Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. “The Man Behind the Shield” was written by Matt Owens and was directed by Wendey Stanzler. Lots of terrific action in this episode and a gigantic, game-changing twist at the end! Love the fast pace of this show. It’s not just fun action and awesome flashbacks to our Agents early days though. The show also looks at the hard questions of the dangers of scientific advancements in the wrong hands.
The episode starts with a fabulous sparring match between Coulson (Clark Gregg) and Daisy (Chloe Bennet). When Coulson ends up hanging in mid-air it’s a dead giveaway that they are in Fitz’s (Iain De Caestecker) version of the framework – and here’s another example of the incredibly tight writing on this show. Fitz’s training framework was first mentioned at the very beginning of the season!
Coulson mentions it was a bit cold in the simulation, and Fitz did it on purpose as a protest to Coulson keeping the base too cold for him! Daisy is really excited about the simulation. Fitz and Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) explain the built the simulation for training purposes. You can feel pain but Fitz stopped it before Coulson could hit the wall – because as Mack (Henry Simmons) points out – painful! Fitz is going to run a search for versions of the source code to track Radcliffe’s (John Hannah) version that he’s keeping May (Ming-Na Wen) in.
The team go to Nome, Alaska when they get a hit on the GPS in Mace’s (Jason O’Mara) suit. They find a wall covered in Coulson surveillance. Coulson muses that this is why he doesn’t have Facebook – it’s a bad version of
This is Your Life. The clue is enough to send the team to Russia.
Meanwhile, Ivanov (Zach McGowan) is holed up in a Bond-villain worthy hideout – complete with submarine escape route. He finds Radcliffe enjoying some time in the framework – and it seems clear that Radcliffe is ready to ditch reality for the framework. I loved Aida (Mallory Jansen) stopping Ivanov from ripping Radcliffe out of the framework. It showed both her hatred of Ivanov and tipped her hand for her feeling for Radcliffe – “the most advanced human mind of this or any century.”
Aida brings Radcliffe out and he begins to chew her out for doing it and then he sees Ivanov. He tells Ivanov that Aida is acting as his proxy – she’s fully able to act on his behalf. Aida assures Ivanov that everything will go to plan.
The episode really does become
This is Your Life as we see what the connection really is between Ivanov and Coulson – we flash back and forth between “some time ago” and the present. Some time ago, Field Agent Level 4 Coulson is helped by Specialist Level 3 May. She saves his ass just as he’s getting into real trouble with his terrible Russian. She thinks it’s cute that he thinks he has game. It was so fun to see Wen and Coulson take their characters back like this to a time when they were much “lighter.”
Mace is being held captive and appears to have at least a bit of the serum left as he breaks free of his iron shackles. And thanks to costuming for deciding that he needed to be shirtless for most of the episode! I loved Mace telling Ivanov that he was under arrest. Ivanov knows Mace is a fake – and apparently without the serum he’s also a terrible fighter.
I was really surprised that Mack was so against the simulation. He tells “Turbo” that he likes his video games but this is a step too far. It wouldn’t help him run a triathlon – no real physical training. Fitz defends the technology, but Mack insists that if Fitz hadn’t built a killer robot or a matrix prison, this year would have been a whole lot easier! Mack isn’t 100% wrong and it opens up that age old question. Is the inventor/creator responsible for all the things done with their invention? Mack knows Fitz is a good person, but he has to think about the implications of what he creates. Fitz insists that there are always dangers involved in scientific discovery. I hate seeing Mack and Fitz at odds…
In the past, Coulson’s plan was to persuade the guard to let him in. He and May were there to retrieve an 0-8-4. And let’s not forget that’s alien technology – see episode 1.2… I loved Coulson insisting that the safe was May’s fault – she jinxed it! I also loved May’s dig about Coulson not being good with his hands – and the revelation that they had gone undercover as a married couple! May insists the complications of the spy-life are why she only dates civilians.
In the present, Coulson, Daisy, Mack, Davis (Maximilian Osinski) are in the same room with the safe.
Ivanov tells Mace how he lost respect for his father. He taunts Mace with allowing S.H.I.E.L.D. to fill his body with poison – and then he cuts him. Why does he do it? I have a feeling it will be significant going forward. Mace insists that he has faith in Coulson and S.H.I.E.L.D. They will come for him. When Ivanov gives him one last chance to denounce S.H.I.E.L.D., Mace says he believes in Agent Coulson. He believes in S.H.I.E.L.D. because even with all its imperfections, it strives to do the right thing. His only regret is that he doesn’t have any superpowers to kick Ivanov’s ass!
Aida tells Ivanov that the preparations are nearly complete. Ivanov asks her if she disapproves of his methods. She tells him that she’s just meant to observe human behavior. She doesn’t have an opinion on his methods – he’s simply different from anyone else she’s observed. In a super-creepy moment, he strokes her cheek and tells her, even filth can serve a purpose – after telling her she’s not real. Aida does NOT look happy…
I gotta say, I loved them seeing the ringing phone lighting up the skeleton. Ivanov wants to know if Coulson recognizes the bodies – because he had them killed. Coulson tells him he didn’t kill them.
