Zyuranger Episode Two: The Revival - Super Sentai Review

The second episode of Super Sentai Zyuranger sees the ancient heroes fighting desperately to free the children captured by the evil witch Bandora, and the return of the Tyrannosaurus Guardian Beast.

Following the surprise appearance of the Dora Titan at the end of the previous episode the ancient heroes have retreated to their temple base to plan their next move against the evil witch and her forces. Dan, Boi, and Mei argue amongst themselves as they worry about the fight ahead and their mission to save the children, whilst Goushi and Geki discuss their past, giving viewers an insight into the civilisation they came from.

At the same time, Bandora has moved her palace from the top of a skyscraper to the moon, a perfect place to hatch her plans whilst staying out of reach of the Zyurangers. Bandora hatches a new plan to use the shrunken space shuttle to lure the rangers into a trap with her latest monster, Dora Skeleton; who is made from living mud and brought to life by Pleprechaun. The shuttle is sent back to Earth, where Bookback uses a remote control to make it chase people around the city.

The Zyurangers arrive on the scene, trying to catch up with the shuttle using their motorcycles, but are suddenly attacked by the Dora Skeleton. The monster brings the warriors to an amusement park, where it attacks the team. The creature manages to destroy their weapons, before transporting them all to another dimension, where the shrunken shuttle sits in a tree. The rangers try to rescue the shuttle, but Dora Skeleton summons his skeleton minions to stop them. Whilst fighting the monsters Bookback arrives and plants a bomb in the tree next to the shuttle.

Geki takes on Dora Skeleton in a sword fight, distracting him so that the rest of the team are able to shoot him with their blasters, blowing him apart. As he attempts to put himself back together Dan grabs his skull and wraps it in his cape, preventing him from putting himself back together. He throws the head to Boi, who tosses it into a firey pit, destroying Dora Skeleton. Geki is now able to grab the shuttle before the bomb goes off.

However, before the rangers can celebrate their victory the Dora Titan breaks through into the dimension and grabs hold of Geki, dragging him out. The rest of the team grab the shuttle as the bomb goes off, which throws them back into the real world. Inside a quarry the Dora Titan tries to crush Geki, but he manages to break free and joins the rest of the team as they head inside a cave for protection.

With no way to fight the giant Dora Titan the team have no idea how they're going to win. Without warning the ground begins to shake and breaks open, revealing the Tyranosaurus Guardian Beast. Geki jumps inside the control room of the Guardian Beast and takes on the Dora Titan in combat. The other Zyurangers get the children out of the shuttle before launching it at the Dora Titan, making the ship blow up in his face. With the Dora Titan reeling from the blast Geki manages to knock it down before unleashing a powerful sonic blast that destroys the monster once-and-for-all. Whilst Bandora complains about her plan having failed the Zyrangers reaffirm their mission to protect the earth and defeat the evil witch.

The second episode of Super Sentai Zyuranger takes on what feels to be a more traditional kind of formula, at least for what I expect as a fan of Power Rangers. Bandora has come up with a new plan and sends a monster against the heroes, which ends in a fight with their Zords. What makes it feel different, however, is that the monster they go up against initially isn't the giant one they have to fight at the end, which subverted my expectations somewhat.

To be honest, I was actually somewhat surprised by the episode to begin with anyway. I was expecting the story to continue where the last episode left off, with the Zyurangers fighting Grifforzor and the Dora Golems whilst the Dora Titan held the shuttle hostage. Instead it seems like there's something of a time jump, with the action having jumped forwards several hours. The rangers have retreated and Bandora has left the city, transferring her palace to the moon. There's isn't really much of an explanation as to why this has happened, and I feel like this was perhaps done in an attempt to establish something of a standard formula for the show of how episodes will play out.

What this break in the action does do, however, is give the show a chance to fill in some more of the backstory that was alluded to in the first episode. Geki and Goushi discuss the history of the ancient human tribes and their fight against Bandora, giving viewers a glimpse at the war they fought in and the imprisonment of the witch and her lieutenants on Planet Nemesis. Whilst this is a great bit of information and is presented in an interesting way with the glimpses of artwork in an ancient book, the fact that two people who lived through it are discussing it like one of them doesn't know about it feels a little silly. It's definitely been written to give the information over to the audience, without possibly thinking about how it comes across in universe. But honestly, this is a fairly minor nitpick.

The first monster to feature in the episode, Dora Skeleton, is one that I'm familiar with, remembering him as Bones from Power Rangers quite well. What blew me away about him was how different he is to the american version, and how much stuff was cut out. He's absolutely terrifying here, especially with his high pitched giggling scream. The fact that he doesn't talk at all and just makes these shrieking noises is really disturbing. His glowing, stick-like sword and skeleton minions are also a lot of fun, and goes towards making this version of the character very memorable. The face that he's killed when his head gets thrown into a crevasse as Boi tells him to 'go to hell' just makes his demise even better too.

I also absolutely loved how once again we didn't get a Megazord, but just had a single Zord/Guardian Beast show up to fight the Dora Titan. As much as I love the Zyuranger Megazord design, getting to see the Tyransaurus given his own moment to shine is great, and really highlights just how good the suit for it is. It's obviously a guy in a suit, but it feels a lot less silly than some of the Megazords do, possibly because its arms move differently and because it has a huge tail. Whatever the reason, I found myself very entertained by the fight, more so than some other Zord fights I've seen over the years. Whether they're going to do this for each individual Zords, or will just introduce the Megazord in episode three, this was a moment that I think will stand out for me.

'The Revival' was definitely more of what I was expecting from Super Sentai, but that doesn't mean that it was ever boring or predictable. The fight sequences and stunt work were great, and the scene where a monster attacked one of the heroes whilst he rode around on a motorcycle was particularly impressive. I can't wait to find out if the show will settle into a similar formula going forward, or if it will continue to subvert my expectations.


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Zyuranger Episode One: The Birth - Super Sentai Review

At first I thought that the first episode of Zyuranger was a little slow in comparison to the American Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, and whilst the US show manages to pack a lot into a relatively short run time, 'The Birth' goes a little crazy towards the ends and really throws a lot at viewers. Set in a world where the evil witch Bandora was defeated by five brave warriors more than 170 million years ago, 'The Birth' introduces us to the main players in this story.

At the Sakura Condominium apartment complex an old caretaker overhears a news report about a space shuttle that is on approach to the mysterious Planet Nemesis, a rogue planet whose orbit brings it to Earth once every 230 million years. The shuttle, which contains two astronauts and two kid astronauts, lands on the planet, and the two adults begins to search the wasteland around them. Back on Earth, the caretaker has rushed to the roof of the building and is using some kind of super hearing to listen in on the mission.

On Planet Nemesis the astronauts discover some kind of capsule with a glowing gem. When they investigate the capsule opens, and four terrifying monsters emerge. There's the short, blue goblin like Bookback; the slim and sinister vampire Topat; the elderly leprechaun Pleprechaun; and the gold armoured griffin knight Grifforzor. As the astronauts cower in fear a fifth figure emerges from the capsule, the evil witch Bandora. Having awoken from 170 million years of imprisonment Bandora sets her sights once more on conquering her home planet of Earth, but not before casting the poor astronauts out into space.

