Strong Points:
The ending montage
Twists and turns
Great emotion
Rewards for investing in characters
Used character development well - odd ties tied up
Paradox fixing
Great CGI
Weak Points:
Difficult to get your head around parts
They can really mass produce them things can't they
LMD Coulson was a bit robotic - ironically
Some spoilers ahead:
In-depth Review:
The LMDs have been an interesting addition to the AoS dynamic. Not only does it allow us to quickly respond to the villain's actions with emotion as we already have a connection with the person they are mimicking but it also allows for deception in front of our eyes. Case in point, Fitz turning out to be an LMD. I didn't expect that twist for a number of reasons which vary in justifiability. Firstly, the acting was superb this episode and everyone played the LMD part really well (besides LMD Coulson who seemed a touch robotic), secondly the fast pace made me not have time to notice anything wrong and finally, and perhaps the cheapest factor, was that we were set up to see think it was Coulson, Mack, Mace and Daisy due to camera shots. We were told there were four LMDs while being shown four people, naturally creating the connection that these four people were the four LMDs, so then being told one of them wasn't, seemed a bit strange to me.
Not that it mattered too much in the grand scheme of things because having one-half of Fitzsimmons as an LMD made for some great scenes and pieces of acting from Iain de Caestecker and Elizabeth Henstridge. If putting Fitzsimmons in danger was a sure fire way to get a reaction from fans, turning them against each other prompts an even bigger reaction, and the two actors play this to their fullest. Seeing Simmons turn against Fitz, making it seem like she had hurt him badly, only for him to turn out to be the LMD was intense, there's nothing else to say about it.
Daisy was the hero of the episode this week and in hindsight (as Simmons says) couldn't have been an LMD as she could use her powers and Radcliffe's LMD can't be that good, can they? Even if they can't replicate Inhuman powers, they can replicate fast it seems, as Daisy suddenly found herself face to face with an army of LMD Daisy's, seemingly made to be sent to and dispose the Inhumans on the orders of The Superior (who has completed his cycle of being an inconsequential villain by being turned into an LMD by Aida). Back to real Daisy now and that awesome fight scene between the LMD's and her. Besides the fact that Daisy fighting her team was slightly unsettling (and difficult to get my head around), that end fight part with Mack and Coulson being blasted away (and in Mack's case apart) was just plain awesome.
The idea of sacrifice popped up this episode in two slightly different ways this week, namely in how Aida and LMD May chose to deal with their situations. Aida had been handed a paradox (mostly by her own design to be fair) in that the two things she has to protect - the Framework and Radcliffe can't survive together (Harry Potter style) as Radcliffe may decide to turn the Framework off. The answer to this paradox? Slit Radcliffe's wrists and plug him in the Framework of course, as he believes it's real, thereby saving the Framework and Radcliffe's mind. Mildly chilling to say the least. LMD May, on the other hand, being less aware of being an LMD than the others had the choice of sides between the LMDs and the team. She chose the team, sacrificing herself so that Jemma and Daisy could escape.
Finally, that ending montage was just amazing, a great reward for longtime fans and for sticking with the slightly odd insertion of Mack's deceased daughter and Fitz's father a couple of episodes ago. Seeing everyone's regrets being altered and how it influenced their lives, from Coulson becoming a teacher to May saving the Bahrain girl. But hang on, is she in Hydra now? And is Coulson hunting Inhumans? Jemma's dead!? Oh dear...
Conclusion: wait, was that Ward? I have no more to say as I have to mentally prepare for next week's episode. *Assumes foetal position in corner*
Rating: 92%
Thanks for reading, Satamer.
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