Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. returns this week with a new arc subtitled
LMD – for Life Model Decoy. It’s been over a month since “The Laws of Inferno Dynamics” aired, so I thought it would be a good idea to re-cap and review the episode just before starting the new arc because the episode is jam-packed! “The Laws of Inferno Dynamics” was written by Paul Zbyszewski and was directed by Kevin Tancharoen.
The episode begins with Eli (Jose Zuniga) in full mad scientist mode. He and the Chinese gang that he’s coopted are surrounded by S.H.I.E.L.D. and pinned down in a warehouse. Their leader is not happy about not having been paid and doesn’t want to go to war with S.H.I.E.L.D. Eli pays him the “hard way” with diamonds. He’s happy to show S.H.I.E.L.D. what he’s working on.
Mace (Jason O’Mara) is dealing with trying to defuse the press, but he does shift attention away from Daisy (Chloe Bennet) by telling the reporter that the situation definitely isn’t Quake. Burrows (Patrick Cavanaugh) is all about the optics of the situation, which Mace seems to be giving priority, but he finally shoos him away to meet with May (Ming-Na Wen) and Couslon (Clark Gregg) – who aren’t impressed.
Mace doesn’t want to be seen working with Daisy or Robbie (Gabriel Luna), but Coulson comes to Robbie’s defense, pointing out that he’s nearly unstoppable and Eli is a pretty unstoppable problem. Mace is completely ready to bring Aida (Mallory Jansen) on board – and this was one of my favorite moments in the entire episode. Coulson tells him all cards on the table – and May looks surprised and reluctant – and he tells Mace that Aida’s an android. O’Mara and Gregg are really terrific together, and the more scenes they play together, the more I think they must be having a blast working together. In hindsight, I also had to re-assess May’s reaction here because it’s pretty clear this probably isn’t May…
I loved that Mace is first a bit disgusted that he was attracted to her – but then focuses on the Sokovia Accords and what happened with Ultron. I will never not love them referencing the movies and the entire universe. Coulson suggests that Aida could be a valuable, at least for now, and Mace agrees. However, he also says that they’ll dismantle her afterwards – and there’s a brief shot of Wen’s face – she looks upset – it’s brief and really subtle, just a great moment from Wen.
Coulson also gets the green light for his strike team that includes Daisy – who he’s to keep out of sight – Robbie, and Yo-Yo (Natalia Cordova-Buckley). May expresses her surprise at Coulson giving up Aida, but he’s hoping that by putting all his cards on the table, Mace will reciprocate and tell him what the deal is with Senator Nadeer. May insists that Mace is on the side he’s always been on – his own. Coulson agrees that Mace is a political animal. May isn’t happy that she’s playing chauffeur to a robot, and Coulson admits he’ll miss her in the field. She promises to catch up, and then he makes a date to crack that bottle with her when it’s all over – Philanda is happening! Or is it… May looks pretty pleased as Coulson boards the plane though, so I did have a happy moment or two.
Mack (Henry Simmons) is getting the team prepped to go in, and Robbie refuses to wear a mask. Mack explains it’s just a balaclava, and Robbie hilariously confuses it with the Greek dessert baklava! Mack explains that the Director just wants Robbie to keep a low profile with the media, but Robbie insists that he doesn’t answer to the Director – and Mack agrees that Robbie’s boss – the Devil? – is much worse. Mack is hopeful that once they take care of Eli, Robbie will be free.
Mack and Coulson coordinate from the ground while Fitz (Iain De Caestecker) and Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) coordinate from the Zephyr. All of Morrow’s men have pulled back, according to their surveillance. Fitz and Simmons agree that Eli can’t be creating something out of nothing – it’s the First Law of Thermodynamics. Simmons suggest magic, and Fitz immediately says he doesn’t like magic – or clowns with knives in the dark! Have I mentioned recently how much I love Fitz?
Daisy, Robbie, and Yo-Yo go to head in. Fitz is concerned about Daisy’s gauntlets, but she insists that they have dampened the effect of her powers on her bones to a 10th of what it was. Yo-Yo goes in on recon because they smell a trap and the corridor bursts into flames. She makes it mostly out, but is injured. Daisy goes to help her, but Robbie heads in – after all, fire is no deterrent to him!
