VisionQuest Drops Early! Grade The Premiere Of Vision's Return To The MCU

The following post contains spoilers for Episodes 1 and 2 of Disney+'s "VisionQuest."

After five long years, Paul Bettany's Vision has returned to the Marvel Cinematic Universe... and he could probably use a qualified therapist.

The synthezoid — who's been MIA since "WandaVision" ended in 2021 — returned Tuesday night by way of "VisionQuest," Disney+'s new limited series in which Bettany reprises his long-held title role one more (and perhaps one last?) time. (And yes, we said Tuesday night! Though Episodes 1 and 2 were initially slated to premiere on Wednesday, October 14, the debut was moved up to tonight instead; all subsequent episodes will drop Tuesdays at 9/8c.)

As for my earlier therapy comment, it might seem out of place, since Vision — or rather, this reconstructed version of him, introduced to us as "White Vision" in the "WandaVision" finale — can't quite feel things the way his predecessor could. White Vision possesses the old Vision's consciousness and memories, but there's an emotional disconnect afoot that has left this iteration of the synthezoid frustrated. So, no, he doesn't really feel things just yet — but his attempts over the last five years to untangle OG Vision's many memories, and understand the modern human experience a little better, have created a web of something akin to emotions for this new Vision... and those whispers of feelings might just bring about Vision's demise once and for all.

Let's dive in to the finer details of the first two "VisionQuest" episodes, then hit the comments with your thoughts on the show's premiere.

When we pick back up with Vision, he's working at a pub in Edinburgh that he and Wanda (aw) used to frequent during happier days for both of them. But when pub owner Fiona goes home each night, Vision steals away to the establishment's storage rooms in the back and sits there, motionless, instead retreating into his own mind — or his own web of data and programming, I suppose — where he's built an entire world for himself made up entirely of code and processing power. (Guess he learned something from his time in Westview, eh?) In this mind palace of sorts, Vision lives in a sizable home alongside a handful of artificial intelligence companions: Among them are security whiz J.A.R.V.I.S. (played by MCU vet James D'Arcy), Vision's socialization guru F.R.I.D.A.Y. (previously voiced by Kerry Condon, but played in live action by Orla Brady), and resident fun expert E.D.I.T.H. (previously voiced by Dawn Michelle King, but played in live action by Emily Hampshire).

Much to the chagrin of Vision's more helpful A.I.s, there's also Ultron — the main antagonist of "Avengers: Age of Ultron," played here once again by James Spader — whom Vision allows to stay in his mansion, secluded away on the top floor. And Ultron, the mischievous little manipulator that he is, would like for Vision to stop turning away from the very human emotions that he's starting to feel, particularly when he rewatches certain memories from OG Vision's existence (namely anything to do with Westview, "WandaVision," or the sons that Vision fathered in that faux-reality). 

"For now, observation is all I can offer," Vision says, when pressed by Ultron to fully embrace the human experience. But Ultron won't stand for Vision hiding away in his computerized make-believe, and he already knows that certain corners of the dark web have taken a renewed interest in the off-the-grid Vision as of late... so he speeds things along by sending a digital carrier pigeon (aka an email) out into the data-sphere, alerting those interested in Vision to his location in Edinburgh. (How Ultron actually manages to do the sending is a bit of a mystery. This Ultron isn't really real, right? Nor is Vision's carefully constructed wonderland? So I won't pretend to know the ins and outs of synthetic and possibly imaginary data breaches, nor should any of us, really.)

Once Vision's location is leaked, the consequences are felt quickly: A bounty hunter we'll later come to know as Paladin arrives at the Edinburgh pub where Vision works and sends in several of his men to capture Vision. Fiona also gets shot and killed in the process. RIP, Fiona! But Vision is a vibranium-encased synthezoid who was rebuilt stronger than ever by S.W.O.R.D. back during "WandaVision," so Paladin's men hardly make a dent in him, and Vision destroys them all. (Oh, right, I should mention: The old Vision didn't love resorting to violence. This one doesn't mind it!)

After Vision makes quick work of Paladin's entourage, he flies off, leaving Paladin to assure his client that Vision will be captured. Throughout these two episodes, we don't learn the identity of the client who hired Paladin to find Vision; he or she is merely referred to as The Client during the premiere. But several characters, including Vision's A.I. confidants, believe it's someone from S.W.O.R.D. wanting their creation back after all these years.

Ultron confesses to Vision that he was the one who leaked Vision's location, because he believes that forcing Vision to run for his life in the real world will "remind you you're alive." Vision realizes that his efforts to keep Ultron around and make him a better "person" have been misguided; he thus sentences Ultron to a life of boredom, taking away all of his TV screens and techie toys and ability to communicate with the outside world. He also consults with J.A.R.V.I.S., F.R.I.D.A.Y., and the other A.I.s about what he should do now that there's a bounty on his head. Go offline? Reach out to an Avenger for help?

