deplete him of all of it. He's right. She has the ability to control how much she takes. He was righteous in exploding with anger after Alice's death. That's in the past now. Right now, the battle is in confronting Death. That too is futile. One of them must be sacrificed. Agatha sees the inherent goodness in Billy. She is willing to go in exchange for his life. He also makes the same decision. History doesn't repeat though. Agatha dies so her figurative son can live. She decays into the ground. It's marked by her iconic purple. People gather to see what has just happened in their neighborhood. Billy goes free offering no explanation. He's shocked over all that has just occurred. He got what he wanted. It also came at an immense cost.
And then, Billy looks around his room and sees all the influences that came to create the Witches' Road. He remarked early on that the Road was exactly how he imagined it. It's heavily implied that he created this reality just like his mother once did with Westview. He didn't take a town hostage in the process. Everyone who joined him in this reality did so of their own free will. Of course, Sharon was deceived. She was the first death. She wasn't the last. Lives were lost because of Billy's creation. He now has to reckon with that. He's truly a witch who doesn't understand the extent of his own powers. He resembles Wanda in so many ways. Agatha thought he could be her son. Instead, she saw the deceit just as blatantly as she did when Wanda took over Westview. She broke through that spell while others struggled. Here, she was given early access because Billy needed her. He provided so many opportunities to the members of the coven. They were brought together by fate and circumstances. Everything has proven to be so costly. Billy can't explain any of it to his parents. He doesn't know the truth himself. He was blind to what he did. That can no longer remain true. This is the penultimate episode. That means more twists will be delivered in the finale. Agatha may not truly be dead. The show was presented as her story. Billy's was just as important. It has taken over. That's been incredibly consequential. It's not the end. Anything can potentially happen. That's scary and exciting at the same time.
