Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 3 Episodes 4-5 review - Devils you know/4722 hours

Devils you know

So, Hunter’s mission went about as badly as expected, and we’re only 4 episodes in

The hunt is on for the metahuman lash, who’s been hunting down and killing inhumans via means of a tracking virus. They manage to track down the virus to another inhuman, who’s like a divining rod for inhumans as he gets a major headache any time an inhuman is near her.

Daisy, why would you go with the prisoner that gets a headache any time an inhuman is near her. Trust Mack! Anyway, minor quibbles so lash kills, whatever his name was, I didn’t bother to learn it but leaves Skye alive despite having witnessed her inhuman abilities on several occasions. This leads me to conclude that he’s systematically selecting his victims, most likely from some higher up. Or alternatively it could be someone with a personal connection to Skye. My guesses for who Lash is (and we know he/she can transform) is either Rosiland herself or her right hand. There’s a theory going around that Andrew (who I’ll get to) might be Lash, but I doubt Andrew would have the access to this sort of information Lash would require.

So, with let’s take a look at plot C (we’ll get to B in a minute), Simmons’ wanting to go back to wherever she was, was discovered by Fitz thanks to paperwork. I like how Simmons and Bobby are connecting over their not feeling whole, while Fitz has gone through the same experience their lingering friendship plus the fact that she couldn’t do the same for him prevent that connection. I’m glad things are healing thought as Simmons finally decides to open up to Fitz and reveal everything, including why she wants to go back (everything I hear kinda screams Stockholm syndrome, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they went there but it possible that there’s another reason, we’ll see next week)

So, the B plot. Hunter’s taken the shortest time ever to infiltrate Hydra’s ranks, I’m guessing Ward’s more streamlined HYDRA lacks the rescources of HYDRA’s past, especially with the deaths of Strucker and many other major HYDRA leaders.

May’s worries over his recklessness are well founded, Hunter is not someone I’d trust with an infiltration mission. He’s too quick to action and he’s too well connected to Ward, which means he’s immediately outed the moment he meets him.

I’m glad they’re putting us out of our misery quickly with this plot. There was no way Hunter could’ve succeeded. So gunfight, HYDRAs 11 quickly depleted but Ward has a trump card. You remember Strucker’s son (barely, if I’m honest) well he’s got Andrew at gunpoint and threatens to kill him, promising to let them all live if they drop their weapons (hang on is May actually believing him? YOU’RE SMARTER THAN THAT!)

Of course we see Strucker’s son (when he earns to be called by his actual name, I’ll google it) burn the building down as Hunter makes the only rational choice and starts shooting Ward, actually hitting him, although not fatally. Whether or not Andrew survived remains to be seen as we don’t see his face as the body burns. (And for the matter, the place they’re burning doesn’t look like a University to me)

It’s all intrigue and excitement, that keeps me coming back week after week.

Rating 8.5/10

4722 hours

So we take our detail from our regularly scheduled HYDRA bashing to see what Simmons had been up to all that time she was away

It’s not an easy task doing a scene with a single character, dialogue requires two people and monologuing can be either pretentious or boring, or give the mis-impression that the character is mad (this is likely the reason why so much happened on the Island with Oliver). Which is why they went with the choice to give Simmons a partner/love interest in the form of Will, an astronaut stranded on the planet 14 years ago, that and it gives the main reason for Simmons to want to return to the planet.

This episode was meticulously crafted around the two, and what it lacked in action, and there was deliberately very little action in this episode, it made up for in character. The idea was to sell us of the relationship between the two by the episode’s end, and they successfully did that, no matter how many Fitz-Simmons shippers wish they hadn’t.

The relationship between them started with Will being the voice of doubt and Simmons the voice of hope, and it was really interesting to watch as their roles began to reverse, the turning point being when their plans, which took weeks to concoct, to leave failed.

Of course the planet itself presented a unique threat. Whilst the air was breathable, gravity bearable and there was water, the planet had giant sea monsters that were both food and predators. And of course a monster of unknown origin that controlled the planet’s lethal sand storms. Both provided suitable threats to give weight to Simmons’ journey

I normally talk more about episodes, but usually there’s more than one track, what I’ll finally say is that Fitz’s response to this was about the best one Simmons could hope for and really a testament to their friendship/possible romantic relationship, he agrees to help her.

Rating 9/10

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