It may have happened before but last season on Gotham was the first time I really noticed it: that semi-colon titles are jumping from superhero movies to TV shows (Gotham’s second season halves were dubbed “Rise of the Villains” and “Wrath of the Villains” respectively). In this modern agem the semi-colon title has become as synonymous with superhero films as cowls and bearded quips. Film titles (especially sequels) can’t just carry the hero’s name anymore. They need some extra sizzle teasing you of a big featured event or character (Fantastic Four; Rise of the Silver Surfer, Thor: The Dark World, BvS: Dawn of Justice). While in some cases, it is used genuinely well, I’ve never liked making it a default because it signifies a lack of confidence in your film series. Those involved are so concerned the name alone won’t be enough to draw that they tag on something extra to spice it up. So I have mixed feelings about TV shows adopting it too. On the one hand, it still makes the show look less confident but at the same time, I actually really like the idea of dividing a season into 2 or 3 distinct story sections (or pods), each with a different focus. It stops the whole season being such a long slog of building towards the finale 20-something weeks later and it allows the season to continually rise and fall throughout each 7-8 episode run without becoming too stagnant. Case and point, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. utilised very much in their favour last autumn with making their opening 8 episodes their “Ghost Rider” section. Now the Shield team is back for their 2nd pod of the season (there will be a 3rd to end) entitled, “Life Model Decoy”.
Broken Promises – After discovering the man Senator Nader’s terragensis husk was her brother Mace, Daisy and Simmons will try to rescue him. Meanwhile, AIDA goes rogue to hack and attack the Shield base in order to obtain the Darkhold.
Props again of Gotham Season 2 because the episode is most definitely, “Rise of the Villains” as it affirms Life Model Decoy’s key antagonists. First up, we have AIDA. For anyone that missed the autumn episodes, she was a developing character, a secret artificial intelligence created by Dr. Radcliffe that while eventually earning the teams trust gained some wild aspirations of creating life after absorbing the magical properties of the Darkhold. She even kidnapped and replaced Agent May with an AI decoy like herself. Now, as the semi-colon name implies, she’s taking centre stage. The opening moments recap this well, refreshing on the idea that AIDA not an evil character as she cares of May while still deciding to keep her prisoner. The episode also wastes little time in establishing her as rogue threat, broken from the team, with such build up already established and it’s good to see the show progressing with its story quickly. There's also still a sense of further development within her character. She’s not yet an Ultron style mass-murdering fembot and later even confesses to intentionally acting without killing anyone. Having decoy Melinda May on the go also gives Ming-Na Wen more out of character material that served her well in Season 2 (also playing the face masked Agent 33). AIDA’s attack on the Shield base provides plenty of good developments with big action moments and plenty of interjected fun too.
Next up in the rogues gallery, we have Senator Nadeer who definitely has the biggest villain ascension out of anyone on screen thanks to some excellent use of her brother, VJ, to display moral apprehension. She spends the whole episode hanging on that one key decision that will plunge her over the edge; her point of no return. It’s well setup too, making a deep and believable cut into the MCU history for their family. This transition is especially effective courtesy of her early episode deception. Throughout the first half, she comes across as genuinely endearing towards her brother, seemingly having hidden him away out of love. This really pays off in her final scenes that completely transform her character going forwards.
VJ also gets a very good “coming out” episode as he discovers his new found abilities and tries to understand why he was cocooned for 7 months, unlike Inhuman transformation we’ve seen to date. There’s already the impression that is husk smelled of rich mahogany and he’s kind of a big deal. As for who or what VJ is, my thoughts go back to speech by Lincoln last season about Inhumans of different abilities being born out need to balance some mysterious grand design. VJ could well be some all-powerful Inhuman birthed in response to anti-Inhuman hostilities. He could even be a character being developed for the new Inhumans series this Autumn. VJ has been stated as an original character by the show, which would imply he’s not part of the Royal Family..... but they once said the same about Skye before she became Daisy Johnson so you never know. The involvement of The Watchdogs teases “The Superior” whom both they and Nadeer report to. That’s definitely a big, “It was me all along” reveal in the works. Given the verbal implications to a male character, my current guess would be Director Jeffrey Mace secretly playing both sides against each other in the great Darth Sidious tradition.
Despite having a lot of story to cover, this was a surprisingly fun episode. Both the in-jokes and film references were on fire. Although Daisy’s causal remark to Mace about Simmons getting kidnapped in space was good, it’s Fitz and Coulson’s almost 4th wall breaking comments about how the base seems to get hacked every year that takes the in joke cake. The movie references were about the big Mack with a supporting nomination from Yo-Yo. From the early goings, Mack completely embodies the audience by inciting the decades of sci-fi movie evidence against creating AI, “The robots always attack!”. Of course, the Terminator franchise gets a name check for the best exchange of the episode, “Someone needs to make Radcliffe watch all the Terminator movies..... even Salvation?.... he brought this onto himself”. He also get serious bonus points for name checking the B-movie Chopping Mall.
In its January comeback (earlier with no Agent Carter), Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has done exactly what it needed to do by showing that although the popular and attention grabbing Ghost Rider story has finished, there are still plenty more reasons to keep watching the show. Also, if you have 30 minutes to kill check out the recent web series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.; Slingshot showing Yo-Yo’s decision to sign the Sokovia Accords and its immediate consequences.