AGENTS OF SHIELD: “The Laws of Inferno Dynamics” {Roundtable}

Last night Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. aired its mid-season finale on ABC with the team working alongside Robbie Reyes (aka the Ghost Rider) to stop Robbie’s uncle Eli Marrow from his evil plans that held the lives of everyone in Los Angeles in the balance.

It was an intense episode that brought one story arc to a close (for the most part) while opening up a whole new arc that could potentially spell the ruin of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Please join Karen, Roz and Rueben as they discuss the mid-season finale and what they think is to come when the show returns next year.

Coulson

1. Were you expecting Mace to react a bit different upon learning that Aida is actually an android?

Roz: Yes, I was, but I think that Mace plays politics well and can also see/read those optics to know when to follow someone’s lead.

Karen: I never know what to expect from him. He’s an odd duck, that one. I’m guessing the whole Ultron thing is just a complete sore spot across the Marvel Universe, and that reflects on everything. Not to mention his worry over what Nadeer will do if he has to let it slip that they’ve got an Android on the team. So there’s the CYA angle, and the Ultron angle. It’s not rocket science to see that he’d have some issues. Although I hadn’t even thought about what he’d do when confronted with the issue.

Rueben: I think that maybe because of whatever kind of Inhuman he is – they still haven’t really told us what he is – that he couldn’t react anymore than he did, but I was expecting a bit more vitriol.

2. How great is Yoyo! She narrowly escaped that inferno and then had that amazing slo-mo save for the rest of the team. And she gets Mack in the bargain. First, let’s talk about that amazing sequence and second, more importantly, what about that kiss? It’s about time, right?

Roz: So I’m not as impressed by Yoyo, but I think I’ve been more impressed by the slo-mo/fast action of Peter from the last two X-Men movies (they have the same power) but it was good to watch her do what she does in the moment.  As for the kiss, about damn time!

Karen: I’m not saving the kiss for second. It was HOTHOTHOT. *fansself* Yes, it’s definitely about time. They’ve been dancing around each other for (our) months now, and I think they’re fabulous together. She doesn’t take his S^@#, and he’s a great buffer for her temper. Okay, NOW I’ll talk about Yoyo’s solo stuff. The CGI was amazing in the slo-mo run through the fire in the hallway, especially showing the veins of fire on the walls and how she was running slightly ahead of the wall of flames. Great stuff! Plus she just has no fear. She’s a wonderful asset to SHIELD, and now that her friction with Mack is a new type of friction (c wut i did thar?) it looks like she’s stayin’.

Rueben: I like Yoyo because she doesn’t take any S^@# from anyone and she has such a cool power. It is really fun to watch her sequences because each one is better than the previous; in fact, it makes me want to see her in episodes even more. And given that Yoyo is part of the new digital series (see below for details), I have a feeling the powers that be at the show (and at the network) agree that Yoyo is a terrific addition. As for the kiss, it’s about damn time they stop skirting around one another, but now that they have kissed, I have to wonder if things will start to disintegrate much to the chagrin of fans.

3. Do you really think that Eli was gonna use that bomb in order to prove that his powers could create new life?

Roz: Eli’s evil speech of evil was SO DUMB because he complained about being mistreated when the whole thing he did demonstrated why people belittled him. He was all flash and no substance.

Karen: Nope. Eli was all about Eli. Even if he was going to create new life, that would’ve been a figure of speech for whatever kind of life would benefit him. New minions? Who knows. What I do know is that he was creating another Quantum Battery, those actually exist, and they’re nothing to write home about.

Rueben: I have to agree with Karen that Eli was and is only out for himself, but I was concerned that the bomb would inadvertently go off somehow; after all it is the Marvel Universe and crazy ass S^@# tends to happen in that world. My bigger concern is if he will find a way to get back from that other plane of reality where he ended up.

4. Were you pleased to see Mace step up giving Daisy the credit for saving them all? And, do you think that Daisy will go back to being an agent with SHIELD again?

