REVIEW: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. "Inside Voices"
Was the reason that this episode was called “Inside Voices” because the show is trying to reprimand me like a child? If they knew the episode was going to cause this level of violence, maybe they should have thought twice before making it. I want to like you. You shouldn’t think getting me angry is the only way to do that.
This was however a good episode for Carl Creel. I suppose statistically somehow had to come out of this okay. Seriously though, he gives a sense of nuance as a superpowered being that’s not trying to save the world but is clearly loyal to those who show decency to him. Plus, there is the fact that he had one of the most recent fight scenes of the season, and a pretty good one too. I’m going to miss you when all things are done.
Another special goes out to a surprise cameo by Raina and Ian Quinn to fill in a four-year plot hole. Again, great worldbuilding for the series, nice little sense of closure for the end of the series. These moments, sadly, are overwhelmingly undermined by the current state of the present which is not really moving forward and doesn’t seem to know where forward is.
While the episode is not irredeemable, it is probably the episode where our main characters are at their most irredeemable. Simmons and Elena are particularly obnoxious in basically undermining and outsmarting their guys just to escape. The other characters while not as bad don’t go much further than standing there. The one exception is likely Coulson because he spends the most time with Creel and his chemistry with Talbot is still hilarious.
The worst part is that these things are not necessarily incompetent. The idea that FitzSimmons and Elena being invulnerable to a point and the group using it to their advantage is somewhat sensible to a degree, especially when time being a certainty is working against them. If it was probably any other show with any other characters, I would actually enjoy the internal logic. Where it stands now, the characters wouldn’t do these things, so the logic falls apart.
What also falls apart is the concept of Daisy as a leader. If they want to build up her potentially take over SHIELD, they need to show that she’s either adept at it or sensible, but it’s neither. The episode gives her no time to develop that angle and continuously say that she’s unreasonable (even though, looking back, no she isn’t). Where is this supposed to go?
In fact, the entire episode just feels off. The pacing’s off. The characters are off. The plot is off, and I can’t really explain why. Perhaps this is more of a directorial thing rather than a writing issue, though the other is no better. Lines are brought up continuously that have no purpose, and entire scenes just stop and switch for no purpose. Who thinks that.
Anyway, this episode also feels like an inbetween interlude before finally getting back together again. Coulson and Talbot have escaped, FitzSimmons and Elena are on the way, and Daisy and the rest are closely following. That would be fine and good if we didn’t have to deal with all the pent-up drama in the middle of the hour. Why couldn’t I just spend this time wondering where Hale got her supervillain outfit while Ruby is dressed like Kim Possible?
Joking aside, it’s somewhat fascinating how this episode was bad, but for slightly different reasons that last week. Last week was a decent setup with some awful writing. This week was decent writing with awful production. The only thing they have in common is that I don’t like any of them. Please reach the satisfying conclusion soon.
