Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. “Closure” Review

Howdy ladies and gents of the internet, time to talk about some Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. with season 3, episode 9 “Closure“. So how was this week’s episode? Well read on and find out.

As usual in these reviews I’m just gonna present the plot and then say what I liked and what I didn’t like. Cool? Okay let’s keep going.

The Plot

Ward’s vendetta and plan for revenge against S.H.I.E.L.D. brings the team to their knees, and Coulson proves he will be willing to do anything to settle the conflict.

What I Liked

Well bloody hell, that was certainly an episode and a half. So much hate, suffering and death in this episode, man I frigging loved it. The first seven minutes was full of tension drama and action and what followed only got more interesting, and while the episode wasn’t perfect there was so much to love.

Firstly let’s talk about Ward, that guy is just bad. He’s irredeemable now. The guy killed Rosalind right in front of Coulson just to hurt him and get his attention, then allowed Simmons to get tortured and after all these years separated from his younger brother, he was still trying to justify his twisted actions. The man is evil, relentless and his thirst for vengeance against Coulson and SHIELD has never been stronger to the point where he’d dismiss Gideon Malick’s larger plans for Hydra just to settle a score. I loved Brett Dalton in this episode, he really excels at being the villain, but I hope Ward does get killed because after all this there’s no way he could be kept alive.

And then there’s Coulson, damn, he had a pretty hectic episode. Firstly him and Rosalind are reconnecting over dinner only for her to be killed and when Ward let’s Coulson know that he did it, man the hunt is on! After Coulson fought his way out of Rosalind’s apartment and got extracted by Mac, he acquired Bobbi and Hunter to go on a secret mission to take out Ward. Coulson was so aggressive and badass in this episode, whether he was fighting Ward’s men, throwing phones, choking Hunter, capturing Ward’s younger brother Thomas for insurance or jumping out of a plane into the portal to the alien planet, he was totally driven and operated on terms that the regular Coulson wouldn’t have. I also loved the conversations Coulson had with the original team members about Ward, trying to gain intel on his previous interactions to see if it would provide useful information for Coulson now. Whether it was Daisy describing how she could understand Ward because of his history or Fitz saying that he used to just stare at him, a lot of those accounts were nice throwbacks to season 1 but also illustrated how creepy and troubled Ward really was.

In addition to that I really liked Malick in this episode, he’s really started to step up in this villain role. He’s made orders and he has control of everyone, except Ward. I liked how Ward called out Malick on his manipulation tactics, but it was also fairly impressive how Malick was able to get to the core of Ward’s actions, make him realise how inferior they were and show him that if their plans with the recovery of the Inhuman from the alien planet were successful, then Hydra would allow Ward to do whatever he wanted in a position of power. Malick is power-hungry but he isn’t stupid and he knows that pointing Ward in the right direction would be the right move considering his skill set.

Beyond that there were other great parts of the episode like:

• Fitz and Simmons getting captured by Hydra: I felt bad for these two, they can never catch a break. First they got captured, then separated, both of them were subjected to conversations with Ward, Simmons got tortured and they got a quick heart to heart moment before Fitz decided to got to the alien planet. Oh and Fitz telling Malick to “Piss off.” was awesome. 🙂
• Mac, acting director of SHIELD: As much as I like Mac, he’s never had a significant role in the show since he was controlled by the Kree temple in season 2, so to see Coulson give him the responsibility of being director while he was out was awesome and allowed him to make tough decisions and shift into action mode when things looked bad. Oh and that speech he gave to the team (including Joey and Lincoln) was awesome.
• Back on the alien planet again: So after a good few episodes we’re back on planet Blue with Ward, Fitz and some other Hydra agents, I wonder how long it’ll be before Will or the Inhuman appears? Coulson’s recklessness has cost him as he fell down a hill and knocked himself out on a rock, who knows when he’ll wake up or if anyone will find him?

What I Disliked

Firstly I am sad to see Rosalind go, she was awesome and while I understand reason why she was killed, I do feel like it was still a bit too soon and if she had been fleshed out a little more her death would have been a bit more dramatic. Also her associate Banks was taken out in this episode too which also sucked. Banks was a pretty plain character from the beginning, and while we’ve gotten a few interesting tidbits of info about him, he was never a fleshed out character so for him to go just when I thought he’d actually start getting some screen time felt like a wasted opportunity.

Conclusion

In conclusion “Closure” was a pretty satisfying episode with a great focus on Ward and his villainy, Coulson’s hunt for revenge and Malick’s plan to get back to the alien planet. There was plenty of action, drama, tension and intrigue in his episode and while there were a few hiccups along the way this was certainly a memorable episode for the series.

Rating: 8.5/10

So what did you think of “Closure“? Did you enjoy it or were you unimpressed? Whatever your thoughts are, be sure to drop them in the comments below and I’ll see you on the next episode review!

 

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. “Many Heads, One Tale” Review

Howdy ladies and gents of the internet, time to talk about some Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. with season 3, episode 8 “Many Heads, One Tale“. So how was this week’s episode? Well read on and find out.

As usual in these reviews I’m just gonna present the plot and then say what I liked and what I didn’t like. Cool? Okay let’s keep going.