Bandora uses her powers to reshape the city, bringing several large buildings together, and transporting her palace on top of the tallest skyscraper. Bandora flies above the city, announcing her plans to take over the planet and begins to use her magic to blow several buildings apart. She comes face to face with the old caretaker, who it is suddenly revealed to be the White Wizard Barza, who fought against her millions of years ago. The two briefly fight, but Bandora is more than a match for her old foe. During the fight Barza also discovers that Bandora has taken the space shuttle and shrunk it, and the children within, and is going to destroy it in one hour.

Barza reenters the Sakura Condominium and enters a special code into the elevator controls, which transports him to an ancient temple decorated with the statues of ancient animals and dinosaurs. The five legendary warriors that fought Bandora millions of years ago are held within magical stasis within the temple, and Barza declares that the time has come to reawaken them.

He unlocks their chambers, returning four of the warriors to the real world. We meet the knight of the black Sharma Tribe, Goushi; the knight of the yellow Dime Tribe, Boi; the princess of the pink Lithia Tribe, Mei; and the knight of the blue Etoffe Tribe, Dan. Unfortunately, the final warriors chamber won't open, so the others have to try to save the children on their own.

The four warriors make their way to Bandora's Palace and are transported to a beach, where they are attacked by mud dolls, which burst out of the ground around them. The warriors hold the dolls back, but Bandora appears and uses her magic to cast them away, where they get captured in a cage above a huge fire. The warriors are teased by Bookback and Topat that they're going to be cooked alive, and all looks lost for them, when the prince of the red Yamato Tribe, Geki, arrives and frees them.

The five of them run outside the palace, where Barza gives them their medals, which they can use in conjunction with their Dino Bucklers to transform into the Zyurangers. Once transformed the five rangers are attacked by Grifforzor and Dora Golems. Geki takes on Grifforzor with his Ranger Sword whilst Dan and Mei rush into the palace to save the space shuttle from destruction with seconds to spare. Suddenly, without warning, a giant hand bursts through the wall of the palace and the shuttle is taken by the huge Dora Titan. The episode ends with the Dora Titan with the shuttle and the Zyurangers unsure of what to do next.

Wow. When written out the episode really manages to put a lot into its small 20 minute run time. However, unlike Power Rangers, this episode doesn't give you everything up front. There's no Power Weapons, no Zords, no Megazord. And this makes it so much better. The episode spends the time setting up the world, albeit in a rushed way. We learn about Barza and his history with Bandora, we learn of the five dinosaur tribes and their warriors who become the Zyurangers. Yes, it might not be in any huge detail, but it's still something. Already I have the feeling that this series is going to take its time more than the American counterpart, and even though there's sure to be throwaway monster of the week episodes it feels like a bigger part of this show is going to go towards world building.

This is essentially my first experience with Super Sentai, and I'm a little surprised at how different the show is to what I was expecting. I've seen Japanese entertainment before, so know that there are very different storytelling styles implemented, but I was still taken aback by certain things. The inclusion of children on the space shuttle was one of these. I understand that this is a show aimed at children, and that it would want to feature children in their episodes, but the fact that they were on the shuttle really seemed like a crazy narrative choice to me. I did, however, like the fact that the shuttle interior looks like a redressed Megazord set. They very clearly saved a little bit of money there.

The original versions of the bad guys also took me a little by surprise, as I was so used to their American versions. Grifforzor was the biggest shock to me, as I spent most of the time he was on screen expecting him to talk. Apparently though he's not like the over the top Goldar, and he's relegated to growls and snarls; which actually makes him a little more frightening. The inclusion of 'baby' Putty Patrollers in the form of the Mud Dolls was awesome, however, and I really wish that they had made the translation to Power Rangers. The fact that they were very clearly hand puppets just made them all the better.

I realise that I'm using a lot of terms from the Power Rangers series, and comparing this episode to it a lot, but this is purely because of my lack of experience with this franchise, and I'm sure that with more episodes the series will stand on its own a lot more without such comparissons. However, as someone who has been watching Power Rangers since its inception I will have to talk about it a fair bit in these reviews, if only to highlight how much better Super Sentai feels. The episode might have been bat shit crazy, but there's something about this that captured me in a way that the other show wouldn't have. It might be because it feels like it's taken something I know and made it new again, or it could be that it's genuinely more interesting and creative. Time will certainly tell on that one. The only criticism I can put on the episode, however, is the music. Whilst there's nothing wrong with what is presented her, and the main theme is really catchy, there's something about the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers theme kicking in during a fight scene that really gets things pumping.

A great first episode to the series, that manages to feel fresh and interesting. Thanks to different storytelling traditions and some strange writing choices the episode manages to dodge every expectation I had for it. I couldn't even begin to try to anticipate what could come in the second episode, and am really excited to find out just how crazy this series can get.

Episode two of Zyuranger, 'The Revival', will be featured next Friday.


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Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 5 – Top 5 Episodes

Originally published on Set The Tape

The fifth season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was easily the boldest in the shows history, embracing the extreme sci-fi side of the Marvel Cinematic Universe for what was almost their final season.

Whilst the series as a whole is one of the best, with a stunning story that spanned the entire 22 episode run, five episodes stood out amongst the rest for their amazing quality…

5. Episode 05 – ‘Rewind’

With almost the entirety of the S.H.I.E.L.D. team transported to a future where the Earth has been ripped to pieces and the remainder of humanity survive in the remnants thanks to brutal Kree overlords ‘Rewind’ jumped backwards in time to the present day to tell us what happened to Fitz (Iain De Caestecker) after he got left behind.

Despite the fact that we’ve already seen Fitz in the future, and know that he will eventually get to his friends, the episode is full of excitement and tension as Fitz is arrested by the government due to the actions of S.H.I.E.L.D. in the previous season.

This isn’t the same old Fitz, however, as he remembers everything that happened in the Framework from season four, making this a combination of the meek and caring scientist we love, and the brutal, ruthless leader of Hydra. We see some of that come through here as Fitz will do whatever it takes to find out what happened to his team, and to rescue them if possible.

The return of Nick Blook as Hunter is a surprising, yet wonderful addition to the season. He might just be here for one episode, but it really reminds the audience of just how much fun he was, and makes you think of how different the last season and a half would have been if he’d stuck around. His chemistry with Fitz is absolutely spot on, and makes for some great light touches in what has has been a particularly dark season.

‘Rewind’ gives a lot of answers to questions that have been playing out over the first few episodes, such as who or what Enoch (Joel Stoffer) is, and why the team were sent to the future, yet manages to keep enough mystery, mainly with the introduction of the murderous General Hale (Catherine Dent).

