VisionQuest
Creator: Terry Matalas
Cast: Paul Bettany, James Spader, Ruaridh Mollica, Todd Stashwick, T’Nia Miller, Lauren Morais, Orla Brady, Diane Morgan, Polly Frame, Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, Emily Hampshire, and James D’Arcy
Rating: ★★.5
The central premise of VisionQuest is simple. The ‘new’ Vision, whom we first saw at the end of WandaVision, is struggling with his identity. He knows he isn’t Vision, but feels he is him in some way, too. But he grapples with who he wants to be. All that applies to both the character and the show. Terry Matalas’ conclusion to the Wanda-Vision trilogy creates an intriguing premise, packs the best actors, and then flounders and fumbles with a plot that barely registers on the emotional scale and sacrifices what has worked best for the MCU shows – character development.
What is Vision up to?
It’s been a few years since the events of Westview when the ‘new’ Vision (Paul Bettany), created by Sword, escaped after Wanda collapsed her hex. He now lives disguised as a human in Scotland. He has uploaded Tony Stark’s old AIs into his own ‘mind’ (processor), and they serve as his advisors. Along with them, he has also trapped Ultron (James Spader), much to the chagrin of his coterie. But, as an international mercenary named the Paladin (Todd Stashwick) attempts to draw him out, Vision must be on the move, with Ultron as an unlikely ally. Along the way, he encounters a grown-up Tommy Maximoff (Ruaridh Mollica), his ‘son’, who somehow did not die when Wanda ended her hex. As he faces questions about identity, fatherhood, and mortality, Vision must not only solve why the Paladin wants him, but also figure out the identity of his mysterious client and how they connect to the birth of AI in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Breadcrumbs from WandaVision and Endgame
VisionQuest is meant to be the conclusion of the MCU sub-arc that began with WandaVision and was continued with Agatha All Along. The two shows focused on Wanda’s grief, Agatha’s redemption, and Billy Maximoff’s ascension. Here, Vision must find his place in the world and connect with Tommy while figuring out what to do with Ultron. The show doesn’t stand on its own, with many plot elements drawn from WandaVision and Avengers: Endgame. That is usually true for most MCU shows, such is the interconnected nature of this franchise. But despite that, most recent MCU shows have been good standalone watches, be it Loki or Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
VisionQuest fumbles the ball there. It only works when the plot points and elements from the previous titles are at play. Whenever the show introduces new characters, arcs, and connections, it begins to lose steam. You don’t connect with these new characters and their backstories despite them being very intricately woven into the MCU’s fabric. From the Paladin’s arc to the whole sub-plot (later central plot) about the serial killer, they all feel like segues, unnecessary ones at that, too.
A drama about connections that never connects
WandaVision was about grief. Agatha All Along was about redemption. Both these shows handled the growth and/or degeneration of their central characters with great finesse. That is why this series has often been called the heart of the MCU. Along with Loki, these shows have been Marvel’s finest in terms of delving deep into the emotional depths of the characters, while using the superhero setting as garnish. Here, garnishing is all we get for the most part. Terry Matalas’ show attempts to dive deep into Vision’s identity crisis, Ultron’s confused state, and the grief shared by multiple characters. But it all comes off short. The heart just isn’t there.
One of WandaVision’s highlights was how its lines conveyed the most poignant emotions with great simplicity. “What is grief but love persevering?” is one of the greatest lines in cinema history, let alone just the Marvel universe. Agatha All Along had its own “This is where hope goes to die”. And these are just a few examples of what solid writing the two shows had. Not VisionQuest, though.
A buddy cop show, a romance, or a father-son tale
The trouble with VisionQuest is that even the show doesn’t know what it wants to be – what its central theme is. Shows always have multiple arcs and characters dealing with their own lives. But no show will allow one subplot to dominate all others for two episodes, only to have another frontrunner for the next couple. VisionQuest takes this puzzling route, flitting from Vision’s quest for his soul to his distance from his son, and in between, somehow finding time for Ultron’s love story (this is not a typo).
If it wasn’t for the sparkling chemistry between Paul Bettany and James Spader, VisionQuest could very well have been the weakest MCU show since Secret Invasion. The two actors reprise their roles beautifully. Spader even overcomes the lack of aura that his human avatar leaves him with to make Ultron more mysterious, if less terrifying. Paul Bettany battles the script to give Vision some depth. Among the support cast, James D’Arcy, Emily Hampshire, and Todd Stashwick also leave their mark. But with the rest, it is largely a forgettable affair.
VisionQuest could have been a fitting finale to Marvel’s most heartening sub-arc. Instead, it flounders that series of series, leaving fans only to wonder what could have been.