It’s been three weeks since
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. “The Good Samaritan” aired. The episode was written by Jeffrey Bell and was directed by Billy Gierhart, and it left us sitting with a giant cliffhanger as Coulson (Clark Gregg), Fitz (Iain De Caestecker), and Robbie (Gabriel Luna) appear to have been blasted out of existence – or at least to another plane of existence. This episode also features Robbie’s origin story as Ghost Rider. Luna delivers a terrific performance. And finally, this episode features one of the best car stunts I have ever seen on television!
The episode begins with a flashback of Eli (Jose Zuniga) driving the Charger and arriving at Momentum Energy Lab. He runs in to find them about to run a test. He’s confused because they’re supposed to be months away from a beta. Lucy (Lilli Birdsell) tells him that Joe (Kerr Smith) has come up with what they’ve been missing. As they run the test, an energy wave passes through them. Joe is going to create matter and end starvation – does he truly have good intentions?
Eli insists it doesn’t add up. You can’t have more energy at the end than at the beginning! It violates the first law of thermodynamics! You can’t create matter from nothing. Lucy tells Eli about the book, and Joe is furious – “It’s mine!” – more like his precious…
In the present, the team determines that Lucy has removed things from the Momentum Lab and is going to try to reverse the ghost process. She needs Eli and a new place to work. Lucy has determined that the experiment didn’t fail, it was sabotaged! She doesn’t care who might get hurt – she just wants it reversed.
Gabe (Lorenzo James Henrie) is looking for Robbie when Daisy (Chloe Bennet) shows up at his door. He wants nothing to do with her and refuses to get in her car… but it’s not a car, it’s the quinjet! Henrie is excellent in this episode, and I have to say that I’m liking him a lot more in this than in
Fear the Walking Dead. Of course, in
FTWD, they destroyed his character's potential and turned him into a dick – Henrie’s acting was still excellent but all he got to do was the petulant teen.
Back at the base, Mace (Jason O’Mara) is sending Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) on a Top Secret, Your-Eyes-Only assignment. He tells her it’s a favor for the US government – read Senator Nadeer (Parminder Nagra). Simmons wants time to tie up some loose ends and pack (and let Fitz know), but Mace insists that she has to leave right then. He’s taking the quinjet – and has a hood for her! Mace starts the “A team that trusts…” mantra and Simmons solidifies their new relationship by cutting him off with a “Don’t!” I loved Henstridge in this scene, and I love what a strong character they’ve developed her into – and yes, we find out all about what she’s been asked to do in the next episode…
Gabe and Robbie are reunited and Gabe is pissed at Robbie for keeping such a big secret. Robbie is clearly distraught at finally have to confess to Gabe, but Gabe jumps to the wrong conclusion that Robbie is a Secret Agent – and Gabe is thrilled! “It’s super dope and kind of a relief.” Daisy immediately jumps in to confirm the story, and add that they had to bring Gabe in to keep him safe.
Unfortunately, Mace show up to take Daisy and Robbie into custody. Coulson meets him at the ramp – I loved this scene! Right from their very frosty – “Jeff.” “Phil.” Coulson asks Mace why he’s there on a wild goose chase because “I have zero geese. We are goose free.” Who doesn’t love a Star Wars reference? Mace descending from the quinjet was SO much like Darth Vader coming off his ship! And Mace calling Coulson Han Solo? The BEST! But Coulson doesn’t see himself that way – as the big, front and center hero – he sees himself as General Akbar – the man quietly and strategically saving the day from the command center! For me, Coulson is Solo…
Meanwhile, Mack (Henry Simmons) is hiding Robbie, Gabe, and Daisy in the containment pod and attaching it outside to the bottom of the Zephyr. Gabe instantly wins Mack over by calling him black Kojak! Perfect! Gabe is a smart kid – and proves it by understanding the science – and he wants to know why they’re hiding. Daisy tries to say it’s her, but Robbie can’t lie anymore, and we get his origin story. I loved how they teased this out – first from Gabe’s perspective and then from Robbie’s.
