Final Review and Recap of Marvel’s VisionQuest Series

Full spoilers ahead for VisionQuest Episode 8!

VisionQuest has certainly gained momentum over time, to the point where it easily ranks among Marvel’s best live-action Disney+ shows to date (not that it seems like there will be much competition in the foreseeable future). Unfortunately, this momentum doesn’t entirely carry over into the final episode. “Forever” is a bit of a disappointment compared to recent episodes of the series, mainly due to the last-minute pivot to a new villain.

James Spader stole the show so often as Ultron in this series. But here, Spader proves to be both the best and worst part of the finale. His Ultron remains as compelling and entertaining as ever, but Spader can’t quite convey that appeal to his new role as the shadowy “Client,” aka Virgil Horton. There’s something about Horton that just doesn’t resonate as strongly as Ultron. It’s hard to say whether the problem lies more in the quality of the dialogue or the relatively manic way Spader plays it, but Horton seems more annoying than menacing. We can’t say that the actor doesn’t give it his all here (including in that crazy little dance number), but as a late-game villain, Virgil Horton lacks a certain je ne sais quoi.

VisionQuest Images

Part of this goes back to the idea that Ultron is based on a human model in the first place. The show lightly teased him a few episodes ago when Ultron insisted to FRIDAY that he was unique. Well, it turns out that’s not the case. It diminishes this villain a bit to see that all of his acerbic, affected charm comes not from the fact that he was invented in a lab by Tony Stark and immediately exposed to the horrors of the Internet, but because he’s a copy of Jo Carrington’s (T’Nia Miller) creepy ex-boyfriend. Ultimately, I might have been happier if the series had climaxed with the more predictable reveal that Phineas Horton (Paul Bettany) or JIM was the client.

With all of this in mind, it’s just as well that the finale finally wipes Virgil Horton’s hands clean and returns to the core rivalry between Vision and Ultron. Horton’s death scene is amusing in its abruptness, although it’s a little strange that Ultron lets out a wry retort immediately after seeing his beloved Jocasta shot. Regardless, the episode makes the most of Ultron’s grief over losing the woman he loves so obsessively. That’s quite a change for a character who previously wanted to wipe out humanity for no reason other than sheer contempt for his creators. Last time, the Avengers stopped Ultron by force. This time, Vision does it alone by appealing to Ultron’s latent humanity.

The finale also benefits from a steady dose of action, both inside and outside of the Horton mansion. We finally get to see more of Vision and Ultron in their unfiltered android forms, including a rather stylish costume redesign for Vision himself. On this level at least, this episode does not disappoint.

The way “Forever” focuses on Vision’s small family unit is also satisfying. We finally get the big reunion between Tommy (Ruaridh Mollica) and Billy (Joe Locke), as the latter pierces the magical veil to find his long-lost brother. I really expected the show to do nothing other than hint at Billy’s existence at the end, so getting some meaningful interaction between the brothers is a treat. And am I wrong, or was this an actual short story (albeit extremely brief) shot of Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) when Vision is being tortured in the dining room? Either way, the show certainly wants us to come away feeling like the whole family will be happily reunited at some point after Avengers: Secret Wars.

Update – Marvel neglected to include this Doom/Wanda post-credits scene in the screeners I watched, but after seeing it now, it’s even more obvious that there are big plans ahead for the entire Maximoff family in the MCU. It was a nice little surprise.

I think the episode takes the whole “found family” conceit a little too far by eventually teaming up Vision, Tommy, Lisa (Lauren Morais), and all the AI ​​units with Paladin (Todd Stashwick). Obviously, Paladin himself has had a bit of a redemption arc over time, but are we forgetting the fact that he was responsible for JARVIS’ death in Episode 2? Having everyone become boyfriend/boyfriend is too cute by half.