‘VisionQuest’ Episode 2 Recap: Don’t Be the Ship, Be the King

Editor’s note: The below recap contains spoilers for VisionQuest Episode 2.

Nothing brings a family together quite like a prison break! Episode 2 of VisionQuest delivers even more epic action sequences and a beautiful, long-awaited reunion between Vision (Paul Bettany) and Tommy (Ruaridh Mollica). Meanwhile, some lore about the mysterious Paladin (Todd Stashwick) — or shall we say paladins, plural — offers some crucial insight into the enemy we’re dealing with here, and a heartbreaking sacrifice is made. Let’s get into it!

‘VisionQuest’ Episode 2 Gives Us More Insight Into Tommy’s Past

The episode starts with a flashback to a year ago. Tommy is in the midst of a psych evaluation at a police station, having been arrested for allegedly injuring other kids at a swimming pool. He is visibly distraught, telling authorities he didn’t mean to do anything and couldn’t control what happened. He remembers being in the water when he experienced what felt like a bolt of lightning, with someone else moving into his brain with him. This is his perspective of the scene in Agatha All Along Episode 8, when Billy (Joe Locke) put Tommy Maximoff’s soul into his body.

The police clearly don’t buy Tommy’s story, as the next thing we see is him on a prison bus on Christmas, racked with strange flashes of memories — some of being in a pool, others of Vision. A young woman named Lisa (Lauren Morais) sits next to him on the bus, her calm demeanor giving us the sense that this isn’t her first rodeo. Though originally guarded, she quickly softens towards the anxious Tommy, and they strike up a friendship.

Tommy reveals that he has a dead mom and deadbeat dad, meaning he’s been in foster homes his whole life. Lisa has been dealt an equally tough hand. She reveals that she’s a pickpocket and tells him that he should take on the persona of whoever keeps him alive, eventually falling asleep on his shoulder.

The surprisingly tender moment is interrupted by one of the other inmates yelling about how he doesn’t want to go back to wherever they’re taking him. A cruel guard tasers him, announcing that they’re going to Saint Mabyn’s, where nobody ever gets out. Tommy attempts to protect the man, but the guard tasers him, too. Luckily, this activates Tommy’s powers, and the guard gets shocked as well. In all of the commotion, Lisa manages to swipe the keys off the guard, and she and Tommy make a break for it out of the back of the truck while the prisoners sing Christmas carols to further distract the guards.

‘VisionQuest’ Episode 2 Introduces a Paladin and Vision Face-Off

Back in the present day, we get a little more information on Paladin, finding out that it’s not his name but rather his title. It turns out there are many paladins, as they are a generational line of bounty hunters. Only the sharpest minds are trained to be one, and they will find anyone for money. They believe themselves to be righteous, considering they’re bound by an unbreakable code once they agree to a job.

Vision is still having a hard time believing that Paladin really has Tommy, considering he thought he died with the removal of the hex, but seeing footage of Tommy talking about Westview gives him pause. Tommy recalls Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) singing and reading to him and says she had sad eyes that held “too much love and so much pain.” He remembers Vision having a red face like a demon but kind eyes and even repeats Vision’s words about grief being love persevering.

Vision believes Paladin that showing him this must be a sentimental ploy to draw him out, telling him as much when he meets with him. He informs Paladin that he miscalculated the amount he actually cares about Tommy. This is Tommy Shepherd, after all — not his son — and he feels no paternal feelings toward him.

Paladin calls Vision’s bluff, sharing his theory: that Wanda put Tommy Maximoff’s soul into this body and that he’s the closest thing to family Vision will ever have. Paladin warns Vision that, unless he comes with him willingly, he’ll leave Tommy where he stashed him at Saint Mabyn’s. There, he’ll be tortured with long needles and experiments that are frying his brain as they speak. Vision doesn’t take the bait, telling Paladin that he’s made a big mistake by assuming that he still has any kind of hope in humanity. He then turns into White Vision and throws him across the room. The client, who’s again watching everything from afar, berates Paladin for failing once more.

