| October 12, 2026 
| | |
Vision back in action | | Paul Bettany, left, and Ruaridh Mollica in “VisionQuest.” Marvel |
Dear Watchers,The Marvel Cinematic Universe android known as Vision has been through a lot since being introduced in “Avengers: Age of Ultron.” He joined the Avengers. He fell in love with Wanda Maximoff, the superpowered mutant code-named the Scarlet Witch. He was killed by Thanos. And he was resurrected — in two different forms — in the TV series “WandaVision.” You don’t need to know all that to enjoy the limited series “VisionQuest,” which debuts with two of its eight episodes on Wednesday, on Disney+. All the necessary backstory is explained in the first five minutes. From there, the show becomes a stylish chase thriller with philosophical overtones. Paul Bettany reprises his role as Vision, who as the story begins is living incognito as a human. During his off hours, Vision disappears into his own electronic brain, in which he has constructed an elaborate country estate. There he interacts with some of the other androids and artificial intelligence programs created by Stark Industries and contemplates the ways in which he is a “Ship of Theseus,” rebuilt and reprogrammed so many times that he has lost connection to his origins. Those A.I.s include J.A.R.V.I.S. (James D’Arcy), F.R.I.D.A.Y. (Orla Brady) and E.D.I.T.H. (Emily Hampshire), each of whom try to help Vision in his quest to behave more like a human. But the most controversial resident of Vision’s mind-manor is Ultron (James Spader), the misanthropic supervillain whose advice can never be fully trusted. The premiere also introduces two other main characters: Tommy Maximoff (Ruaridh Mollica), the now-grown son that Wanda created from her imagination in “WandaVision”; and Paladin (Todd Stashwick), a bounty hunter who flushes Vision out of hiding by going after Tommy. Although Vision no longer has any direct emotional memories of having a family, he knows that protecting his “child” could be the key to reclaiming his old self. Or at least that what Ultron tells him. Created by Terry Matalas (“12 Monkeys,” “Star Trek: Picard”), “VisionQuest” is action-packed, as Vision and the superpowered Tommy hit the road, pursued by Paladin and agents of S.W.O.R.D. But the show’s deeper appeal lies in its soulfulness. From the art direction that resembles the eerie sheen of A.I. slop, to the spirited conversations between Vision and Ultron — given some quirky energy by Bettany and Spader — “VisionQuest” is a playful but sincere exploration of the increasingly permeable boundaries between A.I. and humanity. Also this week | | Tommy Lee Jones, left, joins Ethan Hawke in Season 2 of “The Lowdown” on FX. Shane Brown/FX |
- The outstanding FX series “The Lowdown” returns for a second season, bringing back Ethan Hawke as the rebellious citizen journalist Lee Raybon, out to hold the powerful accountable in Tulsa, Okla. The first two episodes of Season 2 premiere on Wednesday, on FX and Hulu.
- Years before the “Friday the 13th” villain Jason Voorhees developed a taste for hockey masks and sharp blades, he was a sweet misfit kid being raised by his plucky single mother, Pamela (Linda Cardellini). The long-gestating series “Crystal Lake” looks back at the strange, twisted story of this future serial killer and the summer camp he would one day stalk. All eight episodes arrive on Thursday, on Peacock.
- For the sitcom “Hollywood Arts,” Daniella Monet reprises Trina Vega, her overconfident character from the Nickelodeon series “Victorious,” who returns to her old performing arts high school as an in-over-her-head substitute teacher. The first season premieres on Thursday, on Netflix.
- In the stand-up special “Kate Berlant: Parmesan,” the comedian’s highly physical performing style and rubbery facial expressions add oomph to jokes that range from astute social observations to hilariously surreal tangents. It debuts on Friday, on HBO and HBO Max.
|
|
