Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 5 episodes 16-17 review - Inside Voices/The Honeymoon

NOTE - After today's review, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will move to the Tuesday slot, covering episodes from the previous Fridays.

Inside Voices

OK, time to talk about Kreel. After whatever it was that happened in Daredevil it seems HYDRA picked up and gave him powers, he was under Daniel Whitehall, so yeah, it’s clear the Destroyer of Worlds is significant to his origin. He was spotted by S.H.I.E.L.D. and was ‘killed’ by John Garret, who you might remember was also HYDRA. He became HYDRA’s bodyguard until he was captured by Talbot’. He’d undergone HYDRA brainwashing, Talbot got him out and Kreel became his bodyguard and the vast majority of everything I just said I had completely forgotten. That’s the thing with long-running series, you tend to forget details.

For what it’s worth, it’s interesting that they made the Absorbing Man a semi-heroic figure. I guess with Marvel not interested in solo Hulk movies, he’s better suited that way. It’s hard to tell what his ultimate fate was in this episode, but we’ll probably find out soon enough.

This story seems to want to wrap up a lot of loose threads from season 1, god, will we be seeing Coulson’s girlfriend next? Who’s to know. So, the fate of Ian Quinn, I know you’re dying to know that, I sure as hell am

Raina got him absorbed into the Gravitonium and now he, along with Franklin Hall are voices inside Carl’s head now that he absorbed it. To remind you Franklin Hall is an amoral scientist who hates Coulson and Quinn is an amoral businessman who hates Coulson. Naturally they disagree on everything except hating Coulson. Despite this though, his loyalty to Talbot and uncovering the truth about Hale’s HYDRA connections (you’d think the suicide bomb thing might’ve been a giveaway but…) leads him to joining Coulson and trying to get him and Talbot to safety.

But let’s change gears to the more thought-provoking (and I don’t mean better) part of the episode. And I have a question for the writers. Fitz and Simmons have a daughter, who has a son that is Deke, we’ve seen Fitz in the future, and he has to live long enough to conceive but there’s no guarantees after that. So why are they acting like Fitz is totally invincible too?

Anyway, Simmons’ discovery has, I think, at least in part, helped bring her round to his way of thinking. And he has viable theories as to where Coulson could be. Of course, Daisy is having none of it, and Mack is left in charge and oh my god this over-protectiveness is getting old. I get it, and there is actually a good line but I swear him going on and on about it since the incident is starting to get dull.

But Simmons has an interesting experiment. She has 4 shot glasses, 3 filled with water, 1 with a lethal dose of poison, then Yo-yo mixes them up whilst she isn’t looking, and she decides to drink 3 of them. Are their efforts to change the future in vein because everything is set in stone? Are their actions to try and change the future doomed to bring it about? If future can be changed, are they truly invincible? And what consequences could their self-confidence have on those around them? These are all questions that will ultimately have to be answered as the season progresses.

She feigns picking the wrong one as a ploy to get Fitz let out, but ultimately she did avoid it, and that as a fan is worrying? For this plotline to work now, one of them has to die, and I don’t want any of them too… or at the very least Deke has to retconned out of existence, which I think is inevitable. Deke does nothing of consequence all episode, again. I guess his mention of having respect for the moves Fitz made, and it seems Fitz is coming to terms with himself and is more a middle ground between the Fitz we knew and the HYDRA one, for better or worse.

Oh yeah, there was a subplot involving Daisy. Daisy isn’t a bad leader, but she is quite abrasive and often she doesn’t consider the views of others, something Coulson learned to do over the course of the season. I think Fitz’ ‘betrayal’ rather shook her. Anyway, she lead the team to find Robin, the girl with psychic powers who’s mind is constantly in another time. And we get the first hit to May being a maternal figure to her. Not much to say there

A solid but sadly unremarkable episode, which has honestly been the way I’ve felt about most of this arc.

Rating 7/10

Honeymoon

Invincible does not mean invulnerable. Because you can’t be killed, doesn’t mean you can’t be hurt. But I guess our trio of invincible nutjobs will have to find out the hard way.

So, finding Coulson was kinda easy once the group decided to touch down, also very plot convenient, right as Ruby was attacking. We’ve already seen a picture of Daisy killing Ruby, it’s inevitable at this point so I kinda wish they’d just get on with it.

But Deke decides to be fundamentally stupid this episode and takes a bullet for it. If we’re to believe his drugged state he’s got a hard on for Daisy… cool, I guess… this was far and away the least interesting plot-line in this episode, but provided some redemption for… what’s her name, I can never remember it… Cannonfodder? I’m just gonna call her Agent Cannonfodder until she displays more personality, which might happen but I’m not placing my bets. Anyway, she uses her training as a field medic to help Zeke, as Mack gets his hands bloody to help… that’s cool, I guess.

I’m gonna leave the stuff with Talbot to the end, so let’s jump back to Simmons, Fitz and May and it seems as though Simmons is totally OK with the man Fitz has become now… I guess this has been coming from previous episodes but it seems as though Simmons is changing as well. Time will tell whether that’s for the better.

Anyway, they’ve found the location of the weapon, guarded by the most secure of fences and a sign that says radiation: keep out. And the first interesting thing happens, Yo-Yo’s arms can’t keep up with her speed and causes her agony. You might remember she was very much disarmed when we saw her in the lighthouse. Perhaps Cassius did the honours or perhaps she was already not using them when she was captured for this exact reason.

So, Ruby and Alex (yes, I remembered his name now, shut up!) have decided to ‘part ways’ with Hale, and it’s a good confrontation, although in calling Hale her ‘one weakness’ I’m surprised Ruby didn’t just kill her. Also, they’re obviously 2 very stupid people for getting ready to try something without full understanding it.

There are some great action scenes in this episode, combined with some escalation of the ‘I’m invincible’ character arc, and a couple of titbits too, like May admitting she loves Coulson and Yo-yo FINALLY revealing what her future self said. And with Talbot about to become a problem, things look exciting for the next episode

Rating 8/10