TL;DR – They stuck the landing in what I think was the best Marvel outing on the small screen since Loki.

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

End Credit Scene – There are mid-credit scenes.

VisionQuest Review Introduction

We have had some high moments and some low frustrations; however, we have made it to the end, and at such a level that I was sad we didn’t get the finale last week. Today we are going to see if they can stick the landing of not just VisionQuest, but also WandaVision & Agatha. Well, today we will see if they stuck that landing, and then look back at the season as a whole. 

So, to set the scene, at the end of last week’s penultimate episode, everything changed. We have been told that all the synthetic constructions had been based on real people in some regards. But no one thought that extended to Ultron (James Spader) himself. Virgil (James Spader), husband and former business partner to Jocasta (T’nia Miller) when she was alive, the mysterious contractor that had been hunting them all season, now controls every part of Vision (Paul Bettany), Jocasta, and Ultron’s bodies and matrix. Meanwhile, Tommy (Ruaridh Mollica) has realised that he needs help to go save Vision, and the only one who knows what he is going through might be the brother that sent him there. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode and season as a whole, so there will be [SPOILERS] ahead 

A Solid Answer to Questions

One thing that has held up a lot of similar shows as this is the inability to answer all the questions raised through the season. Not so here, because I believe that all the questions raised got an answer. Who was the secret benefactor waiting in the wings? Oh, it was some dude who was so full of himself he didn’t think Ultron was a threat … what an idiot. Who created Jocasta? Who is Tommy’s brother? Will they be reunited? Did FRIDAY (Orla Brady) or Paladin (Todd Stashwick) survive? What happened to the Handler (Diane Morgan)? Okay, maybe not all the questions got an answer. But then we even got a question answered from a completely different film: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Even if the emotions don’t land for you, getting those questions answered gives you a solid foundation to stick the landing.

It is All a Circle

One of the best parts of the series finale is how it respects what has come before them. I expected that Tommy would get to watch WandaVision as part of his growth, and we do get that. However, what I didn’t expect is that they would actually loop it back to the very concept of WandaVision and unpack its very nature. Besides some very funny parody show titles, it was the detail of how they reached Ultron that made the final episode sing. That could also be the strength of James Spader, who might have the line of the year with “Oops, I Hortoned”. That cyclical nature not only helped the episode fit the legacy it was building on, but helped bring the narrative full circle for the season.

Detail

Every part of this final episode showed a level of detail that I very much enjoyed. Some of this came from how they played with the screen ratio as Ultron and Vision were fighting. Some props link back to the shows in the past, with little hints to the story everywhere. Though I will say, I did love that when Ultron was stuck in the little box, I love that he had a red outline, a little hint to Star Trek. What it shows is care, a care for the characters, a care for their legacy, and care that you are preparing us for the next steps. This is important, because when that care is not there, it can actively damage the MCU as a whole.

Cast

Moving away from the final episode and then looking at the season as a whole, I would have to say that one of the real strengths of the show was the casting. Of course, you have Paul Bettany & James Spader just smashing into each other both verbally and physically all season, which was a delight. It was honestly nice to remember just how well James Spader nailed Ultron back in The Avengers: Age of Ultron, and he brings that back here with gusto. At one point we had three Paul Bettanys, or is that Pauls Bettany, on screen at the same time playing the same but slightly different characters in a way that I have only seen Brent Spiner and Tatiana Maslany pull off before. Vision had to find himself, emotion, and purpose this season, and I think they nailed it here.

Ruaridh Mollica immediately set the tone for the show with his portrayal of Thomas/Tommy, a kid with two lives smashed together. He died but came back as two people in one body, with all the trauma that comes from it. Todd Stashwick was a delight, and I did enjoy how every time he was starting to get a bit too stuff, the show changed him up just enough to keep moving. I honestly thought where his character ended up at the end of the series was probably the best in the show. Also, as far as tragic antagonist to protagonist goes, T’Nia Miller nailed it. One of the best parts of the finale was the chat between her and Vision as Tommy was running at high speed, but they showed it by getting Ruaridh Mollica to jog around a table for a couple of minutes.

Then we have all the artificial intelligences throughout the show. I am not sure they would have been able to plan just how unpopular AI would be at the time of release. However, it is telling that the show can make you care about all of these different processes. Orla Brady, Emily Hampshire, Henry Lewis, and Jonathan Sayer all brought different quirks and vibes to the show, constantly keeping it feeling fresh. Also, we learned that some of the cast have great booming voices. The series also caps off the production with James D’Arcy at the start and  Joe Locke at the end, each linking the show back into the MCU world it lives in. I think the two brothers teaming up to save their sort of father was incredibly moving. Leading into that found-family vibe that you could find throughout. I do wish they could have afforded Kathryn Hahn for a cameo, but I am glad that Agatha at least got a reference.

Recommendation

In the end, do we recommend VisionQuest? Yes, we would. I did get a bit concerned there in the middle as it looked like they were going to do a Borg-lite story, but other than that momentary concern, I thoroughly enjoyed my time here. I don’t think I got as emotional in the finale as some of my friends, but I still feel that they did a solid job sticking the landing. It made sure the show had a solid conclusion, but also pushed it forward to find a new future. 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 – Terry Matalas, Vincenzo Natali, Gandja Monteiro, & Christopher J. Byrne
Written by – Terry Matalas, Matthew Okumura, Nicole Falsetti, Christopher Monfette, Michael Taylor, & Cindy Appel
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, Todd Stashwick, Joe Locke, Lauren Morais, T’nia Miller, Orla Brady, Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, Emily Hampshire, Mary McDonnell, Art Malik, Diane Morgan, Ben Crompton, Polly Frame, & James D’Arcy
With – Robert Downey Jr., Elizabeth Olsen, Howard Saddler, Charlie Russell, Johnny Austin, Dulchie Conner, Michael Akinsluire, Faran Tahir, Jennifer Connelly, Terry Matalas, Phil Cheadle, Eli Gray, Maximus Evans
Episodes Covered – No Strings, Theseus, Reboot, Malware, Firewall, Deadlock, Immolation & Forever