REVIEW: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. "Devils You Know"
After a lackluster backstory last week, SHIELD returns to what it does best: providing action and underlying tension both good and bad. Even with huge questions still on the horizon, this episode manages to prove the season still has some steam. Try saying that three times fast.
Just like SHIELD to start with the inconsequential people. Then it’s another show to start with the inconsequential superpowered people including the return of the ginger ninja Alisha. One of the first surprises of the episode sees Alisha working for the SHIELD team in tracking the Inhuman attacks which have been getting worse lately. On top of Simmons returning, Ward recruiting, and Lincoln still gone, it’s hard to keep track of the things that are getting worse sometimes, but when things are moving I tend not to notice, especially when it brings the working members including Bobbi back together for a mission. However, this problem involves the ATCU crashing their search. This isn’t going well.
How on earth they managed to move a government SWAT team in a public residence without alerting anyone is another problem the show will never solve. Rosalind’s still miffed at not being on season three level of understanding the plot, and Ward is still not sharing his plans. Nothing really new in these next few minutes, but I guess not every minute can be filled with them taking down evildoers. Sometimes the show has to be filled with people disagreeing with each other over very minimal details that seem to pale in comparison to people dying. Then again, it’s always nice when they remember that Daisy used to be a hacker by tracking a virus through the dead Inhumans’ laptops.
What’s even nicer is the team actually using Dr. Garner for psychology, especially for Simmons. Even though that goes pretty much nowhere except making me feel more worried for Simmons, it’s good that the team seems to be making strides in preventing similar problems from last season. Case in point, May returns to SHIELD to provide help for Hunter, though there’s some remaining tension with her and Andrew. Once again, unanswered for now.
Bobbi and Fitz would have never worked out as a team anyway, even with Simmons becoming paranoid with the rock. Meanwhile, Daisy tracks the virus to Dwight Frye, a Social Security worker, and the team plus the ATCU storm the location. Here they find Frye who turns out to be a living Inhuman tracker used by Lash, which is indeed his name here. I fail to see how blowing holes into people’s chest solves any problems, but there have been crazier characters on this show. For instance, I am really curious if Coulson has a laser finger.
Did anybody catch the fact that Simmons was normal for two seconds? I don’t think anybody else would also lecture Bobbi that b is for blue is for biological. Sorry, the Simmons story isn’t going to be happy anytime soon, so that’s what I do. Hunter pretty much has the best situation being locked in a trunk since everyone else is attacked by Lash. Anyway, Frye is killed, but Lash mysteriously leaves after that, transforming into…something that will definitely be brought up later. I always thought that those things were permanent, but whatever. The villain gets perks.
In the less sci-fi world, Coulson sets up a tact team to go after Ward just as Hunter arrives. Despite the shootout including only Hunter and May, it’s a pretty good spot for SHIELD. Then Ward cheats once again, showing Andrew at gunpoint by some men including Werner von Strucker. The hesitation is awful considering there are still some people willing to defend Ward. They probably still will since the guy lives after Hunter’s bullet grazes his shoulder while Andrew’s fate is less certain. I’m sure that’s fair in some 616 universe, but here it’s remembering dammit he’s still a thing.
I blame the fact that this episode was actually interesting on expecting something huge in those last few minutes, but alas. It’s just Simmons reminding viewers to watch next week. If it actually wasn’t pretty interesting (or at least third from not interesting), I would call it a copout. Still, I actively encourage SHIELD giving clear answers so much appreciated.
All fears from last week aside, this was the much needed step up in action and plots that we care about. I’m not a fan of the usual tension, Daisy against Coulson, May against Andrew, Fitz (briefly) against Simmons, but we’re well past the time where those were considered real plots. Now’s more the time for what terrible thing will inevitably happen no matter who’s right. On the other inconsequential details, this is the first episode where we weren’t reminded that Daisy used to be called Skye. We’re definitely moving forward.
