This article contains spoilers for “VisionQuest” Episode 4, “Malware.”
Mary McDonnell makes a guest appearance in “VisionQuest” as Katerina Wells, a tech CEO whose company — Markridge Biotech — laid the groundwork for the late Tony Stark’s (Robert Downey Jr.) AI advances. Science fiction fans will recognize McDonnell for her role on the reimagined “Battlestar Galactica” as President Laura Roslin. But that wasn’t the only reason that “Battlestar Galactica” crossed my mind during the latest “VisionQuest” episodes.
“VisionQuest” brought Ultron (James Spader) back from seeming death by revealing Vision (Paul Bettany) never killed his creator during “Avengers: Age of Ultron” at all. Rather, he preserved Ultron’s program inside himself. That makes Ultron one of the many Stark AIs living inside Vision’s head. And while Vision has been keeping Ultron locked away (physically represented by locking him in the attic), recent events have seen Vision rely on Ultron’s fatherly advice more and more — especially since Vision is now caring for his own son (it’s complicated), Tommy Shepherd/Maximoff (Ruaridh Mollica).
Ultron acts like the court jester whispering in Vision’s ear. To show this, scenes will depict Ultron’s human avatar in the same physical space as Vision and Tommy. We can see him, and Vision can see him, but Tommy can’t. In “Malware,” Tommy notices Vision is reacting and talking to someone invisible — Vision being a robot with multiple programs makes that easily explainable, but he does have to leave out that one of the AIs is the genocidal villain who destroyed the European nation Sokovia.
Vision trying, and failing, to tune out Ultron echoes many scenes of Dr. Gaius Baltar (James Callis) in “Battlestar Galactica.” Baltar had his own sarcastic android speaking in his head for most of the show: Cylon Number Six (Tricia Helfer).
The invisible Ultron talking to Vision echoes Six and Baltar on Battlestar Galactica
Here’s a crash course for anyone who doesn’t know “Battlestar Galactica.” Humankind lived on 12 planets until their robotic creations, the Cylons, destroyed them in nuclear fire. The survivors are forced to flee into space seeking a new home, with the Cylons chasing after them. But the Cylons had some inside help: Dr. Baltar is a genius computer scientist, but he’s also a hedonist and a womanizer. Humans were unaware the Cylons had taken human form, so when a beautiful blonde (Tricia Helfer) seduced Baltar and claimed she wanted access to the Twelve Colonies’ defense mainframe for corporate espionage? He gave it to her, unaware she was a Cylon, specifically Number Six of the humanoid models. This Six dies shielding Baltar from the nuclear bombing of planet Caprica — except, once he’s safely on the Galactica, Baltar starts seeing her.
The obvious conclusion, for Baltar and the audience, is he’s hallucinating. He’s under immense pressure from having accidentally helped destroy civilization and living in fear someone will discover him. Except, “Head Six” has knowledge that Baltar himself can’t and sometimes affects the physical world. Six, who has a nebulous agenda but seems to help Gaius more often than not, sometimes tells Baltar she’s an angel set by God. Her vague lines grew into major religious themes across “Battlestar Galactica.”
“Head Six” serves to keep Helfer/Number Six in the show, even with the original Number Six who seduced Baltar gone. We don’t meet “Caprica Six” again until late in Season 2 (Cylons can resurrect by downloading their minds into cloned bodies)… and once we do, we learn that she is seeing a “hallucination” of Baltar just as Gaius has been seeing one of her. Curiouser and curiouser!
Battlestar Galactica and VisionQuest are both about robots trying to be human
Head Six gives Baltar someone to talk to who knows all his secrets. It also puts him under even more stress, because there’s several scenes where he’ll be talking to someone, like President Roslin or Commander Adama (Edward James Olmos), while Six is whispering in his ear. Baltar has to try, often unsuccessfully, to ignore Six or carry on two conversations at once without looking like he’s mentally ill.
The same goes for Ultron in Vision’s head. The sarcastic peanut gallery commentator/devil on the shoulder is a perfect role for James Spader and his witty zingers. But at the same time, it drives apart the fragile trust between Vision and Tommy when the latter learns that his “dad” preserved Ultron.
“Battlestar Galactica” is one of the best science fiction shows about AI, so it’s a natural influence for “VisionQuest.” In the original 1970s “Battlestar Galactica,” the Cylons are all chrome-plated robots. In the reimagining, only the foot soldier Centurions look like that while the leaders have human bodies. It’s a budget-saving move that actually helps the story, as it shows the Cylons — created by humans — are trying to understand their parents and underlines that the Cylons had inherited all of humanity’s flaws.
In “VisionQuest,” Vision is struggling to relearn humanity. Ultron thinks he understands humans where Vision doesn’t, and as Vision’s talking inner conscience, he acts as if he’s trying to guide Vision on how to be a better dad to Tommy. “Battlestar Galactica” features a human character being tormented by an invisible android, whereas in “VisionQuest,” it’s two androids with an equally imperfect grasp on humankind in competition.
“VisionQuest” is streaming on Disney+, with new episodes dropping in batches of two on Tuesdays evenings.