TV Review No. 26 Marvel: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: The Singularity (S3, Ep18)

Strong Points:
Interesting addiction idea for Hive
Deus Ex style enhancements
Fitzsimmons!
Coulson finally being questioned on protecting Daisy
Angry May
Good action
Nice acting
Matter-of-fact destruction of [redacted]
Deathlok being being mentioned
Coulson's mighty shield!
Nice new Inhuman powers

Weak Points:
Secret Warriors are becoming too secret for their own good
A bit gory
Hive having a weakness was a bit odd
Lincoln's still acting a bit like a moody teenager
Suicide vest was a tad much don't you think?

In-depth Review:
Parasitic addictions? Check. Mutilating a prosthetic eyeball? Check. Bullet-proof skin? Check. Shield projection? Check. Well that's my Christmas list, I mean this episode sorted in the first episode of the final act of this season. It's all heating up in the Hive family with the addition of fire starter human torch ghost rider Hell Fire, who you may remember as James, the potential Inhuman who Lincoln didn't allow to become Inhuman a couple of episodes previously. Well, it may have been best to have done so as they now have a new enemy to contend with. I've been really impressed with the rate of Inhumans that have been introduced and the originality they have although it's great to see one actually last through more than one episode.

This episode focussed on trying to find a cure for Daisy, although not for the mind control we first thought. No, what Hive actually does is flood the dopamine centres of the other Inhumans, causing them to be addicted to Hive and doing what he wants, but not as a mindless droid. This is good as it allows the Inhumans to question what they're doing and allow them to actually have conversations with others but is also bad as it's not an easy thing to fix with them actually wanting to be with Hive not being there against their will.

Who has to find the cure but Fitzsimmons, who are back in the field this episode although they seem somewhat preoccupied... with the 'event horizon'. Holden Radcliffe is the cure, a genetic enhancist (think Deus Ex) who may be able to help. If Simmons sticks a needle in his eye of course. Lovely. I've got to say, the whole visceral detail seems to be increasing from peeling back the skin on the skull of a dead man to this it's all getting a bit much. We've got Daredevil for the gore guys.

Something else quite unnerving but in a different way was Hive talking to Simmons, while acting as Will. Credit to Brett Dalton for playing a character playing another character while we know him as another one - he's really pulled it off. And Simmons got to shoot Ward which I think may become recurring thing with the remainder of the season - May can't wait!

Speaking of May, here attack on Coulson allowing anyone to be hurt bar Daisy was great and much needed as it finally got Coulson to say that he does treat Daisy like the daughter he never had. Not sure it meant that a suicide vest on Lincoln was called for however.

Finally, we learned this episode what Hive's master plan is: to buy out a town and create Inhumans from regular humans like he was, something that the recently kidnapped Holden Radcliffe just went along with by the way. So this could be very interesting. Very interesting indeed.

Conclusion: overall this was a great episode, full of intrigue and Inhumans. Can't wait for next weeks episode as we enter the home stretch although with no particular end in sight yet. Got to give a mention to Coulson's awesome Shield (the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. should have a shield) and the mention of Deathlok, someone who I thought would have shown up again by now.

Rating: 86%

Thanks for reading, Satamer.

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