Paul Brian McCoy" />
Psycho Drive-In logo
Search
  • PDI Press
    Featured
    • BETTY WHITE VS THE STUPID WORLD: The Movie

      Paul Brian McCoy
      January 17, 2022
      Fiction, PDI Press, PDI Press Writers
    Recent
    • BETTY WHITE VS THE STUPID WORLD: The Movie

      John E. Meredith
      January 17, 2022
    • Betty White Vs the Stupid World (Chapter Seven)

      John E. Meredith
      January 16, 2022
    • Betty White Vs the Stupid World (Chapter Six)

      John E. Meredith
      January 15, 2022
    • PDI Press Catalog
    • PDI Press Writers
      • Fiction
  • Columns A-D
    • A Fistful of Dollar Comics
    • ABCs of Horror
    • All Binge… No Purge
    • Anything Joes
    • Beautiful Creatures
    • Big Eyes Smart Mouth
    • Big Sleeps and Long Goodbyes
    • Cahiers du Horror
    • Dispatches From the Field
    • Drive-In Saturday
    • Dungeons & D-Listers
  • Columns F-P
    • The Final Girl
    • First Looks… Second Thoughts
    • The Flesh is Weak
    • Innocence and Experience
    • Lost in Translation
    • Page to Screen
    • Popcorn Cinema
    • Psycho Essentials: The ’80s!
  • Columns S-Z
    • Schlock & Awe
    • Shakespeare on Film
    • Shot for Shot
    • Sick Flix
    • Unnatural Selections
    • Versus
    • Video Word Made Flesh
    • We Got Lists
    • Women in Horror
    • The Xeno File
    • Zombies 101
  • Reviews
    Featured
    • Heart of Stone (2023)

      Paul Brian McCoy
      August 18, 2023
      Movies, Reviews
    Recent
    • Heart of Stone (2023)

      Nate Zoebl
      August 18, 2023
    • Obstacle Corpse (2022)

      Nate Zoebl
      July 20, 2023
    • Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)

      Paul Brian McCoy
      July 16, 2023
    • Books
    • Comics
    • DVD/Blu-ray
    • Movies
    • TV
    • Series
  • Interviews
    Featured
    • Interview with Indie Horror Master, Chris Bickel

      Paul Brian McCoy
      July 13, 2018
      Interviews
    Recent
    • Interview with Indie Horror Master, Chris Bickel

      The Final Girl
      July 13, 2018
    • David Black: Carnies, Carnage, and the Creative Chaos of Darkness Visible

      Dan Lee
      March 7, 2017
    • Jaiden Kaine joins the Marvel Universe as new Luke Cage baddie, Zip

      Andre Lamar
      September 29, 2016
    • SDCC 2016 Interviews: The Cast and Creators of Batman: The Killing Joke

      Jason Sacks
      July 28, 2016
    • SDCC 2016 Interviews: The Cast and Creators of Syfy’s Van Helsing

      Dave Hearn, Paul Brian McCoy
      July 27, 2016
    • Wondercon Interview: The Cast of Damien

      Gary Richardson, Laura Akers
      April 16, 2016
  • News
    Featured
    • Breaking Down The Upcoming DC Studios Slate

      Paul Brian McCoy
      February 1, 2023
      News, Shot for Shot
    Recent
    • Breaking Down The Upcoming DC Studios Slate

      Paul Brian McCoy
      February 1, 2023
    • John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum arrives on Digital 8/23 and 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD and On Demand 9/10

      psychodr
      July 30, 2019
    • X-Men: Dark Phoenix arrives on Digital 9/3 and 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD 9/17

