This is probably going to be short and sweet, because, well, it was just so spot-on.
I mean, come on folks, even S.H.I.E.L.D. legend Jim Steranko is now on–board, so you know the creative hive-mind behind Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is finally on the right page. And viewership has picked up, so hopefully this means some of the folks who gave up early are coming back to the fold. Because, without a doubt, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is becoming must-see-TV.
With two episodes left in the season.
While watching this episode I found myself saying out loud, “This is just perfectly constructed.” And it was. Every scene hit its mark, the pacing was excellent, the dialogue was snappy and fun, and even the action scenes did exactly what they needed to do. Sure the CGI during Lola’s flight was a little dodgy, but dammit, LOLA FLEW AGAIN!
I’ve been missing that.
But seriously, it’s not just the flying car. We got a Man-Thing name drop, Agent May digging up Coulson’s empty grave like it’s no big thing, Skye invoking Godwin’s Law with Ward, Coulson freaking out (on the inside), Deathlok being Deathlok, May being badass, Coulson being badass, and Maria Hill being badass. Plus we found out who was in charge of the TAHITI project.
Really there’s just so much good stuff here, I just feel like a review is unnecessary.
But if there was one thing that should be highlighted above all else, it was the interactions between Skye (Chloe Bennet) and Ward (Brett Dalton). The two characters that most vocal viewers had an aversion to right from the start, get the spotlight and a chance to really bring their characters’ relationship to a new level that makes you wonder where these actors were all along.
Did we really need all that build-up to make these scenes pay off like they do? I don’t know. Probably not. But in the diner, watching Skye make subtle digs at Ward while he tries not to react, there’s just this groundswell of emotional support. We want her to say these things. We want her to knock the bastard down a peg or two. And she does.
While she doesn’t actually escape (at that point), it is just a fantastic moment for the characters and for the performers. We’re finally getting to see what they can do, now that the scripts have emotional weight. And when she calls him a Nazi and he tries to backpedal, it is priceless. Dalton plays Ward perfectly in that moment, allowing us a glimpse into the sociopath behind his eyes. When he hugs her and tells her that his feelings for her were real, I think we all reacted the same way she does.
We all want to vomit.
That was a perfect moment in one of the most effectively crafted episodes of the season.