Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. V: You Joined the Cavalry.

[Palanan]

Slightly creepy episode, with more than its share of unexpected moments.

Spoiler: Best Line

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May: "On the bright side, maybe I'll get to kill him too."

Damn but she takes a breakup hard.

Spoiler: Daisy + Lincoln = 0.000

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Once again we have to sit through a tepid, dimensionless scene with Daisy and Lincoln, both of whom look like they'd rather be anywhere else than playing two characters supposedly in love. Chloe's not even trying anymore.

Spoiler: Awkward Moments in S.H.I.E.L.D.

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And while Daisy and Lincoln are having this intense, revelatory conversation in the back of the quinjet, the pilots just out of sight in the cockpit are stuck listening to the latest installment of Days of Our Inhumans.

In fact, apart from a brief establishing shot when the quinjet first heads off, the camera conveniently forgets the pilots for the rest of the episode--even when Daisy and Lincoln are talking about activating the Secret Warriors. Hey, don't the pilots get a say in anything?

Spoiler: Worst Villain Containment Design

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So, what, the isolation pods are sealed with ordinary elevator doors?

I really don't get how those doors aren't interlocking five different ways. If they can keep Lash contained, I have a hard time buying that they could simply be pried open telekinetically.

Spoiler: Sacrifices Must Be Made

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Well, once again, I didn't see that coming.

We were just getting to know Malik's daughter, and I expected she'd be playing a role for the rest of the season. Another fake-out from a show that seems to take a gleeful pleasure in killing off characters we've just met.

On the other hand, it says something that they're able to evoke actual sympathy for Malik. I'm surprised Malik didn't try to brain Ward right there in the study--although maybe that's the cowardly side of Malik holding back again.

Spoiler: The Shrapnel-Free Land Mine

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I'm no expert on buried explosives, but I'm pretty sure that being ten feet away from an exploding land mine is just as lethal as being on top of it. I can think of several ways that Lincoln and Daisy could've cooperated to disable the thing, which may or may not actually work, but "hold it down and back a few feet away" is worse than any of them.

Spoiler: It's Kit Fisto!

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At least, that's what tentacle-Ward looked like from behind, minus the green lightsaber and the perpetual grin.

So, having just established that Hive is a community of parasites, now it can shapechange into a grey-tentacled monstrosity as well? Now I'm all confused again.

Spoiler: ...And Starlord Lost His Ball

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When the Australian guy first pulled the Kree sphere from the coffee can (which was hilarious in itself) my first thought was that it was the gizmo that Starlord used in GotG. I think the Kree sphere is a fair amount larger, but is there enough of a family resemblance to hint at a connection? Or is this just another random alien sphere? Seriously, they all look alike to me.

Also, the condensed version of Inhuman history, especially with the Roman Inhuman (did I hear that right?) left me absolutely baffled, like I hadn't done the reading for class. Was this a major reveal, that the Inhumans banded together to banish Hive to the alien world, or was this a recap that we're all supposed to remember?

For that matter, I'm not sure how Hive is both an Inhuman and also a communal parasite. Was he the one intended to lead the other Inhumans, or is that someone else?

[GAZ]

Spoiler: Hive Backstory

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The way I understood it was the Roman Inhuman specially bred to lead Inhumanity and subsequently banished is the Hive. We are just now learning that he was so incredibly badass that it took a union of humans and Inhumans to do the job. His terrigenesis turned him into a gross tentacle monster comprised of tiny parasites that he has the power to control. These parasites are useful for, at minimum, consuming flesh, absorbing memories, and driving dead bodies around.

Did I miss anything?

[huttj509]

Spoiler: The Shrapnel-Free Land Mine

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I'm no expert on buried explosives, but I'm pretty sure that being ten feet away from an exploding land mine is just as lethal as being on top of it. I can think of several ways that Lincoln and Daisy could've cooperated to disable the thing, which may or may not actually work, but "hold it down and back a few feet away" is worse than any of them.

Depends on the mine. Maimed people take more effort to recover and care for than dead ones.

[Giggling Ghast]

It's interesting to see how Hydra was a multi-faceted organization with multiple paths to world domination. They've had their fingers in everything from aerial weapons platforms to super soldiers to Infinity Gems-based technology and finally this nasty little cult centred around Hive.

