TL;DR – The pivot point of the season, in many ways.

Disclosure – I paid for the Disney+ service used to view this series.

VisionQuest Review Introduction

In many modern shows, there can be a pivot point that yanks the narrative in a very specific direction. To use an MCU example, when we found out that Wanda is in control in WandaVision or when Wanda is in control in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Well, today is that time.

So, to set the scene, at the end of Reboot, things were starting to look up. Tommy (Ruaridh Mollica) had started to get over his phobia of water, Vision (Paul Bettany) had turned off and on again, and Paladin (Todd Stashwick) found the wrong synth. It was all going well, until FRIDAY (Orla Brady) discovers that something or someone snuck in during the reset. “The Power of Code Compels You” because it is time for a little exorcism. Also, I think you should be taking the anniversary of Sokovia with a bit more interest Vision. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead.

The Ultron in the Room

Since the reveal of Ultron (James Spader) in No Strings, there has been a ticking clock until he pulls something disastrous. Or at least something entirely selfish. Throughout the season so far, he has been given more and more autonomy, and sooner or later that was coming to bite the hand that saved him. When it comes to symbolism, nothing quite sells it as Ultron being the new captain of the ship, moving Vision around on the metaphorical bridge. Thus, the title of Malware has two meanings, and I didn’t see that coming. While this and the way he disarmed Jocasta (T’nia Miller) was interesting, I also liked that for the rest of the episode he was actually quite helpful. Nearly all his advice had a nugget of wisdom behind it, which could have many meanings as we advance.

Questions on Questions

While this is the week where we pivot into VisionUltron, the rest of the episode keeps raising more questions. What is Jocasta searching for that needs so many biometric keys? Who made Jocasta, and why did they use that template? If Jocasta didn’t hire Paladin … who did? Could Tommy be more of an arse to Lisa (Lauren Morais)? Why did they choose an exorcism in full priest regalia? Who programmed all the red eyes? Also, would I have been fooled by those fake hands …? Yer, I think I would have been fooled by the ‘coat of arms’. All of these are interesting questions. However, this is only a small mini-series, and frankly I am concerned that we are asking more questions than we can answer. Also, I don’t think we can wait for the next entry to answer them for us, given how Disney+ is going.

Recommendation

In the end, do we recommend VisionQuest? Yes, it was a fun episode bookended with some real tension. While they have been keeping their cards close to their chest, I hope going forward that we start answering some of these questions that we are asking. Have you seen VisionQuest yet? Let us know what you thought in the comments below.

By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Bluesky at @Tldrmovrev, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.

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Credits – All images were created by the cast, crew, and production companies of VisionQuest
Directed by – Gandja Monteiro
Written by – Michael Taylor
Created by – Terry Matalas
Based On – WandaVision and Agatha All Along by Jac Schaeffer & Marvel Comics
Production/Distribution Companies – Marvel Television & Disney+
Starring – Paul Bettany, James Spader, Ruaridh Mollica, Lauren Morais, T’nia Miller, Orla Brady, Henry Lewis, Mary McDonnell, & Emily Hampshire
With – Terry Matalas