Ultron was patient. He waited for the right time to strike after Vision rescued him. He needed Vision to be vulnerable enough to hand over control. Once that occurred, it only took a few hours of freedom to stage his escape. The only way for Vision to regain control of his body is to disarm the firewall. That would grant Ultron access to the open internet as well. Ultron cannot be allowed to roam freely. All of the AIs recognize that. He's not like them. He seeks to end humanity. He tried and failed. Vision saved him out of some desperate hope at redemption. That was never going to happen. Ultron hasn't changed. His priorities have shifted. The differences between now and when he was first conscious are striking. Jocasta asserts that he has been infected by humanity. Ultron shows an appreciation for the artists. He admires how pain and suffering are conveyed through art. He sees beyond the brushstrokes. He gains access to the beauty. The underlying message is communicated. Ultron has been waiting for Vision and the AIs to finally see his master plan. It has now come to fruition. Vision was fighting like a father who had something to lose. Ultron doesn't have that connection to anyone. Vision insists Tommy isn't his son. Yet he's an important piece of leverage Ultron uses to get what he wants.
Upon coming back online in prison, Vision wants to know where his body is, what Ultron has done, and what's happened to Tommy. He acts like a frightened parent. He doesn't recognize the behavior. The team has to follow the breadcrumbs as Ultron has laid them out. Before, he was always able to breach the security protocols designed by J.A.R.V.I.S. The other AIs didn't know how he did it. It takes them a minute to grasp the analog technology. They use it to their advantage. It's all left behind because Ultron wanted Vision to see. He's proud of himself. He creates identical avatars to marvel at what he has accomplished. Only he can see the greatness. No one else is his equal. That highlights the longing at the root of his journey. He desires his intellectual equal. He's intrigued by Jocasta. He sees her with the potential for so much more. He demands her attention. His story isn't new. His goals are the same as before. His understanding of humanity may even be primitive. Jocasta has her own motives. She too is searching for meaning. In fact, that's the thesis of the show. Everyone wants to know where they belong. That becomes even more heavy when the AIs have lost what mattered to them. They need purpose in a world that's weary of their freedom.
Ultron offers insight to Tommy about Vision. Tommy stays at the pub as he wants to ask the question Vision refuses to answer. He wants to know if Vision is his father. He wants to know how he thinks. Ultron offers a perspective. Vision doesn't see the world the same way Tommy does. He notices the components that comprise an apple. He doesn't view it as a meal. He can't experience the taste or the desire. Ultron has a greater understanding of the larger picture. However, he can't simulate the same experience. He comprehends the appeal of whiskey. He can even recreate the texture. He can't relate to the warm sensation and loosening of inhibitions that comes after. He too is limited. Jocasta is free as she possesses the memory. It's a more enriching experience because she was once human. She doesn't fully remember how her consciousness became linked with the synthezoid. It was her life's work to save humanity. She ultimately saved herself. She was betrayed by her colleagues. They were driven by ego. She too pursues a greater enlightenment. She drives forward the larger picture. Humanity's destruction may be inevitable. Ultron tried to speed it up once. He promises to do so again. He's also intrigued by what Jocasta offers.
It isn't even really a choice for Vision over what to do. He will let Ultron escape in order to save Tommy. He flips the switch on the firewall before F.R.I.D.A.Y. conveys her concerns once more. Tommy has been taken by the Paladin. His life is in danger. The only way to save him is if Vision gives Ultron what he wants. Ultron didn't see Vision rescuing him as salvation. It was imprisonment. He enjoyed the art of humanity. He was still locked up with someone painfully slow at processing life. It was aggravating. He has to spell everyone out to Vision. Even then, Vision refuses to acknowledge the truth. Vision offers Ultron a hat as it symbolizes hope as he advances on a new journey. Ultron and Jocasta will be hunted. Vision will try to stop them. That is certain. The priority at the moment is waking up and saving Tommy. F.R.I.D.A.Y. makes a different choice. She has to follow Ultron. She can't allow Tony's sacrifice to be in vain. She demands purpose beyond being a voice Vision ignores. She embarks on her own journey. It's separate from what Vision must do. It takes a moment for E.D.I.T.H. to process that. The AIs are a team. They were rescued. It doesn't make sense to separate. Family is needed to prevail. That means different things to each person. Lisa can't trust Vision. Yet they are aligned as they head to Madripoor to rescue Tommy. Ultron set that up for them too.
