After spending quite a bit of time with FitzSimmons in the last episode, we are back taking down the Shrike on earth. Sarge is in custody and makes a big declaration. He believes that by the end of the day, or rather the episode, he would be in charge. Mack has to make some heavy decisions as they try to take on the Shrike and find out who Sarge truly is. Daisy is also back on earth trying to wrap her head around what she was missing out on. That is not all, as we also return shortly to FitzSimmons escape that brings them back to Kitson. Will they finally find their way home? Why is Sarge full of confidence that our favorite agents need him?

Let us start off with the FitzSimmons storyline. We finally get to meet Kitson, the man behind the planet Kitson. Anthony Michael Hall isn’t on screen for long but he certainly leaves a great impression. Moreover, the way he tries to punish Fitz and Simmons is a rather dark game. They are stuck in a guillotine but facing upward. Their own grip strength determines if they will live or die. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has gone to some dark places before but this was certainly a new level. Luckily for them, a woman named Izel was looking to hire a crew and they were the perfect people for the job. They finally got their ticket back to earth and it looks like Izel might have some connection to Sarge.

Speaking of Sarge, Clark Gregg‘s performance is astounding this season. The cast and crew knew how much he has embodied the role of Coulson so this darker version really hits home. Moreover, the way he just toys with everyone’s emotions just helps cement this as a completely different character. Yet, they still bring up the perfect DNA match that would hint at him being Coulson. We also never got a direct confirmation that Coulson passed away in Tahiti, so they are still building up the overall mystery. Mack and Sarge’s interactions were rather interesting, especially with his comment on the value of life.

Yo-Yo and May make it their mission to capture some Shrikes after Zeke managed to hack into their technology. It took a while as he was quite busy trying to hit on Daisy unsuccessfully. Also, he also confronted Mack on not telling him about the death of Fitz in this timeline. So much has happened that it was easy to forget he wasn’t around when they stopped the cycle. It was a great emotional moment for an otherwise comedic character for most of this season. This was his first real appearance since Code Yellow and it is still unsure what his role will be in the season. As a man out of time, he might play some kind of role in keeping the creatures in check.

The Shrike action sequence did have me on the edge of my seat. The short moment of May revealing that Yo-Yo is in danger that forced Mack to make a quick deal was a great character moment. Finding out they are weak to ice is an interesting addition to their backstory and might be connected to their home planet. In this shorter season, we still know so little about them. They did start adding some mythology to their existence with the mention of a God of these creatures. Perhaps we will get another villain from the comic book lore that will add to the overall MCU mythology.

The episode ended with a rather sad goodbye between Fitz and Enoch. It was in character for him to try and help his people. After everything they went through, it was a very heartfelt moment and it makes me fear what could happen to Enoch. He did take out the entire ship to help his bestie escape and so hopefully he won’t face any consequences from his actions. The tease for the next episode does hint at every story coming together and potentially the monoliths being at the center of it all.

VERDICT

4 Shrike mating cries out of 5

The episode really had a great few character moments. It helped further the mystery surrounding the Shrikes and added an interesting mythology element. They kept talking about a creator up until now but describing as a God is a rather interesting addition. Sarge’s backstory is still a mystery but at least all characters are together that may finally give us some answers as we near the finale. The episode had some lighter moments with darker undertones. That guillotine scene was played for laughs but the thought of it is rather dark.

ONE-SHOTS

  • Deke Shaw is a series regular but has only really appeared in two episodes this entire season. I didn’t even think about the fact that he had no idea what happened to his grandfather. With their return to earth, I am curious how the family will unite. Fitz has no idea his living grandson is running around in their timeline.
  • Anyone else wonders if Daisy will find out about that scene in the Framework game?
  • So, Sarge’s big plan to escape involved his team member spitting fire? It was a great sequence and a lot of fun, especially how easy he was taken out now that Quake is back in action.
  • Sarge meeting Coulson might go down in SHIELD history. What a great way to provoke Sarge and try to get the truth out of him.