Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. returned with a bang with “Laws of Nature” written by showrunner team Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen and directed by Vincent Misiano. The opening sequence was big enough to make me think that I was watching a Marvel movie, and I have to wonder if this is what viewers were expecting when they first tuned in in season one. With the addition of so many Inhumans, one has to wonder about the show’s budget and in turn to worry about the ratings. I’ve enjoyed the show since the beginning because of its wry humor and core characters. And of course, the great fight scenes and action. There were plenty of mentions of the larger Marvel universe in the episode and a first for the Marvel cinematic universe – the introduction of the first gay character with Joey (Juan Pablo Raba).
It looks like we’re going to see action on three fronts this season – at least initially. Constance Zimmer joins the cast as Rosalind Price, the leader of ATCU (Advance Threat Containment Unit) and possibly the person pulling the President’s (William Sadler) strings. We don’t see Ward (Brett Dalton) in this episode, but we know that HYDRA is going to make a re-appearance, and that Hunter (Nick Blood) is determined to go after Ward. And of course, the team has to get Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) back from the other end of the universe. I’m betting that is going to happen relatively quickly. I thought the episode did a great job in teasing all these threads.
The episode is really tightly written, as always from Whedon/Tancharoen, answering questions and asking more. We quickly learn that the terrigen in the fish oil capsules only affects those with the latent alien DNA. We also learn that the team knows that Simmons was swallowed by the monolith. Another thing that I think S.H.I.E.L.D. does really well is introduce new characters. Part of this success has to be a nod to the casting directors for getting good people, but I have fully embraced Mack (Henry Simmons), Lincoln (Luke Mitchell), Bobbi (Adrianne Palicki) and Hunter.
Rosalind is introduced really well as we think she’s ultimately the enemy who is killing the Inhumans. I loved the scene on the subway when Coulson and Hunter get out-smarted by her, but then Coulson and Rosalind realize they aren’t completely at odds – someone else is killing the Inhumans. I also liked the rather subtle way we see how much power Rosalind really wields – “it’s others who answer to me.” She tells Coulson, “The laws of nature have changed and until the laws of man change to reflect that we can only do what we feel is right.” Then we see the President say exactly the same thing – and of course, Coulson now believes Rosalind’s boast. It also gives us a nice clue to where the season is going as the episode title is “The Laws of Nature.” Everyone is writing their own law at this point as they deal with the influx of Inhumans. I’ve really enjoyed Zimmer in things like
House of Cards and look forward to what she’ll bring to the show.
The other major recurring character we meet in this episode is Joey. Raba has an impressive resume from Latin American television, but may be new to many US viewers. It’s hard to really judge the character or his performance as he’s really only had a chance to be freaked out. I am very much enjoying that they haven’t tried to make him a stereotype. Mack fills us in that he’s a construction foreman and a motorcycle enthusiast. Bobbi has read his Facebook page and knows that he’s generally more concerned for others than himself – sounds like a perfect fit for our team. There’s only one passing mention of an ex-boyfriend. One of the great things about S.H.I.E.L.D. is that things like gender and sexuality aren’t what define people. I was also relieved that the burnt half torso we see in the first shot didn’t belong to a casualty but was clearly the shell that Joey shed as he transformed.
One thing they did do with Joey’s sexuality was to use it to draw a parallel to the Inhumans. When Daisy (Chloe Bennet) and Mack go to talk to him initially, she asks him how he’s feeling. He says he feels like a stranger in his own body who he hates. People also speak in similar ways about accepting themselves when they fall outside of the “mainstream.” In addition, Joey later tells Daisy that he had to live with a secret before and that he was miserable until he came out with it. Daisy tells him that the world isn’t ready to hear this secret. I also loved Mack telling Joey that Daisy was the muscle.
I love how much Daisy has come into her own. The opening shots of the people flying past the alley followed by a car and then the shot of Daisy, now pretty much fully in control of her power was terrific. I love that the show has stuck to its guns and taken the time to tell her story. I also really liked her teaming up with Mack – though I know I’m not alone in missing May (Ming-Na Wen) in this episode. It will be interesting to see how May comes back and how last season has changed her. Will she join Hunter’s quest to get revenge on Ward or has she let go of that now. I really liked the scene between Bobbi and Hunter – but splitting up is not going to end well. Knowing that Palicki and Blood are going to split off into their own series does make me wonder if Ward will also cross over with them.
We only get one scene with Coulson and Daisy together. She tells him, “You love your new toy,” and he admits, “I very much love my new toy…” I love the new toys too, and Coulson deserves his own helicarrier. I like that they’ve developed a poly-technic adaptive material that will adjust to each Inhuman. It was interesting to see Bobbi really taking charge in the lab while she heals and while Simmons is “away.” But I don’t want to wait too long to see Palicki kicking butts and taking names again!