But while all of this discussion is transpiring in Vision's mind palace, Paladin and his yet-to-be-named handler — she's kind of like if Garcia from "Criminal Minds" existed in the MCU — are uncovering all sorts of classified S.W.O.R.D. files related to Westview and the witchy hex that Wanda put on the town in 2021. Paladin is agog at everything he's learning about Wanda and Vision... but he's especially intrigued to discover that at least one of Vision's sons is apparently alive and well(-ish) and living in London.

Indeed, Tommy Maximoff — who's going by Thomas at the moment — appears to be living in London, in the body of a twentysomething who's grifting his way through the city alongside pickpocket pal Lisa. (If you didn't watch "Agatha All Along," allow me to help here: Upon the destruction of Wanda's Westview, the consciousnesses of her sons, Billy and Tommy, were transferred into other people; we saw that Billy's landed in Billy Kaplan, the "Agatha" character played by Joe Locke; Tommy's has taken up residence here, in a character played by Ruaridh Mollica).

Paladin and his handler get their hands on some footage of Thomas in police custody about a year ago, undergoing a psychiatric evaluation and claiming that he's living two concurrent lives; he remembers having parents named Wanda and Vision, but who were they? How could they be his family? Upon viewing the psych evaluation footage, Paladin tracks down Thomas and Lisa and captures Thomas. He then finds a way — again, let's not interrogate this part too much — to send a transmission to Vision's mind palace, informing Vision that he's currently in possession of Vision's son. ("Mazel tov! It's a boy!" Ultron quips.)

Episode 2 gives us a little more Thomas backstory: At his psych evaluation last year, Thomas claims to have had a strange experience months ago where he felt a surge of energy, and suddenly it was like a second person was in his brain. He keeps having flashes of memories, too, about Wanda and Vision and Westview and White Vision emerging from flames. The authorities have no patience for his story, so he's put on a bus to the sanitarium Saint Mabyn's, which, by all accounts, is not a great place to wind up.

He meets his eventual friend and fellow grifter Lisa on that bus, and Thomas inadvertently reveals that he has some kind of superpower involving energy shooting from his hands. Lisa, the great pickpocket that she is, swipes the guard Clancy's keys and gets them access to the back of the bus; just as Clancy is chasing them, Thomas uses his power-surged hands to get the bus's back door unlatched, and he and Lisa tumble out of the bus together as it continues driving off.

In the present day, Vision and Ultron are in Vision's mind palace, watching the footage of Thomas' psych evaluation that Paladin is broadcasting to them. Thomas was apparently held responsible for young children getting injured at a swimming pool a year ago, which is what led to his psych evaluation in the first place. And though Vision is skeptical at first that either of his sons could possibly exist beyond the boundaries of Wanda's Westview, he hears Thomas (on the footage) mention that grief is merely love persevering — which, as many a "WandaVision" fan will recall, became perhaps the most memorable line from that show, in a flashback conversation between Wanda and Vision. How could Thomas know those words unless he knew Wanda?

Anyway, in an effort to draw Vision back out into the real world, Paladin brings Thomas to Saint Mabyn's and has him locked up alone, threatening Vision that he'll leave his son to rot there if Vision doesn't emerge. Vision in turn goes to Saint Mabyn's, knowing full well that it's a trap — but it's even more dangerous than Vision thought it would be. When he locates Thomas in his solitary confinement, Vision finds that he's suddenly powerless as sonic pulses weaken his powers; his mind palace begins to deterioriate and pixelate, as do his A.I. companions (and Ultron, who's usually kept in his own room at the top floor, suddenly finds he's able to join the others downstairs, due to the elevator going haywire). 

Thomas uses his mystery energy powers to break down the door of his cell, but he and Vision run into Paladin outside, who shoots Vision with adamantium rounds — ammo that does damage Vision's vibranium shell. Although Paladin eventually runs out of rounds, Vision is very weak when he and Thomas get outside, and he urges Thomas to run away, because he's not safe as long as he's near Vision. Thomas protests at first ("But you're my... my something," he reminds his maybe-dad), but he does run off.

Back at the mind palace, Vision's synthezoid pals are on the verge of vanishing forever as Vision's internal computer weakens — but J.A.R.V.I.S., proclaiming that "family is forever, and it's worth the fight," decides to delete his own code and upload all of his processing power to save the others. He removes a key from around his neck and inserts it into a computer panel, prompting him to disappear while Vision and the others get their power restored. (Aw! We'll miss you, J.A.R.V.I.S.!) And just as Paladin's men are closing in on Vision in the real world, Thomas pulls up in a vehicle he's stolen, he piles Vision into the car, and they take off.

"He didn't listen," Vision tells Ultron, whom he's been hallucinating since his hardware was damaged. "Like father, like son," Ultron replies.

OK, your turn. Did you enjoy the first two "VisionQuest" outings? Grade the series premiere in our poll below, then drop a comment with your full reactions!