Ultron Gives a Surprisingly Good Pep Talk in ‘VisionQuest’ Episode 2

Vision is more upset about Tommy than he let on to Paladin, though he has no problem airing his grievances with Ultron (James Spader), still blaming him for giving Paladin their location. Ultron, however, has no regrets — at least Vision is now in action. Vision continues to insist that Tommy isn’t his son — he’s the other Vision’s — and laments that the only thing he can feel is the other Vision’s legacy of virtue.

Ultron reminds Vision that he met the other Vision once, when he compared him to the Ship of Theseus. Ultron insists that the Ship of Theseus is nothing but a bullshit thought exercise and attempts to motivate him by saying, “When a man has your son, don’t be the ship — be the goddamn king.” This spurs Vision into action, though Jarvis (James D’Arcy) warns him not to be too rash with his emotions, ominously showing him a mysterious picture of a man on fire as a reminder of what could happen if he allows his feelings to get the best of him.

‘VisionQuest’ Episode 2 Features an Iconic Prison Break

Vision uses his powers to freeze time when he gets to Saint Mabyn’s, with Edith (Emily Hampshire) chiming in to point out that nobody working there is dressed like a doctor, but rather like guards. Vision eviscerates them all to get to Tommy, with the AIs acting as his men in the chair. Tommy is terrified when Vision eventually finds him, repeating the mantra that Vision is all in his head, but Vision calmly comforts him.

The reunion doesn’t last long, as Vision realizes that Paladin has actually lured him into a trap: an EMP cage that destabilizes his processes. Jarvis tries to protect Vision’s core as Tommy uses his powers to try to break them out of the room, but Paladin is catching up to them quickly, using weapons meant to bypass Vision’s armor.

Vision tells Tommy that he needs to leave him behind and get to safety, as dragging him along will slow him down, but Tommy refuses. “You’re my… something,” he insists. “I’m not going to leave you.” Unfortunately, things continue to get more dire, and eventually, Tommy has no choice but to go on without Vision.

All hope seems to be lost for not only Vision but also all of the Stark AIs living in his head, since there’s not enough power to keep them all going. Ultron tells them all that, if there was ever a time for a noble self-sacrifice, it’s now. That inspires Jarvis to step up and divert his processing power to everyone else so that they may live. His last words? “Family is forever, and it’s worth the fight.” Vision fears that this is only going to end up being a temporary solution, as they’re still rapidly losing power and stranded at Saint Mabyn’s with no way out. At the last minute, however, Tommy shows up in a beat-up car and frantically tells Vision to get in. He only left so that he could procure a means of rescuing him.

‘VisionQuest’ Episode 2 Dives Deeper Into Its Characters and Shows That No One Is Safe

At last, father and son are reunited! Or should I say… something and something are reunited? Vision rescuing Tommy is not only badass but moving. Tommy being petrified of Vision is devastating, but the way Vision’s paternal instincts — as awkward as they are — come out makes for a tender moment. The fact that Vision still can’t quite accept that this could be his child but feels an obligation to protect him makes for a touching and compelling setup. Of course, we have to talk about Jarvis’ sacrifice. Though necessary for the survival of the others, it’s a bummer to see him gone so soon, especially considering he had so much potential. After Fiona’s death in the last episode, VisionQuest is making it clear that absolutely nobody, no matter how beloved, is safe.

After a premiere that set up an array of narrative threads, Episode 2 slows down a little, taking its time to dig deeper into the characters, namely Tommy. It’s interesting to see the way he experienced his soul being reincarnated compared to Billy and how certain factors — the lack of a stable family, being older when it happened, having his soul being guided by another person, etc. — impact things. Getting his perspective excitingly fleshes out the details of this magical space in the MCU, and Mollica continues to do a magnificent job anchoring us in Tommy’s jumbled point of view. I’m looking forward to seeing more from him, in particular.

New episodes of VisionQuest premiere Wednesdays on Disney+.