Radcliffe (John Hannah) defends Aida to Mace. He compliments him on how lifelike she is and suggests she could be used as a soldier, a decoy, or a spy. Radcliffe replies – or a chef! Radcliffe offers all of his data and apologizes for not getting the proper clearances. Mace focuses on the arch that Aida built and is particularly interested in the Darkforce book. Mace clearly has plans for Aida – and her next mission.
Mack tries to take care of Yo-Yo, but she doesn’t want to be coddled. Daisy works with Coulson – and it’s awesome to see them back on the same page!
Robbie has no problem getting through Eli’s men. The whole team see what Eli was building. Simmons describes it as a giant battery filled with quantum energy. Simmons and Fitz try to keep Robbie from going into the box but Robbie’s comms are fried.
Eli shows up and tells Robbie not to touch something on the wall. He also tells him to go home. When Robbie tries to flame into Ghost Rider, Eli punches a carbon stalactite through him.
Daisy is about to go after Robbie, when a quake hits. Coulson thinks it’s her – “you realize we’re trying to hide you from the press, right?” But Daisy insists it wasn’t her. Simmons tells them the problem is bigger than they thought – it’s the demon core. Simmons calls it a failsafe and Fitz calls it a fuel source – but it’s both. In essence, Eli has created an atomic bomb and if Robbie lights up, he’ll set it off. Coulson is ready for Plan B – but doesn’t have one!
Eli figures out that Robbie isn’t normal. He’s heard stories of the Ghost Rider. Robbie tells Eli it’s because of him – the drive by was supposed to be for Eli. Eli tells him that he never wanted to hurt them. Robbie wants to know why Eli became a killer. He had a family, a PhD, and a good job. Eli clearly had a chip on his shoulder about how the other scientists treated him – he just wanted respect! But now Eli thinks he’s becoming a God – and Robbie tells him he better be because the Devil is coming for him!
Mace shows up with Aida, May, and Radcliffe, who he’s briefed on everything. Radcliffe tells Coulson that Aida has brought equipment that she thinks could be helpful. May pipes in that “Aida thinks…” and Coulson suggests that maybe she thinks about “electric sheep” – which is a nice reference to
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep – the novel that inspired
Blade Runner – and we all know how things went for those Androids… Aida recognizes it as a joke even though she doesn’t understand it. Mace is ready for the press to see the Director in action – and he has a plan.
We get a terrific scene with Fitz, Simmons, and Daisy back together again. Fitz confirms what Daisy already knows – the seismic activity is not due to her. I love that he always has to science everything! They also share that they don’t trust Mace – and then fill her in about Nadeer. She doesn’t think it makes sense because he’s an Inhuman and Nadeer hates them.
Mack is not happy with Mace’s plan. Mace wants Yo-Yo to run in and grab the plutonium! Yo-Yo isn’t impressed that Mack is speaking for her and insists that she’s ready to go back into the field. Mace suggests Yo-Yo could wear a hazmat suit! Mack finally suggests that Mace should stick to optics and let someone else handle tactics! Coulson finally intervenes before Mack gets fired!
Mack tells Elena that he just wants to protect her. She wants to know why he hasn’t called her that in three months. He thinks she should know how he feels about her, but she tells him that among her many gifts, she isn’t a mind reader! After all, he’s been giving lots of mixed signals. I liked that she pushed back.
Daisy feels a quake coming. Fitz sciences it back to what Eli is doing – he’s stealing matter and this is the side effect!
Coulson and Mace have it out, and Coulson wants to know about the deal with Nadeer. Daisy joins in and asks about Nadeer’s Inhuman. Mace tells Daisy that he’s working with Nadeer because of the photos she has of Daisy in the prison. Mace was just trying to protect S.H.I.E.L.D. – the job he was hired to do. Coulson asks why Mace didn’t come to him. Mace points out that they aren’t a team that trusts. They aren’t a team at all – and he seems genuinely sad about that. Coulson suggests that they’d better become a team to stop Eli from blowing up half of LA – and Daisy tells them Fitz figured it out!
Eli’s plan is to create life, but Coulson tells him he’s not a god – he’s still just a petty thief! Apparently the plan included Coulson getting captured. Coulson was delivering Robbie’s chain. I love listening to Coulson banter – like ‘Coulson, I thought you were dead’ never gets old…
Fitz and Simmons work with Aida and Radcliffe. Daisy is going to keep the quakes from disturbing their work. Daisy says she can’t believe how lifelike Aida is and Aida takes it as a compliment. She says she is learning to be lifelike – and is clearly observing the others even as she works.
