The theme of grief and heartbreak aren't exactly the part of Bond movies audiences most enjoy, but Daniel Craig's arc as a humanized Bond required its lows for its highs to truly become series highs. Without using one separate story to explore a 007 thrown unmistakably off his game, Vesper's importance in Bond's life come Casino Royale's third act is cheapened. Without seeing him put through the wringer, Bond's resurrective return to duty in Skyfall feels somewhat unearned. Without seeing how deep a scar Vesper's death left on him, Bond choosing to mirror her self-sacrifice at the end of No Time To Die is robbed of its conclusive meaning.
Quantum of Solace has its share of glaring flaws, especially compared to the installments preceding and following it. Its differences in tone and pacing are jarring, and its combination of a less important central story and brisk runtime leaves notably less in the way of footholds for audience investment. Furthermore, it concludes with a somewhat detached vignette where Bond tracks down Vesper's blackmailer and spares his life, a condensed and familiar "revenge movie" arc arguably befitting an extended epilogue to Casino Royale. Nonetheless, in the greater span of Daniel Craig's interconnected Bond films, there's still relatable meta-commentary to be made of Bond's "off year" as both a character and franchise.