The Plot

Dangerous facts about the ATCU are discovered by the team; Ward’s plans to take down S.H.I.E.L.D. do not go as expected.

What I Liked

Well damn, this was a great episode. There was a lot to love and while there was a fair amount of detail to take in, all of it came together in an interesting way.

Can I just get my favourite part of out of the way… Fitz and Simmons, they kissed! YAY! 😀 I may sound like the biggest girl ever, but you don’t know how long I’ve waited for this moment. With the recent events involving Simmons and Will on the mystery planet I believed that Simmons’ heart would remain primarily to her space lover, but no, in this episode these two confronted each other about not only the awkward nature of their relationship, but their long-term feelings for each other and it was handled with drama and realism. Fitz highlighted that he felt inferior, that he was angry, but also that we was helping because he’s a good guy and wants Simmons to be happy. But Simmons was pissed because she knew how complicated this situation was and didn’t want to hurt Fitz or Will. But Fitz did the most manly thing ever, smashed right out of the friendzone and kissed his girl and it was the most satisfying moment on this show for ages. Even though Simmons still has feelings for Will, ignoring Fitz is no longer an option. Looks like we have a love triangle on our hands people. 🙂

I also have to touch upon Coulson and Rosalind, after those two slept together they’re pretty cozy together and Coulson’s showing her around the base, and while they’re together, Coulson’s organised his squad to infiltrate the ATCU and find out what they’re hiding. I like how after all this flirting, smiling and sizing each other up, Coulson confronts her about who she really is and it totally catches her off-guard. In the end we find out that Rosalind really was a good guy and had been played by Gideon Malick the whole time who had been using his position in government to further his operations at Hydra and manipulate the actions of the ATCU. I did feel bad for Rosalind when Coulson interrogated her and she did seem genuinely hurt and upset at Coulson’s accusations. While Coulson did come across as a bit mean, he had told Daisy beforehand that he had his emotions in check, so while he does care for Rosalind, he’s been smart enough to keep his emotions and trust in check. I hope that after the Hydra and Malick reveals that these two can still be on good terms going ahead.

Oh and how cool was Ward in this episode? Brett Dalton just excels at being the bad guy when given the right material and man he was on fire. This week we learnt he was not just after SHIELD but also after a vault left by Baron von Strucker and when Malick doesn’t want to play ball, Ward beat up and tortured Malick’s men for info, then got on a plane where he scared a pretty air hostess with a whisper, made a funny announcement on the intercom and blast a hole in the plane to parachute down to a specific location. This man got around and was so suave and devious about it, he’s clearly resourceful, unpredictable and dangerous, traits that Gideon seemed to like enough to allow Ward to join him and disclose the location of Andrew, and when they can come face-to-face Ward relays Hydra’s new plan and his plan to torture May through Andrew well.

Now let’s talk about the Hydra revelation. Not only had Malick been operating in the shadows via the World Security Council, but that Hydra have been operating in the shadows for AGES prior to their first major appearance in Captain America: The First Avenger. It was kind of creepy to see that evolution of that goat logo transform into the Hydra logo, and about Hydra’s history sending people through the Monolith and looking into gaining superpowered items was very intriguing.

In addition to those major aspects there are a few thing worth mentioning like:

• Bobbi and Hunter Infiltrating the ATCU: At first I didn’t recognise these two when they came in, but after I recognised them I loved every second of their screen time. Anytime the SHIELD team go undercover it is a good time full of humour, surprise and potential threat and that certainly apparent here. I LOVED Hunter, whether it was his clothes or usual funny personality, he was great to watch. And after they got found out it was super fun to see Bobbi duke it out with a magnetic man with her own magnetic batons.
• Lincoln and May: I was surprised that after all the evil-looking glares May gave Lincoln at SHIELD HQ, in the end she wanted to find a way to apologise to him for what Andrew did as Lash.

What I Disliked

There wasn’t much that I didn’t like besides some of the way the action was shot for Bobbi’s fight with the magnetic batons, it looked a little cheesy at points. But that’s my minor nitpick.

Conclusion

In conclusion “Many Heads, One Tale” was a really fun, epic and intriguing episode with all sorts of drama, action and revealed mysteries that make this show worth watching. Things are shaping up nicely with the stories and character development, and hope it’ll continue up until the mid-season finale.

Rating: 8.5/10

So what did you think of “Many Heads, One Tale“? Did you enjoy it or were you unimpressed? Whatever your thoughts are, be sure to drop them in the comments below and I’ll see you on the next episode review!

 

Agents of SHIELD “Chaos Theory” Review

Howdy ladies and gents of the internet, time to talk about some Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. with season 3, episode 7 “Chaos Theory“, so after last week’s very special Simmons-based episode does AoS continue it’s good streak? Well read on and find out.

As usual in these reviews I’m just gonna present the plot and then say what I liked and what I didn’t like. Cool? Okay let’s keep going.

The Plot

As Daisy and the team try to protect Inhumans, a shocking truth is revealed about S.H.I.E.L.D.’s biggest enemy; with Fitz’s help, Simmons recovers information that could get them back through the portal.

