Welcome back everyone! I am going to be taking over Agents of Shield reviewing duties for this season, so just sit back and enjoy as we delve into the mysteries of the Inhumans!
Also, my reviews will include *spoilers* so read at your own risk!
What a great way to open up the new season. Wasting no time in getting the action started, this episode began with the acquisition of a newly discovered Inhuman. Not only did it set the status quo for our heroes, but it also introduced us to a new villain and potential ally. Pictured above is our potential ally, Joey Gutierrez, played by Juan Pablo Raba. From the outset of destruction, he looks mighty powerful, and dangerous, which is of course why both teams desire to contain him. Raba left me with a good impression with his portrayal of Joey. The guy’s life was just completely turned inside out and Raba tackles the confusion and fear of the character quite well. Also, his reaction to the ridiculousness of Daisy’s (yes Daisy, not Skye anymore) explanation was priceless. It shows that the show is willing to not take itself too seriously and that really upped the humor of the moment; I hope to see more of that as the season progresses.
Phil Coulson appeared after Joey had been lifted away to take reconnaissance photos of the woman who looks to be in charge of this mysterious special militarized group. I really like the approach that his team is taking already. Yes, these guys are still the newly formed S.H.I.E.L.D. but they feel much more like a spy organization than anything else, and I kind of like that feel. It is different for sure, but it fits with their new mission: find/recover/take care of newly identified Inhumans around the globe while also preventing them causing harm to the outside world.
Constance Zimmer was introduced as one of our new ‘baddies’ for the season, Rosalind Price. All we know about her is that she has multiple aliases and she appears to be more than a couple steps ahead of Coulson and the rest of the S.H.I.E.L.D. team. The reveal on the subway that she was tracking Coulson and Hunter and not the other way did surprise me, but not entirely. It was a meh kind of moment for me, for a tiny while, as that switcheroo has been done before, on this show if I’m not mistaken. But then the added surprise that both teams were searching for the same enemy, that made it special. Cue our first look at Lash! Man his hair looked dumb, but I’m really glad he is on the show. I’m not overly familiar with the comic history of the Inhumans, but I have read some of the newer comic line and Lash was always the character that had me most intrigued.
I really feel the need to give this show a lot of credit right now. In my anticipation leading up to the show’s return, my mind was always focused on finding out the answers behind Simmons’ disappearance in Season 2’s finale, that and seeing Daisy’s continued evolution into her Inhuman identity ‘Quake’. With those things plaguing my mind, I kept forgetting about the other surrounding characters. When Daisy and Coulson were talking near the end of the episode about Melinda May’s absence it was like a tiny hit to the head, “Oh yeah, where is May?” I think that is a testament to how the show has been able to evolve over the past 2 seasons. Each episode brings with it a continued and steady increase in confidence and strength in storytelling. With that as well comes a greater sense of character progression. There is not one main character on this show that I have a problem with right now. Back in Season 1, I would never had thought that a statement like that could have been true. If there even is a weak link right now, it’s Luke Mitchell as Lincoln, but I would only say that because we haven’t really had the chance to see him come into his own. So I’m willing to hold my judgement on him; the dude shoots lightning after all.
Okay, now I know you’ve probably been waiting for this, but come one, I had to save the best storyline for last. Fitz is my favourite character again after this episode. It was already too hard to choose, but Fitz just kicked ass here in the opener and I’m so glad to see him with such confidence, and such purpose. Throughout last season, I would argue that Fitz received the most consistent and satisfying character arc throughout the entire cast. His recovery from almost drowning in Season 1 took him all of Season 2 and Iain De Caestecker did superb work balancing the inability to function in the same way with all of the emotional trauma that came associated with it. Fitz’s emotional state into Season 3 has only increased with the disappearance of best friend/hopeful girlfriend/soulmate Simmons, but he comes across with such an increased intensity that we have never seen from him before and it is quite refreshing. Watching him pound on the monolith for both answers and a result was absolutely heartbreaking, and it will be interesting to see how desperate Fitz will get to find those answers or a result.
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The episode ended of course with the reveal that Simmons is in fact not dead, but actually existing in an alternate universe. I’m not sure where or what that place is, but with the large planet like orb in the distance, I’m wondering if the monolith can act as a teleport to space. I know I’m speculating hard right now, but if I’m right, is the show going to have some connection with Thanos? Something to think about until we find out more answers.
Settle in my new friends. I’m really excited to be covering Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. this season. Let me know what you think in the comments below and make sure to come back Wednesday morning for my next review!
Episode Rating: 9/10
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