Everything you know is wrong
(This review contains
spoilers!)
Well, that happened.
You know, it’s kind of amazing that we’re
well into S.H.I.E.L.D’s fourth season
and yet this show still manages to
leave me completely stunned nearly every week. I don’t know how, but the
writing team always seems to figure out new and creative ways to pull the rug
out from under me constantly, and I love them for that.
So let’s get right into it. This
episode is the grand conclusion of the LMD storyline, and gears up for what’s
coming next when the show returns in April. Picking up directly from where last
week left off, Fitz and Simmons are surrounded by LMDs that look identical to
their best friends, and they need to find a way out of there before they’re
captured or killed. But, of course, a wrench is thrown in before long. Fitz and
Simmons set off the LMD sensor together, leaving them (and the viewer) guessing
who’s real and who’s machine.
Turns out Fitz has been replaced by an
LMD for some time now, leading to an honestly terrifying scene of Simmons
having to “kill” him. Also, Daisy is real…sort of? The reveal that Daisy wasn’t
an LMD was the one part of the episode that was handled poorly. It opens with
her discussing with LMD Coulson and Mace about how to destroy the Inhumans,
obviously indicating to us that she isn’t the Daisy we know. Then, she enters a
containment pod filled with duplicate Daisy LMDs that exists for some reason.
Finally, after LMD Mack discovers the pod, she attacks him with her quake
powers, proving she’s the real deal. It’s never really addressed what happened
or whether there was an LMD Daisy at all, but it’s a footnote in an otherwise
near perfect episode.
I’ve been saying since the beginning
of the LMD storyline that it’s all going to end with a conspiracy inside
S.H.I.E.L.D with everyone running around frantically having no idea who’s LMD
and who isn’t. This episode delivers on that expectation, leaving Daisy and Simmons
the only real people left. Of course, they don’t believe each other when they
say they’re human, and their conflict is resolved in a very nice scene between
the two. I’ve been very critical of how Daisy’s been treated this season, but
honestly this episode was one of her best in a very long time.
The LMDs are a little upset about LMD
Fitz’s tragic demise (but he comes back later, so it’s all good), leading them
to kill the power and convince the rest of the agents that Simmons and Daisy
are the LMDs. The two of them craft a scheme to get themselves out, including
using knockout gas so as to not fight any of the real agents and arming
explosives to try and take out an LMD. It doesn’t work, and the base literally
catches fire.
Oh yeah, and while this is all
happening, Aida kills Radcliffe because she wants him to live forever in his
creation. Despite how much I’ve loved hating him these last few episodes, I can’t
say I won’t miss the guy. He was an entertaining villain, albeit one that kind
of got sidelined in his last few episodes.
After an awesomely choreographed fight
scene between LMD Mace and Daisy (ever notice she gets all the cool fight
scenes?), Daisy and Simmons are able to prove they’re the real deal by
literally melting LMD Mack’s skin off, and escape through the back entrance…only
to be met by LMD May, who’s sitting on a bunch of explosives. Fortunately, LMD
May has a change of heart, choosing to ignore Radcliffe’s orders and allow
everyone to escape, destroying the base and the rest of the LMDs behind them.
Moment of silence for the base. It
served us well since Season 2.
The episode ends with quite possibly
the second best twist this show has ever seen (I doubt anything could ever top
the Ward is HYDRA twist from Season 1). To figure out where their friends are
being held, Daisy and Simmons plug themselves into the framework. What they
find in there is…concerning.
Ward is back, and he’s Daisy’s
boyfriend. Coulson is a schoolteacher with a grudge against Inhumans. Mack is
living a happy life with his still-alive daughter. Fitz is a celebrity. Simmons
is literally dead. And, in the most priceless reveal of all, in this universe
HYDRA has replaced S.H.I.E.L.D, even going so far as to paste their logo on the
S.H.I.E.L.D base from Winter Soldier.
It’s honestly quite the reveal, and
the fact they’re able to show exactly what’s going on with everybody in this
universe and set up the rest of the season in under 2 minutes is astounding. So
many questions are posed by that final montage alone: Why is Simmons dead? And
if she’s dead, who’s that mystery girl Fitz is with? Why does Coulson hate
Inhumans? How is HYDRA the major power all of a sudden? Where’s Captain America
when you need him!?
I’m sure most of these questions will
be answered when S.H.I.E.L.D returns in 5 weeks, but taking the episode as is,
it’s easily one of the best this show has ever produced. The writing was
brilliant, creating an air of tension throughout the entire thing and making
you feel like Simmons and Daisy were in mortal peril the entire time. The
actors all did a fantastic job, so much so that I legitimately can’t single out
one specific person who was especially good. They were all on point this week.
And, of course, the setup for the next arc was absolutely mind-blowing. S.H.I.E.L.D always seems to have a new
surprise up its sleeves, each one more shocking than the last. If you somehow
still haven’t caught up on this fantastic show, now is a great time to get
started.
FINAL SCORE
10/10
Legendary
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