In the flashbacks, we see that Robbie convinces Gabe to come to the street race rather than studying. We also see that they’ve both noticed that there’s something wrong with their uncle Eli – and it’s the first hint we really get that things are not as they seem with Lucy and the gang. Gabe and Robbie end up boxed in by gang members – who we later learn were hired by Joe. Then we get the spectacular car crash – and later Robbie’s incredible trajectory from it.
Gabe was trapped in the burning car and saw Robbie’s body and thought he was dead. Robbie tells him that’s because he was dead. Gabe also remembers a “good Samaritan” pulling him from the car and then saving Robbie. But he didn’t save Robbie so much as curse him. Robbie knew he was about to get his brother killed, so as he was ripped from the car, he begged for a chance to give anything to save his brother. When it looks like Robbie might stop, Daisy reaches out to reassure him and urge him to keep going – to make a clean breast of it.
Gabe doesn’t see Johnny Blaze arrive flaming on his motorcycle, nor does he see him pass the mantle of Ghost Rider to Robbie. I LOVED that you could see the bullet hole in Blaze’s flaming skull! Robbie tells Gabe that it was just darkness after he hit the pavement until a voice asked him if he wanted a second chance to be able to punish those responsible for Gabe and to avenge his own death. Robbie said yes, but when he came to, it wasn’t the Ghost Rider that he saw but the Devil – and whatever was inside of him was now inside of Robbie. So the deal he made was to avenge the innocent.
Gabe is appalled – “you killed all those locos…” Robbie insists it wasn’t him, it was the thing inside of him – it craves vengeance. But Gabe isn’t going to be Robbie’s scapegoat. He tells Robbie that he’s fine – he can’t walk, but he’s fine with it. He tells Robbie not to try to put their blood on him. Of course, the Ghost Rider wouldn’t have been there at all if Robbie hadn’t offered to make the deal as he went out the windshield and Gabe would be dead, not paralyzed…
Fitz is still trying to track down Eli and Lucy. He’s online with May (Ming-Na Wen) when Mace’s soldiers burst in to search his lab. I loved him shouting at them that it was all a snark hunt! He tells them that’s British for a bloody waste of time! He’s clearly worried about Simmons even though he denies it at first. May tells him to feel better, and Fitz lists all the things that are bothering him: he hates that they are hunting Daisy, he doesn’t trust the new Director, and he IS worried about Simmons not calling back.
Meanwhile the hunt goes on, ending with Mace and Coulson in the vehicle bay. Mace admires the Charger – he knows his cars because he played with hotwheels as a kid! And once again, Coulson gets the best line when he tells Mace about the Charger – “they don’t come any hotter than that!” Of course, he’s being literal, so he’s not cheating on Lola! Mace tells Phil that he’s satisfied and that Phil didn’t lie. Daisy and Robbie aren’t on the Zephyr. But he’s been on the Zephyr enough to know about the containment module – and he has it raised back into the ship.
Fitz finally gets a lead, but doesn’t have the clearance to follow it up – I loved that he called whoever “created this tapestry of security” a “total wanker.” He joins the others in the bay to ask for the signatures, and Coulson tells Mace that finding Eli and Lucy. Mace ignores them, telling Coulson that he’s the new Director and if Coulson had been more honest with him, he’d be more amenable to his suggestions. I’m really enjoying O’Mara’s ability to go from affable nice guy to tyrant on a dime. Robbie has nothing left to lose and sees the chance to save his uncle slipping away. He starts to lose it and starts beating on the module.
Daisy tries to get him to stop. Mace is concerned that Robbie will get out, that the module won’t hold. I loved Coulson saying that it always has – but you can tell that he’s worried it won’t this time. Daisy tried to get Gabe not to watch and Henrie gets the prize for best face in response.
Mace asks if Robbie is Inhuman and Coulson tells him that Robbie claims to have made a deal with the devil. Fitz – or man of science – immediately says “Nonsense!” And Coulson responds, “The rationalist in me wants to agree, but the flaming skull makes a pretty compelling argument for Hail Satan” – I LOVE the writing on this show and Gregg provides the perfect delivery every time!