4. Episode 10 – ‘Past Life’

Episode ten sees the end of the first major arc in the season, with the team returning to their rightful place in the past. As such, this is very much a finale in a lot of ways, and goes all out to build excitement and throw spectacle to the fore.

One of the highlights of the episode, and something that feels great after ten episodes of build-up, is the final fight between Mack (Henry Simmons) and Kasius (Dominic Rains). It might have initially seemed like a strange match up, especially as Kasius had more of a history with Daisy (Chloe Bennett), May (Ming-Na Wen), and Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) by this point, but getting to see Mack let lose and have a brutal fight is a great culmination.

The fight might not be one of the best the series has given us in terms of fancy choreography or special effects, but it’s brutal in a way that we’ve not really had before, with a level of intensity that elevates this over some of the more technically proficient ones. The added fact that Mack witnesses the murder of a future version of Yo-Yo (Natalia Cordova-Buckley) makes it all the more harrowing.

The inclusion of the future Yo-Yo makes the episode particularly dark too, not just as Mack has to watch her die horribly, but the past Yo-Yo discovers that her future will be a life of torture and repeated death at the hands of Kasius, as well as the knowledge that the future cannot be changed. Season five has had some very dark points so far, but this is easily amongst the darkest.

3. Episode 14 – ‘The Devil Complex’

There are a few important plot points in this episode that move the main story forward, particularly with Coulson (Clark Gregg) and General Hale facing off against each other, and whilst this is all great stuff, the thing that makes this one of the best episodes is Fitz. I’ve said before in these S.H.I.E.L.D. look-backs that Iain De Caestecker is one of the best actors in the series, and this episode displays that in heartbreaking ways.

The previous episodes have dealt with the breach in reality caused by the destruction of the monoliths, a breach that resulted in people’s worst fears coming to life. Despite apparently closing the breach fears have continued to manifest when The Doctor, the evil Hydra version of Fitz, appears and attacks several members of the team.

The reappearance of The Doctor is incredibly chilling, and Fitz’s reaction in coming face to face with the manifestation of his darkest impulses is terrifying. The worst moments, however, comes when The Doctor has Daisy tied to a table and effectively tortures her in order to remove the power dampening device implanted in her neck. This isn’t the worst because of how awful the scene is, but because of the heartbreaking revelation that there is no Doctor, that it isn’t because of the breach, but part of Fitz’s broken psyche.

It’s not all sadness, however, as we get an incredibly moving and emotional ending when Deke (Jeff Ward) reveals to Simmons that he’s her grandson. It’s a small moment of light in the darkness that shows her that all might not be lost for Fitz, that they still have a future together, and the man she loves so dearly is still inside him.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has done some brilliant twists in the past, but few pack the emotional punch that this carries. De Caestecker sells every moment of this tragedy, and it breaks the heart when he and the audience realise what’s happening. ‘The Devil Complex’ is one of the best acted and written episodes the show has ever given, and the chills it gives will stay around long after the episode ends.

2. Episode 12 – ‘The Real Deal’

The 100th episode of the series manages to exceed expectations. Whenever a show hits this landmark it tries to go big and do something impressive, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. does this in more than one way.

The reveal that the destruction of the monoliths has created a crack in reality to a fear dimension capable of bringing peoples worst fears to life makes for a great way to bring back a number of previous villains, including Lash, and Hive, in a way that doesn’t feel forced or contrived. It also means that we get some insight into our characters and how far they’ve progressed over the course of five seasons, and what fears they’ve conquered, and which ones still haunt them.

‘The Real Deal’ also saw the return of J August Richards as both Mike Peterson, in a hallucination that’s trying to convince Coulson that the entire show has been his death dream after being stabbed by Loki in Avengers Assemble, and as arse kicking cyborg Deathlok. It’s always great to have Deathlok turn up on screen, and seeing him and Coulson kicking butt together was brilliant, but he also knocks it out of the park when he’s a hallucination, bringing a very earnest and deep performance into something that could have been very dodgy if done badly.

The 100th episode isn’t just about action and remembering old villains though, as it also saw the long overdue wedding of Fitz and Simmons. An incredibly sweet moment that feels more than earned, and the justification that they need to do it as soon as possible before something drags them apart again is a nice nod at just how much the characters have been through. The reveal to the audience that Deke is also their grandson is brilliantly subtle, so much so that not everyone made the connection straight away.

Without a doubt one of the best episodes of the series, balancing together action, drama, emotion, and character development in beautiful, wonderful ways. The perfect celebration of 100 episodes.

1. Episode 22 – ‘The End’

Written as a potential end for the series as a whole if they didn’t get picked up for a sixth season (spoilers – they have been and the series is back this summer!), ‘The End’ is the highest moment of the fifth season, and possibly Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. as a whole.

With General Talbot (Adrian Pasdar) having gone completely mad with power and taken on the identity of Gravitron, the team have to go into a fight that they know could lead to the destruction of the planet that they saw in the future. Thanks to having saved a great deal of the seasons reduced budget by having a lot of episodes filmed on sets and reusing a lot of locations the show runners are able to splash out on this final episode, having a giant spaceship smash into Chicago, a city under siege, and a full blown super powered battle.

Whilst in the majority of season finales for the show where the fate of the world is on the line we now have a definitive reason as to why they don’t call the Avengers to help, because they’re in Wakanda fighting Thanos. Knowing that the protectors of Earth are facing off against two world ending threats at the same time adds heaps of drama to the proceedings, even though we know the Earth doesn’t get ripped in half at the end of Avengers: Infinity War.

The fight between Daisy and Gravitron showcases their powers brilliantly, with the moment where Daisy uses her tremors to fire herself down the street a great new use of her abilities. Whilst the fight isn’t hugely long, the revelation that Coulson has hidden the Centipede syrum inside her gauntlets makes the final moments heartbreaking, as Daisy has to use it to save the world, condemning Coulson to die.

The fact that the episode doesn’t wimp out on the promise of Coulson’s death is a good choice, as it would have felt like a hell of a cheat to undo it at the end. Whilst we don’t get to see him die, it really genuinely feels like his story comes to a close here, with him spending his final days in Tahiti with May, the two of them finally admitting their love for each other.

Despite all of these already great moments, the farewell to Coulson, S.H.I.E.L.D. coming to save the city with a suitably heroic speech, and Daisy beating a world ending bad guy, the moment that makes the episode, and breaks hearts, is the shocking death of Fitz. Crushed under rubble as he tries to save people inside a collapsing building, his death comes completely out of nowhere. His final moments are beautiful, and some of the best acted in the show. Having him die with Mack, a character that he’d butted heads with more than once this season, is a bold choice, having Simmons miss out on the moment. Whilst we do discover at the end of the episode that the team intend to go and find the other Fitz, the one who is frozen in space and hasn’t lived out the events of the season, takes away a little of the tragedy of the moment it still doesn’t stop his death from reducing you to tears (and I genuinely did bawl my eyes out when I watched the episode).

