I’m sorry about the absence of a review last week. Life caught up with me, I’m afraid. It certainly wasn’t a reflection on how much I’ve loved the last two S.H.I.E.L.D. episodes! To make up for it, here’s a double dose of
S.H.I.E.L.D. - hopefully welcome in the Thanksgiving hiatus.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., “Chaos Theory,” was written by Lauren LeFranc and directed by David Solomon. This season is just keeping the twists, turns and action coming. Once again Iain De Caestecker delivers a stunning performance – once again with few words needed to enhance his performance. Ming-Na Wen also delivers a terrific performance in this episode. And what exactly IS going on between Coulson (Clark Gregg) and Price (Constance Zimmer)? Who is tricking who in this scenario?
The episode begins and ends with that magical trip to Hawaii for Andrew (Blair Underwood) and May. We see that May has had real insecurity about deserving happiness. Andrew vows before they leave Hawaii not to leave her a second time, but when he returns he is transformed by the terragen mist in Jian’s ledger. The ledger he subsequently uses to track down everyone from Afterlife. Of course this is how Lincoln (Luke Mitchell) figures out Lash (Matthew Willig) is someone in S.H.I.E.L.D.
Underwood is terrific as we see him struggling with what’s happened to him. As Daisy (Chloe Bennet) and Coulson argue about the ethics of encasing people in gel, Andrew clearly supports the plan. His extreme caution with handling Inhumans is explained by his own inability to control his power. This also comes out as he assesses Joey (Jan Pablo Raba). Joey has gained real control over his ability – but because he’s getting the help he needs. We see that he’s learned to control his power and wants to join Daisy’s team. Has Andrew also been using his assessments of Inhumans to try to learn to control and understand his own powers? If he’d only admitted to what happened, maybe Daisy could have helped him.
I loved how this episode was structured with so many little easter eggs. So you see Andrew pass Mack (Henry Simmons) when he’s on the phone to Lincoln and then Mack pass May while she’s looking at the flight manifests. I also loved that Mack has been in contact with Lincoln and has been helping keep him safe. Mack really seems to have embraced and accepted his role. Also? My favorite line in the episode might have been Mack lamenting not having followed up on the ax/gun hybrid! And yeah for Lincoln finally coming in from the cold to join the team!
May doesn’t tell anyone what she’s discovered about Andrew but chooses to confront him herself. Andrew tells her that he wanted to tell her. He tells her that when he changed a part of him inside changed and he craved being near Inhumans. When he lashed out, he felt a release. He tells her that he ended things with her because he loves her.
May gets between Lincoln and Lash, and it’s really a case of Beauty and the Beast. She tells him that she never knew why he married her, and that when she gave up on him, she lost something inside her when she left him. Her words help him change back into his human form. Is it her love for him? It’s also a nice parallel to the way Andrew said he felt something change inside himself when he transformed.
Once Andrew changes back to human form, May shoots him so he falls into the containment cell. Coulson wants to know how she knew the shots wouldn’t kill Andrew, and the look on his face when she says she didn’t is priceless. He’s clearly shocked. It’s Price that suggests putting Andrew into stasis until they can find a cure. It will at least stop him from transforming because Lincoln tells them that Andrew is still in transition – he soon won’t be able to change back to his human form.
I liked this scene as we see Daisy, Price, and May weigh in on the options. Price says if she had the chance to save someone she loved, she’d take it. Clearly, she’s thinking of her dead husband. Even more interesting is that May turns to Daisy for advice. She asks what she would do. Daisy says it’s only a temporary solution, but Andrew helped her, so she’d do whatever it takes. It makes sense to ask Daisy as she’s been through the transformation herself.
It was a smooth move on Coulson's part to have Daisy show Price around, but Daisy really wins Price over when she saves her. Maybe those powers are handy after all... Price offers to buy Coulson a drink, and I have to confess that I was a bit surprised to see them end up sleeping with each other! Go Coulson! However, we also learn that the person Price was taking Coulson to meet at NORAD was Malick (Powers Booth)!
Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) clearly wants to tell Fitz about what happened while she was gone, and finds the best way possible when she gives him her sim card and asks him to see if he can recover the data – of course she knew he could! She tells him that she always felt better having him as her second pair of eyes. Fitz begins watching and sees the birthday video followed by stills of the landscape and a selfie of Simmons. When he sees Simmons in Will’s arms, however, he pushes everything off the desk in his hurt and anger.
He’s just about to leave the lab when he hears Simmons’ voice talking to him. He turns and comes back – and this is what she wanted him to see. Her talking to Fitz every night. De Caestecker is simply fantastic as every emotion plays out wordlessly across his face as he watches. His eyes fill with tears as Simmons confesses she’s scared. When she suggests he likely got tired of her following him around the Academy, he mutters, “No. Never.”
Fitz continues investigating. He recognizes the symbol from the chamber on Will’s suit. Bobbi (Adrianne Palicki) and Hunger (Nick Blood) make the connection that NASA sent Will. I loved Hunter being the good friend and immediately remarking on seeing Will’s face – “Is that the other man? Just going to say what we’re all thinking. He has a hog face.” Fitz mutters with a small smile, “he does have a hog face” before turning back to the matter at hand.
In a wonderful parallel to Simmons last day with Will, Fitz and Simmons watch the sunrise. Fitz lets Simmons know that he has found something – though he’s making no promises. He also tells her that he fixed her sim card. He teases her about the cottage in Perthshire that she said she’d like to live in – that it’s in Scotland – let’s not forget where Fitz comes from! She assures him that she knows where it is. He then tries to give her an out for what she said on the tape – that she was tired and dehydrated – that she didn’t know what she was saying. Simmons insists that she was as clearheaded then as she’s ever been. The look of longing on De Caestecker’s face says is it all. Simmons asks what they should do about it. Fitz knows she still has complicated feelings for Will, so he says the best thing possible: “For now? Let’s just watch the sunrise.” And it’s Simmons’ turn to smile.
This was another great episode with some really wonderful Fitz/Simmons moments. It definitely seems like May cannot catch a break in the love department, however. A lot of the balls thrown in the air in this episode, play out satisfyingly in the next episode.
“Many Heads, One Tale,” was written by the team of Jed Whedon and DJ Doyle and was directed by Garry A Brown. This episode features the entire team working together to get some answers about the ACTU. And it also features two of the most amazing fight scenes yet this season!
The episode opens with Ward (Brett Dalton) meeting with Malick. Malick tries to convince Ward that he’s chasing rumors, that there is no Strucker family vault. He also tells Ward that he has some long standing plans that are finally coming together, and Ward’s current vendetta against S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn’t really fit in with his plans. He then tells Ward that he’s a smart predator but he doesn’t live on top of the food chain. And then we’re right into the first amazing fight of the episode.
Ward takes three hostages and fakes them out to get the location of the vault he wants. I loved the scene with him on the plane, flirting with the flight attendant (Astrea Campbell-Cobb) before telling her to strap in. I also loved his announcement to the passengers before blowing the door and leaping out! It does seem a little out of character for him to be so solicitous of them by telling them not to worry about the plane diving and even giving them a chance to buckle up.
Meanwhile, we pick up with the ACTU taking Andrew off, presumably to be put in stasis. Coulson looks to Price to reassure him that they’re doing the right thing and asks her to come to the base to talk him through it. Mack is clearly not impressed and asks if anyone is going to talk to May who is clearly struggling. Coulson knows her, however, and says that she’ll talk when she’s ready. I really liked how that played out with Lincoln later in the episode.
Mack confronts Coulson in Coulson’s office, demanding to know what’s going on between Coulson and Price. Coulson tells Mack it’s none of his business, but when Mack asks if he has feeling for her or is just playing an angle, Coulson asks, “Do you really think I’m that guy?” Coulson admits that he likes Ros and he hopes he can trust her, but he’s bringing her into the base so he can look her in the eye to figure it out --- while the team all go behind her back with Operation Spotlight.