What I Liked

Well damn! This was certainly a memorable episode and I actually liked it quite a bit. There was a lot of great conflict, drama, action and revelations that went down and while I can see some people not agreeing certain things that went down in this episode, at the same time I think some will be interested to see where things go in future episodes.

Let’s start with May and Andrew. Man, these two went through a lot this episode. We not only got to see more of their trip to Hawaii via flashbacks, but we also got to see their current relationship get fractured and fall apart (potentially for good). On one hand we had Andrew, who we know is Lash now, and just seeing him around Coulson and Daisy watching and contributing to conversations about Inhumans felt awkward and wrong because you knew that the guy was dangerous. And on the other hand we had May who learnt from Werner about Andrew’s monstrous secret, clearly distraught and wanting clarification she goes back to HQ does some digging and when she finds out where he is she goes after him. What follows is just some crazy and emotional stuff from Andrew’s visuals of killing Joey to Andrew shooting May with an icer (mad man!) to with Andrew’s flashback on how he became an Inhuman via Jiaying’s booby-trapped book to the moments between May and Andrew before Coulson came in. Ming-Na Wen really killed it in this episode, we rarely get to see much visual emotion from May and you could tell that this was a situation that was hurting her so much. She couldn’t stop him after he transformed but she did put him in containment and even after that she looked devastated by the whole ordeal.

I also liked how a lot of characters and storylines started to converge in this episode, unlike season 1 and to a lesser degree season 2, this season is really moving quickly with its stories and isn’t wasting time with its mysteries and reveals. In just a few episodes Lincoln was on the run and now he’s come back into the fold (for good reasons) but it looks like he’s joining the crew now after the ordeal with Lash. Werner has come and gone, Coulson and Rosalind have hooked up (it was inevitable) and Lash has dispatched loads of people, taken on Lincoln again and been subdued by May with the help of SHIELD and the ATCU. I just hope that this quick pace won’t ruin certain upcoming stories that require a slower pace. Then there’s Fitz and Simmons and Bobbi and Hunter. I didn’t care much for Bobbi and Hunter relationship stuff, and the more they talk about protecting each other, taking out Ward and their feelings, the more I think they’ll leave the show for that Most Wanted show that was announced earlier in the year. As for FitzSimmons, those two, their drama is subtle but still ever so real. With Fitz he had to go through  Simmons’ experiences via the images and videos left on her phone, you can see that this guy still loves this girl from the way he listened to her recordings, watched her videos and when he aggressively knocked the stuff off the table after seeing Will and Simmons together. And seeing them together conversing while watching the sunrise, that was cute and I feel like things aren’t completely over between them romantically (or at least that’s what I’m hoping haha).

There were some other elements of the episode I haven’t mentioned that I appreciated like:

• Rosalind and Daisy: I liked how both of them were against each other arguing the pros and cons of handling Inhumans from their own points of view, and then to see Daisy save Rosalind later on, damn, that must be a sign of trust between them now.
• Phil and Rosalind: So this couple have been teased for a while but I guess it’s come to pass and I do like it, even if the circumstances aren’t exactly genuine. When Rosalind asked Coulson if she’d buy him a drink, I knew exactly where it was going. The same sort of situation happened with May and Ward back in season 1. Now Rosalind thinks she’s playing Coulson, but someone online suggested Coulson’s actually playing her and that he’s just playing along which if that ends up being the case then I’d be so happy because I don’t want him being played.
• Oh hey Joey: Yeah Joey’s back, haven’t seen that dude in ages, was starting to think he’d become irrelevant for the forseeable future, but apparently he’s fine and he’s been learning to control his abilities. He doesn’t just melt things, he can craft and shape metal now. I’m glad he didn’t get taken out by Lash because there’s definitely potential for him.

Oh and finally there’s Ward and Malick at the end of the episode, both of them discuss the loss of Werner and Ward states he’s not interested in him and wants to take out Coulson to eliminate SHIELD altogether. However Malick says Ward has to think long-term and we find out that he’s been in cahoots with Rosalind Price! Shit son! Clearly this means that Malick must have been one of the people in attendance of the meeting with the president that Coulson missed, and Rosalind is sneaky, deceptive, no-trusting lady that I think we all believed her to be towards the start of the season. This also lends credence to the talk online that Malick is the same character he was in the World Security Council in the Marvel films and has secretly been Hydra all along which makes his character so much more interesting.

What I Disliked

The drama between May and Andrew felt a little generic at times as did Andrew’s needs to take the lives of other Inhumans (another reason I don’t think Andrew should have been this character). In addition to that I was annoyed with how simple Lash’s action scenes were, he didn’t seem that tough, sure he could take gunfire and hit pretty hard, but didn’t seem very threatening or scary. I hope he’ll be more intense and scary later on. Oh and I’m starting to dislike Lash’s look more and more, I feel like the make-up on his face and body could have been better and the CGI during the transformations lacks a certain level of detail.

Conclusion

In conclusion “Chaos Theory” was a pretty good episode with some solid drama and action, however there were a few issues with Andrew/Lash’s motivations and fight sequences which held the episode back for me.

