“No Strings”

“Theseus”

VisionQuest debuted tonight as a third series in the WandaVision trilogy which kicked off with WandaVision and was followed up by Agatha All Along, and there is not a possible debate that this show is not dependent on those previous ones. WandaVision and Agatha All Along are required viewing for VisionQuest.

Paul Bettany returned as Vision, the same android that had been reconstructed by SWORD, this time white, and who left in the finale of WandaVision.

We all have wondered where Vision has been all these many years since he flew off out of Westview, and we get a glimpse into that in the first two episodes, which dropped on Disney + Tuesday, a day early than what it originally was intended.

James Spader returned to the MCU as Ultron, but existing inside Vision’s head, in a strange world where Vision exists in his attempt to determine what humanity is and how he is connected to it. Vision brought us a crew of former AIs from the MCU to help him in his efforts including JARVIS, EDITH, FRIDAY, DUM-E and U. Ultron was included among these AI as well. The interactions between this group of MCU AI was great, making a kind of family.

But family was more intricate to the story than just the AI. We meet Tommy, the boy that Billy sent his brother’s spirit into at the end of Agatha All Along. The scene with the swimming pool, which was one of the more dramatic moments with Billy, was alluded to several times, and Tommy had been struggling with his identity ever since. His memories of his mother Wanda and his father Vision played havoc on his mind, grappling with the confusion of exactly whom he was.

We are introduced to the character Paladin. He is a bounty hunter and he has been hired by someone to capture Vision. This is one of the mysteries of the show, and I have to say that I am extremely intrigued by the identity of this benefactor. I liked Paladin as well, played by Todd Stashwick. He used adamantium rounds… I mean… cool. Was this the first time adamantium was used as a weapon in the MCU? The metal was introduced in Captain America: Brand New World so i wonder how long the timeline is between that film and this show.

There was some sacrifice in these first two episodes as well. Vision’s friend at the bar in Edinburgh where he worked, was shot by Paladin’s forces. Then JARVIS, played by James D’Arcy (who played a real life Jarvis in the Agent Carter series on ABC) sacrificed himself after Vision had been shot by those adamantium rounds in order to keep the Vision alive and to keep the other AI’s active. I did not see that coming and his self-sacrifice (suggested by Ultron, by the way) was a powerful moment.

Vision and Tommy are together, on the run from Paladin, and certainly something will come from this.

I have to say I loved the longer episodes, with the two episode release coming in at over 100 minutes (episode one: 56 minutes and episode 2: 46 minutes, albeit with credits). This gave the show a feel of significance. Some times that was lacking among the shorter 30-35 minute episodes we were used to on Disney +.

The conflict of Vision and his efforts to figure out who he actually is feels compelling, and the acting is exceptional. And I love James Spader! I do hope that the person who hired Paladin does not turn out to be Ultron, although I do expect him to be an antagonist during this show. That would seem too conventional for a show that is using two of the best Marvel Disney + shows as its lead-in.

I am in on VisionQuest, and I am excited about next Tuesday.