Danny Hale reviews Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 3 Episode 2 – Purpose in the Machine…
Carrying on from the strong premiere last week, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. delivers another thrilling hour of television that quite literally had me at the edge of my seat. Having ended last week with us seeing Fitz at his most raw as he punched and clawed at the monolith, (played flawlessly by Iain De Caestecker) it was great to see events pick up exactly where we left them. I was along for the ride right from the beginning; De Castecker portrays Fitz with such vulnerability and honesty it’s impossible not to root for him. Thus followed an exciting scene where we finally may have some sort of lead on Simmons! Ancient sand found on Fitz’s face after his contact with the monolith points towards the monolith being a portal to another planet.
Everybody else’s lack of resistance and swift aid in the face of Fitz’s alarming theory genuinely touched me. It was a really nice moment to see the entire team so united and only highlighted how important Fitz and indeed Simmons are to everyone. It all harkened back to the show’s beginnings and the Whedon-esque ‘family’ feel of a team that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. so desperately tried to emulate. In the beginning it felt a bit forced; show, don’t tell. Saying our characters are like a family doesn’t make it so but these kind of scenes with these kind of character moments speak volumes.
Although we had no Joey this week his presence was certainly felt as he was the topic of much debate between Daisy, Mack and Dr. Garner. Daisy is adamant that he be allowed to join their new team of super powered individuals (Secret Warriors!) based on the fact that he’s a nice guy. Oh Daisy. Mack on the other hand wants to wait for Dr. Garner’s recommendation. From a viewer’s perspective I really just want Joey to sign up; I like him so far as a character and his powers present interesting possibilities but mainly I’m just as impatient as Daisy is about getting some new in blood kicking ass.
I really enjoyed Ward’s introduction to the season; it really seems like the writers have a solid direction for his character now which Ward lacked after the shock of his treachery passed. His attack on the boat was a welcome moment to show off some of this show’s great hand to hand combat. Also, shooting the guy who got in a good punch? That was kind of badass. I had totally written off ‘Alexander’ as a young rich kid who was unfortunate enough to land in Ward’s hands but his reveal as the slightly overshadowed son of Wolfgang Von Strucker (Who you may remember from Age of Ultron) was handled very well and I think he’s going to make an interesting addition to the show. Finally on Ward, he has some serious balls sending his new partner in crime into May’s husband’s life. When she finds out things are going to get VERY interesting.
On that note, MAY IS BACK! I like that she came to a crossroads in her life, not that I ever really believed she wouldn’t return to the field but it still presents an interesting insight into May’s character. At first when I assumed Hunter was pursuing Ward alone I was a little anxious; I don’t think I’ve seen enough of Hunter in a fight to believe he can beat Ward. So, naturally when he attempts to recruit May to his cause my excitement went through the roof. May could take Ward alone so even if Hunter is just along for witty banter then that’s good enough for me.
The final act of the episode was seriously intense. Coulson and his team enlist Asgardian Dr. Randolph in the hope that he can provide some information about the monolith. It was nice to see someone from season 1 because let’s face it, this show is probably in a very different place than where the writer’s intended in the beginning so it’s nice to see the first season is not forgotten. Daisy discovers she can use her powers to open the monolith/portal while Coulson and company send a probe to try and locate Simmons. Sounds like a good plan but of course as soon as the portal opens Fitz jumps through attached to a harness. I watched with bated breath as he searched for Simmons in the insane desert storm. I was a little surprised how quickly he found her but what followed was so good I can forgive that. Also if I was sucked through a portal to another world I wouldn’t venture very far away in case anyone came looking for me. As the pair got closer I figured Fitz would be pulled back before he got to Simmons just seeing enough to confirm her survival. Despite my confidence in how the story would play out the closer they got to each other the more my heart began to break. The strain becomes too much to bear for Daisy resulting in the monolith exploding. I really don’t think I moved a muscle until I saw both Fitz and Simmons emerge from the rubble. My initial opinion was that this was surely too soon for Simmons to be rescued which would imply they only had her pulled through the monolith in last year’s finale for the sake of a ‘cliffhanger’. I sincerely hope this is not true. We got a brief glimpse of her waking up back with S.H.I.E.L.D., shiv in hand. This implies that this experience has obviously changed Simmons and that we’ll most likely be seeing some of the aftereffects of her experiences. I had thought we might see a personal journey for Simmons on this other planet for a few episodes but I am just as happy to see the fallout of her experiences and how it affects the Fitz-Simmons dynamic.
Overall I found this entire episode very strong; Ward’s story is off to a strong start and seems to be headed on a collision course with Hunter and May. All good things. If this season keeps delivering like the last two weeks then I will be a very happy man. Here’s hoping for more moments like this episode’s third act. I didn’t feel like it was oversold, I didn’t feel like I was supposed to care more than I did, I was in it every step of the way.
Danny Hale
https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL18yMRIfoszEaHYNDTy5C-cH9Oa2gN5ng&v=C_zu6XuI_g4