‘The End’ may not actually be the end of the show, but it feels like the perfect final chapter to the series, one that wouldn’t have left fans feeling cheated if there had been no more episodes. Thankfully, as well as wrapping up so many things so perfectly it still leaves enough open that the sixth season looks set to be just as good as season five, though it will be tough for any of those episodes to be able to compete with this one.

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Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 4 – Top 5 Episodes

Originally published on Set The Tape

Season four of Agents of SHIELD is possibly one of the most interesting in the show’s history so far. Previous seasons have split their stories into some very clear arcs before, with each season becoming more and more distinct, but season four took the bold move of squeezing three very different, yet interconnected arcs into the show. With so many different episodes to choose from, it’s proven harder than previous seasons to pick out the five best.

5. Episode 1 – ‘The Ghost’

The big draw for the fourth season was the introduction of Ghost Rider to the MCU. A character that has always had something of a niche following, yet has become iconic over the years – in some part thanks to the recent Nicholas Cage films – and he makes for an interesting addition to the MCU.

With the films embracing the more mystical aspects of comics, thanks to Doctor Strange, it was only a matter of time until Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. did the same. Rather than the bright and colourful visuals that Doctor Strange employed, the series took on a much darker tone; darker than anything it had done before. The slow build-up to Ghost Rider and his vicious pursuit of street criminals is, at times, downright frightening. This characterisation is coupled with frankly brilliant visual effects when Robbie Reyes (Gabriel Luna) transforms.

Despite having had super-powered people in the show since the very beginning, there’s something extra special about having a full blown superhero and a lead in their own comic on the same screen as these heroes.

The episode also adds some other new characters into the trimmed down main cast, with Yo-Yo (Natalia Cordova-Buckley) and Radcliffe (John Hannah) taking on regular roles, as well as the introduction of the Life Model Decoy Aida (Mallory Jansen). With plenty going on, a brilliant introduction to an iconic character and mystery for what is yet to come, ‘The Ghost’ proves to be an incredibly effective season opener.

4. Episode 18 – ‘No Regrets’

The ‘Agents of Hydra’ arc of season four would have been easy to make into a throwaway thing with the events inside the framework having little impact upon the real world. Yes, there is the question of how the changes in the characters’ personalities within the simulated world would effect them once they get out, especially a character like Fitz (Iain De Caestecker), who has become a coldblooded killer, but so far nothing seems to have any real consequences.

All of that changes in ‘No Regrets’ when Director Mace (Jason O’Mara) sacrifices himself inside the framework, dying in the real world as a consequence. Mace and his team infiltrate a Hydra facility to rescue one of his agents, the surprise return of B.J. Britt as Triplett, only to discover children being held for ‘reeducation’.

Throughout the season the audience were made to distrust Mace, suspecting him of being up to no good, then we liked him for being an InHuman willing to put himself in the limelight to protect S.H.I.E.L.D., to hating him for being a fraud. So here, where he doesn’t even remember his old life and the mistakes that he has made, he becomes the hero that he always wanted to be. He gives his life in order to save innocents. The saddest part, as well as the loss of Mace as a character, is that the people he saved don’t even really exist.

It’s hard to believe from his first introduction that you’d be sad to see the character go, but the loss of Mace is an incredibly touching moment, one that shocks and hammers home just how much danger the rest of the team is in.

3. Episode 21 – ‘The Return’

Our heroes are finally out of the simulated prison of the framework, but are far from out of danger. The episode manages to pack a lot of action and developments into its run time. Coulson (Clark Gregg) and May (Ming-Na Wen) are trapped inside the oil platform at the mercy of an army of Ivanov (Zach McGowan) LMD’s, Yo-Yo discovers the devastating truth about Mack’s (Henry Simmons) past and the loss of his daughter, Aida tries to be a hero before becoming a crazed villain, and Fitz and Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) must examine the damage to their relationship.

With the season so close to the end it’s amazing that the show is still pulling twists and turns at such a late stage, with the team having to come back together, capture the villain, face off against the military, and having to make a daring escape all in a 45 minute run time.

Aida continues to prove herself to be one of the more interesting villains the show has had, presenting the audience with unseen qualities as she discovers what it’s like to be a living, breathing being for the first time. Her journey since her introduction at the start of the season has been a shocking one, full of twists and turns that were almost unpredictable, and she’s all the better for it.

The episode ends with a set-up for the finale as the broken remnants of S.H.I.E.L.D. desperately try to stay alive long enough to end a threat they themselves made. The most exciting moment in the episode, however, might just be the sudden return of Ghost Rider, ready to go into battle against Aida and Ivanov.

2. Episode 15 – ‘Self Control’

Since the introductions of the LMD’s it was only a matter of time until the series played ‘who’s the robot?’. It might be a sci-fi trope for characters to get switched out for evil replicants, but boy does Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. do it well.

While the episode tells the audience up front that Daisy (Chloe Bennett) isn’t an LMD, the fact that they keep you guessing over Fitz and Simmons is a great touch, and one that leads to an incredibly tense and chilling scene as the two of them turn on each other. This is what makes the episode great, seeing our heroes as villains, taking down their team from the inside whilst those who haven’t been replaced have no idea who to trust.

The action in the episode is really good too, with the fight between Daisy and the fake Mack and Coulson being one of the the more brutal fights the season has given us so far. We’ve become used to Daisy being the tough, almost unbeatable agent, so seeing her struggle against robots makes for a refreshing change, plus the destruction of the Mack LMD is a moment of stunning effects work that shows off just how far the show has come.

LMD May might just be the standout of the episode, though, with her arc coming to a very satisfactory conclusion as she goes against her machine programming, remaining true to the person she believed she was. It might be a little sad to realise that we haven’t really had May in the series since the first few episodes, the emotional confrontation between her double and the fake Coulson more than make up for it. An incredibly well made conclusion to the LMD arc as the season moves into their ‘Agents of Hydra’ story.

1. Episode 22 – ‘World’s End’

As good as the penultimate episode of the season, ‘The Return’, is, and how much it managed to pack into the episode, ‘World’s End’ easily has it beat.

The return of Robbie Reyes helps to tie the final episode in with the beginning of the season, and brings together the supernatural and technology in fun and interesting ways. Whilst Aida might have started off as a machine, she used magic to help bring herself to life, and magic has consequences.

Ghost Rider coming back to balance out the universe for Aida’s manipulations is a really clever concept, and the added bonus of a Ghost Rider Coulson makes this the best episode to feature the character. Despite how far they have come since the beginning of the season it’s great to see Daisy and Robbie working together again, and raises the hope that he might one day return for further team-ups.

As well loads of action, the episode manages to cover a lot of emotional ground, bringing the team back together following the events of the framework and reinforcing how much of a family they have become, and how much they need each other. This is most obvious in the scenes with Yo-Yo and Mack in the framework as she tries desperately to save him from a world that’s falling apart.

