REVIEW: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. "Many Heads, One Tale"
I know we’re only on episode 8, but this season already has too many puns. Anyway, last week saw the temporary capture of Lash/Andrew (Landrew? Nope), so I guess it’s onto other things. Unfortunately, those other things involve Ward and the ATCU. I’m not entirely sure if this is worth it. Either way, onto the newer things.
Breaking tradition, we start with an actually serious scene with Ward talking with Malick over Hydra things including the newest Macguffin the Hydra vault. This scene could have almost been intimidating if it weren’t for the fact that there is apparently a Hydra vault. I probably wouldn’t care about this scene anyway since Ward vs. Hydra goons gives me no one to root for seriously.
The team transfers Andrew to the ATCU while FitzSimmons research the Monolith and Lincoln and Daisy have a talk. I’m not sure which is worse but it’s getting progressively down there. Mack continues to be one of the best things for the show by questioning Coulson’s trust. Not being a complete idiot, Coulson sets up a plan to monitor the ATCU base in the midst of this partnership which includes May teaming up with Lincoln. Good call pairing Lincoln with someone people give a crap about as well as someone to call him out on his stupid decisions. Of course, this is SHIELD, so something will go wrong.
As soon as you think that, things do. Ward finds the location of the vault while Coulson brings Rosalind to the base. If you can hold out a little longer, however, you can see Daisy hack the ATCU with Mack playing an FBI IT worker. The show keeps showing me exactly who should stay on the show without actually doing a thing about it. I do always like it when the team outsmarts people though, and it gives me the image of Bobbi Morse in business casual. You’d think Ward blowing out of a plane would mean something more, but I’m still more interested in the fact that Will was likely sacrificed by the crazy cult people. That should say something right there.
It’s just weird that apparently the NASA group was part of the crazy cult. Once again, we’re only on episode 8, but this season already has too many crazy theories coming true. But of course, the craziest part comes next with, well, FITZSIMMONS KISS! I agree fully that the two are cursed, but it’s nice to have a bone thrown to us once in a while. There’s only one good thing for every three horrible things that happens to these two. This one just happens to involve lips and screaming fans.
Other fun things include Hunter playing a millennial hacker, and the team discovering the ATCU’s sketchy plan to turn potential Inhumans. Sure, Andrew’s with Malick now, but this is a fantastic direction. May continues to be the better person of anyone by apologizing to Lincoln for Andrew, and the truth finally comes out Rosalind and Coulson talk. I honestly don’t care that Rosalind was in the dark about the enhanced treatment. I still won’t like her. And that definitely doesn’t make up for the fact that she did work for a Hydra guy who apparently is the guy from the World Security Council. That’s a continuity sticker for you.
Bobbi and Hunter now take on the 2nd Magneto of this show, an Inhuman not in stasis. Fortunately, Bobbi has her own new tool with retractable batons. The fight lasts far too short, but they make it out alive using May and Lincoln as an escape. Since that was moderately good, we now have to move to something that’s downright crazy. It involves linking Hydra to the crazy cult people to the death creature on the other side. When they say it’s all connected, they mean it ridiculously so. I swear this season is going down the WTF route, and few things are saved after that.
I wonder if this lull has anything to do with the fact that they are keeping all the cast members in these episodes now. SHIELD usually has big midseason finales, so it is moving there with the whole Hydra has a bit of the Monolith now they need SHIELD to open it thing. Plus, there are a bunch of fun things in this episode that help move the episode. Still, there are a lot of loose ends such as where Andrew will end up, what they’re going to do about Will, and when will they ever get to the Secret Warriors. They’ll always get a point off for that.
