5.17 The Honeymoon This week on Marvel’s Agents Of SHIELD, the president orders SHIELD to attack a rogue nation with ties to Russia in response to a chemical attack. Wait, that’s real life? Well… crap. While we wait for the world to end in nuclear fire, at least we have the MCU and this week, Agents Of SHIELD heats up as Coulson and company take the fight to General Hale’s HYDRA. Last week, Talbot and Coulson were able to escape HYDRA custody. The rest of SHIELD is able to find the duo thanks to the Inhuman precog Robin, and that’s where we pick things up. Ruby wants that power and Fitz, Simmons, and Yo Yo want to destroy it. Remember now, the trifecta of SHIELD agents think they are immortal because of the visit to the dystopian future, so they really let it all loose when taking the fight to the robotic Ivanoff and a group of HYDRA mechs. It’s a cool dynamic to see Fitz and Simmons in action while they wield a presumed veneer of immortality. It builds a sense of ironic drama because the more they talk about how they can’t be hurt, the more I expect one of them to get shot right between the eyes in a genius bit of chronal tragedy. But Fitz and Simmons make it through unscathed and even do some damage to some much needed HYDRA tech, but the same thing cannot be said for all our agents. Yo Yo discovers she can’t use her speed powers because they disrupt the connection to her new robot arms. Despite this, Yo Yo takes down Ivanoff in a thrilling fight. Best robot fight in the MCU so far. Yeah, you heard me right Avengers: Age Of Ultron, I said it. Deke is this week’s other casualty as the future grandson of Fitz and Simmons is shot during the Coulson and Talbot rescue. While Ruby throws down with Quake, Deke tries to help Daisy (who Deke has developed such a cute crush on) and ends up getting shot by General Hale. Thankfully, Agent Piper and Mack do a little triage on Deke and save his life. Seeing Deke in mortal danger makes me realise just how big a player the goofy future man has become and what a blow it would be to lose him. And hey, he has a romantic interest in Daisy, of course he got shot. I mean Ward and Lincoln, hello! The only Daisy boyfriend to survive is like 95% demon. But Deke lives, and so does Fitz and Simmons, but the newlyweds are in deep doo doo because they may be protected from bullets, knives, and glaives, but they are still taken prisoner by Ruby who demands they rebuild the chamber that will turn her into the Destroyer of Worlds. Stupid destiny. There’s even more dramatic tension as we get an update on Coulson’s health. Spoiler: it’s not good. May tunes up Coulson and takes him to task for not taking care of himself. May also questions Daisy’s leadership before finally saying those fateful words to Phil. These words: “I love you.” Awww May, you old softie. We are also reminded that whatever happens to the world of the future happens because SHIELD tries to cure Coulson. Boy, there’s tonnes of moving parts here and all of them foreshadow destruction. That’s just a theme tonight, ain’t it, both in the MCU and in our suddenly colon clenching real world. There is tonnes of foreboding both in the MCU and the real world, and while nothing seismic happens on this week’s Marvel’s Agents Of SHIELD, it is still an effective episode that increases the stakes of an already tense season. Read Marc’s review of the previous episode, Inside Voices, here.
