Agents of SHIELD S06E06: Inescapable

SHIELD has an Inescapable good time!

© ABC

Just watch it already...
by Brandon Coulson

Did we just get one of the best episodes of Agents of SHIELD ever? I think we may have. 'Inescapable' was a very small episode with some big ideas. Literally taking place over six minutes in the real world the episode took place mainly inside the joined minds of Fitz and Simmons.

I was nervous at first as the introduction into the episode was very exposition heavy. We got the stage set and basically our duo has been plugged into a virtual world, think of Morpheus’s White Room in The Matrix. Every tool at their disposal as well as all of each others memories.

After an adorable yet sad second proposal from the still out of the loop Fitz, we started to see where the drama would come from. As confronted about what happened in the future, Gemma regresses to a child state and retreats to her childhood bedroom. I loved the way we got to finally see a bit more on what makes her tick in this episode. The bedtime story she asks Fitz to read is adorable, and while avoiding the memory of future Fitz’s death we get a series of flashbacks detailing the arc of their relationship.

These scenes were sweet, informative, and incredibly well acted. Drifting in and out of memory and commentary, both actors impressed me with the smoothness they transitioned from their naive selves to mature personalities. I also have to say the direction and something in the writing made me think of the final season of Angel in all the best ways. The emotional beats just hit in all the right ways.

The first meeting was perfectly awkward and nerdy, the first meeting with Coulson struck just enough of sadness for his passing as well as reminding us of Season 1 FitzSimmons. Then in a turn to absolute horror, their worst selves coming out in the form of Fitz’s framework Nazi self and Gemma’s repressed rage in the form of, as Fitz put it,'A Ringu monster.' I found moments creepy and disturbing one second and then laughing at the bickering back and forth. Fitz’s 'You are so English' line just beautifully delivered and the whole thing just weaved from horror to comedy to action without feeling a bit jumpy.

If anything, the weakest part of the episode was when they called for mental backup conjuring their friends into the world. If only because the two of them, playing four roles total, were far more interesting and compelling to watch than Mack and Quake just being badasses. Also for the same reason every time we cut to Altarah and Enoch, however briefly, I found myself just wanting to get back to the main event. Also because the Chronicoms are idiotic and dull to boot.

© ABC

Even as I watched Fitz and Simmons get funneled into the containment cell, I knew we were getting a call back to the trapped in the ocean plot but it still worked even with my expectations. The capper of course was after they triumphantly overcome their doubts and fears and head out to confront their inner demons given shape, we get the greatest/most disturbing twist as their evil selves are also quite compatible and are in the throes of evil passion outside the cell. Their comments of 'Didn’t know you’d like that' and 'Didn’t know you’d do that' could have played cheesy but they have just the right chemistry together to sell it.

After it was all said and done Enoch saves the day at the last second in a disappointing turn after so quickly betraying Fitz so recently and now his people. Enoch needs to defragment or something cause that bot is bipolar. So they get saved and whisked away to another place for presumably another adventure and we are left to wonder if the remaining Chronicoms will reboot and come after them.

The ninety percent of the episode that centered on Fitz and Simmons was damn near perfect and made me remember why I loved them when this series started. It almost refreshed what had become a bit old hat and repetitive. The other ten percent of the episode was frankly kind of boring but with so much good a little bland can be forgiven.

Agents of SHIELD airs Fridays at 8:00 PM on ABC.

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Agents of SHIELD S06E05: The Other Thing

SHIELD takes care of The Other Thing

© ABC

You can go make a sandwich during this one.
by Brandon Coulson

This week on SHIELD we got a lot of things done. People were reunited and pulled apart. Battles won and lost. The pieces set up for the rest of the season. All necessary steps and done in a fairly entertaining way.

All this being said, the episode itself was very, very ... okay. There were some great moments sprinkled throughout, mainly our MVP May, but the exposition and a flashback framing device felt forced and old hat. It was jarring enough to make me wonder who directed 'The Other Thing'. I was surprised to find actor Lou Diamond Phillips was in the big chair this week and with only ten directing credits to his name it became clear there might have been a weak hand guiding the ship.

Now let me say again I enjoyed the episode overall, it wasn’t boring per se, the action moved and was well choreographed. There are even some really well done scenes between May and Sarge that get intense. Those scenes are without question the strongest part of the episode, credit to the actors and the director for that.

We set up that Sarge and company are trying to stop the parasitic bat things and that they share some similarity / connection to the obelisks from seasons past. We also got teased on a big bad who created these things.

On the other side of our story out in space, Enoch’s people have come for Fitz to get the secret of time travel because their world has been destroyed by some mysterious force. My guess is the same threat currently on Earth. Through Enoch’s multiple stupid comments we end up with Fitz and Simmons staying to design a device under duress while the rest of the crew go home.

With this setup there are a few theories moving forward. The number one floating around that struck me as well was that Fitz will end up inadvertently creating the threat on Earth in the past with time travel being the catalyst. I will say I’m a bit bored of the 'Evil Fitz' idea we keep getting pushed towards (spoilers per the previews, next week his evil side resurfaces). If it isn’t Fitz though, the vague way Sarge talks about the big bad seems to be setting up for some kind of big reveal, otherwise why not give him/her/it a name? So we have to think about who else might be a big surprise reveal. Another doppelganger, perhaps evil Simmons this time? Or, god I hope not, Ward? It will be tough to wow me on this reveal but I want them to succeed.

© ABC

Largely though outside of May’s close quarter combat and all of her scenes with Sarge I was not terribly invested in the other scenes. Mack and Yoyo’s talks about last week’s death felt flat and emotionless, and the professor's discovery about the parasite was literally telling us the same info May got from Sarge, serving only to make sure all parties are aware of the threat and what Sarge’s crew are doing, but it felt repetitive.

Again back to May her fight with one of the parasites was fantastic, the effects and stunt work top notch. But marring May’s sections were these strange flashbacks to her time with Coulson before he died. Feeling forced and not in keeping with May’s character they should have been removed entirely.

Then Quake barely got to kick and butt at all. In fact all of stuff with Altarah, Enoch’s former lover apparently, was just odd tonally. Their weird robotic sex talk was supposed to be funny but I just found it creepy, and her personality was non existent.

This was very much a bridge episode. Setting things up to hopefully pay off bigger things down the road. While not the worst the series has had to offer definitely the weakest of this season so far.

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