Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Meet the New Boss
Season 4, Episode 2 Recap

12/01/2017

Jason O'Mara | © ABC Studios and Marvel Television

"You ever notice we never get to check up on, like, a brightly-lit place filled with nice, friendly people?"
—Mack to Fitz

I gave myself a task for the 2016-2017 TV season. I was going to tweet every episode of my five favorite dramas and then post them here with sprinkles of extra commentary. Things did not go to plan. The only one I managed to finish was The Walking Dead S7E8, which took weeks. That's what I do when I get hung up on one amazing episode. After that I never caught up, but I'm not giving up on this project. I'm just turning it in past due and making sure I don't have a two-season pile up by next May. Wish me luck.

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Here we have another fantastic episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Is there any other kind? If there were, then I wouldn't have to write so darn much about it. I actually got to pay attention this time. Last week I was trying to keep up with tweets. Guess I had to relearn that lesson. Because of that, I definitely missed some things and have to watch "The Ghost" again. Of course, I have to watch *all* episodes of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. again. I planned on rewatching four or five (or at least two!) favorite series this summer (2016). Didn't get to a single one. *2016 and 2017 both had very disappointing summers in that way. I haven't rewatched anything but random favorite episodes for the last decade.

I'm sure I was going to say something else. Eh, I'll think of it later. For now, it's...

O'Mara had some memorable, poignant scenes in Complications, which got cancelled way too quickly. But now we get him for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., so I think I'll get over it.

People always find things out the hard way. If I ever have a kid, I'm gonna believe in every monster in the closet or demon under the bed. I'm not becoming another statistic. * I don't believe in the supernatural (though I adore Supernatural), but I'm not going to wait around to find out if the supernatural believes in me.

* I’m rewatching this episode after a year and I wonder why I didn’t mention Ghost Rider’s creepy, ominous theme.

I can never have enough scenes of them together. Their banter is just so much fun.

Gabriel Luna | © ABC Studios and Marvel Television

"You get lost or I’ll get angry...so angry I may not remember what I do to you. Sometimes I prefer it that way."
—Robbie to Daisy

So, I skipped over a whole section here where FitzSimmons and Mack discuss the "ghost"; where Simmons and Coulson get a new on-base assignment with mentions of the SSR, the Sokovia Accords, and Coulson's "anonymous unlimited" funding to build "billion-dollar airplanes" when Coulson was Director; and where Robbie tells Daisy he's not Inhuman, but that he sold his soul to the Devil. Awkward conversation. Because even in a world with superpowers, actual demons are something a sane person has to see with their own eyes to believe.

I am tempted to go to bed right now. I have so many tweets to go. 😫 It's gonna be 1 am before I finish. (Actually took me until 1:40!) But no, I must brave this and continue on.

* Oh, right, the superpower thing.

* "Glorified extra" or "plucky comic relief"? I hope she's the latter. Now, if you didn't get the reference, your duty is to go watch Galaxy Quest.

Clark Gregg and Jason O'Mara | © ABC Studios and Marvel Television


"You're seeing their faces, aren't you?"
—May
"Everyone else, what's wrong with them? Why don't they see it?"
—Chen

May's hallucinations are getting worse. The infection isn't just going to clear up on its own.

Chloe Bennet | © ABC Studios and Marvel Television

"Threaten me all you want. You think I'm afraid to die?"
—Daisy
"I think you want it. No doubt you got a death wish, coming back to find me after I let you live."
—Robbie

* Don't get me wrong. I don't like to hear it from a character I love, but it's great writing and I wouldn't want it any other way. Without struggle, what would be the point?

The next two lines I think were accidentally misplaced. I remember the scenes, but I don't know where in the show they came from. I only have quotes to go on, because you can't let me rewatch after midnight. Also, absolutely no feeding.

About to run out of the last percent of my battery. That means I have to plug in and sit on my floor for the next half hour. Aces!

What I didn't get to include in that tweet is that everyone on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D is amazing at delivering their lines like real people with a sense of humor. Haha! That made me sound like those stupidly worded commercial disclaimers: "real people, not actors." What I mean is all of them have perfect timing and just say it all like they're thinking it up on the spot. You couldn't dream of a better cast.

* I don't like thinking what it would do to Coulson to lose May permanently. But I love thinking how it would play out in Clark's acting, because he's so good.

Edit, November 2017: I wrote the same thing about Aaron and Eric on The Walking Dead, and now I get to see the results of one losing the other. Ross Marquand is turning in a pitch-perfect performance.

Elizabeth Henstridge | © ABC Studios and Marvel Television

"Word of advice, everything she does is hugely fascinating and I understand none of it. So, feel free to smile and nod. It's what I do."
—Director Mace, about Simmons

I hope he doesn't block me for that one. It had to be said. LOL. * That would be a really silly thing to block someone for, but you never know. I'm glad how his character turned out, or I would have to retract that tweet.

* If they ever kill off Fitz, I will literally probably die.

Clark Gregg and Ming-Na Wen | © ABC Studios and Marvel Television

The recognition of May being infected, if I wasn't clear enough. They've been together so long and through it all. She can't go out like that. I don't think she will, but you never know. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. always finds a way to surprise and break me.

I know it was May's problem, but still. At least a few times a season I have to gasp in horror, thinking Coulson is about to die.

Jason O'Mara and Ming-Na Wen | © ABC Studios and Marvel Television


Henry Simmons and Iain De Caestecker | © ABC Studios and Marvel Television

"We've been out there looking for you. Trying to protect you and put the pieces back together. And you–why? Why are you doing this?"
—Mack to Daisy

Every episode brings me a scene (or fifteen) that I just adore. This was definitely one of those.

Clark Gregg | © ABC Studios and Marvel Television

This looks fun: global blackout and May in danger next time...in two weeks. Well, I guess I'll get the chance to put the fist two episodes of the season up on my site then. (* It's pretty obvious I didn't get the time, since this second episode here has just gone up on December 1, the day of the season 5 premiere.) I did much better paying attention this week than the first. It all has to do with how much tweeting I do, which is almost none if I actually want to see the episode. But I can easily take quick, typo-riddled notes, then tweet those later. Now that we're at 10pm, though, and I was hoping I didn't have to do it that way. (* Because the night becomes much longer for me.) It's now 1:34. Eyes heavy.

Anyway, I'm finally done. Goodnight, sleep tight, and don't let the bed bugs paralyze. I feel like I've made that Simpsons reference in the past. Oh well, I'm too tired to care. See you lovelies next week...I mean, in two weeks. *grumble*

I contributed often to the Across the Airwaves’ Marvelverse Podcast, and they were kind enough to read all this nonsense aloud in the listeners’ comments section at the end of the episodes. These lovely people are well-versed in all the Marvel minutiae, sharing their own thought-provoking opinions and insights on things I may not have gone over or never even knew. Sadly, ATA came to an end in June, which I only just found out. If I had known, I would have contributed to their final podcast for Spider-Man: Homecoming to thank them, but it looks like that one never went up. Listen to/download them while you can. Comments denoted with an asterisk were added after airing.

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