However, it seems odd that Whitehall should think so little of the Malick family and their ritual sacrifices when he spent so much effort trying to acquire a Kree artifact himself.

[Red Fel]

Spoiler: Daisy + Lincoln = 0.000

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Once again we have to sit through a tepid, dimensionless scene with Daisy and Lincoln, both of whom look like they'd rather be anywhere else than playing two characters supposedly in love. Chloe's not even trying anymore.

Spoiler

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Ugh. So much this. Even the writing felt phoned in at this point. "I have a dark past." "Yeah, I know. Anger and drinking." "Oh, but you don't know. Anger and drinking and an ex-girlfriend!" "Wow. Awesome. Can we have a scene cut now?"

Spoiler: ...And Starlord Lost His Ball

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When the Australian guy first pulled the Kree sphere from the coffee can (which was hilarious in itself) my first thought was that it was the gizmo that Starlord used in GotG. I think the Kree sphere is a fair amount larger, but is there enough of a family resemblance to hint at a connection? Or is this just another random alien sphere? Seriously, they all look alike to me.

Spoiler

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That's Kree-racist.

Spoiler

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Also, the condensed version of Inhuman history, especially with the Roman Inhuman (did I hear that right?) left me absolutely baffled, like I hadn't done the reading for class. Was this a major reveal, that the Inhumans banded together to banish Hive to the alien world, or was this a recap that we're all supposed to remember?

For that matter, I'm not sure how Hive is both an Inhuman and also a communal parasite. Was he the one intended to lead the other Inhumans, or is that someone else?

Spoiler

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It was a recap. I remember somebody else talking about it in the previous season, when Hydra was discussing the stone and the creature sealed beyond it. But this episode did a lot of "hit you over the head" data dumps, because as an audience we apparently miss things.

Like every statement about Squid!Ward. Seriously, some Sherlock Holmes leaps there. "Ward is alive!" "That's not Ward. It's something possessing Ward." "Really? How'd you get there?" "Script said so." "Wait, you guys! It's not possessing him, it's a parasite!" "Wha?" "Script." "Ah." "Also, it controls little critters." "Really?" "No, actually, it is the critters." "... What?"

These were basically there for the benefit of the audience, because let's face it, nobody would have made those leaps otherwise.

However, it seems odd that Whitehall should think so little of the Malick family and their ritual sacrifices when he spent so much effort trying to acquire a Kree artifact himself.

Spoiler

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It's a different beast. Whitehall's interest in the Kree artifact stemmed from his interest in Inhuman powers, which in turn stemmed from his interest in SCIENCE!!! Whitehall was more interested in concrete roads to power. He was old-school Science!Hydra. The Malicks, on the other hand, were old-school Cult!Hydra, or Pre-Hydra, which was all about "the only road to power is to bring back the Hydra God."

Whitehall was a pragmatist. Inhumans are something you can study. Kree artifacts are something you can study. The "Hydra God" is a religious symbol, the Stone Ceremony a worthless ritual with no proven value.

[Spacewolf]

Was Daisy being massively hypocritical in this episode or was it supposed to be character development? "No one should be given a choice about becoming an inhuman through eating random foodstuff, the powers we get are given for a specific purpose. Even if it completely destroys a Family." to "No I get to decide who gets powers based the judgement of an evil dictator who attempted genocide and my boyfriend."

[LordRahl6]

Spoiler: Hive Backstory

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The way I understood it was the Roman Inhuman specially bred to lead Inhumanity and subsequently banished is the Hive. We are just now learning that he was so incredibly badass that it took a union of humans and Inhumans to do the job. His terrigenesis turned him into a gross tentacle monster comprised of tiny parasites that he has the power to control. These parasites are useful for, at minimum, consuming flesh, absorbing memories, and driving dead bodies around.

Did I miss anything?

Spoiler

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No, I don't believe you forgot anything. Although I thought that the Kree experiments went further back than 2 and a half millennia, somewhere on the order of 10000 years with Neandertals in the comics. Also have to give Brett Dalton some MAJOR points for switching personas on a dime. Finally, nice use of Whitehall/Rhinehardt and Reed Diamond to emphasis the differences in HYDRA's factions.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Red Fel
That's Kree-racist.

