Hey, hey, Geekly Gang! Kyra Kyle here with another review/reaction of a VisionQuest episode, “Reboot.” If you want to see my thoughts on VisionQuest’s first episode, “Theseus,” check out this link. “Reboot” is a spruced-up bottle episode where most of the action between The Vision and Tommy occurs in a hotel (with the pair looking inward), while the scenes involving The Paladin and Jocasta has a few locations to include a swanky penthouse (with The Paladin looking outward). I like the asymmetry used in these two story lines. It serves VisionQuest’s story well and makes the shifts between the two stories almost seamless.
Before we go any further, a spoiler warning is in effect. Consider yourself warned. I really liked how VisionQuest set up the two opposing stories. Like I said, The Vision and Tommy’s storylines looks inward. The Vision finds the man he wants to become through becoming Tommy’s father. He places the blame on Wanda Maximoff for most of “Reboot’s” runtime, unable to reconcile the absurdity of a synthezoid fathering a human child with a chaos witch. Saying it out loud, I see The Vision’s point. It’s ludicrous. And somehow, Wanda’s hex magic willed it into being. The Vision is Thomas Shepard’s father. How else can one explain that he can phase through solid objects? It’s something Tommy inherited from The Vision. The Vision side of “Reboot’s” story concerns itself with past connections and a hopeful future.
I loved the scenes between The Vision and Tommy. They felt real, like a parent and child reconnecting after years. Despite owning a wealth of knowledge, The Vision struggles to be a father. It’s touching. It’s honest. And it’s fitting that The Vision’s first step toward becoming a real father was to listen to his son. Beautiful.
The Vision’s internal world takes a step back in “Reboot.” The characters are just as engaging as ever. I liked the touch of Tony Stark basing his AIs off of real-life people. We may (and probably should) find out more about the people F.R.I.D.A.Y. and E.D.I.T.H.’s are copied from. The MCU did show Jarvis (Agent Carter) and J.A.R.V.I.S. early in its runtime. It’s great to see Stark continue this practice, because this is what happens in the comics. The comic book version of The Vision was a brain copy of Wonder Man’s. For a time, I wondered if the MCU would link Wonder Man and VisionQuest. Jocasta, who is most likely the other synthezoid introduced in “Reboot,” (we may get confirmation in the next episode) was a brain copy of someone else. I like the concept of brain copies. It’s a great way to flesh out the MCU and sprinkle in some callbacks, provided those callbacks are more than nostalgia bait and hold meaning.
Quick note: I’m writing these reviews/reactions as I watch the episodes; I haven’t yet watched episode four before writing this post, and my thoughts on the next episode may alter my thoughts on this episode (in retrospect). Future Kyra may know who the other synthezoid is and who’s brain the synthezoid copies.
I liked the scene at the end where The Vision’s internal world converges with this new synthezoid. The moment before the invasion, The Vision and the surviving AIs honor J.A.R.V.I.S.’s memory. Who knew U could sing? And D.U.M-E is anything but if he can recite poetry. It’s a touching moment and necessary one. J.A.R.V.I.S. may not have shown up as much in the MCU these past several years, but I still see bumper stickers that read, J.A.R.V.I.S. is my copilot. Fans didn’t have time to mourn his passing last week. And I liked the many Easter eggs VisionQuest threw into this episode. I counted almost 90. 90 is a lot. My favorites were when U sprayed E.D.I.T.H. with a fire extinguisher (like he did with Tony in 2008’s Iron Man), and F.R.I.D.A.Y. recounting the day she couldn’t save Tony. Equal parts funny and heartbreaking.
I’ve delayed talking about The Paladin’s side of the story for long enough. We discovered more about The Paladin this week. Fantastic. Despite being one of VisionQuest’s chief antagonists, I almost found myself rooting for him. The Paladin has a strange moral code and magnetic personality, but the addition of an inferiority complex (he’s not a Paladin by blood) makes him a more complex character. VisionQuest choses its flashbacks well and doesn’t slow down the narrative by throwing in too many. Easter Eggs may be a different conversation. Anyway, The Paladin gets fired by his employer. Something tells me he won’t stop hunting The Vision, and The Vision will have more bounty hunters on his tail. Not to mention the other synthezoid.
Yes! I’m almost certain the other synthezoid is Jocasta Pym. To save me from going through all the MCU’s potential synthezoids, let’s just say she is the bride of Ultron, Jocasta. In the comics, Jocasta is a brain copy of The Wasp. I don’t see that. VisionQuest has reestablished brain copies as a thing in the MCU, so Jocasta will definitely be a brain copy of someone, but the Wasp doesn’t fit. The MCU also wants to distance itself from Antman and the Wasp: Quantumania. So, who is Jocasta’s brain double? She’s an assassin, so a Black Widow (maybe the one from Agent Carter) would make sense. Taskmaster was unceremonially eliminated (in Thunderbolts*), so Jocasta could’ve been a copy of Taskmaster. Regardless of who she is, Jocasta (or the other synthezoid) left an impression.
VisionQuest “Reboot” ended on a great note. I struggled to rewatch “Reboot” before writing this post because I wanted to see what would happen next. Jocasta infiltrating The Vision’s internal world is compelling. The visual cues VisionQuest leading up to this invasion was spot on (the color palette changes, Ultron following the butcherbird killer and painting the end scene during “Reboot’s” opening scenes). I’ve said it multiple times. The Vision/Wanda Maximoff trilogy of mini series is the best MCU property this side of Avengers: End Game. All of these projects are baseline good to great.
Those are my thoughts on VisionQuest “Reboot.” What are yours? Let us know in the comments. Thank you for reading, and wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.
