Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 5 episodes 14-15 review - The Devil Complex/Rise and Shine

The Devil Complex

OK, so plot progression we asked for and plot progression we get and it’s something that’s been coming for a while.

Fitz’s experience in the framework is probably the most damaging of all of them. Sure, May also became HYDRA but it was still down to her conscience and she defected after seeing what she was doing that lead to the death of Mace. She’s also much better at carrying guilt, as she’s always done that and her experience may have freed her from the guilt of the inhuman death, knowing where taking that action would’ve lead in the end.

Fitz on the other hand was a fully functional, card-carrying supervillain. His actions were malevolent and he showed no remorse. He was fully in control and whilst he did have a relationship with AIDA, it was not her forcing him, he acted of his own accord. How do you process being a good person and yet minor changes lead you to becoming like that, and the fact that your actions lead to the death of Mace in the real world. No matter how many times you can be told that wasn’t you, it was, and that’s horrifying.

It doesn’t help this show doesn’t give him the time to process it. Within hours he’s facing AIDA again, and immediately after all his friends are abducted and he’s placed in jail. Though he gets some time to reflect with Hunter he’s soon in cryo-stasis and has to fight off an evil regime in the future. This show taking time to slow things down means everything had to come to a head, and boy did that happen.

People may also remember that Fitz’s character was forever altered back in season 1, in giving the last of the oxygen to Jemma, he received brain damage and I think that combined with his experience in the Framework broke him mentally. It’s the first time we find out he’s been hearing the voice of evil Fitz in his head pretty much since the Framework, I kinda wish we’d been hearing him for longer but what can you do? I guess it was supposed to be a twist in this episode that evil Fitz was not an apparition of the fear dimension.

I did say there was a plot to this episode, didn’t I? Fitz can’t consciously work out how to compress the gravitonium and secure the fear dimension. And it’s getting more dangerous as random astronaut man attacks Simmons. I think it’s reference to what happened to her on the place she spent after being sent away by the monolith but I can’t remember.

Fitz is seeing his framework self, mocking and gloating, and for once it’s not a product of the fear dimension, it’s all happening in his own mind, and he’s committing actions that he wouldn’t normally do using this fear as a way to separate it from himself. I had completely forgotten about Daisy’s power inhibitor, but in this episode, Fitz surgically removes it. Without her permission and using a robot to knock her out first. This is a massive breach of trust between them since she knows having her powers makes the alternate future where she destroys the world ever more likely.

On the other hand, it was necessary to use her powers to compress the gravitonium and save the world from the fear dimension and she certainly wouldn’t have agreed if she was just asked. But the break of trust between Fitz and Simmons which came as a result of this is equally tragic for both of them. It’s still laced with optimism as Deke reveals how he’s Simmons’ and Fitz’s grandson (and not son as I’d said previously) Simmons’ reaction to that was… on-key given what that meant.

On the other plot to the episode, that I’m not gonna prelude with a mini-essay we have Coulson, May, whatsherface and… yeah, that’s it. They’ve trapped Hale and are trying to get info out of her, but don’t get much before Creel reveals himself and for some reason is a suicide bomber. Dude, you can tear the plane in half if you wanted to, what’s the point in the bombs. Also, there’s Ivanov, that’s all I have to say about Ivanov. This would’ve been great in most episodes but it’s a distraction from a much better plot in this one.

The devil complex does things which a lot of superhero shows don’t have the guts to do. And I applaud this highly.

Rating 9/10

Rise and Shine

So, it’s time for Life in the somehow invisible school of HYDRA. Seriously, how did HYDRA have a school?

So, instead of having 2 intertwining narratives like the last episode and pretty much every episode, they decided this week to have the main narrative take up the first half hour and the last 10 minutes by the secondary plot. It’s unconventional but under the circumstances I do understand this, the main plot is told through a lot of flashbacks and it was hard enough to tell when they were at times without a subplot coming through every few minutes.

Much like last time though, the A-plot is much more interesting than the B-plot as we get further into the Destroyer of Worlds plotline. So, General Hale was an impressive student but an altercation with Von Strucker lead her career path in a different direction, to be artificially inseminated with a perfect child to be a future leader of HYDRA… Glad they don’t go into any more detail, that’s plenty enough for me.

So yeah, that’s the backstory for Ruby… Didn’t turn out so well as she isn’t quite the strength of HYDRA, especially with her inability to shoot a dog. And the fact that Whitehall, who pioneered the project, died in I think it was season 2. HYDRA is pretty much dead, with Hale (Hail HYDRA, ha!) and Ruby the only head figures left.

So, I bet you were dying to know what happened to Talbot. I know I certainly am…

<ZZZ>

So, in a S.H.I.E.L.D. he has minor brain damage and is having issues controlling his temper, even managing to lash out against his family. Hale had him moved to the HYDRA school. They have a particular need which I’ll get to in the next paragraph, but apparently, he ultimately has to tell them since they were gone for 6 months

So, tonne of backstory, what about the here and now. Whitehall was in contact with an alien group known as the confederacy. Massive alien warships (possibly related to Thanos) is coming to Earth, the Confederacy offers their protection in exchange for gravitonium and Inhumans for some reason. Hale is a sceptic and wants to use a thing that Whitehall invented and she now has access to create something very aptly named ‘the destroyer of worlds.’ Hale thinks Daisy is a better choice because Ruby is too fowl-tempered.

Gee, I wonder how they next episode is going to go? So, I have to ask, why has she brought in Kreel, or what’s his face?

There was a second plot, wasn’t there? Nothing really happened in it, Yo-Yo got new arms, her seeing herself in the future has lead her to feeling invincible and the discovery of her future grandson has left Simmons with the same feeling. May wants Fitz’s help but Daisy has literally no trust in him anymore and has decided to get Robyn to help.

What’s the bet Deke is gonna die to save Fitz and Simmons at some point?

It’s a good episode, but ultimately the second plot is kinda underwhelming.

Rating 7.5/10

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