The revelations that Mack loves his lost daughter so much that he is willing to give his life for just a few more moments with a fake avatar of what she could have been is heartbreaking, and the final tear soaked moments they have together is one of the most gut-wrenching the show has had. It shows a side of Mack that we’ve never been shown before, and sets up an incredibly strong relationship between him and Yo-Yo going forward into the fifth season.

Despite all of the emotional ups and downs of the episode, the return of Ghost Rider, the loss of Radcliffe, and all of the action, the episode manages one final mind-blowing twist in its final moments as Coulson and his team are captured by some unknown group, before Coulson wakes up on a ship in space. Season four might have included supernatural heroes, robot impostors, and their own version of the Matrix, but it already looks like season five will go in bigger, bolder new directions as the series continues to go from strength to strength.


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Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 3 – Top 5 Episodes

Originally published on Set The Tape

Season Three of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. saw some exciting new developments within the series, thanks in part to the continued introduction of super powered InHumans, and the formation of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s own super hero team, The Secret Warrior.

Here we attempt to pick out the five episodes that stood out from the pack…

5. Episode 20 – ‘Emancipation’

Sometimes the show ties into the events of the movies, and most of the time these little nods to what’s happening in the cinemas aren’t done particularly well. The first season tie in to Thor: The Dark World being both a particularly poor episode, and hardly a tie in at all. However, ‘Emancipation’ is possibly the best one to date.

With the Sakovia Accords coming into effect during the events of Captain America: Civil War the S.H.I.E.L.D. team finds themselves butting heads with the government as their own powered agents must register. Whilst the film concentrated purely on the Avengers, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. takes more of an inspiration from the comics, showing how the Accords effects all people with abilities.

The episode also brings to a head the small story arc of Daisy (Chloe Bennett) being under the influence of Hive (Brett Dalton). Whilst it was never believable that she was always going to be a villain and the team would get her back, the way that they do so here is not only creative, but really well put together.

After having Lincoln (Luke Mitchell) going back and forth over whether he was really S.H.I.E.L.D. material for most of the season it was completely believable that he would willingly break out of containment to go an join Daisy. The twist that he was acting the whole time, and was now a dedicated agent felt pretty well earned, and even led to a seriously cool showdown.

Expecting Lincoln to come out of the stolen Quinjet, Hive instead comes face to face with Lash (Matthew Willig), the hulking InHuman killer. The fight between these two heavyweights is thrilling to watch. The series has built both characters up as major threats, so to see them face off against each other is such an exciting moment. Whilst Lash sadly dies during this encounter, the fact that he is able to free Daisy of her influence is the silver lining to his death.

4. Episode 15 – ‘Spacetime’

Can our heroes forge their own path against a set future, or are things predetermined? ‘Spacetime’ is a particularly dark and sad episode in an otherwise fairly lighthearted show that puts the characters in a tough spot as they try to change a vision of the future and save an innocent man’s life.

We’ve already seen examples of InHumans being able to see the future before with Raina (Ruth Negga) in season two, but this episode really shines a light on the concept, and asks if the heroes can fight against one of these visions to change the outcome.

The fight training with May (Ming-Na Wen) is great, and the idea of using the vision to rehearse a future fight is a really fun idea that I can’t really remember seeing elsewhere before. But, as anyone who has ever seen a similar story in sci-fi/fantasy before will know, May isn’t able to go instead of Daisy as the universe throws problems in the team’s path to make sure that the vision plays out as expected.

The whole concept of whether or not the future can be changed may only feature in a single episode here, but will be a major plot point in the fifth season of the series, and features characters and plot-lines set up here. It’s not just the fifth season that benefits from this episode, however, as Daisy also receives a vision of the season finale, where a member of the team will die. Having seen here that the team failed to change the future it makes the idea that one of our heroes is destined to die a very scary concept.

3. Episode 09 – ‘Closure’

Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) has always been portrayed as a man who loves being an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., he loves spy history, enjoys saving the world, and generally seems to always be having something of a good time even when things aren’t going too well, always happy to hand out a funny one-liner. So to see Coulson essentially lose his shit and go on a revenge mission is absolutely chilling.

The relationship between Coulson and Ros (Constance Zimmer) was one of the more fun things to watch during the early half of the season, seeing these two people who are well seasoned in espionage and the world of secrets realise that they’re not only allies, but become lovers, was kind of sweet. The opening scene of the episode is still one of the most shocking in the series. Whilst getting ready to eat, and discussing their next move against Hydra, Ros is shot in the throat by Ward using a sniper rifle and dies. It’s so sudden and unexpected that I was expecting it to be a dream sequence Coulson was having, but no, Ros is killed out of nowhere.

The rage that overtakes Coulson the rest of the episode is genuinely scary, as he’s a man who never normally gives into his anger like that, and it means that the Ward story will finally come to a head. After back and forth over how bad Ward really is, whether it’s a product of his upbringing or if he’s just evil things are put to bed as there’s no way he can come back from this. He murdered the woman Coulson loved, so now he’s going to die.

Despite cramming a good amount of plot development into the episode with Ward and Malick (Powers Boothe) finally opening the portal to Maveth, the episode moves with a hell of a pace, and never loses energy. Plus, the final shot of Coulson diving out of a plane, falling through an open castle roof and into the portal is a phenomenal shot to end the episode on.

2. Episode 10 – ‘Maveth’

Continuing on from ‘Closure’ the mid-season finale sees Coulson chase Ward through the portal to the alien planet Maveth, intent on getting revenge before Ward is able to find the mysterious creature that Hydra worships. The return to Maveth feels well earned, and the fact that there are three parties there with their own agenda, Coulson for revenge, Ward for power, and Fitz (Iain De Caestecker) in order to save Will (Dillon Casey) meant that there was enough to keep people walking across a blue desert entertaining.

Whilst Coulson and Fitz deal with the situation in space (something that most people would never have expected when the show began) the rest of the team assault the Hydra controlled castle, bringing together the Secret Warriors for the first time. It’s great to see this fledgling team in action, and has some great moments. Joey (Juan Pablo Raba) melting bullets was very cool, and Lincoln’s speech about understanding that everyone is scared about going into combat being undercut by a deadpan May saying ‘I’m not’ is some great comedic timing, and very true to her character.

This episode also saw Mack (Henry Simmons) set up in a big way as he took command of the situation, and was even willing to sacrifice himself to save Coulson and Fitz. With Mack’s future character development focusing a lot on how good of a leader, and how decent a man, he is, this is really the beginning of this story for him.

The heart of this episode, however, is on Maveth, and it finally brings to a close Wards story. The moment that Coulson kills him feels earned, as there’s no way the character could ever be redeemed. The fact that Coulson uses his robotic hand to crush his chest is particularly brutal, but has a certain sense of symmetry as Ward broke Coulson’s heart when he killed Ros.

The reveal that Will died getting Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) home is a really sad moment, especially as Fitz gets to spend so much of the episode getting to know him. For a character that is only in two episodes of the season the audience becomes really well attached to him, and his death is actually effective.