Rating: 7.5/10

So what did you think of “Chaos Theory“? Did you enjoy it or were you unimpressed? Whatever your thoughts are, be sure to drop them in the comments below and I’ll see you on the next episode review!

 

Agents of SHIELD “Among Us Hide…” Review

Howdy ladies and gents of the internet, time to talk about some Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. with season 3, episode 6 “Among Us Hide…“, so after last week’s very special Simmons-based episode does AoS continue it’s good streak? Well read on and find out.

As usual in these reviews I’m just gonna present the plot and then say what I liked and what I didn’t like. Cool? Okay let’s keep going.

The Plot

The stakes get higher as May and Hunter pursue Ward and Hydra; Coulson thinks the ATCU could be keeping a big secret.

What I Liked

This was an episode I have mixed feelings on, for the most part it was solid and entertaining episode which closely tied into the last two episodes and presented new possibilities for future stories down the line, however there were things that held it back for me.

I continue to appreciate how this show mixes up the SHIELD team with Daisy, Mack and Hunter on the hunt for Banks while May and Bobbi were trying to locate Werner Von Strucker.

Having Daisy, Mack and Hunter together was fun, it allowed for some funny moments of dialogue and the best part of the episode when a scarfed Hunter walks up to Banks and shoots him with an icer gun haha. So reckless and yet so brilliant, it showed Hunter’s unhinged methods do work when hear that it was all so we could get a blood sample to test Banks’ blood for a comparison to Lash. We also see Daisy using Fitz’s tech to spy on an ATCU facility and notices Coulson and Rosalind watching an inactive Inhuman being stored away in a box, I’m pretty sure this is not only gonna fracture her trust with Coulson but may also make her splinter off and do her own thing separate from S.H.I.E.L.D.and that’s when the Secret Warriors come into play, but that’s just my theory.

As for the May and Bobbi stuff that was cool. They make an interesting team, their moments in the Cayman Islands when trying to get that safe deposit box was hilarious and cool when the fighting kicked, and may I just say that Adrianne Palicki and Ming-Na Wen looked incredible. I’d marry them both in a heartbeat. Moving on… I liked how May got Bobbi back into the field and helped get her out the mental funk that was holding her back in combat. Oh and poor May had to learn the truth about what happened to Andrew from Werner and she looked distressed, can’t wait to see how she reacts when this info gets to Coulson and Skye.

Once again I have to state how much I like the chemistry between Coulson and Rosalind, they’re always trying to size each other up and find compromise so that each other them can get what they want. This episode we definitely got to see more of Rosalind, we saw her home, her stuff and learnt about a bit of her history and what does at the ATCU for Inhumans. Seems like she’s genuinely trying to help, however, considering the world of government and spies, this could just be a ploy to get Coulson to trust her. Maybe she did lose her husband, maybe she does like Coulson, I just don’t think things could be a black and white as that.

Oh and one final note relating to Fitz and Simmons. It seems like Fitz is still looking for information about the portal and trying to find a means to get Will back to Earth, but Hunter doesn’t consider it to be a good idea because of the relationship between these two nerdy individuals, and while Fitz tells Hunter to disappear you can see the mixed feelings going on in his head. Even after Simmons comes holding Fitz’s hand (stop that you friend-zoning woman!), telling him the situation is awkward and saying that Will’s a good guy, Fitz continues to give her support, but is secretly researching about Will behind her back. I’m curious to see what Fitz will find out and if it’ll be a problem in the future.

What I Disliked

My dislikes are few but notable. The biggest thing for me was Andrew turning out to be Lash, I mean it was speculated after the end of episode 4, but I hoped it’d be someone different since it’d be too easy to tie such beastly character to someone we’ve already known for a while. I mean for the show it is quite smart and will be all the more painful when it is finally revealed to the S.H.I.E.L.D. team but I just don’t like it. Also the fact that Werner died in this episode sucked for me, I thought with his introduction earlier on he would have been an interesting character to come into Hydra, get mentored by Ward and rise up the ranks to be a potential threat for SHIELD later on as a recurring bad guy. But no, like so many people in the MCU he’s killed off all too quickly without actually being able to leave a memorable mark. I also didn’t care much for Ward in this episode and his presence as a threat to SHIELD is weakening, I just hope that the introduction of Powers Booth’s character will elevate things later on or we’ll have problems with that part of the ongoing storyline.

Conclusion

In conclusion was a good episode with some interesting revelations and character development for several people involved.

Rating: 7/10

So what did you think of “Among Us Hide…“? Did you enjoy it or were you unimpressed? Whatever your thoughts are, be sure to drop them in the comments below and I’ll see you on the next episode review!

 

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. “Devils You Know” Review

Howdy ladies and gents of the internet, time to review another episode of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and today we’ll be talking about season 3, episode 4, “Devils You Know“. So how was tonight’s episode? Well read on and find out.

As usual in these reviews I’m just gonna present the plot and then say what I liked and what I didn’t like. Cool? Okay let’s keep going.

The Plot

Having reluctantly agreed to share information with Rosalind and the ATCU, Coulson and the team search for the Inhuman who is killing other Inhumans; May feels that Hunter’s mission to take down Ward is getting too personal.