I loved the look on Mack’s face when Coulson reveals his plan – and the episode really revolves around that playing out. Bobbi and Hunter are assigned to go in as IT from the FBI, Daisy and Mack quarterback from Zephyr 1, and May is on extraction. Lincoln has already said that she’s been giving him the “hate stare” since he got there so he’s shocked when she picks him to team up with her.
I loved when May goes off to get in the extractions jet and Mack has to tell Lincoln to go with her! Loved the look of basic terror on Mitchell’s face. He thinks she is giving him the cold shoulder when she won’t talk to him and this circles back nicely to Coulson’s earlier comment. She has trouble voicing her feelings. Once again, Wen manages to pull at our heartstrings as she apologizes to Lincoln for Andrew killing his friends and for failing to realize what was going on.
I loved the scene between Daisy and Lincoln as well – he’s really settling in nicely with the team. He wants to know if they need to talk about the kiss, and she’s totally cool with just seeing where things go. She also tells him that he has bigger decisions to make anyway. Coulson is only going to let him stay if he enrolls in Coulson’s game plan. Seems he’s done that….
Hunter – Blood – is hilarious as the anti-establishment hacker. The entire plan is clever – using the containment cell as the “hardware” that entered ACTU and it trying to connect with the local network. I also liked them purposely “wigging out” the IT guy by sending a pulse from the containment cell and then Mack on the phone as FBI, IT support! I loved Daisy feeding Hunter everything he needed to say – but then they are stuck with Hunter’s ridiculously inadequate typing skills! Hilarious! I loved Daisy and Mack quietly freaking out that Hunter didn’t know what the forward slash was – especially because I made that mistake myself last week! I also loved the gag of them opening the doors for Hunter and Bobbi.
There were a couple of parts of the episode that were really nicely cut together. The reveal at the ACTU as Bobbi enters the room and Malick actually visits Andrew was nicely done. I did have to stop and wonder how the containment cell pulse affected the ACTU system if it’s not in that building, however…. Andrew mentions a flight, so we know he’s likely a long way from the ACTU – is he in or close to that vault Ward is looking for? Malick introduces himself as an advisor to the President’s staff to gain trust. Malick tells Andrew that it strikes him that no one has even asked Andrew if he wanted to be cured. He also says that while S.H.I.E.L.D. is well intentioned, their methods are questionable – and Andrew agrees! Is it possible that Andrew is going to go over to the dark side with very little pushing?
Meanwhile, Bobbi discovers that there is no research being done for a cure, but there is a lot of fish oil. Once she finds the shells of transformed people, they realize that the ACTU is actually trying to turn as many people as possible.
Back at the base, Coulson has been showing Ros around. Coulson shows her all of his treasures, including that platinum tie clip camera. Coulson tells her that he has a soft spot for the Golden Age and that he was studying history when S.H.I.E.L.D. snatched him up. It’s an interesting thing to learn given Malick’s history lesson to Ward later in the episode.
Price comments that she didn’t expect him to be so analog. Coulson tells her that files, books, vinyl… there’s a tactile benefit. The way they feel in your hands, the wear and tear. It’s also how he likes to assess people. Price comments that she loves the smell of books – and who doesn’t! It’s another indication that these two do share a lot in common. This conversation takes place beneath the ax that Mack used to cut off Coulson’s hand – a hand that he can no longer use for that common touch. Coulson is being moved away from the analog whether he wants to be or not. He also makes the point to Price that the digital world is very vulnerable to infiltration.
Coulson takes Price to a containment room and locks her in, determined to find out the truth. Price is both hurt and surprised. She too accuses him of sleeping with her to manipulate her. She even accuses him of really being that guy – maybe you stopped trusting me the minute you slept with me. Coulson has been suspicious ever since she tried to use TAHITI to get under his skin in their first meeting. Price retaliates with ‘you like to joke about being ½ human with that robot hand, but you really are. You were stabbed through the heart and now you take pleasure in doing that to others.’ Coulson also goes for the heart when he accuses her of using her dead husband to say she was working on a cure.