No, no, no. I totally respect all Kree and Kree-like lifeforms. It's just their technology I can't tell apart.

Originally Posted by Red Fel
These were basically there for the benefit of the audience, because let's face it, nobody would have made those leaps otherwise.

I couldn't make those leaps even with the script.

Although I do have the excuse that any scene with Malick's daughter had me quite distracted.

[Red Fel]

Was Daisy being massively hypocritical in this episode or was it supposed to be character development? "No one should be given a choice about becoming an inhuman through eating random foodstuff, the powers we get are given for a specific purpose. Even if it completely destroys a Family." to "No I get to decide who gets powers based the judgement of an evil dictator who attempted genocide and my boyfriend."

It's not so much "hypocrisy" as "evolution."

We've seen Daisy go through stages. In this season, she started with "Inhumanity is a birthright and a culture and we have to share it with all of these people." Then she doubled down with "A vaccine is wrong, it robs these people of their destiny!" Then she backpedaled a bit with, "Okay, there are some people who hate Inhumans, but that's just haters." Then a bit more with, "Oh, wow, that guy's story is tragic. To think that anyone might suffer like that... I can see why he'd want to protect his daughter." Then even more with Andrew, just Andrew. And now, we've got, "Okay, okay, I guess some people really don't deserve this."

In theory, the whole point was to show her position evolving from "Inhumans must become Inhumans," to "This may be more complicated than I thought."

[Spacewolf]

Except she never shows any of that she just swings wildly all over the place rather than showing the small changes that would actually make it seem like she's changing her mind. Instead she just looks like she does whatever she wants to.

[LordRahl6]

Except she never shows any of that she just swings wildly all over the place rather than showing the small changes that would actually make it seem like she's changing her mind. Instead she just looks like she does whatever she wants to.

Well, do recall that it was Lincoln that brought Terrigenesis Crystal on the mission.

[Bulldog Psion]

Except she never shows any of that she just swings wildly all over the place rather than showing the small changes that would actually make it seem like she's changing her mind. Instead she just looks like she does whatever she wants to.

Alignment: Chaotic Hypocritical, eh? Sounds like Skye...

(Confession: I always have an odd urge to call her "Skype.")

[Red Fel]

Well, do recall that it was Lincoln that brought Terrigenesis Crystal on the mission.

Yeah, but he's all crazy and unpredictable because he had a zany drinking problem and some wacky anger issues.

Honestly, they need to get rid of this character. He does nothing for the series. Let's consider.

- Experience? None, except for his vanishingly limited knowledge of Afterlife and Inhuman culture and history. Which doesn't help and they end up having to ask somebody else anyway.
- Plot function? There is nobody on the team that couldn't sub in for him. Need a medical background? We've got Simmons. An Inhuman? Daisy. An Inhuman who knows stuff? As this past episode shows, we have to look outside the team anyway. A moody pseudo-teen? Daisy again.
- Power? He holds out his hand and shoots stuff. Know who else does that? Daisy. Same pose, too. Also, guns work.
- Personality? Coulson's discarded hands have more.
- Romance? He and Daisy have all the chemistry of oil mixed with water.
- Eye-candy? He ain't Mack. Just sayin'.
- Humor? ... Damn, I miss Hunter.

Lincoln needs to go, is my point. He's like He-Daisy, and one Daisy is frequently one too many.

[Bowerbird]

Alignment: Chaotic Hypocritical, eh? Sounds like Skye...

(Confession: I always have an odd urge to call her "Skype.")

I've been waiting since Season 1 for Coulson to make some comment along the lines of: "You can't take Skye from me!" Presumably so he can follow up with something about burning land and boiling seas...

[Bulldog Psion]

Spoiler: The Shrapnel-Free Land Mine

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I'm no expert on buried explosives, but I'm pretty sure that being ten feet away from an exploding land mine is just as lethal as being on top of it. I can think of several ways that Lincoln and Daisy could've cooperated to disable the thing, which may or may not actually work, but "hold it down and back a few feet away" is worse than any of them.