What I Liked

This was another solid episode, there was direct continuation from the last episode with was going on with Hunter’s plan to ascend in Hydra, Simmons’ continuing recovery and obsession with going back to the alien planet, and Coulson and Rosalind’s alliance to cooperate on missions. There were some nice surprises, shocks and cool developments overall.

One of my favourite aspects of the episode was seeing SHIELD and the ATCU team up.  It was unlikely team-up which clearly each side had reservations/issues with (mainly when it came to Daisy, Mack and Rosalind), I love how Coulson wanted to collaborate with the ATCU just so they’d have more resources but when it came to handling certain situations Rosalind had different ideas or questioned Coulson’s decisions. There was a lot of pulling and tugging and unwanted compromise from Coulson and Rosalind, each had to make choices that would not only benefit them in the long run but also keep the other person happy. It showed off some interesting decision-making between the two of them and once again allowed Coulson and Rosalind to have some fun banter (and possibly subtle sexual tension?). Other great part was seeing Ward back again, Brett Dalton was great as he brough wit, charm, humour and that small level of crazy to his interactions with people (this time with Hunter and May), I love how as soon as Hunter showed up, Ward was worried, there was a shoot out and thanks to May, Ward lost a lot of his forces up until Ward pulled out a secret ace; he had his Hydra goons waiting for Andrew in a shop. And even though Ward escaped, he got a bullet to the back, but also had Werner von Strucker and the other Hydra guys seemingly kill and blow up Andrew. While we didn’t see Andrew get killed on-screen, that looked pretty permanent and if that’s the end of  Andrew then frigging hell that’s pretty hardcore, and I can see that May will hate Ward forever if he’s taken out her ex hubby.

Seems like there was domestics going on in this episode between certain people. Firstly there’s May and Andrew, there seemed to be more to their getaway as Andrew wanted to apologize to May but she wasn’t having it. Clearly life outside of SHIELD for the both of them wasn’t what they imagined and either May or Andrew just had different ideas of what their relationship would be like. I’m curious to know more, though considering what happened to Andrew I’m not sure if we’ll see that conversation continue (more on that later). Then there’s May and Hunter, she was trying to get him be organized and plan ahead when it came to Hydra but Hunter’s obsession with Ward just made him want to throw caution to the wind and jump into the belly of the beast, and later on with Ward having Andrew under surveillance, that put May in a tough situation and with Hunter just going after the enemy regardless, you could tell that May was not happy about his decision at all. And then there’s Fitz and Simmons, Simmons is researching a means to rebuild the portal to go back to the planet behind Fitz’s back and her reaction when she saw him with her stuff was totally crazy. Luckily Fitz found out about her plans, confronted her and basically told him that she was gonna give him answers which is what I hope we’ll get next episode or so.

When comes to Lash I liked him, he was not only cool with the use of his powers, but we learnt he’s on a mission and he was smart with his use of Dwight Frye’s ability to sense other Inhumans and take them out. Also in Daisy’s blurred vision she saw his shadow do a Hyde to Jekyll type of transformation into a normal human, which suggests that Daisy’s assumption about him being able to transform would make him pretty illusive, and gives him a tactical advantage over SHIELD and the ATCU. I’m kind of in two minds about that reveal as on hand it makes him very illusive but at the same time if he is just a man who can transform at will then it takes away from his current intimidating look. And speaking of Lash and the Inhumans, I was surprised to see Alisha back from season two and some other Inhumans who had gotten their powers pre-fish oil exposure and then have them unfortunately taken out by Lash. Poor Alisha looked messed up after that event and Andrew wasn’t happy about it, so much so that he had a go at Coulson for bringing her in on a mission without his consent. Seems like he doesn’t agree with Coulson’s secretive methods and wants to be brought in all the potential patients for their well-being and not just to be evaluated for Daisy’s new superpowered team.

What I Disliked

I guess I wasn’t too interested in Hunter’s revenge story and how planned to get into Hydra, it wasn’t until the latter part of the episode when he came into contact with Ward was when I was engaged.

Conclusion

In conclusion “Devils You Know” is another good episode. We got to see more of Lash, more Daisy and Mack teaming up, some drama between certain couples, death and some cooperation issues between SHIELD and the ATCU. I like how there are small yet significant surprises that this show keeps bringing in each episode as it gets me more curious and excited to see what happens later.

Rating: 8/10

So what did you think of “Devils You Know“? Did you enjoy it or were you unimpressed? Whatever your thoughts are, be sure to drop them in the comments below and I’ll see you on the next episode review! 😀

 

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. “A Wanted (Inhu)man” Review

Howdy ladies and gents of the internet, time to review another episode of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and today we’ll be talking about with season 3, episode 3, “A Wanted (Inhu)man“. So how was tonight’s episode? Well read on and find out.

As usual in these reviews I’m just gonna present the plot and then say what I liked and what I didn’t like. Cool? Okay let’s keep going.

The Plot

Mack, Daisy, and Coulson race against time to keep Lincoln safe; Hunter will do whatever it takes to get revenge.

