VisionQuest Brings the Return of Vision and Ultron

VisionQuest Eps 1 & 2 Review

It’s crazy to think that it’s already been five years since Wandavision kicked off the post-Endgame era of the MCU. And it’s equally crazy to think covering the comic-book story of Wanda Maximoff is where I started with TGON. Still, with Doomsday two months away and destined to either save the MCU or destroy it, I can understand that something like Wandavision might fall by the wayside. But since Wandavision is how I started my time here on TGON, I think it’s only appropriate that I see the story of the Maximoff’s through with the grand finale, Visionquest. And so far, it’s looking to wrap up any loose ends we have left. Including ones that we didn’t even know were loose to begin with.

Where in the World is Vision?

It’s been almost five years since we last saw any sign of the android known as the Vision. Thanks to the memory construct Wanda created with her Hex, the reborn Vis got all his memories back. After that, though, he flew off, and no one, not even us fans, have seen him since. So, what has he been up to?

Evidently, he’s trying to figure out who he was all over again.

As is made clear in the first two episodes, Vision does remember who he was before Thanos killed him. He has all the memories and experiences of his old life (or past life, potentially). What he doesn’t have is the emotional connection to those memories. It frustrates him to no end, to the point that he’s made copies of all the other Stark AI we’ve met over the years to help him understand humanity better, including JARVIS, EDITH, FRIDAY, DUM-E, U, and…Ultron.

Guess who’s back?

As it turns out, Vision didn’t actually kill Ultron at the end of Age of Ultron. He took his consciousness and uploaded him into his own mind. Vision has kept him locked up in there as a prisoner ever since. A prisoner with TV and Internet access.

I had no idea that Ultron was going to come back in this series, but I am so glad that he did. James Spader knocked it out of the park playing the genocidal android a decade ago, playing him up as this twisted version of Pinocchio. And from the moment he appears onscreen again, it’s clear that Spader hasn’t lost his touch. He acts older and wiser since he’s had thirteen years to reflect on his failings, but he’s as big of a jerk as ever. And if the theories about him in Doomsday are true, then he’s going to want out. And he’s already set his plan in motion.

Using his access to the dark web, Ultron leaks Vision’s location in Scotland to this bounty hunter, Paladin. There’s a huge reward for Vision’s capture from someone (I’m betting it’s Ultron himself), leading to the death of Vis’ only friend and him back on the run. To make matters worse, Paladin has one of Vision’s sons, Tommy. Or Thomas Shepherd.

RIP, JARVIS. Again

If you’ll recall at the end of Agatha All Along, it was revealed that Wanda and Vision’s twin sons, Tommy and Billy, didn’t cease to exist when the Hex ended. Billy jumped into the body of a teenager who just died, and then he did the same thing for Tommy. However, Tommy kept both sets of memories, leaving him unable to figure who he was and get written off as crazy. He’s been on the run from an insane asylum ever since, and now, he’s acting as bait for Vision.

By the end of the second episode, Vision has managed to rescue Thomas, but where they go from there is anyone’s guess. Vision knows that Thomas is not his actual son, as the Vision who was their father was technically not even real. At the same time, though, he is being given a golden chance to learn more about what it means to be human, yet he’s choosing to reject it. It’s a very frustrating contradiction that I hate to watch, but am also curious to see where it goes. At the same time, though, the episodes are marred when Vision’s copy of JARVIS sacrifices himself to save him. Knowing who Ultron is, I wouldn’t put it past him to plan for this, hoping to weaken Vision enough for him to escape. Or maybe he is just trolling Vision. Either way, I think that Visionquest is off to an interesting start. I can’t wait to see where it goes in the coming weeks.

I Give “No Strings” a 4/5 and “Theseus” a 3.5/5