REVIEW: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. "Identity and Change"
This episode was very…uncomfortable, and I mean it in both good and bad ways. I would almost expect an episode that takes place in an alternate world to be a little uncomfortable because if it didn’t that reflects horribly on the show I watched for three years. On the other hand, there is such a thing as taking things too far which the show has never seemed to learn. No matter how well-paced or interestingly crafted an episode can be, I can’t get over that.
I’ve noticed that SHIELD tends to have interesting ideas, but it never seems to know the right time to begin or end them. For instance, it took them 2/3 of the first season to get to the Hydra twist, and they had Daisy beat the crap out of Mack just to prove she was evil last season. They were both good ideas but enacted in a way that was either too late to care or too far gone to have sympathy for a good ending. That’s the feeling I’m talking about when I mention about things being uncomfortable.
In this case, it’s a multitude of things. I’m really uncomfortable by the fact that Ward continues to be a thing and apparently a trustworthy one. That’s something that really should have been one-and-done because making a supervillain an ally is the very definition of nonsensical. I’m also uncomfortable by the idea of May being so gung-ho bad guy here. If she wasn’t a main character, she’d be dead by episode 20 that’s how bland this is becoming. I’m sliding by these details because this really does feel intentional, and I do expect (or rather hope) that these things will change eventually.
Then there’s Fitz. Everyone is waiting for that semi-magical moment when Simmons can somehow reach out to Fitz much like how Daisy could somehow connect to Coulson in the previous episode. No one is stupid for expecting or even wanting that, but the show seems to want to make you think that. I understand that this is more buildup, but you have to wonder as Fitz kills a woman who has already died once before in front of Simmons who couldn’t do anything, is it a bit much? Couple that with his making out with Madame Hydra and preparing to torture Daisy, the episode almost despises the idea of a resolution. And if they can’t believe it, how will I buy it later?
I will concede, however, that this development is better than the Daisy-being-evil plot from last year if only since this still feels…winnable. There’s no going after an impossibly powerful being but trying to outsmart a human being or the closest thing to it I guess. With this story continuing, there’s a chance that can change, but previous plots like this have been insurmountable at the start. That concept alone is admirable. How will they outsmart an A.I. and return to the real world? Heck, if I know, but they can still do it.
There’s also Mack who makes a surprisingly competent return to the plot. That was probably the biggest twist of this world since there were just too many questions as to how this could work. It’s heartbreaking, of course, to know that this is coming from his daughter Hope who’s not real, but the decency and sensibility surrounding it really matches Mack to the point that he’s probably the most similar to himself in this world, even counting Daisy and Simmons. Sure, I’m still wondering how he found the base too, but if Coulson can remember Daisy, I can let this slide for getting Mack back.
Also, despite all the evil, I am enjoying Madame Hydra as a villain. There’s this element of her that’s clearly motivated and reveling in being a bad guy here. It’s nice to occasionally have those “bad for the sake of being bad” villains who’s not shoved down our throats constantly but still poses a threat. It’s a basic writing tool, but there’s a reason it’s still around today. It could be interesting to see what happens when everything collides.
Speaking of which, there is an interesting question over Project Looking Glass. Apparently, some people are perfectly aware of the real world and believe it’s the alternate one. Which could be…something. This needs a big climax if it’s going to make three different plots satisfying, and, in theory, a take-over-the-world scheme could do it. I suppose the only question for that would be how to fit in Ghost Rider.
Overall, the decline of the plot is already starting to begin but fortunately at a far slower pace than usual. The tension and rive is still there with at least some level of optimism existing in the background of some horrible developments. It could easily be relieved by getting rid of Ward, but that is clearly not going to happen. We’ll all just have to deal with evil Fitz torturing Daisy for now.