However, the deaths of both of these men become connected, as the final scene of the episode shows Ward, possessed by the creature that was controlling Will, back on Earth, very dead looking. The decision to kill Ward but keep Brett Dalton on the show as a super-powered monster was an interesting one, and made for an exciting mid-season closer.

1. Episode 05 – ‘4,722 Hours’

Despite having Simmons back for a few episodes after being trapped on an alien planet for months the audience knew very little of her experiences there, except that it had led to a lot of trauma for her. ‘4,722 Hours’ not only goes backwards in time to show her experiences, but makes the bold choice to set the whole thing on the alien planet with Simmons, and only features Fitz as the only other regular cast member in the final moments.

Despite the potential of having a lone character stranded on their own be slow or dull this episode never feels anything other than exciting. Perhaps it’s because it’s the first time the series has fully embraced space and gone full-on sci-fi, but a large part of it is down to the acting talent of Elizabeth Henstridge. We know Simmons is going to be okay, but she draws you in so well that there are moments of tension where you fear for her safety.

The introduction of Will makes a lot of sense. Simmons probably would have come back a lot crazier than she did if she was on her own the whole time, so his presence helps to keep her grounded and the events less traumatic for her. It also gives her a good reason to want to go back to Maveth.

The biggest thing that Will brings to the table, however, is a sense of horror. Not because of who he is or what he does, but the stories he has of what he’s been through, and the ghostly creature that stalks the surface of the planet, killing anyone it finds.

This creature proves to be one of the best things of the episode, and it’s appearances are genuinely creepy, perhaps the scariest the series has ever been. It’s a testament to how well put together these scenes are that knowing Simmons is okay it’s still terrifying to see her confronted by the ghostly, zombie-like astronaut.

One of the biggest jobs of this episode, it seems, is to further keep Fitz and Simmons apart, maintaining the ‘will they wont they’ of their romantic relationship. Where in some shows it feels force when two characters are kept apart, and situations feel contrived, the fact that Simmons was trapped on another planet, thought that she would never return to earth, and had only a man for company, it’s not too surprising that she became romantically involved with him.

‘4,722 Hours’ is a hugely important episode in the Fitz/Simmons love story, it fills in an important narrative gap, sets up a lot of the drive for the first half of the season, and showcases how brilliant of an actor Henstridge is. A stand out episode that still remains one of the best the series has produced.


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Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 2 – Top 5 Episodes

Originally published on Set The Tape

The second season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. saw some huge shifts in the series, not just in quality, but in plot elements that would fundamentally change the show for the rest of its life. Here we attempt to pick out the five best episodes of the season, episodes that weren’t just well made, but that stood out as game changers.

5. Episode 15 – ‘One Door Closes’

After the reveal earlier in the season that Mack (Henry Simmons) and Bobbi (Adrianne Palicki) were secretly working for another branch of S.H.I.E.L.D., one that’s working against Coulson (Clark Gregg) and his people, ‘One Door Coses’ not only fills in a lot of this backstory but pits the two teams against each other.

The flashbacks to the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D. during the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier are great and really show that these aren’t a group of villains, but people that are just as dedicated to what S.H.I.E.L.D. stands for as the heroes. The inclusion of Isabelle Hartley (Lucy Lawless) is a nice nod to the beginning of the season, but also means that Battlestar Galactica fans have the added pleasure of seeing her on screen with Edward James Olmos once again.

The episode is filled with intrigue and action; it moves the plot forward in an exciting way and fleshes out the backstory of not just some of this season’s new characters, but the Universe as a whole. The fact that the ‘heroes’ essentially lose by the end of it just makes it even more exciting.

4. Episode 17 – ‘Melinda’

This episode might not have had too many huge action set pieces, but managed to pack in a lot of character moments and shed some light onto one of the more mysterious members of the main cast.

In Afterlife, Skye (Chloe Bennet) learns that Jiaying (Dichen Lachman) is her mother. Whilst this had already been revealed to the audience, it was something of a surprise that this was shared with Skye so quickly. It’s normally the kind of thing a series would drag out for a number of episodes, keeping the main character in the dark. The fact that it was so quickly revealed to Skye highlights that the show runners may have listened to some of the criticisms about slow pacing during the first season.

However, the best part of the episode is the focus on Melinda May’s (Ming-Na Wen). Specifically, how she came to earn the nickname ‘the cavalry’. Despite some misleads in earlier episodes, we were told that she rescued an entire S.H.I.E.L.D. team on her own, but the details were more than a little vague. Here we discover that she not only came up against an InHuman with mind control abilities, but had to kill them to eliminate the threat. The biggest problem, however, is that the InHuman was just a child.

The revelation that May had to kill a child is devastating, particularly as we get to see how fun and full of life she was before it happened. It makes the change in May all the more sad and adds a whole lot of depth to one of the characters we knew the least about.

3. Episode 21 and 22 – ‘S.O.S.’

The two part finale (I know it’s two episodes so this is a bit of a cheat) manages to not only meet the expectations built up over the course of the season, but beats the previous season’s finale.

‘S.O.S.’ sees a lot of changes going forward, not least of all due to several characters being killed off or leaving the series through other capacities. After all of her changes and the ups and downs of her journey it’s genuinely sad to see Raina (Ruth Negga) die, though the fact that she did it knowing that she was going to her death but that it would help Skye see the truth about her mother was something of a noble end for her.

Jiaying and Cal (Kyle MacLachlan) each get a fitting end, with Jiaying dying at the hands of her husband in order to save their daughter, and Cal being given a new life as a reward. The reveal that Jiaying was the true monster, simply manipulating Cal, was a stroke of genius and meant that the ends for both characters feels incredibly satisfying and well earned.

Outside of the character moments the episode packs in the action with Coulson and his team fighting their way through the InHuman forces across the aircraft carrier. Not only do we get some great, great fight sequences, but some pretty cool super-powered battles too. Plus, Mack’s comments to Gordon (Jamie Harris) still remain some of my all time favourites:

Mack: It’s Gordon, right?
Gordon: And you are?
Mack: I’m the guy that kills Gordon.

Ward (Bret Dalton) also manages to get some good development. His path for revenge is clearly laid out for season three. The brutal torture of Bobbi, as well as the tragic death of Agent 33 (Maya Stojan), puts to rest any possibility of a redemption for the character.

The introduction of the Secret Warriors programme at the end of the episode and Coulson losing his arm certainly sets some interesting elements up for the coming third season.

2. Episode 19 – ‘The Dirty Half Dozen’

After almost two seasons we say goodbye to the Bus. Thankfully, the team’s original base of operations goes down in a blaze of glory as the original team come together once again, including Ward, as they assault a Hydra facility.

The first time that we’ve seen the whole of the original team together since the first season, this episode goes a long way towards showing how much these characters have changed over a relatively short period. The fact that it’s Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) who set out to kill Ward during the assault was a surprising, if not unpleasant, turn of events.