Fitz’s only comment when Robbie does break out is “That’s not possible” – but apparently the Ghost Rider succeeds where even Lash could not. Mace takes the Ghost Rider on. Daisy tries to take Gabe away, but he insists on staying to watch. Coulson tries to get Robbie to stop when it’s clear he’s going to win the fight, but Gabe is the only one who’s able to get through to him and pull him out of the Ghost Rider. Mace is down, and Gabe finally wants out. Away from Robbie.
Fitz finally gets in to the files – AND THIS MIGHT HAVE BEEN MY FAVORITE PART OF THE EPISODE – IT ALL LOOPS BACK TO PEGGY CARTER!!! I loved that the whole thing looped back to last season’s run of
Agent Carter. (HEY! ABC let's bring this show back, okay?) The files are all about the Isodyne and zero matter case. Roxxon Corp became the Momentum lab – and they own another lab. Fitz determines Lucy and company must be there. Mack starts planning the operation, sending May to meet them at the power plant. He tells Fitz that Mace will be fine with it – he’s a reasonable guy – has Mack met him?
Meanwhile, Coulson tries to convince Mace that Robbie isn’t a terrorist and they need him to go after Lucy and the ghost gang. Mace insists that Robbie will have to pay for what he’s done – he’s already shown Coulson that Robbie was responsible for Santana. Coulson agrees that Robbie will have to answer for it – but not today.
In the final flashback of the episode, we see that Eli went back to the lab to get the book, claiming it’s about safety. Lucy tells him that the goal has changed. They can do more than just create matter, they can create life. Eli tells her Joe just wants to be God, but God didn’t write that book, the Devil did and he wants to destroy it. There seems to be a lot of Satan in this episode – is there a direct connection between the Ghost Rider and this book?
The team meets up at the power plant. Interestingly, May isn’t happy about Robbie being there because of what Robbie did to Mace – it seems she may be the only one to like the new Director! Daisy is on the injured list, so stays behind to hack into the plant, but she can’t because it’s not on the Internet. I loved her teasing Coulson by asking how they did things in the “Old-timey days” – and him teasing back that he asks himself that all the time. Aw – they’re back! Fitz teases her that her hacking skills are rusty – too much punching, not enough hacking!
Fitz and Mack go in as engineers to shut the plant down. Coulson, May, and Robbie go in to rescue Eli. When they encounter Lucy, Robbie sends the others on and confronts her. She thinks he’s Gabriel at first. She walks through him with no effect and he grabs her arm.
May and Coulson find the book. Coulson picks it up and gives it to May to hide, telling her that she’s the only one he trusts. We’ve seen her resist evil objects in the past, but his trust of her goes deeper than that as we’ve repeatedly seen. It’s nice to see the team really starting to get back together.
Fitz and Mack can’t shut the power down. Mack declares that they’re idiots, but Fitz points out the others cheated – they used the book. Mack asks “A spell?!?!?” But once again Fitz poo-poos such notions – just better science! Mack gets the idea to use the Miami EMPS and runs back to the ship to get them.
Meanwhile, Coulson finds the chamber. Eli comes back and demands to know where the book is. He then locks himself in the chamber and tells Coulson that he doesn’t want to shut it down. Lucy tells Robbie it was Eli all along. It was Eli behind the accident in the first place! He is the one who wanted the power for himself. A thread that has run through the episode is that there are consequences – and especially for playing God. Robbie destroys Lucy anyway.
Coulson tries to shut the machine down, but it’s too late. A huge burst of energy runs out and Robbie, Coulson, and Fitz disappear. Eli walks out of the machine and is able to produce the matter!
This was a great episode with everything that
S.H.I.E.L.D. does so well – great acting, action, stunts, effects, and writing. I loved Robbie coming clean to Gabe – and terrific acting on both their parts. It was really nice to see the team coming back together – and not so nice to see them torn apart again! It’s hard to believe they’ll be able to get the missing member back without Simmons’ help – and she’s unreachable. Will Mace relent and call her back? Will he be glad to be rid of Coulson and Robbie? What did you think of the episode? Let me know in the comments below!