Spoiler: More landmine fun

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Of course, the whole triggering mechanism is a shockingly transparent Hollywood fantasy landmine anyway. I can't imagine a reason for not having a mine set to go off when the pressure plate is depressed. It's a weapon trigger; when a trigger is activated, it's supposed to go off. Having a double-action pressure plate on a land mine would just allow situations like this -- enabling the escape of an adversary when simply having it go off when activated achieves either a kill or a blown-off foot and lower leg, depending on the mine's design.

On a related note, one of my favorite World War II pictures is an exhausted German Panzergrenadier sleeping with his head pillowed squarely on the pressure plate of a huge anti-tank mine. Though it looks dangerous, he actually couldn't set it off by jumping up and down on it, probably, due to the pressure setting. Still must take a bit of nerve to use a live landmine as a pillow, though.

Spoiler: Edit: another landmine thought

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Even worse, the other landmines apparently go off correctly. When Daisy starts shakin' it (sorry, couldn't resist ), the other ones just detonate. So that one had an even more transparently Hollywood Plot Device triggering mechanism because the particular one the character steps on works differently from the others.

Still enjoyed the episode, though, with the exception of the cringeworthy Lincoln/Daisy stuff. To tell you the truth, I liked the Australian better than Lincoln.

For a non-spoileriffic question, and in the matter of trivial details -- were Ward's ears always this weird-looking? I can't go back and check yet, but they looked pretty strange in a couple of shots.

[lord_khaine]

Spoiler: Lincoln

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Yeah i must confess im tired of the guy as well.
For that matter i kinda lost every shred of respect from him and Daisy when they broke their word.

[Pex]

They needed someone with experience playing a person with superpowers. As The Tomorrow People was just canceled before they started the Inhuman Storyline, Luke Mitchell was available. Robbie Amell was too busy taking his shirt off for a movie or something.

[Rogar Demonblud]

Spoiler: More landmine fun

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Of course, the whole triggering mechanism is a shockingly transparent Hollywood fantasy landmine anyway. I can't imagine a reason for not having a mine set to go off when the pressure plate is depressed. It's a weapon trigger; when a trigger is activated, it's supposed to go off. Having a double-action pressure plate on a land mine would just allow situations like this -- enabling the escape of an adversary when simply having it go off when activated achieves either a kill or a blown-off foot and lower leg, depending on the mine's design.

On a related note, one of my favorite World War II pictures is an exhausted German Panzergrenadier sleeping with his head pillowed squarely on the pressure plate of a huge anti-tank mine. Though it looks dangerous, he actually couldn't set it off by jumping up and down on it, probably, due to the pressure setting. Still must take a bit of nerve to use a live landmine as a pillow, though.

You might want to look up Bouncing Betties. A landmine that goes off when you step on it just takes off the foot/lower leg. A double action plate results in the charge doing rather more damage.

Also, if the person just freezes after hearing that click, they and the rest of the unit become sitting ducks for your unit.

[hustlertwo]

I think they probably have listened to people complaining about Lincoln; I have a strong hunch he's the one who's going up in space and not coming back. But we'll have to wait a bit to see if that pans out.

[LordRahl6]

They needed someone with experience playing a person with superpowers. As The Tomorrow People was just canceled before they started the Inhuman Storyline, Luke Mitchell was available. Robbie Amell was too busy taking his shirt off for a movie or something.

Robbie was busy merging with Victor Garber and bursting into flames in his cousin Stephen's universe.

[Pronounceable]

So I got around to watching this series up to current point. Mr Coulson's Wild Ride was going real well but I'm not feeling it since the fish oil. All this inhuman stuff has severely undermined its own concept of normies against superstuff. Except for Intergalactic Adventures of Agent Simmons (the bestest thing they did since Clairvoyant twist), everything else has been mostly meh. And I severely dislike Prettyboy and all of his dumb angst, at least fakeWard had logical reasons to exist as the genericly handsome guy on the cast (in fact, he's still on the cast).

I love May and Fitz. They keep the show on track. Coulson is a giant dork and has his moments. Ward's actor is an awesome dude and I support his continued existence in whatever form. They'd better dial down on the supers however, before the series loses all of its point.

