The first rule of this week’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is you do not talk about this week’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. If that’s the second rule too, then this review is kinda screwed (I know, even more than usual) so we’ll just have to hope for the best as this week, among other things, we run into a Hydra Fight Club. Yet unlike its Pitt & Norton counterpart, this episode is less of an instant classic.
A wanted (Inhu)man – Lincoln is on the run from the ATCU and reluctant to accept Shield's help in escaping them despite Daisy’s insistence. Simmons is struggling with the physical re-adjustment of being back on Earth but Fitz is determined to help her. Hunter and May find their way into infiltrate Ward’s New Hydra but it proves more of a fight than they expected.
After last week’s intergalactic Simmons' save, things stay firmly on planet Earth this week as our attention turns back to Inhumans within human society as the main story sees Lincoln on the run following the first episode’s events. This brings the Shield vs ATCU (Alien Threat Containment Unit) setup to stage front as both agencies are after said Inhuman. It’s initially enjoyable to see Lincoln not wanting anything to do with either of them but from a bigger picture point of view, we want him within the Secret Warrior ranks so its good see his positive feelings towards Daisy swinging his decision. Lincoln’s time on the lamb plays on some good themes of isolation. His opening scene sees him hunted like an animal while his later public media plastering induces desperation. The show keeps his electric abilities in prominent affect in continuation of this season’s embracing of superpowers. His “wall of sparks” escape makes for a nice visual money shot. The surprise highlight of Lincoln’s story is his interaction with his unknown friend John. We get no clear information about how they know each but writer Monica Breen does well to relate the meaning of their connection in a short space of time. John feels like Lincoln’s last garrison of hope, making everything that follows all the more impactful.
Things become a bit more stuck with the Shield and ATCU elations. We get another great face to face between Coulson and Rosalind Price (who even has her own version of Lola!) and common characteristics are further reinforced. It’s fascinating the way Price remarks that his and Shield’s approach to alien threats is not the problem but that they are not enough of a public presence. It’s rained Chitauri over New York and Dark Elves crashed into Greenwich. People know aliens are out there, and they need to know someone is keeping them safe in order to feel it; that’s what Price and the ATCU are trying to do in their own way. The resulting blackmailing over Lincoln and Daisy is a bit less rewarding, and even though, the eventual combined efforts makes complete sense from Coulson’s explanation about being sick of fighting people over how things are done. Yes, this will see Phil and Rosalind (first names now) more screen together which is fantastic, but the nice and clear cut direction pledged by first episode now feels a bit wobbly.
The Fitz-Simmons story is definitely the best part of the episode. The new dynamic relationship is a brilliant flip on last season. Rather than Simmons trying to help a mentally broken Fitz, we now have Fitz trying to rehabilitate a traumatised Simmons. Her physical and sensory struggles are nicely explained. Just like an astronaut after an extended time in space, her body needs to adjust back to simple things like Earth’s gravity and oxygen levels. The hazy camera techniques place us inside her mindset well. It’s actually refreshing to see the show leave the cause of her difficulties vague throughout the episode rather than getting too specific with the science. It allows for plenty of speculation about what happened to her while she's gone. We know she was hunted and afraid and in the final moments we learn something else rather interesting. Fitz has yet another stellar week as he does all he can to be there for her. There’s a wonderful moment as they arrive at the restaurant when the waiter reveals they’ve been holding his reservation for months; like he always knew he’d get her back and was saving this for their reunion. This is Fitz and Simmons back to how we want them in their fun and quirky friendship. It’s likely we’ll see romantic complications for the pair again soon enough but for now we can enjoy the strength of their friendship.
Finally, the adventures of Hunter and May prove as fun as expected. Hunter brings the comedy well throughout the episodes from the drunken business meeting complete with subtitles (as a fellow Brit, I can say that was pretty spot on) to biting off more than he can chew at the Hydra fight club. Director Garry Brown does well he make Hunter’s bare knuckle fight feel sufficiently brutal within their watershed restrictions. Visually, Hunter looks like he’s just told Thor that Odin was a big girl and you have to love the irony of having Nick Blood covered in blood. Any cocky characters are always great fun when they get out of their depth, and Hunter is no exception in face of his huge opponent, “Are you not tired yet? Cause that was sorta’ my strategy”. Yet at the same time, his “Plan B” highlights his bitter conviction towards getting Ward by being prepared to go to such lengths. May functions great quietly supporting him in the background completely unimpressed by all the would-be macho around her. Her fight may be just a token gesture to get the cavalry riding again but it’s still good to see her pummelling thugs.
The episode has several good moments and scenes but doesn’t pull together as a whole in the way the show has shown it’s now capable of. Bobbi needs to get that knee brace off because she’s really feeling wasted in the lab and we could do with finding out what Lash is up to rather than just hearing people talk about him. If Agents wants us to believe this is its blossoming year, the episodes like this are exactly what it needs to tighten up on.