The highlight, however, is getting to see Skye in all of her secret agent glory in one of the best action sequences the series has given the audience to date. Filmed in one continuous shot, Skye dodges and weaves her way through the room, taking down Hydra agents in hand to hand combat, using guns and even utilising her powers. It’s hugely impressive and shows that Skye has gone from a hacker that couldn’t throw a punch to an agent that could fight alongside some of the best in the MCU.

There might not be a huge amount that happens in this episode, but the first season team coming back together, and some great action makes this an absolute standout.

1. Episode 10 ‘What They Become’

There are a number of big, game changing episodes across the seasons of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., the first being the reveal that Hydra has infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. and the destruction of the agency, but the most surprising comes in ‘What They Become’.

Bringing to a close the mystery of the hidden alien city, the episode officially introduces the InHumans to the universe when Skye, revealed to actually be the comic book character Daisy Johnson, is transformed and given superpowers. The scene is hugely dramatic, not least because it sees the shocking death of Agent Triplet (B.J. Britt). Whilst we didn’t know Trip for long the death feels so pointless and throwaway that it makes it all the more tragic.

The episode showcases a lot of Skye’s father Cal too, having MacLachlan go through a huge range of emotions, including dorky father and ruthless killer. The scenes with him and Coulson are great, and showcase how good both actors are, especially when their characters both have Skye’s best interests at heart.

Whilst the episode concluded many of the story elements introduced in the early parts of the season, answering the mystery of the city, as well as killing Daniel Whitehall (Reed Diamond), the introduction of super powered people and Ward still out in the world meant that this felt like the start of something bigger rather than the end of certain chapters.


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Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. 2×07 – ‘The Writing On The Wall’ – TV Rewind

Originally published on Set The Tape

The mystery of the strange symbols being carved by both Agent Coulson (Clark Greg) and John Garrett (Bill Paxton) after being exposed to the alien derived chemical GH-325 final comes to a conclusion, and it’s a lot more surprising that first speculated. When a man covered in tattoos of these strange symbols goes on a killing spree, carving the same symbols into his victims the S.H.I.E.L.D. team discovers that Coulson and Garrett weren’t the only people to be exposed to the chemical, but several other S.H.I.E.L.D. agents had too.

Using the Hydra memory machine Coulson is able to retrieve some of his hidden memories as the director of the T.A.H.I.T.I. project. It appears that a number of other agents that were killed in action were revived using GH-325, but after a short time began to express disturbing behaviour, including obsessively drawing the symbols. These agents eventually had their memories erased and were given new identities and civilian lives.

Now this is the kind of plot that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. does really well. A hunt for a serial killer with links to shady government dealings, that sheds light not only on one of the central mysteries of the season but the past of S.H.I.E.L.D., this is definitely the kind of thing that we could use more of.

We knew that Coulson was the director of the T.A.H.I.T.I. project, but getting to see more of what he did during this time, and the development of the technology is interesting. It also sheds more light onto the flashbacks we’ve already seen of Coulson going through the process after his death in Avengers Assemble, he wasn’t just asking to be killed because he was in pain, but because he knew that the process was going to cause serious psychological damage to him.

The revelation that the killer, Derick (Brian Van Holt), was once a dedicated agent who fell victim to this process also makes him somewhat sympathetic, and not just some deranged killer needing to be stopped. The final confrontation between him and Coulson is certainly makes for one of the more interesting and three-dimensional villains of the week.

Despite the fact that the episode doesn’t tell us exactly why those who have been exposed to GH-325 draw these symbols we get a surprisingly interesting reveal that it’s not something as expected as a language that needs translating, but a three-dimensional blueprint to a city. Not what viewers were expecting, and if you say you saw that coming you’re definitely making it up. Now that Coulson has been cured of his compulsion to draw these symbols the team gets to focus on something infinitely more exciting, racing Hydra to a hidden alien city. Definitely a step up on season one.

The episode also manages to squeeze in some more developments to the Ward (Bret Dalton) story, and actually makes it fun and engaging again after the previous episode almost bored me with it. Finally free and on the run some of the team are sent after Ward to try and recapture him, leading to a pretty cool sequence in a bus depot where Ward slyly reveals to Triplett (B.J. Britt) that he knows he’s being followed by flashing the C4 strapped to his chest.

With most other villains this would definitely be seen as something of a bluff, but after seeing how being incarcerated almost drove Ward to killing himself earlier in the season it’s definitely believable that he’d rather kill himself than go back, and it makes him a much more dangerous adversary. By the end of the episode Ward has managed to worm his way back into Hydra, betrays Sunil Bakshi (Simon Kassianides) to S.H.I.E.L.D., and is even preparing to get revenge on his brother.

Despite only being in a small portion of the episode it shows just how competent a villain he can be, and makes him more interesting than he’s been since his reveal as a Hydra agent back in season one. If Ward continues to be used this way for the rest of the season he’s sure to become one of the more interesting members of the cast.


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Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. 2×06 – ‘A Fractured House’ – TV Rewind

Originally published on Set The Tape

When Hydra launch an assault on a United Nations meeting, having the attackers pose as S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, members of the United States government make the former security organisation their prime target.  Thankfully for the team, Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) is able to recognise the frightening new weapons that they have used and they are able to track down the real attackers.

‘A Fractured House’ is the first real weak episode of season two. The reason for this, a focus on Grant Ward (Bret Dalton). Ward was definitely one of the weakest characters in the first season, only really becoming interesting when it was revealed that he was secretly working for Hydra. Sadly, now that Ward is a prisoner of S.H.I.E.L.D. he’s even more boring to watch than in the first season.

Whilst the revelation that the United States Senator that is pushing for a task force to hunt down S.H.I.E.L.D. is Christian Ward (Tim DeKay), the older brother of Grant Ward was fairly surprising it doesn’t feel like this was used to the best here. After meeting with Coulson (Clark Gregg) things begin to get complicated when we learn that there’s a possibility that Christian wasn’t the abusive older brother that Ward made him out to be during the first season, and that Ward was the one torturing their younger brother. The inter-cutting between two brothers telling their own versions of events is a well made scene, though.

Sadly, any mystery of what may have actually happened and who is telling the truth here seems to have been completely wiped away by the end of the episode, when Ward escapes from captivity whilst being transported to his brothers custody, killing his guards. This also squarely puts to end any possible notion that there may have been some kind of redemption story for him this season.

Whilst the Ward story is weak the rest of the episode remains fairly entertaining, with the rest of the S.H.I.E.L.D. main team doing their best to locate those behind the UN attack and bring them to justice. After the brief but entertaining introduction to Bobbi ‘Mockingbird’ Morse (Adrianne Palicki) it’s great to see her in action for real this episode, especially working alongside Agent May (Ming-Na Wen).

The action sequences are competent, but lack any real wow factor that the series has shown it is capable of in the past, yet don’t fall into the trap of feeling flat and by the numbers. It’s a good indication that whilst the show has managed to find it’s feet and how it wants to go about telling its stories it’s not being lazy in its execution.