      Paul Brian McCoy
      July 16, 2019
    • Trailers
  • Psychos
  • Merchandise
Breaking
  • Heart of Stone (2023)
  • Obstacle Corpse (2022)
  • Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)
  • Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)
  • The Flash (2023) / Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)
  • Evil Dead Rise (2023)
  • RSS
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Who We Be
  • Contact
  • PDI Press
    • PDI Press Catalog
    • PDI Press Writers
      • Fiction
  • Columns A-D
    • A Fistful of Dollar Comics
    • ABCs of Horror
    • All Binge… No Purge
    • Anything Joes
    • Beautiful Creatures
    • Big Eyes Smart Mouth
    • Big Sleeps and Long Goodbyes
    • Cahiers du Horror
    • Dispatches From the Field
    • Drive-In Saturday
    • Dungeons & D-Listers
  • Columns F-P
    • The Final Girl
    • First Looks… Second Thoughts
    • The Flesh is Weak
    • Innocence and Experience
    • Lost in Translation
    • Page to Screen
    • Popcorn Cinema
    • Psycho Essentials: The ’80s!
  • Columns S-Z
    • Schlock & Awe
    • Shakespeare on Film
    • Shot for Shot
    • Sick Flix
    • Unnatural Selections
    • Versus
    • Video Word Made Flesh
    • We Got Lists
    • Women in Horror
    • The Xeno File
    • Zombies 101
  • Reviews
    • Books
    • Comics
    • DVD/Blu-ray
    • Movies
    • TV
    • Series
  • Interviews
  • News
    • Trailers
  • Psychos
  • Merchandise
Home
Reviews

Agents of SHIELD 1.14 “T.A.H.I.T.I.” & 1.15 “Yes Men”

Paul Brian McCoy
March 18, 2014
Reviews, TV

Warning: A non-numeric value encountered in /home/psychodr/public_html/wp/wp-content/themes/valenti/library/core.php on line 1104

Due to some internet and editorial issues, I’ve gotten a little behind in my reviews of Agents of SHIELD, but it’s not for lack of enthusiasm (I’m looking at you Helix). The last two episodes of Agents of SHIELD have been some of the strongest so far thanks to a strange combination of goofy sci-fi fantasy and occasional outbursts of deadly violence that somehow remains bloodless and “family-friendly” in the manner of the big-screen Marvel Studios films.

Which is a discussion to have in itself that would not only encompass the Marvel movies, but PG classics as far back as the Indiana Jones series or Star Wars. The bloodless killing of “bad guys” is kind of a tradition in this general genre. What that says about the complicit nature of audience morality or the inculcation in young audiences of the acceptance of (lethal) violence against enemies, is something I’d like to read sometime.

But not here.

AoS114_Triplett

I only mention it because the climax of “T.A.H.I.T.I.” involves our heroes gunning down two operatives who, as far as we know, are just hired guards for the secure facility where Coulson (Clark Gregg) had his miracle surgery and was brought back to life. These are not S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, but independent contractors for whoever actually runs the “Guest House” – and while S.H.I.E.L.D. is obviously tied to them in some manner, they are not S.H.I.E.L.D. Which raises much more interesting questions about Coulson’s resurrection than “The Magical Place” initially implied.

The fact that top level clearance is required to know any facts about Coulson’s situation was a hint, but it’s not until this episode that we really start to see how deep the secrecy goes. And why.

But first, a little plot.

AoS114_Paxton

After being gutshot by Quinn (David Conrad) last episode, Skye (Chloe Bennet) is dying and not even the docs at S.H.I.E.L.D. can save her. It’s just a matter of time until she’s gone. Of course, our heroes know that death is not the end if you can pull enough strings, so after some fast and dirty research, the gang figures out where Coulson was actually treated – and it wasn’t at a S.H.I.E.L.D. facility.

On the way there, the Bus is boarded by S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents John Garrett (Bill Paxton woo hoo!) and Antoine Triplett (B.J. Britt) with orders to take Quinn to the Fridge for detainment. Luckily, Garrett is old friends with Coulson and was Ward’s S.O. and after only minimal arm twisting is on-board with tracking down the Guest House and finding a way to save Skye (after the obligatory good guy fight where Ward (Brett Dalton) and Triplett beat on each other for a minute or two).

And while the script isn’t perfection, everything is better with Bill Paxton.

AoS114_Alien

The Guest House, where our hired guns are killed, is a Top Secret facility and our heroes are able to find the miracle drug that saved Coulson before the self-destruct sequence brings the whole place down. But not before Coulson makes a startling discovery about the source of the drug in a room marked T.A.H.I.T.I. (and since we’re a couple of weeks out from the episode, spoilers be damned!). It’s one of the freakiest moments in the series so far and opens up a variety of potential narrative lines going forward. By following a series of tubes that seem to be distilling the magical drug, Coulson opens up a compartment to reveal the mangled body of a blue-skinned alien in a containment tank and the tubes are coming from the alien body!!!

After snapping out of a daze (his mind is blown, as was mine), Coulson tries to stop the gang from using the drug to save Skye, but it’s too late. She’s injected, and after a dramatic convulsion, is healed. But all evidence of the drug’s source is lost in the explosion that destroys the Guest House, so the next mystery involves discovering both the identity of the alien and who really did Coulson’s surgery.