[Friv]

Spoiler

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Like every statement about Squid!Ward. Seriously, some Sherlock Holmes leaps there. "Ward is alive!" "That's not Ward. It's something possessing Ward." "Really? How'd you get there?" "Script said so." "Wait, you guys! It's not possessing him, it's a parasite!" "Wha?" "Script." "Ah." "Also, it controls little critters." "Really?" "No, actually, it is the critters." "... What?"

Spoiler

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Honestly, that part seemed pretty straightforward. The team already knows that there was a nasty monster on the alien planet that hopped into dead bodies and possessed, and Fitz (the one who originally said "That's not Ward" got a very good look at Ward getting very inescapably killed. The leap from "Ward definitely died on a planet with a possession monster, and now he's definitely alive again" to "Ward is probably possessed by the possession monster from the previous planet" is pretty easy.

Similarly, the team had eyes on Ward-monster entering a room with two other people with well-established powers, and then everyone in the room was devoured by weird alien-seeming parasites, in a manner identical to how someone on the alien planet was mysteriously killed. This isn't much of a leap to "that weird creature has the power to create or control these little guys, which based on our scientific tests could probably re-animate dead flesh". From there, "what if the re-animating force actually is these little guys, and that's why Ward was interested in weird tech to reinforce parasite species" is a bit of a theory, but not a stretch.

Everything with Lincoln is dumb though.

[Kato]

Spoiler: new episode

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Dalton continues to do an amazing job at what he does. Though this new character is a flesh eating monster from another planet I like it more than Ward...
But I can't say I was too surprised at his choice of victim. Not that it was smarter but it's so much jucier.

Also agreeing with the Linconl-haters... this love story so far has brought pretty much zero enjoyment.

And SHIELD containment cells are apparently pretty useless... as well as SHIELD's skill at watching over captives.

[Bulldog Psion]

Spoiler: new episode

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And SHIELD containment cells are apparently pretty useless... as well as SHIELD's skill at watching over captives.

Spoiler

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You know what's even worse? Those doors proved to be designed by an idiot for the sole purpose of allowing an entire plotline of the oh-so-popular Daisy and Lincoln to save the day and rescue all the characters viewers actually like!

[Bowerbird]

Spoiler: new episode

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And SHIELD containment cells are apparently pretty useless... as well as SHIELD's skill at watching over captives.

Spoiler

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Heck, didn't they make a special point in one episode of the fact that the cells can be made to pump tranquilisers into the air supply or something like that? You have to go through all that trouble to catch him in the first place, just tranq him until you can put him into something permanent and secure.

[Kitten Champion]

Spoiler

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Honestly, that part seemed pretty straightforward. The team already knows that there was a nasty monster on the alien planet that hopped into dead bodies and possessed, and Fitz (the one who originally said "That's not Ward" got a very good look at Ward getting very inescapably killed. The leap from "Ward definitely died on a planet with a possession monster, and now he's definitely alive again" to "Ward is probably possessed by the possession monster from the previous planet" is pretty easy.

Similarly, the team had eyes on Ward-monster entering a room with two other people with well-established powers, and then everyone in the room was devoured by weird alien-seeming parasites, in a manner identical to how someone on the alien planet was mysteriously killed. This isn't much of a leap to "that weird creature has the power to create or control these little guys, which based on our scientific tests could probably re-animate dead flesh". From there, "what if the re-animating force actually is these little guys, and that's why Ward was interested in weird tech to reinforce parasite species" is a bit of a theory, but not a stretch.

Everything with Lincoln is dumb though.

Spoiler

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Yeah. There was a huge leap in logic earlier on when Coulson was pondering whether Mallick was reporting to "someone else, or something else" in the episode about the UN conference on the Inhumans that I recall as way too prescient, but not putting the pieces to Ward's resurrection together at this point with the amount of evidence they have between them would seem silly to me.

As to Lincoln and Daisy's badlands adventure --

Spoiler

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I didn't see much in the way of intended romance between Lincoln and Daisy in the last episode, I saw mostly an attempt to build up Lincoln's character using Daisy as a logical justification for doing so and I suspect in an attempt to build pathos before his death as part of the whole vision mystery thing - though I've said that before when he wasn't killed by Lash. The trajectory I think he's on is a sacrifice ending, I don't think they just want to kill him off without seemingly doing the work to make him a character however.