This episode also sheds more light onto the mystery of why Simmons would walk out on Fitz (Iain De Caestecker) when he needed his best friend the most. It would have been easy for the series to say that she was ordered to by Coulson, to make it something completely out of her control, but instead they take the brave choice of having it be a major part of their relationship this season. Fitz was getting worse with her around.

It’s something of a cliche for television shows to keep characters in love apart, and most come up with some pretty poor excuses to do so, but this one feels a lot more genuine. Simmons cares for Fitz deeply, but was presented with the revelation that being around him was helping to destroy his already damaged mind. She had to make the choice to hurt them both by leaving in order that he could one day be himself again. Whilst this was a huge sacrifice on her part it definitely leads to major baggage for the two of them to work through over the rest of the season.

Whilst the episode manages to move the plot and character arcs forward in organic and interesting ways the overall focus feels too clustered, and the inclusion of the heavy Ward elements drags at times. At least with Ward now out of S.H.I.E.L.D. custody there’s a chance that he might be able to do something interesting this season.


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Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. 2×05 – ‘A Hen in the Wolf House’ – TV Rewind

Originally published on Set The Tape

The second season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is definitely moving at a brisker pace than the first, with big developments to the story continuing to unfold in the fifth episode. Whilst many shows would continue to have Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) stay undercover within Hydra, yet the series brings this story-line to a swift conclusion, though she does bring an awesome new character back with her.

With Hydra having developed a deadly new weapon from the mysterious alien obelisk Simmons is placed in a compromising position as security increases, bringing her into suspicion as being a double agent. It’s a disappointment that it was spoilt before hand that Adrianne Palicki would be playing Bobbi Morse, the comic book hero Mockingbird, as it means that there’s a lack of tension when she investigates Simmons.

Instead of being worried that Simmons is in some kind of danger we’re left wondering exactly when she’s going to find out that she has an ally within Hydra. I was half expecting the series to carry this on for a while, perhaps imitating Alias, having Bobbi playing the Jack Bristow role of the older and more experienced agent helping her to keep her cover and lean Hydra’s secrets. Strangely, the decision is made to have Simmons lose her cover and be extracted in the same episode. Whilst this does limit the options for interesting undercover plots it does give us a fun reveal of Bobbi as an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., kicking the crap out of Hydra thugs with her iconic battle staves.

Palicki already seems like a great addition to the cast, and shows that she has some great range just in one episode. She comes across as cold and calculating when posing as Hydra, but is immediately charming and fun as soon as she’s back in the S.H.I.E.L.D. base, interacting with people like she’s been friends with them for years. The surprise revelation that she’s the ‘evil’ ex-wife that Hunter (Nick Blood) has been complaining about since his introduction is a brilliant turn, and something that is sure to lead to a lot of fun moments as the two of them stick around. Whilst Bobbi joining the team looks set to be something that’s going to be a great change I’m curious how Simmons being back is going to impact Fitz (Iain De Caestecker), who has been working hard to deal with his recent injuries and the absence of Simmons.

The episode also continues the ongoing plot of Coulson (Clark Gregg) and his mysterious carvings, as Skye (Chloe Bennet) learns the truth about what is going on. Once again, this is a plot point that I was surprised to see this early on into the season, expecting the show to play it out over the vast majority of season two. It really goes to show how the series has changed it’s approach to storytelling, relying less on adventure of the week episodes with the occasional advancement of the main plot and shifting to a story that moves with a much punchier pace.

The scenes with Coulson and Skye have also improved this year, and we get to see just why he thinks that she’s so special, something that her murderous father seems to agree upon. Kyle MacLachlan is still impressing as Skye’s father, and the final scene where he teams up with Hydra in order to kill Coulson makes for an interesting and unexpected twist.

A lot happens in ‘A Hen in the Wolf House’, and it all seems designed to moving the central story forward. This is the kind of pace and excitement that was lacking a lot in the first season, but finally seems to be becoming the standard for the series.


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Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. 2×04 – ‘Face My Enemy’ – TV Rewind

Originally published on Set The Tape

Ming-Na Wen’s Agent Melinda May was one of the standouts from the first season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., an experienced agent with a history, a trained fighter on the same level as Black Widow or Hawkeye, and someone with hidden depths and emotions; she was the most exciting character in a cast of young inexperienced agents, apart from Coulson (Clark Gregg).

Whilst the second season has done a good job of showing how some of these other characters have begun to grow, such as Skye (Chloe Bennet) becoming a competent field agent, or Fitz (Iain De Caestecker) living with his trauma, May seems to have been relegated to the background. ‘Face My Enemy’ changes this, however, as we not only get May being a central focus of the episode, but we even get two of her!

When a mysterious church fire destroys everything but a painting that contains the same strange writing that has been plaguing Coulson he and May infiltrate a fancy gala in order to steal it. This feels very much like the early season one episodes, taking on a bright, almost fun, Mission: Impossible style feel. There’s great chemistry between May and Coulson in these scenes, and it really helps to sell the idea that these two have known each other for years, and that they’ve been on dozens of missions like this together. These scenes also let Ming-Na show us that she can do more than just act as the colder, stoic member of the team, as she takes on a persona that smiles and laughs, much to the surprise of some of the rest of the team.

This being Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., however, means that the mission does not go as planned, as the painting appears to be stolen by General Talbot (Adrian Pasdar). Whilst it’s initially worrying when this happens because it would mean another apparent good guy turning out to be working for Hydra, the reveal that it’s actually a disguised Sunil Bakshi (Simon Kassianides) makes for a great moment. Plus the face swapping masks makes this feel much more like Mission: Impossible.

Making a return from the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier the face changing tech is a great addition to the series. It allows for interesting narrative challenges for the characters, as shown in this episode, but it also makes a tiny bridge to the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe. The fact that it just appears here, rather than having someone say ‘ah yes, this is the same technology that Black Widow once used’, much like they kept doing in season one, actually feels very organic too.

Hydra make good use of this device here by having the brainwashed Agent 33 (Maya Stojan) take on May’s identity to infiltrate S.H.I.E.L.D.. Unfortunately for her Coulson knows May well enough to be able to see through this ploy and figure out that she’s a fake. The fact that the episode went out of it’s way to have Coulson and May spend so much time together in the early part of the story and establish how comfortable they are around each other makes this a much stronger moment, Coulson didn’t catch her out because she slipped up on an obvious detail, it was something that only he would notice because of their friendship.

The Hydra story comes to a head as the two May’s come face to face in a fight that is hands down the best one the series has given viewers up to this point. It’s clear that this is a big part of why Mortal Kombat: Legacy director Kevin Tancheroen was given this episode to direct, as the two versions of May fight each other suing their fists, knives, lamp poles, and even electrical cables. They tear apart the room their in as they keep beating the crap out of each other. Whilst there are moments in the fight during the wide shots where you can tell that it’s Ming-Na fighting a body double it works very well for the most part and looks great.

May’s finishing move where she does a mid-air spinning face slam into a table is a moment that is guaranteed to make you cheer out loud just for how absolutely awesome it is.


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