AoS114_Alien2

As far as mysteries go, these are pretty good ones. I can’t help but wonder if this was the play all along or if this is course-correction. But to be honest, it doesn’t matter. Because once we passed the original 13-episode order, things have been looking up. Way up.

And that uptick in quality is carried over into last week’s “Yes Men.”

Again, we’re not dealing with hard sci-fi or adult action, and the script by Shalisha Francis suffers from the same shortcomings of her previous work in the mid-season finale, “The Bridge,” but somehow it all still worked. I’m pretty sure the credit for this rests on the Asgardian shoulders of this week’s guest-stars, Elena Satine as Lorelei and the always impressive Jaimie Alexander as Lady Sif.

AoS115_Sif

The plot is pretty straightforward and is something you’ve seen in countless comics or cartoons as Lorelei uses her magical abilities to manipulate men into becoming her slaves/soldiers. Lady Sif is here to stop her and return her to Asgardian prison. Along the way Lorelei takes control of a biker gang, but after a run-in with S.H.I.E.L.D., upgrades to the one-man army (and sex toy), Agent Ward.

Before all is said and done, Agent May (Ming-Na Wen) faces off against Ward while Sif and Lorelai duke it out in the confines of the cell on the Bus. There are a few funny bits along the way, mostly dealing with the weaknesses of men in general — and Fitz (Iain De Caestecker) in particular. It’s not life-changing, but it’s just plain fun. Coulson’s “casual” question to Sif, asking whether she had ever encountered any blue-skinned aliens was nicely done as she begins listing off race after race after race (including the Kree) while his face slowly drops.

You know, there’s a lot to be said for just being damned entertaining, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is finally consistently hitting that mark with every episode while also moving the more serious story elements along smoothly and steadily.

AoS115_Lorelai

And speaking of more serious story elements, Coulson and Skye bond after he spills the beans about the alien origins of the mystery drug, but then the camera pulls back to reveal that the office is bugged. In another room, Agent May is listening in, picks up a secure phone and says “Coulson knows” before we cut to black.

!!!!!

This, combined with an off-hand comment from Agent Sitwell (Maximiliano Hernández) earlier in the episode about Fury being off the grid, seems to be designed to build connections with the upcoming Captain America: The Winter Soldier film. And seeing as how Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is taking a break until April 1, 2014 – just days before the Cap movie premiere – with an episode entitled “The End of the Beginning,” and then returns the week after the premiere with an episode called “Turn, Turn, Turn,” things may be about to take a grim turn.

(Visited 132 times, 1 visits today)
Agents of SHIELD 1.14 “T.A.H.I.T.I.” & 1.15 “Yes Men”
"T.A.H.I.T.I."
"Yes Men"
3.8Overall Score

Related

Agents of SHIELDMarvelPaul Brian McCoy

The Originals 1.16 “Farewell to Storyville”
An Argument with Myself: Locked Rooms, Lawn Care and Lynchian Corruption in True Detective

About The Author

monsterid
Paul Brian McCoy
Co-Founder / Editor-in-Chief / Dreamweaver

Paul Brian McCoy is the Editor-in-Chief of Psycho Drive-In. His first novel, The Unraveling: Damaged Inc. Book One is available at Amazon US & UK, along with his collection of short stories, Coffee, Sex, & Creation (US & UK). He recently contributed the 1989 chapter to The American Comic Book Chronicles: The 1980s (US & UK). He also kicked off Comics Bulletin Books with Mondo Marvel Volumes One (US & UK) and Two (US & UK) and PDI Press with Marvel at the Movies: 1977-1998 (US & UK), Marvel at the Movies: Marvel Studios (US & UK), and Spoiler Warning: Hannibal Season 1 - An Unauthorized Critical Guide (US & UK). Paul is also unnaturally preoccupied with zombie films and sci-fi television. He can be found babbling on Twitter at @PBMcCoy.

