In which Vision and Jocasta each plumb the depths of memory and subconscious to search for who they truly are.
In a way I am a little sad because we have some great characters in this series and I would love to get more time with each of them. As this is the penultimate episode of VisionQuest (and the longest so far, at 62 minutes) I'm valuing each minute.
Immolation is a weird word. Our conventional use of the word is with the definition to burn, or to kill by fire. If you go back in its etymology, however, you get some interesting context. The original meaning of the word meant to sacrifice, or specifically to sacrifice an animal with grain. Which, of course, makes me think of the story of Cain and Abel, and how two brothers were punished for not cooperating in an offering of sacrifice. One died, and the other was cursed to walk the world. Let's hope for a better outcome for these characters I love so much.
In this episode, there's a lot of sacrifice. We start out with the situation largely unchanged — Tommy is holding it together while Lisa is out, and clearly being transformed by Jocasta's nanobots. He and Vision figure out that they need the source code – which theoretically was the origin for both Vision and Jocasta, although possibly in different ways – and that to get it, Vision needs to visit his own little underworld.
At the same time, Jocasta wants to go to her own underworld, because of those annoying gaps in her memory. She wants to be who she is again. Both of them can get what they want, but they'll have to sacrifice themselves to do it. Immolation.
Conveniently, all of this apparently has been planned by The Client (isn't that a John Grisham novel?), who's already told both he will give them the answer to their wishes in exchange for their self-sacrifice. Vision's VISION team suggest that he might ask the Paladin for help – and I think in that very moment, Vision sees the trap close, but what can you do? Both decide to take the journey.
Vision's journey takes him to three important conversations, reminding me for some reason of the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future: Ultron, the original Vision, and finally the Synthetic Man. And there in his final confrontation, a major point of tension in the story resolves, and the Vision finally pieces together who he is. He's not a copy, he's not an imitation. He's the actual Vision, put together and reactivated, given the memories of the original Vision, the new machine, and the Vision conjured by Wanda's grief, their memories having merged at the end of the events of WandaVision. And because he is the actual Vision, he has refused, illogically, to accept that Thomas Shepherd is Thomas Maximoff, and his son. In order to accept that, he would have to accept that he is the actual Vision, and that he has lost his family.
The discussion with the two Visions was painful to watch, as was his self-destruction; it all kept leading Vision in the same direction, however, back to that painting of the Synthetic Man. I cried when Vision had his final confrontation with the original Synthetic Man and we realized that his true battle had to do with his grief. In WandaVision, Vision realized that grief and love had a symbiotic relationship, that in some cases they were the opposite sides of the same coin. In VisionQuest, this theme continues. We learn a lot of the posturing in the last few episodes – saying Vision is stronger, harder, different – have been a sham, that in many ways Ultron has been right all along. Vision has been lying to himself. While the memories, experiences, and at least part of the identity of Wanda's Vision were transferred to this new body, like Tommy, Vision has had to go through a process of integration – and to accept the loss of Tommy, Billy and Wanda have just been too much, and have led to a fractured identity.
And where does it leave us? With both Jocasta and Vision under control of one more reveal which still hasn't answered everything. Either Ultron is Phineas Horton or Phineas Horton is Ultron or... I don't know. FRIDAY seems to be dead but I'm hoping not. The quick flashback to Horton's history, his lost son, all serve to add context to the story, and it's not bad, but I was impatient to get through it and we'll have to wait until the final episode to see exactly how relevant it is. And I for one can't wait. I just wish it didn't have to end.
Data Dump
Tommy gives an incredible monologue at the start of the episode about his feelings for Lisa which make Vision look at him sideways – because they honestly seem to encapsulate Vision's relationship with Wanda.
It was awesome that Paladin's energy source turned out to be a weapon that nearly killed the Vision.
There were so many beautiful visual moments showing the Vision's internal transformation. The videography is beyond strong with this one. The moment where the Vision's reflection Technicolors is also a nice nod back to the episode of WandaVision which did the same thing.
Vision's decision to open up and share the events of WandaVision is evidence of his growth.
When Lisa goes crazy robot, is it just me or did her apparatus look like Peter's when Tony Stark gives him a surprise suit?
Jocasta and Vision both see paintings in their visions, although Horton only appears in Vision's vision.
Paladin seems to almost regret his decision by the end of the episode.
Of all the episodes, this is the one with the experience most resembling a traditional vision quest.
Code Comments
Vision: After all the battles waged, the monsters fought the only force powerful enough to imprison me is myself. That's poetic.
Vision: You have placed me on a pedestal impossibly high. And not to honor me. Not to honor me! But to spare yourself the effort of the climb.
Ultron: You know what they say when you're going through Hell? Keep going.
Vision: I am the Vision. I have always been the Vision. There is only one, and I am he. And I am impossibly broken.
In the Ratings
Five out of five glowing memory brain chip thingies.
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