REVIEW: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. "Bouncing Back"
Man, so far, every time this show returns, it feels like it’s been forever since it’s been on. I have to be honest, premieres are never really my favorite episodes to watch, but they definitely get the boost after three or so months of waiting. So does this episode measure up? After sifting through the right characters, it actually does.
Remember how I said Agent Carter was the weirdest thing Marvel’s put out? It still is, but SHIELD wants to be pretty damn close by opening its new half by taking place with an explosion in outer space three months from now. Really? They’re going to force us to wait for three months to find out what that means, who that was, and why on earth (ha!) it should matter to us. On more earth-based matters, an unseen being takes out the Columbian police and steals a crate of guns while Coulson meets with the president. This is already more exciting than anything in the first half of this season.
With no choice, the woman kidnaps Mack, but thankfully, the team catch a glimpse, and only a glimpse, of her on video. Lincoln and Simmons (never saw those two together) work on creating a new containment field for the woman’s powers which Lincoln claims isn’t random. Look, the evolutionary thing sounds like it makes sense. It really does. I just don’t buy it since our first experience was Daisy getting earthquake powers in an underground temple. That seems like the definition of counter-intuitive to me. In other crazy news, Coulson decides to use the brain machine to talk to the comatose Strucker, and Not-Ward woke up.
Mack tries to escape the woman after learning she can only snap back and forth in place like a yo-yo (ha, ha). The team, thanks to Daisy and a new literal shield, capture Elena Rodriguez and bring her back to the base. From her time at the base, they learn with the help of Joey her real plan: she and her cousin were stealing the weapons from a corrupt police and dumping them into the river for no one to use them at all. Unfortunately, that corrupt police with the help of their own Inhuman with the gorgon eyes capture Bobbi and Hunter and kill Elena’s cousin. With their friends on the line, the remaining team must combine their powers to save the day.
Before we get to probably the most amazing scene of this season so far, I have to go back and fill in the other details. Coulson, Fitz, Simmons, May, and Lincoln use the brain machine on Strucker which only works after Lincoln gives the guy’s head a jumpstart. From that, Coulson learns of a secret connecting point to track Gideon Malick which allows him to locate and shut down many Hydra areas. Even with the Not-Ward on Hydra’s side, this could be a win on SHIELD’s side.
But that’s not what I want to talk about right now. The Secret Warriors plus Mack and minus Lincoln sneak into the police base to save Bobbi and Hunter in a way that I was waiting for eleven episodes to see. Elena and Daisy take out the multiple guards while Joey disables their weapons, and all three combine forces to incapacitate the Inhuman. I’m still mad that we had to wait this long to see this, but it was easily the most fun I’ve had in an episode in a while. That’s one thing that Marvel’s usually good at: people actually having a blast at being the good guys. We needed this.
Of course, the episode still has a few teases left, mostly for all you shippers out there. FitzSimmons finally reconcile after Will’s death with an adorable fistbump. Coulson and May have a tender moment with Coulson showing of his new and improved hand. Daisy and Lincoln kiss again, if you care about that. Elena (now Yo-Yo) returns home to her family with a SHIELD watch from Mack (what do I call this? SlingAxe? I’m going with SlingAxe.) Yeah, we have the tease of Not-Ward’s powers, Hydra taking the medusa-eyes guy, and Talbot being the new head of the ATCU, but what do you think people are really going to remember about this episode?
I still meant what I said when premiers are not usually my favorites, and this is no exception, but this was a fun start to the rest of the season, especially in contrast with the gloom and doom “Aftershocks” last year. If anything, in the long run, it reminded me why I get even the tiniest bit interested in the show with a blast of a scene like the Secret Warriors rescuing Bobbi and Hunter. At the worst, they have a lot to live up to in the season finale, but I may have to start looking forward to it.
