Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. - Together or Not at All - Review

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. “Together or Not at All” was written by Matt Owens and was directed by Brad Turner. Things start to really heat up as most of the team comes back together only to split up again by the end.

We pick up where we left off with Daisy (Chloe Bennet), Fitz (Iain De Caestecker), and Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) making their escape. Simmons changes clothes and is then incapacitated by her implants. Fitz pulls it out – and that can’t be good. Meanwhile, Daisy takes out the Kree how happens on them. Unfortunately, Daisy’s inhibitor is still working. She takes the Kree’s scroll, but before they can get to the ship, it explodes. And more great effects btw!

How Simmons missed cutting Kasius’s (Dominic Rains) throat is a mystery. He’s quite upset by his new scar, however. Faulnak (Samuel Roukin) is determined to take over and sends his own soldier – Maston-Dar (Remington Hoffman) to “clean up the mess.” Maston-Dar’s little quirk is that he will only hunt with the human weapons – kind of like being into bow-hunting.

Meanwhile, things on the human floors are getting worse as the Kree threaten to keep killing until someone gives up Flint (Coy Stewart). Coulson (Clark Gregg) decides it’s time for them to make a move.

Not surprisingly, Sinara (Florence Faivre) is not happy with Kasius. He wants to keep Faulnak happy because he’s the way to his father. Kasius is determined to keep his brother entertained while Sinara actually gets the Destroyer of Worlds.

Maston-Dar manages to stop the elevator Daisy, Fitz, and Simmons are on. Simmons is feeling a bit under the weather, but she’s happy to be on the run and not just standing still.

On the surface, May (Ming-Na Wen) has managed to keep one step ahead of the roaches, but it looks like her time is up when Enoch (Joel Stoffer) shows up in the nick of time. May is not happy when Enoch says Fitz sent him and then explains he has no tender insides. She thinks he’s a robot, but Enoch – clearly insulted! – explains that he’s a sentient chromocon. So a conscious watch/clock? Sounds more and more like a “watcher” to me… I know, I know, lots of theories out there!

Enoch tells her that he’s there to save her because she’s one of the ones who will save humanity. She figures out by his voice that he’s the one who got them into this mess. He asks about her injuries and suggests that her career as a fighter might be over. When the locust suddenly run away, Enoch says there’s a gravity storm coming – but that’s not what they are afraid off… it’s something else – and then that something else grabs both of them.

Coulson decides it’s time to retreat to the surface. YoYo (Natalia Cordova-Buckley) doesn’t want to leave the others, but Mack (Henry Simmons) thinks it’s a good idea to re-group and come back better prepared. Flint, meanwhile, and very much not like the rest of the humans, is consumed with guilt over people getting killed because of him. And they finally have to tell him that Tess (Eve Harlow) is dead.

There’s a nice scene between Kasius and Faulnak that highlights the difference between them. Kasius admires the workmanship of the guns, while Faulnak is only interested in their ability to kill. We finally get the backstory of why Kasius is on Earth. Kasius was set up to die in a battle. Sinara saved his life but they were exiled for abandoning their posts. Faulnak accuses Kasius of bringing shame on the family. He clearly has no love for his brother – and has no fear of him, considering him a coward.

Daisy, Simmons, and Fitz find their way into the hub for life support systems. They discover that the source of gravity on the station is gravitonium. Maston-Dar shows up and Fitz is shot. Daisy takes on Maston-Dar while Simmons and Fitz slip away. They are found by Deke (Jeff Ward).

Deke insists that he’s team S.H.I.E.L.D. now. Fitz is ready to follow Deke until Daisy explains that he’s the one who sold her out to Kasius. Deke explains that he had a plan all along. He’s a pragmatist. They have no choice but to follow him.

Mack goes to talk to Flint. Is this the child that Mack needs in his life? He tells Flint that he’s there for him if he needs him. Mack agrees that it’s never fair when you lose people. He’s lost people too and it doesn’t get any easier. Flint wants to turn himself in, but Mack insists that he’s got a gift now and he can use that to help people.

We get a great reunion as Daisy and the others show up. Everyone is surprised to see Fitz – of course! Mack is really not happy to see Deke. They’re all together – except May, but Coulson thinks it’s a good thing that she’s on the surface. Mack goes to see if Flint can get some alcohol for Fitz’s wound only to discover that Flint has taken off.

