AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. Roundtable: “Failed Experiments”

In this week’s episode of Agents of SHIELD, Hive’s brutal history with the Kree was revealed, how they experimented on him to create the first “Inhuman.” When experiments he insisted be performed to create more Inhuman’s failed, he lured Kree hunters to earth in order to obtain their blood and continue experiments. When S.H.I.E.L.D. arrived they messed up his plan. Mack tried, but failed, to reason with Daisy. With no Kree blood to continue with Hive’s plan, Daisy volunteered herself.

1. Lincoln disobeyed direct orders to inject himself and try to find a cure for Hive’s infection….was it sweet, reckless, or just blatantly stupid?

Rueben: Can I say it was a little bit of all three? It was sweet that he wanted to do everything he could do to save Daisy; it’s reckless because he risked his life and also quite stupid because he didn’t know enough about what could happen (namely have his brain drilled to get a tissue sample).

Roz: I’m with Rueben on this one; all three fit the bill for what he did. I mean, I get it and I sort of understand it, but I don’t think it makes much sense on some levels.

Jan: All of the above. I know at the end it seemed Lincoln had risked everything for nothing, it didn’t work…but I’m still hoping it will ultimately have done something to help the effort. Lincoln seems to be unraveling with Daisy gone.

2. Do you think there is anything to Mack’s initial theory, that Daisy let herself be seen on camera because somewhere deep inside she’s trying to fight what’s happening to her?

Rueben: I think Mack was hoping against hope that Daisy was still in there; maybe believing a little too strongly in how strong Daisy actually is. I personally don’t think there is any of Daisy left.

Roz: Mack’s a big dreamer in the end. I think he wants to think the best of people, even if it doesn’t work out well for him in the end. He really is the worst sort of optimist to be a SHIELD agent.

Jan: I know Mack came around to Coulson’s belief that she is really gone, but I really didn’t get the feeling Daisy allowed herself to be seen to lure them to her. Maybe she was just careless, but that goes against her training. I still think there may be something to the idea that deep inside she wants them to save her. I’m as much an optimist as Mack.

3. The device that Hive wanted to retrieve so badly was the signal he used to attract the Kree. Was that anywhere on your list of possible uses for it?

Rueben: No, I didn’t have that figured out until the action went down.

Roz: I had no clue what it was until it was here. But I shouldn’t be too shocked that Hive has Kree on the brain all day, every day.

Jan: I wasn’t even close to guessing what that thing might do.

4. If the Kree can’t kill Hive, and the most powerful guns SHIELD possesses can’t do it, do you think it’s possible that anything can stop him?

Rueben: At this point, there doesn’t seem to be anything that can end him, but can even his body continue to work without a head? Maybe like a vampire has to lose his head in order to be taken down, maybe that is the only thing that can take HIVE down. Or perhaps there is some great Kree weapon that we don’t know about (yet) that could end him?

Roz: I assume there has to be something that can kill Hive, but right now I don’t know what it is. Would a nuclear weapon work?

Jan: If there is anything, I can’t think of it. It has still seemed to me their best shot right now is for FitzSimmons to come up with some cure for the infection Hive uses to sway the Inhumans. Take away his army and he can’t do nearly as much to fight.

5. Daisy offered up her own blood for experimentation after they lost the Kree subject. Is there any way she can survive the procedure?

Rueben: I think Daisy has drunk too much from the HIVE koolaid. I can’ see how there is anyway she will survive the procedure.

Roz: She really must think she’s a special snowflake to survive that, but I think like Rueben, Daisy’s gone so far into Hive’s brain that she doesn’t know what’s what.

Jan: I don’t think it bodes well for Daisy’s longevity at all. I’m hoping something will happen to postpone the experiment.

6. What was your favorite scene from “Failed Experiments”?

Rueben: I liked the way that May tricked James into giving her all the details she needed in the bar.

Roz: May’s game with James is my choice, too. I loved it as a light moment in an episode full of bad.

Jan: Like Rueben and Roz, I rather enjoyed May playing James for information then knocking him out. He never saw it coming.

7. Who was the episode MVP this week?

Rueben: Even though it was a wasted effort, I have to give the MVP to Mack simply because he wasn’t giving up on Daisy. He is truly dedicated to her; for all the good it did, though.

Roz: Yeah, with Rueben here and Mack. He’s got the heart that wants to do well but not always with the best effort.

Jan: Unanimous again. Mack, for doing everything he could to try and bring Daisy back, even allowing her to beat the stuffing out of him without ever raising a hand to defend himself.

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on ABC.