As to Lincoln & Daisy tricking that Australian guy, unless you're ambivalent to giving everyone superpowers regardless of what you know about their personal character it hardly seems unreasonable.

They're also fighting an apparent ancient xenocidal Inhuman which they know astoundingly little about beyond it's going around killing people, has the resources of current Hydra, and is in the body of their former nemesis - taking somewhat morally questionable steps to retrieve information about it that a man himself stole in the first place again seems like it's easy to justify.

[Sapphire Guard]

It's similarly a mixed entity in the comics. SHIELD is nominally UN but the US effectively controlled it and used it to enforce Registration.

Fair enough, but it still jars that they don't care about jurisdiction 90 % of the time, but it's suddenly very important in a very specific way in one episode. I mean

Spoiler

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A couple of episodes ago they were caught red handed breaking into the rooms of diplomats that came in good faith to discuss what to do about the inhumans at a symposium, and nobody mentioned anything about consequences from the relevant countries then.

[Reddish Mage]

Spoiler

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Yeah. There was a huge leap in logic earlier on when Coulson was pondering whether Mallick was reporting to "someone else, or something else" in the episode about the UN conference on the Inhumans that I recall as way too prescient, but not putting the pieces to Ward's resurrection together at this point with the amount of evidence they have between them would seem silly to me.

As to Lincoln and Daisy's badlands adventure --

Spoiler

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I didn't see much in the way of intended romance between Lincoln and Daisy in the last episode, I saw mostly an attempt to build up Lincoln's character using Daisy as a logical justification for doing so and I suspect in an attempt to build pathos before his death as part of the whole vision mystery thing - though I've said that before when he wasn't killed by Lash. The trajectory I think he's on is a sacrifice ending, I don't think they just want to kill him off without seemingly doing the work to make him a character however.

As to Lincoln & Daisy tricking that Australian guy, unless you're ambivalent to giving everyone superpowers regardless of what you know about their personal character it hardly seems unreasonable.

They're also fighting an apparent ancient xenocidal Inhuman which they know astoundingly little about beyond it's going around killing people, has the resources of current Hydra, and is in the body of their former nemesis - taking somewhat morally questionable steps to retrieve information about it that a man himself stole in the first place again seems like it's easy to justify.

I am really not a fan of "good guys" making deals, breaking them, and all the other funny grey morals that they've been doing with SHIELD (the implied justifiable racism against Inhumans is disturbing).

Also it's still funny they have so many compunctions about killing...yet Lincoln proves himself to Coulson because he would attack someone apparently defenseless without adequate reason just on orders (although disappointed Lincoln didn't kill on command).

Fair enough, but it still jars that they don't care about jurisdiction 90 % of the time, but it's suddenly very important in a very specific way in one episode. I mean

Spoiler

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A couple of episodes ago they were caught red handed breaking into the rooms of diplomats that came in good faith to discuss what to do about the inhumans at a symposium, and nobody mentioned anything about consequences from the relevant countries then.

For the record, I'm not a fan either. Even the World Council in Captain America seemed like the one point in that movie that nearly strained credulity to the breaking point. Okay that and the giant flying helicarrier drones was a little silly and MODOK...

[lord_khaine]

I am really not a fan of "good guys" making deals, breaking them, and all the other funny grey morals that they've been doing with SHIELD (the implied justifiable racism against Inhumans is disturbing).

Yeah, actually i think there is a large difference between tricking someone, and breaking a deal made in good faith.
I think the australian guy had a rather good point. I certainly cant imagine him being less worthy of powers than Lincoln.

I dont like that him and Daisy have now decided they get to chose who gets powers or not either.

[LordRahl6]

Yeah, actually i think there is a large difference between tricking someone, and breaking a deal made in good faith.
I think the australian guy had a rather good point. I certainly cant imagine him being less worthy of powers than Lincoln.

I dont like that him and Daisy have now decided they get to chose who gets powers or not either.

Understandable point regarding how Lincoln and his powers, but what really is a letdown after the how Daisy been acting lately is how she was able to go with the flow of refusing him powers. Was it because she was going to have her leg blow off?