Flint turns himself in to the Vicar (Isaac C Singleton Jr). Even though he’s forced to his knees, Flint declares that he won’t let anymore innocent lives be lost. He makes a weapon from the rocks in his pocket and kills the Vicar. Sinara arrives and knocks Flint unconscious – she plans to use him as bait.

Daisy turns herself in to Sinara. Coulson uses his gun to take out Sinara – and explain how she can get a tiny wound on her arm from him, but was able to get up and walk away from Fitz shooting her point blank? This is a huge plot hole – and nobody seems to be addressing it. This was a great fight scene as Mack jumps in to take out Maston-Dar, and Daisy welcomes Flint into the Inhuman tribe with a “Rocks, huh? Cool!”

Maston-Dar and Sinara – whom he calls Scrappy! – seem to join forces to put an end to the team. The team meanwhile regroups and Coulson’s plan is to escape to the surface with the trawler. I loved Flint telling them to stop arguing and focus on the plan! He is able to block the door with boulders, but Maston-Dar has another way in.

It looks like they are trapped, but fighting isn’t really an option. Deke has his anti-gravity belt and they use that to make their own elevator. Sinara accuses Maston-Dar of being slow – and he does take so long that the team has escaped. It is a bit of a surprise when Sinara uses her balls to kill Maston-Dar just as he blows the way in though!

The team gets to the trawler and now they need a pilot. Flint is really the only one with any experience, but he’s not leaving. He won’t abandon his people. And Mack and YoYo won’t abandon Flint. Mack tells Coulson to get to the surface and figure out what’s going on – they’ll fight from below. Before they leave, Fitz tells them about the weapons he left in the past – but it’s on the third level! Which is overrun by roaches! They wish each other luck.

Coulson’s qualifications of having a flying car make him the only one remotely able to fly the trawler – which is hilarious! I will never tire of how seamlessly this show fold the humor in.

Sinara arrives and tells Faulnak and Kasius that they’ve escaped. Faulnak is ready to send Maston-Dar to the surface after the humans, but Sinara tells him she killed him. Faulnak is impressed rather than angry. Faulnak offers her a position at his side. Before she can answer, however, Kasius stabs him in the back! Finally, something that Kasius is really willing to fight for! Kasius tells his brother that he’s wasted too much time trying to gain his brother’s approval – he’s done. This definitely took a turn into Macbeth territory with Sinara becoming the Lady Macbeth pulling the bloodthirsty strings. It was a nice twist.

Coulson appears to have some real trouble with the landing… and then the final scene reveals who saved May and Enoch – it’s Robin! And they’re in the zephyr. It does beg the question of how she’s still alive – she should be about 100?

This was another terrific action-packed episode. Was it a mistake to let Mack and YoYo split up from the team? Can Deke really be trusted? Can Kasius and Sinara be stopped? What did you think of the episode? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!



Favorite Lines!
Fitz: It wouldn’t be fair. I do push ups now. Double digits.
Simmons: Full story later. Fitz: There will be pints. Simmons: There will be gin.
Enoch: It may be time for a career change.
Daisy: How do we know you’re not going to lead us into another trap. Deke: You don’t.
Mack: How the hell did you get in the future? Fitz: The long way.
Simmons: He needs medical attention. Storytime can wait. Mack: Not when those stories include time travel!
YoYo: The gang’s all here… Coulson: except for May.
Daisy: Mr and Mrs Boba Fett will be here any minute.
Flint: Less arguing. More figuring out what we’re gonna do.
Coulson: Come on. A room of secret agents, scientists, and superheroes? Someone give me something!
Fitz: I feel like I’m not getting enough credit here. I have travelled through time and space to find you. I think we’re moving past that bit a little too quickly. Mack: Turbo, Turbo, we wouldn’t expect anything less.
Coulson: So. Taking off is easy enough. Docking is the hard part and landing? That’s impossible on account of these ships weren’t built with landing gear.
Daisy: So you have no idea what you’re doing. Coulson: I’ve got a flying car. How different can it be?
Fitz: I’m never leaving your side again. Simmons: I feel the same way. That’s why I asked you to marry me! Fitz: I a… doesn’t matter…