What I Liked

This was another great episode for me, it kicked off well with Lincoln was on the run from the ATCU (Advanced Threat Containment Unit) in the woods, they almost catch him, but then he grabs some power lines, lights them up and makes an awesome electric light show that leaves behind a waterfall of impassable electricity that allows him to escape. Brilliant. The rest of the episode dealt with characters off in their pairs dealing individual missions like Fitz helping Simmons with her recovery, Hunter and May trying to get into Hydra, Coulson talking with Rosalind and eventually Lincoln and Daisy (more on that later).

Let’s talk about the strongest aspect of this episode and that was Simmons’ return. Man it was so nice to have her back, but clearly she’s not the same lady we know from before. She has to readjust to being back on Earth, is sensitive to certain sounds and can’t even be in her workspace anymore. The girl is a little broken (much like Fitz was last season). Luckily she has Fitz by her side and it was pretty cute to see them holding hands while walking around the lab. But the best moment was when Fitz attempts to take Simmons on that long-awaited date in a restaurant which he’d booked out for months in case she did return, that, that was beautiful and such an awesome thing to do, Fitz is the best boyfriend a lady could ask for. However things turn sour and she starts to break down which pretty much cancels the date indefinitely. Then near the end of the episode Simmons is checking out the remains of the key monolith and reveals to Bobby she has to get back to that desolate planet? What? Does she want to find what was hunting her? Does she like it there? Did she leave something behind? I don’t know, what I do know was this was a solid and heartfelt performance from Elizabeth Henstridge, she handled her material with such care and the right body language too. Also can’t count out Iain De Caestecker who continues to do well as Fitz.

When it comes to the next pair I’d say Clark Gregg and Constance Zimmer were the best as Phil Coulson and Rosalind Price. I love these two together. Both have different agendas and ideals; for Coulson he’s trying to help, monitor and control the Inhuman situation, while Rosalind works for the government who expects results and that puts pressure on her to capture and contain the Inhumans for public safety. And when these two come together oh it is so much fun, they’re opposites, but in that way that makes them such a great potential couple. Whether it be Coulson checking out Rosalind’s car or her making fun of Coulson’s hand, their banter and chemistry is undeniable and Gregg and Zimmer are so awesome on-screen. It was interesting to see how Rosalind had Daisy’s photo and used it as leverage for her to capture Lincoln, but when that backfired Coulson offered his services to help her instead which clearly doesn’t sit well with Daisy and Mack, but it’ll be interesting to see how that plays out.

As for Hunter and May their material was great too. It was interesting to see Hunter hang out with an old friend, get drinking (slurring their words in a hilarious manner) and then end up having to fight each other in an underground fight club situation. That was a pretty intense fight with loads of blood and pain, but that ending I didn’t see coming. Hunter killed the dude, damn, that was a little dark yo. But hell it got him into Hydra’s good graces so I guess that’s a win right? As for May she didn’t slack on the action either, some guys attempt to hit on her and she certainly hit back, May messed those dudes up and that line about how she wouldn’t tell anyone about how a small Asian woman kicked their asses was great.

And then there was the whole story with Lincoln, for me I’ve liked Lincoln but he has been a little bland personality-wise and has never done anything significant. However with him now on the run and using his powers a lot more he’s become much more interesting. I liked the fact that he was a fugitive and was on the move, even if he didn’t do a very good job of hiding himself at times, and it was interesting to see how SHIELD had been keeping track of him since Mack had put a tracker on him back in the first episode of this season. But he didn’t want Daisy’s help, not until his one friend saves him, gives him a place to stay, but then turns on him and dies from a heart attack. Again like Hunter’s story it was a little dark but effective because in this case even Lincoln’s abilities couldn’t safe the guy.

What I Disliked

If there’s one thing I know people will complain about, it will probably be that romantic moment between Daisy and Lincoln. In a way it is almost what she did with Ward back in season 1. It was a little cheesy how she was trying to convince him to accept her help, he denied her, then she says she’s worried about him, he says she shouldn’t be and then’s she’s all like I can’t help it and then they’re kissing. Now, I’d like to think that she did that as a means to get him to trust her, but I can’t help but feel like that scene wasn’t written like that and it was genuine emotions. And if that’s the case then I have to ask, where did these feelings come from? Daisy, sure she’s known Lincoln for a bit and he helped her come to terms with her abilities, but since when was there any romantic interest? If there was any then it was never hinted at before and kind of came out of nowhere. As for Lincoln accepting it, well he’s in a troubled place so anyone showing him affection is something he’s probably gonna take and when it’s Chloe Bennet I don’t think any guy who deny her right? 😛

Conclusion

In conclusion “A Wanted (Inhu)man” is another solid episode for this show. It was character-focused but also had some sweet action scenes as well. There were interesting developments for Lincoln, Fitz and Simmons, Coulson and Rosalind, and May and Hunter. Right now AoS is on a good winning streak and I hope that continues into next week. 🙂

Rating: 8/10

So what did you think of “A Wanted (Inhu)man“? Did you enjoy it or were you unimpressed? Whatever your thoughts are, be sure to drop them in the comments below and I’ll see you on the next episode review! 😀

 

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. “Laws of Nature” Review

Howdy ladies and gents of the internet, SO after a long waiting period, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is back with its third season and it has promised more Inhumans, conflict and drama for not only returning characters but new ones too. So last night things kicked off with “Laws of Nature“, so has AoS continued to get better or not? Well read on and find out.