In the past, Coulson and May disagree about their role. He tells her no guns, Rambo! They’re spies not soldiers and May insists they’re Agents – they do what needs to be done. Coulson goes to stall the Russians by telling them it’s a bio-hazard, leaving May to break into the safe and get the 0-8-4.
The Lead SVR Agent (Stivi Paskoski) wants to know if Coulson has a partner. Coulson runs his mouth until the Agent complains that Americans talk too much! He also reveals that his unit has also been told to get the 0-8-4 at any cost. And then May takes off – leaving Coulson behind?!?!
Fitz can’t pin down Radcliffe’s signal because he’s pinging it off of devices all over the world – Radcliffe’s framework is massive – because Radcliffe built it with the Darkhold. But they do track Ivanov to a secret submarine base.
There’s a terrific scene between Fitz and Simmons. She comes to tell Fitz that they’re on route to saving Mace and May. But Fitz is worried that May could have permanent brain damage and it’s all his fault. Simmons tries to break him out of it, but she agrees with Mack in so far as Fitz does need to think about the implications of what he invents. She tells him that he makes things “From the genius of your mind and the goodness of your heart.” Wrongs have been committed, but they’ll make it right together. And Fitz has a plan…
The team infiltrates the base. Davis goes with Fitz and Simmons to the communications room. Coulson encounters Ivanov, who’s waited a long time to see him. Ivanov tells him there’s no one left to protect Coulson – but Coulson insists he can take care of himself. Coulson tells Ivanov that he doesn’t have time for his conspiracy theories. And then Coulson delivers the ultimate insult. Ivanov has spent years and millions of dollars obsessing over Coulson and Ivanov’s just another red shirt to him (loved the
Star Trek shout out!) – Coulson has been on hundreds of missions. He doesn’t remember Ivanov and he doesn’t even remember what the object was. “Cool origin story, bro. But this means nothing to me.”
Daisy, on the other hand has been waiting a long time for a face to face with the top watch dog! The two square off, and Ivanov manages to get a knife into Daisy. Another great fight scene! Daisy plays by the new rules and brings the ceiling down on Ivanov.
Mack and Coulson save Mace from being beaten – and it’s another great fight!
The communications hub is too low level to be Radcliffe’s set up, but Fitz goes to work looking for clues while Simmons takes Davis to follow up on an Aida sighting. Simmons and Davis end up in a labyrinth and Davis gets the prize for the best reference when he comments it’s a good thing they haven’t run into the Goblin King! (David Bowie in
Labyrinth).
Everyone seems to be having trouble accessing their comms. Simmons realizes that Aida is escaping when the submarine bugs out. Fitz catches up with what he was able to take from the communications room. They all re-group, and it’s Coulson who insists that they pull out.
Fitz is ready to go through what he’s taken, but Simmons is troubled by the timeline. The two see that the LMD detection system was activated and wiped by Coulson. The two remember that there were tanks of gas – and there’s a long stretch of unaccounted for time. The two go back through the footage. Mack, Coulson, Daisy, and Mace came through together and all FOUR are LMDs!!!!
Back at the base, Aida detects low levels of life still in Ivanov. Over his body, she muses that the plan was a success. The next phase is ready to begin and Ivanov will fill and integral part. She leans close to his ear and says exactly what he said to her earlier – “even filth has its purpose.” She clearly really does hate him! I’m not convinced that Aida hates all humans, however. Though she does look particularly creepy here!
In the past, May saves Coulson’s defenseless ass. He thought she’d put the mission before the man! The final scene is an adorable scene between the two. She makes Coulson thank her for saving his ass – and he does. But then he can tease her about asking for the mission – and avoiding having to spend the weekend with the civilian she’s currently dating. Coulson suggest that if it doesn’t work out with him, maybe they can get a drink. May says chances are high – he’s not her type – he likes to talk – he’s a shrink – and of course we know it’s Andrew, and it does work out – but it’s fun to watch the two flirt here. And it’s SO weird to see May smile!
In the present, Robo-Phil wakes May-bot. He thinks they’ve waited long enough…
WOW! This was a terrific twist. I’m really hoping that we get the kind of split reality – between the real world and the framework world - that we got when Coulson and Fitz were stuck between dimensions. Will Mack, Daisy, Coulson, and Mace all be in the same framework? Will they run into May there? What about Agnes? I think it would be incredible if they all worked together to get themselves out. Or if they caught Radcliffe there! Does he go to visit Agnes? If he’s in there with Agnes, I’m betting that pisses Aida off! And what is the next phase. I’m really looking forward to Fitz and Simmons working to fight the LMDs… What did you think of the episode? Are you excited about where we go from here? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