Coulson cooing over his new toy was one of the few glimpses of the old Coulson – and his delightful geekiness – that we get. He’s clearly being deeply affected by all the changes – perhaps mostly by the loss of his hand. We see him take off the hand – apologizing to Hunter if it makes him uncomfortable – sarcastically, of course. I did love him taking his hand off and using it as a weapon to escape from Rosalind. I did wonder if he was waiting in the lab for Fitz (Iain De Caestecker) to make him/fit him for a new hand or whether Coulson preferred nothing to the mechanical hand. Apparently, he’s had enough trouble adapting to it – he’s on his third – that he’s changed from suits – because he can’t tie a tie. He tells Fitz that with May on vacation – possibly permanently – he also feels like he’s lost his right hand too. We also see Coulson stumble over Daisy’s name, calling her Skye. When he mentions it’s hard to adjust to it, Hunter and Mack say it’s just him.
Daisy has really come into her own, but she still recognizes her own weaknesses. She decides to try to bring Lincoln into the fold – and there’s clearly some history here that we have missed. She wants Lincoln because he was so good at integrating new Inhumans because he understood the physical change. Lincoln is now trying to simply blend in and be a good doctor. Mack and Daisy go after him and he tells her he’s not interested in taking orders from anyone anymore. He tells her that their powers aren’t a gift, they’re a curse. That probably wouldn’t be very helpful in an intake situation…
And then, they are attacked by the new Inhuman big bad, Lash (Matthew Willig). I thought they did a terrific job with the make-up and effects for him. He looks very much like the character from the Inhuman comics (started in 2014). In the comic, Inhumans spring up around an “infinity event.” Did I miss a reference to this in the show? Of course, there are the upcoming Marvel Avenger movies entitled the Infinity Wars. We know on the show that it was the fish oil – but there’s also the indication that it will also be in the fish themselves.
I loved Daisy and Lincoln working together to hold off Lash. And was anyone else reminded of Raina by his spikes? My favorite part of the fight, however, was Mack muttering to himself that he needed a bigger gun… or maybe his ax… or maybe a shotgun/ax combination of some sort… Daisy tries to get Lincoln to come with them, promising to keep him safe, but he insists that his life is already in ruins and goes off on his own – no doubt, not for long.
I’ve saved possibly the best storyline for last – Fitz’s quest to save Simmons. I loved him essentially going rogue to track down even the smallest clue. He’s also really come into his own, overcoming his own fear and clearly his physical challenges from last season. De Caestecker was so good last season, but he seems poised to surpass that this season. He’s clearly a man who feels he has nothing to lose as he goes up against the Moroccan thug. It looks like in his desperation, Fitz might go too far because you know that Simmons wouldn’t want him letting splinter bombs get into the wrong hands – but they are simply booby-traps that allow him to get away.
Even better than Fitz holding his own against the thugs, is his admission that he loves Simmons. Both Mack and Coulson worry about what Fitz will do in the pursuit of rescuing Simmons. Mack has locked up the monolith. Coulson tries to get Fitz that Simmons is really gone. When Fitz opens the scroll it only has one, Hebrew word on it: Death. Fitz knows that the monolith is a black hole – dark matter made solid that can warp time and space. Which explains how Simmons got spat out across the universe.
Coulson tells Fitz that he’s show so much heart in never giving up on Simmons that he’ll always respect Fitz for that, but it’s time to tell Gemma’s parents that she’s MIA. Fitz’s eyes fill with tears – De Caestecker is just amazing in this scene as is Gregg. He finally says okay. However, it would seem that Fitz isn’t really at the acceptance stage of grief yet but just past denial, guilt, and bargaining, landing squarely on anger. He grabs a shot gun and blasts through all of Mack’s security measures – which strikes me that they weren’t that great! And here, De Caestecker takes the scene to the next level as he takes his anger out on the monolith, pounding it with his fists and screaming at it to “Do something!”
The final scene finally gives us a glimpse of what Simmons is going through. I liked the change of lighting to being blue-lit and dusky as she runs in terror across an alien landscape. When she realizes she’s bleeding, she quickly staunches the flow and dampens the smell of it by smearing mud across her face. What is chasing her? How has she been surviving? How lucky that she was stuck on a planet with oxygen! I loved the shot of the two moons/planets that simply underlines that we aren’t on earth anymore.
I really liked this episode. I think it sets us up really nicely for an exciting season ahead. I really liked the references to the other Marvel movies – New York, London, and Sokovia – as I like the link to the bigger universe. What did you think of the episode? Do you like Daisy’s new authority? Did you like the addition of Rosalind? Joey? The Lash? Did you miss May? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
About the Author - Lisa Macklem
I do interviews and write articles for the site in addition to reviewing a number of shows, including Supernatural, Arrow, Agents of Shield, Agent Carter, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, The X-Files, Defiance, Bitten, Killjoys, and a few others! I'm active on the Con scene when I have the time. When I'm not writing about television shows, I'm often writing about entertainment and media law in my capacity as a legal scholar. I also work in theatre when the opportunity arises. I'm an avid runner and rider, currently training in dressage.