Coulson breaks it to Eli that he’s not creating energy – he’s simply stealing it. He tells him that he’s drunk on power. Robbie in the box feels like something is pulling at him – the same way that he was being pulled in the other dimension. Eli insists that he can create life even after death. The bomb is Eli’s “endgame.”
Coulson tells Robbie to get out of the box and tells the rest of them: “All teams, go hot!” I loved him just sticking his hand out. We get a terrific sequence of stunts/fights and special effects – something that this show does better than any other on television.
May fights hand to hand with her team, and Mace joins them – and we get the debut of his suit – very Captain America in a black/Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. way… Yo-Yo runs in helps Mack, hands Coulson a gun, and places a device on Eli’s chest.
Robbie flames out as Aida’s device powers up, and Daisy is overwhelmed by the quakes. Aida is shot – seemingly taking the bullets for Fitz and Simmons – who brilliantly stand up in unison and both shoot the hostile! Look how far they’ve both come!! Eli is down in the box, and Coulson throws Robbie the chain. Robbie lets go of the chain to keep Eli in the box which closes – the box disappears – through Aida’s device presumably – and Robbie is lost.
Aida assures Simmons that she won’t bleed out, but she also tells them that she’s been programmed to feel pain as a decoy. She admits it’s really awful! Daisy staggers out to harmlessly dispel all the energy that she’s absorbed. Naturally, she lands right by the press! They are all over her, and surprisingly, Mace comes to her rescue and tells the press that Daisy has been working with them and that she’s saved everyone! Daisy is stunned but Mace tells her just to go with it.
Daisy is going to give Robbie’s Charger to Gabe, but Coulson tells her not to count out the owner just yet. He makes – and then brushes off – a comment about the last Ghost Rider making it back. Coulson seems pretty sure that Robbie is going to make it back. He invites Daisy to join everyone else in the common room, and she points out that she already did… join. Coulson tells her that if she doesn’t want to be an Agent again, he’ll work something out for her. Daisy isn’t sure about being back with rules and regulations, but she’s missed Coulson – and the others. She thinks it’s cool that the face of S.H.I.E.L.D. is an Inhuman – and Coulson tells her that was always his plan – but he wanted the face of S.H.I.E.L.D. to be her! Daisy – hilariously – makes a crack about maybe in the comic book version!
Elena is going to leave, and Mack wants her to stay. He tells her that recently he went to a bad place in his head and he really wanted to talk to her about it – unless they aren’t friends any more. Elena puts her cards on the table – she can’t figure him out. He flirts, they go for dinner, and then nothing for weeks. And Mack just pulls her in and kisses her. Coulson and Daisy catch them – and are clearly pleased.
The team gather in the common room – Nadeer has lost her hold over them, but they know she’s still coming for them. Simmons presents Daisy with her Blue security badge – and I’m betting that’s pretty low on the clearance scale.
Even Mace and Radcliffe are there. Mace has granted Aida a reprieve and is even green-lighting Radcliffe’s program. But – there’s always a but – Agent Nathanson (Blaise Miller) will be accompanying Aida back to the lab to patch Aida up and retrieve all of his research. All of Radcliffe’s work on the LMD program will now take place at S.H.I.E.L.D. and under S.H.I.E.L.D.’s supervision. Radcliffe says that’s wonderful but obviously thinks the opposite.
Nathanson is gathering up the research when a door opens – he looks in and says “Oh my God” before Aida shows up and breaks his neck! What’s behind the door is Agent May!!!! She seems to have a fresh head wound – but when exactly did she get it?
Back at the base, May and Coulson are finally breaking open that bottle. Coulson says there’s no where else he’d rather be and nothing else he’d rather be doing. May clinks glasses and says she’s right where she belongs… Does Coulson have any idea? It doesn’t seem like it. And exactly when did Aida make the switch? Presumably, she got all the data she needed when May was in the lab recovering from the ghost sickness. How long will it take for anyone to figure it out? How pissed will May be if they don’t realize it’s not her!? Is Aida making a Nathanson robot to take his place?
What did you think of the episode? I thought it was a great cliffhanger into the winter hiatus. As always, the episode had some great banter, stunts, and effects. I’m really hoping that Robbie is back sooner rather than later, but it’s clear that they are going to focus on the LMD story arc at least for the foreseeable future. Are you looking forward to it? Will you miss Luna? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