Related Posts

  • Twin Peaks 3.01-3.04

    Paul Brian McCoy
    May 29, 2017
  • 4.0

    Doctor Who 8.11 “Dark Water”

    Paul Brian McCoy
    November 8, 2014

Daily Top Ten

  • Uzumaki (2000)Uzumaki (2000) by Matthew Fantaci
  • The Final Girl: I Spit on Your Grave (2010)The Final Girl: I Spit on Your Grave (2010) by The Final Girl
  • Transformers: The Last Knight (2017)Transformers: The Last Knight (2017) by Nate Zoebl
  • If It Ain't Funk He Don't Feel It: Howard the Duck (1986)If It Ain’t Funk He Don’t Feel It:… by Paul Brian McCoy
  • Doctor Who 6.07: "A Good Man Goes to War"Doctor Who 6.07: “A Good Man Goes to War” by Paul Brian McCoy
  • Utopia 1.05Utopia 1.05 by Paul Brian McCoy
  • Jason Trost Needs Your Help to Create A World Without SuperheroesJason Trost Needs Your Help to Create A World… by Adam Barraclough
  • The Muppets (2011)The Muppets (2011) by Jessica Sowards
  • Drive-In Saturday: Invasion of the Bee Girls (1973)Drive-In Saturday: Invasion of the Bee Girls (1973) by Paul Brian McCoy
  • Reel Deal Ep 3 - X-Men: Days of Future Past (WARNING: SPOILERS)Reel Deal Ep 3 – X-Men: Days of Future Past… by Kevin Pauley
400x400 GI Joe Funko Banner

Weekly Top Ten

  • The Final Girl: I Spit on Your Grave (2010)The Final Girl: I Spit on Your Grave (2010) by The Final Girl
  • Adventure Time 6.06 “Breezy”Adventure Time 6.06 “Breezy” by Dave Hearn
  • Lost in Translation 435: Remaking Blue Thunder (1983)Lost in Translation 435: Remaking Blue Thunder (1983) by Scott Delahunt
  • The Hills Have Eyes (1977) vs The Hills Have Eyes (2006)The Hills Have Eyes (1977) vs The Hills Have Eyes (2006) by Corin Totin
  • Haunted House on Sorority Row (2014)Haunted House on Sorority Row (2014) by Paul Brian McCoy
  • Drive-In Saturday: Heavy Metal 2000 (2000)Drive-In Saturday: Heavy Metal 2000 (2000) by Alex Wolfe
  • Advance Review: The Legend of Tarzan (2016) Blu-rayAdvance Review: The Legend of Tarzan (2016) Blu-ray by Paul Brian McCoy
  • Night of the Living Dead 30th Anniversary EditionNight of the Living Dead 30th Anniversary Edition by Dan Lee
  • The Xeno File: The Man Who Stole the Sun (1979)The Xeno File: The Man Who Stole the Sun (1979) by Serdar Yegulalp
  • Dungeons & D-Listers: Barbarian Queen (1985)Dungeons & D-Listers: Barbarian Queen (1985) by Alex Wolfe
400x400 UA Affiliate Banner

Latest Reviews

  • Heart of Stone (2023)

    Nate Zoebl
    August 18, 2023
  • Obstacle Corpse (2022)

    Nate Zoebl
    July 20, 2023
  • Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)

    Paul Brian McCoy
    July 16, 2023

psychodrivein

Today at https://psychodrivein.com Lost in Transl Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Lost in Translation 449: Gamera - Rebirth (2023)

Overall, Gamera: Rebirth takes the goofier aspects of the Gamera films and turns them into moments of awesome.
---
Read more of Scott's article at the link in our profile!

#LostInTranslation #Gamera #GameraRebirth #Netflix
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Anything Joes: Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Anything Joes: S01E66 - De-Classified Debt

Greg and Jaren talk news, acquisitions, and balancing the budget when all your toys are arriving at the same time.
---
Watch the @AnythingJoesPod guys at the link in our profile!

#Anything Joes #GIJoe #GIJoeDeclassified #WrathOfCobra
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Lost in Transl Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Lost in Translation - Defusing Bombs: Cutthroat Island (1995)

Cutthroat Island is worth a look, keeping in mind its weaknesses.
---
Read more of Scott's article at the link in our profile!

#LostInTranslation #CutthroatIsland #GeenaDavis #RennyHarlin #MatthewModine #FrankLangella
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Anything Joes: Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Anything Joes: S01E65 - Pyramid of Darkness (2): Rendezvous in the City of the Dead

Greg and Jaren continue their dive into the classic G.I. Joe mini-series Pyramid Of Darkness! 
---
Watch the @AnythingJoesPod gang at the link in our profile!

