This wasn’t a big blowout episode, but I think it’s the better for it. After months of hiatus, we needed a chance to remember what the heck is going on at S.H.I.E.L.D. So, what the heck is going on at S.H.I.E.L.D.?
Rosalind Price is still dead (sad face) so the ATCU has stalled. President Matthew Ellis meets with Coulson and basically makes S.H.I.E.L.D. the new, officially unofficial black ops arm of the ATCU. An arm that will actually control the ATCU and its new head, Brigadier General Glenn Talbot. So, that should be fun.
In other Coulson-related news, he’s determined to destroy Gideon Malick and went to all the trouble of dragging out a half dead Werner von Strucker and the Dollhouse machine, which, along with Lincoln’s Pikachu powers, allowed him to find a way to contact Malick, just to make sure he knew that S.H.I.E.L.D. was coming for him.
Malick has a serious problem of his own. That problem? An alien/Grant Ward combo I like to call Squidward. Why? Because otherwise it’s known as “It” and that gets confusing. Gold acting star to Brett Dalton, whose intensely creepy portrayal of Squidward sent shivers down my spine. Also, major credit to the makeup department is due.
The main story of the week was Daisy, Mack, and co. heading down to Bogota to look into a new Inhuman, Elena “Yo-Yo” Rodriguez. She’s kind of like the Colombian Flash, but she yo-yos (get it?) back to her original position after every heartbeat. The gang sets off to investigate her when some police-issued weaponry goes missing. Soon after catching her, however, they realize that, far from being a gun-crazed powered psychopath, she’s just trying to protect the people around her. Predictable as hell, yes, but I really liked her and her story. The idea that not every Inhuman they find will be American and that not every foreigner ends up speaking perfect English is a novel concept. Joey translating was great, almost as great as Mack’s adorably pathetic attempt at Spanish and his ability to connect with a woman who kidnapped him. Awww, Mack.
Which brings me to the cold open: the reveal that, three months from now (conveniently around season finale time), something is going to blow up in space while someone wearing a S.H.I.E.L.D. jacket is present. The shot of the floating cross necklaces was obviously meant to make us think of Elena, so it’s probably not Elena.
Finally, FitzSimmons. Weary sigh. Okay, here’s the thing. I don’t ship it but I don’t hate them together either. What I hate is the constant and totally unnecessary angst. Fitz is all “I killed Will” but he didn’t. We know he didn’t, Jemma knows he didn’t (and, thankfully, told him as much). By the end of the episode they reached a relatively comfortable equilibrium, but I still find myself wanting the show to either put them together or break them up permanently. I’m sick of the Sam and Diane, Ross and Rachel bit. On a different show I might feel differently, but there are so many characters and so much plot on AoS, it seems like they should be able to find something more substantial for Fitz and Jemma to do than pine and anguish over each other. What say you, FitzSimmons shippers? Are you happy with what’s going on there or are you as sick of it as me?
Intel and Assets
--This is my honest reaction every time I see Daisy:
Hunter: “All it takes is one tainted fish taco.”
Skye: “How do you lose someone as big as Mack?”
He makes Adrianne Palicki look average height. That is a tall man.
Hunter: “Her?”
Mack: “Don’t make me crush you.”
May: “You joined the cavalry.”
three and a half out of four tainted fish tacos
--
sunbunny, who is not Mark Greig
Not a bad episode, as you say, sunbunny. I really liked YoYo Elena and the resolution of her story, and agree that Squidward was totally creepy. And I'm also not into the FitzSimmons thing. They've always felt like brother and sister to me.
ReplyDeleteI will ship Fitzsimmons until I'm on my deathbed. Actually, I'll ship fitzsimmons even in the afterlife.
ReplyDeleteI wasn’t so excited about this one. In fact, I find myself wondering why should I care about the stories being told at all. Where is the hook? I feel like the series is loosing me, and it’s not the first time that happens. I do like some of the characters, but the yo-yo in quality is turning me off.
ReplyDeleteFitzsimmons sometimes feel like they are part of a different series altogether. I don’t care anymore if they become a romantic couple or not. I rather have them as friends, but their scenes are great anyway and the actors always elevate the material they are given.
Speaking of Fitzsimmons, I found this great trailer for their relationship back in season one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-CfJSbfHAw
That almost turned me into a shipper. There’s also a trailer for the second season.
Speaking of trailers, this honest trailer for AOS is brilliant. I totally lost it on the names they gave May and Skye/Daisy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xt6uagFjJsU
I enjoyed this episode - it was fun having everyone back after the crazy mid-season finale and it being more business as usual.
ReplyDeleteSquidward is an awesome name!
I like the new plan of having most of the Inhuman team members be "on call" instead of always together. Good way to bring them in occasionally without crowding out the main cast every episode. And I like that Elena was already chill with her powers and using them to accomplish good things - and that Daisy recognized that. We can't have every Inhuman needing months of therapy and training before they're put in the field.
Of course, Hunter would try the fish oil. I like that this brings out the possibility that other team members may be Inhuman as well. I'm going to really miss Hunter and Bobbi on this show if their new one gets picked up.