Matthew Spencer-Skeen reviews the fourteenth episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D season 2…
Right following last week’s revelation of Bobbi and Mack’s allegiance to ‘the real S.H.I.E.L.D.’ we got a good look at this organisation throughout this episode and its concerns about Coulson and his S.H.I.E.L.D. operation. We also brought back in Grant Ward and Agent 33 with Ward’s new motives and plans pretty much in the dark, only helping Agent 33 exact some revenge throughout the episode.
OK I’ve already explained that I really like where the first half of this season went and where it looked like this season was heading. Frustratingly this episode and last week’s really felt like filler episodes and spent too long getting away from the more interesting aspects that were being brought in. I said in my review of episode 12 that this show works well when there seems to be an aim or enemy that the team is working against. It looked like Cal and our new transporting Inhuman Gordon would be those guys after all the Hydra based goings on before.
But come on, now we have ‘fake S.H.I.E.L.D.’, the Ward problem, the unknown Inhuman and Cal for the team to deal with. This doesn’t even take into account all the other storylines going on with Skye’s powers manifesting, the changed dynamics in the Fitz/Simmons relationship and how the team will react to the betrayal by Bobbi and Mack when Hunter eventually spills the beans about the big ship all these other operatives are hiding on. It’s too much going on and the showrunners are trying to shoehorn in way too much right now.
OK rant over, major pluses to be mentioned of course Edward James Olmos gives some real gravitas to the other S.H.I.E.L.D. which makes it seem like they could be a real problem, or turn into a very useful ally if things go that way. Brett Dalton is great as Ward and comes across more menacing now he seems to have dropped all pretence about his and Skye’s relationship. Getting to see Ming Na Wen as Agent 33 was fun as well, a totally different bit of acting from her as the characters merely share a face.
In fairness this episode as a standalone wasn’t terrible, I liked the Ward and Agent 33 stuff and fake S.H.I.E.L.D. could be a real threat. I just hope that these storylines wrap up within a couple of episodes so the focus can return to the more super elements of the show, which I believe will be infinitely more interesting.
Matthew Spencer-Skeen – Follow me on Twitter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ONsp_bmDYXc
Originally published March 26, 2015. Updated April 14, 2018.
