It’s easy to want to like VisionQuest, a series so dead set on playing with all things twee and charming before obliterating it with unforeseen violence and meditations on life, death, and artificial life and artificial death. While Vision (Paul Bettany) lacks the necessary weight as a single character to lead the third entry of this would-be trilogy (following the superior WandaVision and Agatha All Along), the full cast are fun and vibrantly drawn, distinctive enough to stand out in the overarching MCU. But VisionQuest Episodes 5-6 can’t shake the ongoing inability to make anything matter.
I just don’t care. And I’m not sure that the series creatives, led by Terry Matalas and Kevin Feige’s continued, overbearing presence, care, either. There’s simply too much going on at any given point. Any chance for sincerity or moments where we learn about the characters and, ultimately, care for them, is diminished because the plot is plotting. The threads are weaving together messily to piece together something that lives on its own while being fully connected to every other thing the MCU has ever done/will ever do.
VisionQuest Episodes 5-6 deal in the fallout of Ultron’s (James Spader) betrayal of the rest of the AI. While he locks them within their code, he takes the time to speak to Tommy (Ruaridh Mollica). Tommy doesn’t trust Ultron, but he listens anyway. In his own way, Ultron seems to care about Tommy, even if it’s just a byproduct of existing in Vision’s mind for so long. Their conversation is the most interesting part of the two episodes. “Firewall” in general is the best of the two because at least it has direction.
VisionQuest Episodes 5-6 introduces a subtle shift of character.
In their discussion, we see a subtle change in Ultron. He admits it himself. While he once would’ve killed all of humanity without second thought, likening them to an “incurable disease that doesn’t even have the kindness to kill you,” now he says “maybe.” He might be tempted to call upon a cataclysm of destruction onto the whole of humankind but he’s not as sure. Maybe this is because of Vision’s influence or his time spent wearing the face of a human mortal. Maybe it’s just his appreciation of art, saying he’d never kill them because they’re the only ones that tell the truth.
Unfortunately, that’s where the interest in VisionQuest Episodes 5-6 ends. And not for a lack of effort. “Firewall” and “Deadlock” positively pummel us with information and exposition. From the reintroduction of Paladin (Todd Stashwick) and the unlikely alliance he shares with Vision by the end of Episode 6, to the seeming loss and reappearance of F.R.I.D.A.Y., Lisa appearing out of the blue, Vision sharing the truth of Wanda’s (Elizabeth Olsen) pain, and Jocasta’s (T’Nia Miller) plan to control human minds, there’s so much to dig through. Oh, and Ultron and Jocasta court one another and end “Deadlock” by sharing a kiss, their human, romantic interest in one another on display.
At least the courtship might’ve been interesting had the series played beyond the white confines of the designs they’ve rendered for inside an AI’s mind. Instead it has all of the visual appeal of dull markers on an erase board. For all the style the series seeks in the tailored suits and storybook aesthetic, it can’t escape Marvel’s favored cement filters.
There’s simply too much going on in “Firewall” and “Deadlock.”
On their own, each storyline introduced or expanded upon in VisionQuest Episodes 5-6 are interesting in theory. Ultron becoming more human by developing a relationship with another AI makes his entire storyline all the more gripping. Because while he seemed to be poised as the obvious big bad, there are too many other hands in the mix that might actually act as the ruinous hammer. His relationship with Jocasta, however, could be either his actual undoing or what pushes him further into humanity’s emotion-driven clutches.
Similarly, there should be some sort of fun in seeing Paladin and Vision team up, or emotional weight to Tommy learning about WandaVision. Instead, both feel rushed and unearned. Mollica is doing his best with Tommy’s character, and he’s easy to root for due to his empathetic performance. But each revelation and big moment feels too studied and stilted. There’s no real emotion.
All in all it suffers because its boring. WandaVision deployed 30 minute episodes. Surely VisionQuest , with its abundant lack of story, can manage too. Instead, the thin narrative stretches beyond reasonable length until we have to wonder just why we’re watching any more. VisionQuest Episodes 5-6 are tedious. And boring superhero stories are the worst.
What is interesting in theory falters mightily in execution in VisionQuest Episodes 5-6.
For every step ahead VisionQuest bumps itself back. There’s a level of fatigue now in watching the series. And it’s all the more frustrating because, again, it possesses the right elements to make it a worthwhile, albeit vapid, experience. Perhaps everything worth watching will happen in the season finale. Maybe we’ll be less bothered by Vision’s constantly changing personality. But there’s such a lack of direction and a desire to try out a little bit of every type of story that the series continually loses its way just as it’s about to get it all right.
VisionQuest Episodes 5-6 have some of the right notes but not enough to carry a tune. Despite the efforts to make something expansive and action-packed, the world dims due to the meandering, apathetic writing. Even with all of the stories it looks to touch upon and the relationships they seem to want to explore, “Firewall” and “Deadlock” fail to convince us why we should care.
VisionQuest Episodes 5-6 are available now on Disney+
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VisionQuest Episodes 5-6
5/10
TL;DR
VisionQuest Episodes 5-6 have some of the right notes but not enough to carry a tune. Despite the efforts to make something expansive and action-packed, the world dims due to the meandering, apathetic writing.