As usual in these reviews I’m just gonna present the plot and then say what I liked and what I didn’t like. Cool? Okay let’s keep going.

The Plot

Director Phil Coulson and Agent Daisy Johnson leading the charge as S.H.I.E.L.D. searches the world for more powered people in the aftermath of their epic battle with Jiaying and her army of Inhumans. However, Coulson and the team soon find out that they are not the only group looking for these new Inhumans.

What I Liked

Well this was certainly a great start to the season. Like the start of season 2, AoS has once again upgraded and transformed itself because of the events of the previous season. The world is a very different place from where we left it before. Now it is all about the Inhumans. Who are they and how many of them existence? Are they dangerous and/or can they be trusted? These are the questions I feel have been presented in this first episode and will be constant throughout this season. This episode felt swift, suspenseful, action-packed and full of new information that  clarified some information about what’s happened since last season, but also presented a whole new set of things to theorize over in the future. I love how Coulson and Daisy are now at the forefront of finding and helping Inhumans, but also trying to figure out who’s trying to take them out at the same time. It was also interesting to see how Inhumans have basically gotten the mutant treatment from X-Men, where they’re basically being discovered and are being seen as a threat to the public, possibly exterminated by other parties or being protected by being protected by the good guys. And that ending with Simmons, damn! All I want to know is where the hell she is and what is she running from? I loved that scenery and colour scheme from that scene, it looked so cool.

When it comes to the cast, Clark Gregg was once again great as Phil Coulson with these great one-liners and a tenacious attitude. Also Chloe Bennet has improved as Daisy Johnson, this girl now has a been hold of her powers and is more confident in the way she approaches the Inhuman situation. Iain De Caestecker has the best material this week Leo Fitz as he goes on the hunt for something to help get Simmons back, and I just found his fairly emotional, dramatic and unexpectedly action-packed. Adrianne Palicki and Nick Blood were good as Bobbi and Lance, both were great separately, but together I wasn’t as engaged with their relationship stuff. It was good to see Luke Mitchell again as Lincoln, I liked seeing how he was affected by the events of last season and how he’s trying to move on. Was also nice to see Henry Simmons as Mack, he’s still the same as ever, tough, funny and cautious. Also Juan Pablo Raba did a great job as Joey Gutierrez, acting as a character who is scared, troubled and new to this whole Inhuman thing and how audience members can connect with him, and his potential to be part of the good guys team. Constance Zimmer as Rosalind was quite an interesting character, she has an interesting backstory, plus her personality is great, she’s confident, firm and sneaky. Her and the organisation bring an interesting flavour to this show and I’ll be curious to see how they fit into this season’s grand design. And finally Matthew Willig as Lash (you know the huge spiky headed dude), what beastly and crazy-looking character, he didn’t say much however he certainly left an impact and after he left I wanted to see more.

It feels like the production values have upgraded a bit more from last season with the visual effects looking a pretty good. I liked the depiction of Joey, Lash, Daisy and Lincoln’s powers, all of them were pretty interesting to see in action and the look of Coulson’s new ship is really nice and sleek in design. And the ties to the MCU films were good, they weren’t too heavy-handed and were mainly tied to the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron and Ant-Man, I liked the Ant-Man reference better because it was a little more logical and interesting they way it was handled. Also the appearance of William Sadler as President Matthew Ellis from Iron Man 3 was nice, but what was more interesting was the speech he have which really felt like foreshadowing for the political issues that surround Captain America: Civil War next year.

What I Disliked

In truth there wasn’t much I did like. I think my only issue was with Lash, I wish he was a little bigger in size with his physique and height so he could look a little more intimidating. That being said I know this is network TV and an adaptation of a comic book character so change was bound to take place.

Conclusion

In conclusion “Laws of Nature” is a strong start to season 3. It deals with the events of the last season while presenting a whole new set of issues for the good guys to take on. The pace was quick, the action was great and the characters were awesome. I have a lot of hope for this season and pray that there will be a lot more of this kind of quality that follows for the rest of the season.

Rating: 8.5/10

So what did you think of “Laws of Nature“? Did you enjoy it or were you unimpressed? Whatever your thoughts are, be sure to drop them in the comments below and I’ll see you on the next episode review! 😀

 

QUICK REVIEW: House of Cards Season 1

Howdy ladies and gents, time for a TV review again, YAY! Today I’ll be talking about the first season of House of Cards. I recently gave my quick thoughts in a recent blog post, but this post will be a little more expansive.

Story-wise the show can be summed up as the following:

“A Congressman works with his equally conniving wife to exact revenge on the people who betrayed him.”

