The following review, published after the VisionQuest finale,
includes spoilers for the entire season.
When WandaVision first premiered at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was exactly what many of us needed. Grief was all around us then, and our need to find hope through the fictional characters gave us one of the best experiences in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And then Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness happened, bringing rage and frustration back into the equation while we kept trying to find more human stories to keep us grounded.
In full transparency, I was convinced I’d watch one episode of VisionQuest and that’d be enough to convince me it wasn’t for me. Marvel TV has been disappointing me in more ways than one, so a miss is far more common than a win these days. But what nothing could’ve prepared me for in that first episode was the amount of tears I’d cry again. And by the second episode, it becomes abundantly clear that this little trilogy, tethered by grief and love, is a treasure in the MCU for which I’m deeply grateful.
VisionQuest, Like WandaVision, Is an Unmistakable Love Story
Ask anyone who’s ever lost someone they love what they’d do if the opportunity to bring them back presented itself. None of us would think twice about it, whether it’s a partner, a parent, or children and friends. Grief never leaves us because our love for them keeps our pain alive. It continues to tether us to those we’ve lost because our love is too deep to let go. Grief is a constant, ever-present emotion even when we aren’t actively thinking about them.
And if WandaVision was about understanding the power of grief—the idea of it being love persevering—then VisionQuest is about embracing every facet of that grief. It’s about a father reuniting with his twin sons, and a mother coming back to life in ways that’ll be instrumental in the canon later. VisionQuest is a show about love and the complexities within a family, whether hero or villain. It’s a deep-seated reminder of how crucial it is to embrace every bit of the mess to clean it up at some point.
It’s about rebirth and regeneration, and it’s about understanding how we have to confront ourselves amid the losses to come out on the other side. Most of the best moments in the MCU aren’t the grotesque battles or special effects, but they’re about the reunions and quiet moments. The characters turning to the person beside them and asking how they’ve been.
It’s the words “on your left” followed by hope resurfacing in an instant. In the same way that Spider-Man: Brand New Day is a reminder that no one can achieve anything alone, VisionQuest underscores the same message. As a result, these stories stick the landing because their human experiences can easily be tied to ours: the loneliness, the pain, the grief, the doubts, the heartaches. The belief that everything’s hollow until two brothers reunite again.
There’s endless hope in VisionQuest, and that’s exactly what we could all use more of today. It’s why we all tuned in week after week, excitedly wanting to see how these characters would find acceptance and where the knowledge of their experiences would take them. And sure, pacing meandered a bit in some areas, but the narrative is as perfect as it gets.
Every Actor Brings Their Best in VisionQuest
It’s one thing to have an excellently penned narrative, which isn’t a shocker when someone as gifted as Terry Matalas is at the helm, but it’s another to have the actors bring the words to life in such a stunning fashion that it’ll stay etched in you. We always knew Paul Bettany was outstanding as Vision, and that much becomes more and more obvious with every other character he plays in this world. Simultaneously, seeing someone like James D’Arcy return as J.A.R.V.I.S., or James Spader fully get the chance to flesh out Ultron and introduce us to Virgil Horton, is no small feat.
To then introduce the world to Ruaridh Mollica as Thomas/Tommy and give him the kind of hero’s journey that allows him to experience every human emotion possible while he finds himself is icing on top of the cake. Emily Hampshire, Orla Brady, Todd Stashwick, and every single new character we meet are astonishing throughout the show, bringing ample entertainment and layers to a story that’s already glittering on the page.
The Maximoff family is a glowing mark in the MCU, and now more than ever, that’s gorgeously crystallized through VisionQuest. Wherever they go, whatever they experience, there’s something comforting in the reminder that this little family is forever. That love can and will persevere despite the cards stacked against them.
WandaVision, Agatha All Along, and VisionQuest are all streaming on Disney+.
First Featured Image Credit: ©Marvel