Price, however, doesn’t know anything about the pills and isn’t even allowed on those floors for fear of contamination. Suddenly, things start dropping into place. She realizes she’s been getting weekly reports from Malick and that he’s the one who told her about TAHITI. Daisy and Mack find out that all the Inhumans haven’t been put in stasis either. Hunter is on the run from Banks (Andrew Howard), but Price is now on board with Coulson.
The second great fight is somewhat shorter than Wards, but Bobbi with her new and improved boomerang batons is a thing of beauty – until Banks saves them and whisks them off to the rendez vous. A couple of my favorite quotes from this scene come from Hunter – Blood is great at the one liners! He complains to Bobbi that they’re the same height – he just doesn’t wear heels – but if you check, she’s in flats! I also loved Hunter lamenting, “I miss the days when we didn’t have to fight aliens. It’s not a fair fight!”
Fitz and Simmons meanwhile have been trying to trace the ram’s head symbol to its origin – more history! In going through all the books, Simmons determines that Will was a sacrifice – not simply sent on a mission. Simmons begins to lose hope, but Fitz remains stalwart, telling her that if they can determine their goal in sending Will, they can determine how the tried to achieve it. Simmons finally loses it and tells Fitz to stop trying to do all the right things – “It’s too much!”
Fitz goes after her and wants to know where she gets off being mad at him. She admits that she’s mad at herself for roping him into helping her, knowing how much it has to be hurting him. Fitz admits he’s mad, and then says that they are cursed. And who among us hasn’t already thought that!?!? Fitz asks her if she loves Will and she admits that she does – though it’s clearly complicated. Fitz admits that he looked for dirt on the guy but he did everything right. Simmons reminds him that he was the one who dove through a hole in the universe for her. They share a passionate kiss – Fitz kisses her first, but then she comes back and kisses him. While this happens, Simmons pushes a book off the table and they end up making a discovery…
Ward arrives at the vault at about the same time as Malick, who admits he’s impressed. Ward asks if it was all a test, but Malick assures him that he really did want him dead. Now, however, Malick is thinking Ward may be worthy to be the second head of HYDRA. First though, Ward needs a history lesson. Malick tells him that HYDRA has been around a lot longer than the Red Skull, and he reveals that he has a piece of the monolith – he has his own tiny portal!
I loved them cutting back and forth between Ward/Malick and the team at S.H.I.E.L.D. so that we get Malick’s voice over the pictures after Price tells them she met Malick through NASA. Malick tells Ward that many years before the Red Skull a powerful human was born who was destined to lead but who was banished and set through the portal. Since then, over the generations, HYDRA has taken different shapes and every generation has sent men through to at least serve the leader. Now Malick is building an army. Ward tells him it’s a lot to take in, but Malick promises him that he’ll help him cut off the head of S.H.I.E.L.D. if Ward helps him. S.H.I.E.L.D. has accomplished something HYDRA has failed to do in 1,000 years – they brought someone back through the portal – Simmons!
In the final scene, Ward visits Andrew. When Andrew asks Ward what he’s doing there, Ward tells him that he’s learning. Ward gives Andrew mustard gas to turn the monster on – rather than the sedation S.H.I.E.L.D. was using to turn it off. Ward tells Andrew that he’s found another way to cause May pain. He also comments that “I guess we know her type” – apparently May is attracted to monsters like Ward and Lash…
These were two more terrific episodes. They highlight the things that really make this show so much fun to watch – there’s great action, but also careful storytelling and world building, not to mention terrific well-rounded characters. I’m a little worried that we may see another Ward/Simmons/Fitz scenario if Ward wades in to Malick’s desire to figure out the portal. I’m really hoping that Price isn’t playing a game of bait and switch and I really hope that Coulson can legitimately trust her – but I also wonder if she’s burned her bridges at the ACTU and with Malick. What did you think of the two episodes? Favorite scenes? Fight scenes? Lines? New or old pairing? 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.
