Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 5 episodes 12-13 review - The Real Deal/Principia

Let's take a look at Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s 100th episode, and the one that follows

The Real Deal

I am totally in a paradox about how I feel about this episode

This episode is really good and yet also underwhelming. It has a fair bit of plot progression but feels mostly like a filler episode. The revelation of Coulson’s dead is interesting but also disappointing since I figured there’d be something more to it.

But best to expand on my thoughts. The explosion from the last episode blew up 3 different monoliths and has opened a crack into a fear dimension. Hive, LMDs, Kree, the monsters from the space station, they’re all here. But yet, none of them are here for real, it’s just a plot device to continue the story. It’s very subtle in its celebrations I thought.

On the other hand, it is essentially a filler episode. The plot resolution may build to a couple of elements from the dark future but ultimately, we’re unlikely to see it again (edit: ok, turns out I'm wrong about this). There is some character growth and development and the brief if extremely convenient return of Deathlok was nice, we really haven’t seen him in a while. It ultimately felt so hollow

Let’s talk about Coulson’s revelation. The deal he made with Ghost Rider. It was to burn out the chemicals from TAHITI… First off, is this really necessary? Couldn’t just stick with the explanation we have, had to bring in the Ghost Rider deal as well? I guess it’s a way to rule out TAHITI as means of bringing him back again but… I didn’t think they could anyway.

I also wonder what the spirit of the Ghost Rider gained out of burning the blood through his system. If it were just a consequence of becoming him, why did it factor into their deal? I will add that it does allow for great character interaction, an admission that May will never be the same again and a good chance for Daisy to reflect on how far she’s come over 100 episodes.

As for Coulson, he knows things are falling apart, with Yo-Yo injured and Mack ready to run with her, S.H.I.E.L.D. is the weakest it has ever been. The only wildcard is Deke and he’s still relegated largely to comic relief for the episode. His greatest fear is a forest, seriously?

And where, oh where, is Grant Ward? If you want to celebrate the show’s history, he and Tripp should’ve made an appearance. I know in canon they’re both dead, and I don’t count HIVE as a ward appearance, but this was an episode where something could’ve been done with them. Ah, memories.

By far and away the best aspect of this episode is the wedding between Fitz and Simmons. Long overdue, and absolutely perfect, encapsulated by the revelation that Deke is actually their son, I hope to see something about this going forward.

The episode delivers some remembrance, some moving forward but ultimately the main plot was not that interesting and didn’t serve the ongoing story. I could forgive either but not both.

Rating 7/10

Principia

I guess they’re talking about Newton’s books on gravity and not a Roman HQ

So, the back half of the season is basically a reference fest. It’s not just anniversary stuff, there seems to be callbacks everywhere, and where better to start than with Gravitonium? We knew S.H.I.E.L.D. would have to procure some given that it was powering the artificial gravity of the station in the future.

But we have another callback in this episode, you remember Strucker’s son from season 3? No? Me neither, I had to look up my old reviews from s3 and even then I barely remember him. I know Ward tortured him because of reasons and this is back when he hated stupid people so much that he stupidly let Hunter into a high enough rank that he could try and kill him. Season 3 was kind of dumb

Then SHIELD did some memory probe sh*t to try and find something out and basically left him with a new ability, a photographic memory, I’m not even kidding. So General Hale wants to recruit him to their totally not HYDRA group that’s awesome and everything and it’s up to her daughter to connect by telling him she’s a duplicitous b*tch.

So, apparently the crack in reality is only held back, and not fully closed and they need more gravitonium to fully close it. Who owns gravitonium? You remember Cybertek, they were part of Garrett’s HYDRA plan, they created Deathlok and also were responsible for the transformation of Franklin Hall into gravitonium. Ward and Garret stole the stuff from a S.H.I.E.L.D. vault and I don’t think it was ever mentioned again

So, you remember the scientists who were threatened to work for them, I think they were the guys Daisy threatened with a fake bomb that turned out to be some toys. Apparently, they’ve been given new identities and they find one with relative ease anyway, so that was pretty pointless. He tells them the gravitonium was shipped off for some reason and because cliché it got caught in a storm, and no-one could find it. Except Hale who found it with ease and isn’t a f*cking dumbass.

OK, let’s talk about Deke, very briefly because once again he contributes very little to the plot, other than pointing out the blindingly obvious. He now has an inkling that Fitz and Simmons are his parents, I hope this goes somewhere soon.

Erm, I liked that scene between Fitz and Simmons… We’ve called them Fitz-Simmons for ages so hearing they want to double-barrel their surnames is cute. Leo Fitz-Simmons and Jemma Fitz-Simmons. Guess that means Deke is Deke Fitz-Simmons

So, the ship in space looks pretty fake, the fight is fun although why isn’t Daisy using her quake powers? I know she ends the world with them but she’s on a ship, that isn’t touching the ground, or anything. I doubt this is how she’d end the world.

Also, Yo-Yo, can she f*cking tell them what she heard already? She knows everyone knows Coulson is dying, so how about mentioning that the quest to cure him ultimately leads to the apocalypse, might be a starting point. Especially since May and Daisy are keen to cure him

This episode is fine, I hope they give us some more progression soon since things have slowed to a crawl lately.

Rating 7/10