At first things unfold in an interesting way. You’re basically being introduced to this world through Frank Underwood’s eyes, you learn about the world of politics and government, and then there’s the journalism side of things as well. And you see how these two things operate separately but also how they intersect and have positive and negative effects for the people on either side. But what you learn quickly is that this is Frank’s story, everything is about him, and even when he isn’t the primary focus, in some way things will tie back to him, and there lies the show’s biggest strength and flaw. Frank’s a character with ambition and aspirations, but in order for him to get from A to B, he has plot and plan ahead and this involves everyone around him whether they are his wife, friends, enemies, other colleagues or people he doesn’t know, as they serve a purpose in the grand scheme of things. It is really smart and creative to see how these stories pan out and how the characters do things that intentionally and unintentionally relate back to Frank’s main plan. Of course there are parts of the story that don’t directly involve Frank like the smaller stories involving Claire, Zoe, Peter or Doug that have varying levels of significance. I will say Peter Russo’s arc is one of the most intriguing and dramatic and Claire’s story certainly gets more dramatic towards the latter half of the season. In terms of negatives HOS takes a little while to get into, the pace is slower than most shows I normally watch, I wasn’t completely sold on the first few episodes and a lot of the time I forgot the names of many characters and sometimes couldn’t follow certain conversations because of the political jargon. And finally certain stories set up some interesting possibilities, however they don’t all pan out the way you’d want them to (or at least the way I wanted them to).

As the cast there are all pretty good. Kevin Spacey just kills it as U.S. Congressman Francis “Frank” J. Underwood. Frank’s a thinker, he’s proactive and is always a few steps ahead, and if something isn’t going his way he knows how to flip it and make the situation work for him. In some ways Frank reminds me of Cersei Lannister from Game of Thrones in the sense that they are smart, cunning and confident. They know the game when it comes to politics and power, they know how to manipulate and persuade people, they’re stubborn and know no defeat. Rarely are they on the side of failure. So when they do trip up or make a mistake it is worse because they’ve been right for so long. I’ve always liked Spacey as an actor and this show really displays his acting talents in full force as he is charming, aggressive, relatable and just fun to watch. Robin Wright is just as important as Claire Underwood, at first she does come across as Frank’s wife and rock who supports him in all that he does, but as things progress you start to see that she’s a very strong individual who’s just as smart and cunning as her husband. Plus there is moments dedicated to her backstory and seeing how she develops as a person. Wright is an actress I haven’t seen that much of in recent years so it’s nice to see her in such a great role here. Kate Mara as Zoe Barnes is really good, Zoe is a young, gorgeous, intuitive and forward-thinking kind of woman who wants to further her work in journalism and will do so whether the means are morally or ethically correct or not. I love the working relationship that she obtains with Franks and how they help each other but also how the relationship changes when they really start to need things from each other. Mara plays this character pretty well with style, grace and beauty.

Corey Stoll may be the season-stealer as Peter Russo, Russo is a good man with a troubled background, he’s involved with a lot of bad stuff and that in turn leaves him in dangerous situations which he eventually gets out of thanks to Frank. So Peter, through manipulation actually gets his act together and tries to do good, and I’d like to say more but it would be ruining things. Peter’s story arc is one of the best aspects of the season and Stoll is brilliant and I really like what he brought to the role. Michael Kelly as Douglas “Doug” Stamper is great, I’ve seen Kelly in a few TV shows and films here and there, but this is the most substantial role I’ve seen from him and he’s really good as Frank’s Chief of Staff. Kristen Connolly is great as Christina Gallagher and I also liked Sakina Jaffrey as Linda Vasquez. Sandrine Holt as Gillian Cole was quite good too, at first she’s a nice and respectable lady, but then she really grows some balls and goes into some aggressive places. Constance Zimmer is good as Janine Skorsky, at first I found Janine quite mean and frustrating but she eventually cooled down and showed  more resourceful and nicer side later on. Michel Gill does well as President Garrett Walker, even though his character seems a little plain at times, at other points he’s shown to be smart and cunning too. Mahershala Ali is also great as Remy Danton, I like how he and Frank have history and sometimes are opposed but other times need each other for mutual purposes. Ben Daniels as Adam Galloway was good, however I felt like his character could have been delved into a little more or just been taken out altogether. Reg E. Cathey is good as Freddy Hayes, even though he’s only around every so often, I love his interactions with Frank and how relaxed and friendly he is. And finally Rachel Brosnahan as Rachel Posner is good as well and I found her character interesting considering her line of work and how she progresses.

Oh by the way the presentation is great. The show is shot really well, everything looks so clean, the lighting is nice and the cinematography in general looks pretty. The soundtrack is also very good as it is very dramatic, haunting and disturbing, most times it feels unsettling and it works with the action on-screen. Oh and that opening, at first I really didn’t care for it as it came across as a bit plain with the music and just a time-lapse of different locations in DC, but I started to get into it and I will say that both the music and imagery gets more interesting after the sun goes down.

In conclusion season 1 of House of Cards is pretty damn good. It introduces you to the world of politics and journalism, and how they intertwine. There is tension, drama and chaos, and it is just intriguing to see how these key characters interact and develop. I will say that certain story aspects didn’t pan out the way I would have liked and some of the political jargon lost me, but overall a good start to an interesting show.

Rating: 8/10

So have you seen the first season of House of Cards and if so what do you think of it? Please be sure to comment below and I’ll see ya on the next review, laters! 😀