This week on WVIA Pop Shop, Allan Austin and Patrick Hamilton explore Vision Quest, the new Marvel series on Disney+ starring Paul Bettany as Vision and featuring the return of James Spader as Ultron.

Picking up the story established in WandaVision and Agatha All Along, the series follows a resurrected Vision struggling to reconcile the memories of his former life with an identity he no longer fully understands.

But does Vision Quest bring something new to the MCU, or does its complicated backstory make it another Marvel series that requires too much homework?

Allan and Patrick review the first two episodes, discussing the show's performances, its surprising violence, James Spader's scene-stealing return as Ultron, and the challenges of telling a new story within Marvel's increasingly interconnected universe.

Then the conversation turns to the bigger questions beneath the superhero spectacle. If Vision possesses memories without the emotions attached to them, what does that say about identity and consciousness? Can artificial intelligence develop genuine empathy? And what happens when a powerful being capable of extraordinary violence doesn't fully understand who—or what—it is?

Plus, is Vision Quest worth watching if you're not already deeply invested in the MCU?

Spoilers for the first two episodes begin at 17:00.