Magnolia's thesis is that most people have LOW agency — trapped by patterns, by their pasts, by systems that exploit them. Control and agency track closely and both trend downward through the first four acts, but agency dips below control at several key moments: Frank's persona gives him the illusion of control (beat 10) while his agency is already compromised by the lie underneath. Stanley's quiz show dominance (beat 12) is control without agency — he's winning but can't leave. The "Wise Up" sing-along (beat 23) is the moment both lines hit zero: every character recognizes they can't continue but none can act. After the frog rain resets the board, agency recovers slightly faster than control — Stanley's "be nicer to me" and Claudia's smile are acts of will before any situation has actually improved.