REVIEW: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. "A Wanted (Inhu)man"
We’re back with our first…creative title of the season which never really bodes well with the quality. Without Ward in the episode, there should be some leeway, but alas, few things move forward in “A Wanted (Inhu)man.” And not all of them are good.
Oh hey, Lincoln’s back. And he’s being chased by the ATCU. I guess that explains where they both were last week. Is anyone concerned that he took out a tower? Shouldn’t everyone notice that and know where he is? I guess it doesn’t matter, especially since Simmons is back on Earth. Then again, this is probably one of the fastest entrances we’ve seen in a while. That’s one thing season three seems to be good at so far, but I wish it didn’t involve the least interesting member of this cast. The being hunted by the government organization is a thing that’s been done before for characters I’ve care about a lot longer.
Meanwhile, Hunter and May cozy up to a former associate named Spud through a drinking trip so bad it requires a caption for American viewers. Of all things this show has done, that is definitely one of the most ridiculous. Fortunately, they find a connection to a fighting rig, and now I know why it was so important to bring May. Other than the fact that it would probably be more logical to waltz in with all those guns ablazing, I’m willing to watch a fight involving May.
Fitz helps Simmons readjust back to the lab. Unfortunately, she’s still suffering some trauma from her time on another world. I really do appreciate the continuity this show has with the fact that actions have consequences, but it’s brutal watching Simmons go through these motions. At least this time she has Fitz, and the two together couldn’t be any cuter. And it’s a friendly reminder that yes, people, other people have trouble with the Skye-Daisy name thing. Just think if Simmons can do it, so can you.
Who is this guy and why is helping Lincoln? We know his name’s John, we know he’s in Chicago, we know that Lincoln’s probably had some drinking problems in the past, but we don’t know anything else. The guy’s an AA counselor sure, but when did this happen? How long have they known each other? What about Lincoln’s family? I don’t even think these things would be interesting even if we did have context. After all, the guy swings a bat at him when he finds out Lincoln’s not human and then dies. Obviously this wasn’t meant to be. The only thing good from this is Lincoln contacting SHIELD (do they have a phone number?) to have the team come to the rescue after the ATCU strike again. Speaking of the ATCU, Coulson and Rosalind have a talk on the beach, and the fight club begins.
I was honestly wondering if we were really expecting Hunter to actually win the fight. And I hate to say it, but the fact that Hunter had to kill his opponent brings down the moment. I was just hoping for May to take on everyone, which would have made more sense anyway, but I guess this is Hunter’s story now after meeting with Kebo. Either way, that’s still more interesting than what’s happening to Lincoln.
Of all things considered, Lincoln should not be the worst person Daisy could be paired with. After all, he is not a backstabbing traitor, and he honestly did not kill anyone. But the dialogue between them is…boring. Maybe if I hadn’t seen it before in worse shows and movies, this moment wouldn’t feel this bad, but then it would still feel just as clichéd. There’s just nothing there. Nothing interesting about Lincoln, and certainly no reason why Daisy should waste her time. I’m not against a relationship, but this feels meaningless compared to literally every other relationship on this show. Hell, the episode ends with Mack and Daisy playing video games. That’s a thing.
The episode then gets worse by revealing that Rosalind also has Daisy under surveillance, threatening to take her out if they don’t get Lincoln. This leads to Lincoln escaping once again, and Coulson making a harder deal: cooperation with the ATCU. After what happened last season, this should feel pretty good since we’re not going through another half-season playing back and forth with these teams. But I’m with Daisy. I don’t trust any of these people, and the extra characters are going to be a hassle to follow for another twenty episodes.
On the bright side, FitzSimmons finally go on that much sought-after date in not only a private restaurant but a private restaurant reserved for months. I don’t care that Simmons breaks down, this is probably the happiest moment in the episode. And also probably the only romantic couple I could see happening following Hunter’s bloody takedown. If you just ignore that whole detail of Simmons wanting to go back to the alien planet, it becomes even cuter.
I’ll admit, I was not looking forward to this episode that much in the first place. Next to Simmons coming back, May returning to action, and the Secret Warriors finally being name-dropped, an episode about Lincoln and the ATCU was not on my most-anticipated list. Then again, that makes last week’s episode that much more enjoyable, and there are still some interesting things to look forward to despite nothing getting better now. Also Lincoln’s still gone. What was the point?