#AnythingJoes #GIJoe #GIJoeARealAmericanHero #PyramidOfDarkness
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Lost in Transl Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Lost in Translation 447: Batman: The Animated Series (1992)

Batman: the Animated Series demonstrates how to adapt a popular character without losing the character’s essence.
---
Read more of Scott's article at the link in our profile!

#Batman #BatmanTheAnimatedSeries #MarkHamill #KevinConroy #ArleenSorkin #WB #DC
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Heart of Stone Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Heart of Stone (2023)

It’s hard for me to envision anything Heart of Stone could offer that people would request a return visit.
---
Read more of Nate's review at the link in our profile!

#HeartOfStone #GalGadot #Netflix
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Anything Joes: Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Anything Joes: S01E64 - Pyramid of Darkness (1)

It's time! Greg introduces Jaren to the first episode of the iconic "Pyramid of Darkness" series from G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero!
---
Watch the @AnythingJoesPod guys watch the cartoon at the link in our profile!

#AnythingJoes #GIJoe #ARealAmericanHero #PyramidOfDarkness
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Anything Joes: Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Anything Joes: S01E63 - Kentuckiana 2023 

Greg and Jaren discuss the new layout, the vendors, and their recent acquisitions from attending The Kentuckiana G.I. Joe Toy Expo! 
---
Watch the new @AnythingJoesPod video at the link in our profile!

#AnythingJoes #Kentuckiana #KentuckianaGIJoeToyExpo #GIJoe #Kentuckiana2023 #KentuckianaGIJoeToyExpo2023
Today at https://psychodrivein.com Lost in Transl Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Lost in Translation 446: Cowboy Bebop (2021)

One snag the live-action Cowboy Bebop has is trying too hard to look like the anime.
---
Read more of Scott's article at the link in our profile!

#AnythingJoes #CowboyBebop #Netflix #Sunrise #HajimeYatate #ShinichiroWatanabe #YokoKanno #Seatbelts #JohnCho #MustafaShakir #DaniellaPineda #AlexHassell #ElenaSatine
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Latest Columns

  • Lost in Translation 449: Gamera – Rebirth (2023)

    Scott Delahunt
    September 22, 2023
  • Anything Joes: S01E66 – De-Classified Debt

    Greg Engle
    September 13, 2023
  • Lost in Translation 448 – Defusing Bombs: Cutthroat Island (1995)

    Scott Delahunt
    September 8, 2023

Look Who's Talking

Barbie Worldwide
Barbie Worldwide - 8/5/2023
Lost in Translation 429: The Barbie Movie Teaser
Barbie still in the driver's seat and the movie is speeding past a billion by August 7, 2023.
John E. Meredith
John E. Meredith - 4/5/2023
EZMM 2023 Day 3.1: Zombie for Sale (2019)
Of course, I just woke up from an old-man nap and had a strong urination before reading this, so now...
John E. Meredith
John E. Meredith - 4/3/2023
EZMM 2023 Day 1.1: I Am a Hero (2015)
Oh hell yeah. Looks like one more thing to add to my watch list.
RSSTwitterFacebookinstagramtumblr

Archives

Large_rectangle_336X280
All work on this site is Copyright © each individual writer.
  • PDI Press
    • PDI Press Catalog
    • PDI Press Writers
      • Fiction
  • Columns A-D
    • A Fistful of Dollar Comics
    • ABCs of Horror
    • All Binge… No Purge
    • Anything Joes
    • Beautiful Creatures
    • Big Eyes Smart Mouth
    • Big Sleeps and Long Goodbyes
    • Cahiers du Horror
    • Dispatches From the Field
    • Drive-In Saturday
    • Dungeons & D-Listers
  • Columns F-P
    • The Final Girl
    • First Looks… Second Thoughts
    • The Flesh is Weak
    • Innocence and Experience
    • Lost in Translation
    • Page to Screen
    • Popcorn Cinema
    • Psycho Essentials: The ’80s!
  • Columns S-Z
    • Schlock & Awe
    • Shakespeare on Film
    • Shot for Shot
    • Sick Flix
    • Unnatural Selections
    • Versus
    • Video Word Made Flesh
    • We Got Lists
    • Women in Horror
    • The Xeno File
    • Zombies 101
  • Reviews
    • Books
    • Comics
    • DVD/Blu-ray
    • Movies
    • TV
    • Series
  • Interviews
  • News
    • Trailers
  • Psychos
  • Merchandise