Friday 3 June 2016

TV Review No. 27 Marvel: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Failed Experiments (S3, Ep19)

Strong Points:
More throwbacks to the first season
Nice scenes between James and Daisy and James and May
Great action
End of Malick's Hydra
Lincoln disobeying actually worked this time
Tense and emotional throughout second half
Mack!
More foreshadowing


Weak Points:
More members of the team added without much reason
Splinter bomb could kill Kree, not used on Hive
The Kree looked... interesting
Not really sure of Radcliffes self-purpose besides just 'pursuit of science'
Daisy's turned from 'we're the best but I have free will' to 'we're the best but I have no free will'
Lincoln still disobeying

In-depth Review:
We got more team members this episode. Speaking team members. Yes, in a series that has plenty of non-speaking extras, to have some speaking was interesting to say the least although almost no reason was given behind them being there. They just appeared and shot a couple of things, including Hive with a rocket launcher. I don't even know their names...

This episode was also the episode of plans, namely Hive's master plan of turning the worlds humans into Inhumans via the same experiments the Kree performed on him all those years ago. What we did get to see was a nice scene of the first Hive getting taken away - just a bit of context really but it was nice they put it in. Like the rest of the plans in this episode however, we got some mixed results, namely the plan not working at all. Yes, in a fitting end to Malick's Hydra, the remaining 3 went out with a bang. By melting.

Lincoln also had a plan this episode, a plan to make Daisy better. The only way to do this of course, was to inject himself with an antitoxin that kills the host (unless their Inhuman), accidentally fry all the science equipment and proceed to get himself hospitalised due to having no immune system. While it surely was a noble act, Lincoln throwing himself head first into a situation because he can't stand sitting still, and this act causing him to have to stay at base is getting a tad repetitive.

Final plan now and it's Daisy's. Due to Hive only making the Inhumans addicted too him and not mind controlled, they all retain their brain functions and relationship ties. As such, Daisy decided to try to get the rest of the S.H.I.E.L.D. team to 'see' why she is with Hive and try to turn them to her side. Of course, like the rest of the plans this episode, there were mixed results and Mack nearly died because of it, something that is probably going to haunt Daisy if she ever does go cold turkey.

The Kree (a twist I didn't see coming either), while looking a bit cosplay-y to begin with, certainly didn't act like it what with killing everyone in sight, thankfully showing a bit of the power that made Hive fear them. That is, he did fear them until he had a 10,000 year (*insert Aladdin joke here*) grudge. That kind of grudge can do things to a person you know.

So can a splinter bomb however, as Mack successfully destroyed an all-powerful Kree with one. They really should A: keep these locked up as that is some powerful stuff and B: have used one on Hive! Just too see what would happen more than anything but it does seem like a bit of a plot hole to have just the one splinter bomb so that it can be used on just the one character.

Ah, more throwbacks to the first season. Who remembers Skye Daisy being shot and needing Kree blood to save her a la Coulson and Tahiti? Good, because that fact came back to haunt the team in quite a nice Deus Ex Machina way. Daisy can use her blood to kickstart the machine. Of course, can't be Deus Ex Machina if the origin has been in the series for 3 years can it?

Finally, we had a couple of good fight scenes this episode, most importantly, Hive versus the Kree and Daisy versus Mack (we won't mention Alisha versus the Kree Reaper as that just ended to abruptly). Hive VS Kree was good as were witness

Conclusion: overall, it was another pretty good episode with action, character and story development. I'd like to say I can see the finish line but I think we've got a couple of twists in the lane yet. Got to give mention as well to the nice scene between James and Daisy for bringing a bit of everyday life back to the scenario.

Rating: 80%

Thanks for reading, Satamer.

No comments:

Post a Comment