Roz: Like I said before, he knows optics and I think he plays that game well. Daisy should have gotten much of the credit, so good for him. I’m not sure if she’s cut out for Mace’s form of “order” but only time will tell.

Karen: Yes and yes. Mace needs to get with the plan – maybe go a little old-school AoS. Coulson is there for a reason, learn from him. Take the knowledge that made him such a great Director. Honestly, I don’t see Jefferey lasting too much longer because of his duplicity, but this was a classy move. Not only giving her credit, but making sure he filled in the missing time with an undercover backstory. Very nice.

Rueben: I agree with both of you on this. I was very pleased to see him come to her “rescue” (and I use that world VERY lightly). He kept the press at bay, didn’t point fingers and gave her a very creditable reason for doing what she was doing while giving her credit where credit is due. Well played for once Mace.

Will the Real Agent May Please Stand Up

5. Do you agree with Coulson that this might not be the last that we see of Robbie – or more to the point the Ghost Rider?

Roz: That pull back into this dimension could still be strong with Robbie.

Karen: I think Robbie is gone. He fulfilled his goal and the deal he made with the SoV is done. However, Ghost Rider cannot die. It’s already looking for another host, and it’ll find one eventually. Whether it shows up again on AoS… I doubt it. Coulson said that so they could bring it back again if necessary I’m sure. They bring back dead characters all the time!

Rueben: I will be fine if Robbie doesn’t come back – he served the purpose for what they needed in terms of storytelling, right? And given the direction the next half of the season is going, I don’t think he – or more specifically Ghost Rider – will be needed. After all, the SoV can’t really make an Android pay in the same way that a human does. I’m ready to move on to the next phase.

6. If the Agent May with Coulson and the team isn’t the real Agent May, how long has Aida had May locked up?

Roz: I’m guessing that the real May has been in Ratcliffe’s home since she “died” earlier. It would be easy to swap her out then.

Karen: I DUNNO! I didn’t see that one coming! Is that another Android? What’s the plan? This is the plot point that I’ll be wondering about until the show comes back.

Rueben: I was expecting that reveal at all!! And, like Roz said did Aida make the switch when “May” died or was it when May went to retrieve Ratcliffe? What is Aida’s end game and why the elaborate switch. It’s a little mind-boggling. They’ve got some explaining to do!!

7. What do you think it going to happen next?

Roz: At least Mace finally mentioned how bad Ultron was and I think Aida’s on her way there if she really does have May trapped and did kill that other agent. Nothing good is going to happen there.

Karen: We’re going to dive into May’s disappearance, and find out why AIDA’s going all “Ultron” on everybody. She’s being super sneaky, and I’m not sure what her motivation is. It’s not like she’s not being treated badly… okay, so she lives in a closet, who doesn’t?

Rueben: I’m very concerned about where this whole story arc is going especially given what we saw happen with Ultron. There is no way anything that goes in that direction can end well. But, as Karen said, why would Aida be doing this. Is it all an after affect of the book?

8. On a scale of 1 to 10, how do you think that SHIELD has done this season so far with its storytelling.

Roz: I give it a 6. Robbie was good, but he forced the focus away from the team, who is the reason I watch the show. But I also miss that the team isn’t a team – we have groups of people I love in the thick of things, but not all of them.

Karen: I dunno, an 8 or so, maybe wavering a little bit based on how whiny Gabe is and how backstabby Mace can be. Overall I’ve liked Ghost Rider, but I do think it’s time to move on.

Rueben: I’m gonna go with a 7, as I have loved the moments with Fitz and Simmons (although we didn’t get enough moments between them, at least in my opinion); I’ve enjoyed seeing Daisy back in the fold (for however long that will last) and Mack and Yoyo (more please, thank you very much). But, I don’t mind seeing the end of Ghost Rider and let’s get down to the business of stopping Aida from whatever she’s got planned. That might be easier said than done, though.

The next new episode of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will air on ABC on Tuesday, January 10 at 10/9c.

Check out the trailer below:

And, like the trailer showed there will be a special 6-part digital series called “Slingshot” that will feature Yoyo on a special assignment, which fans can watch on the ABC App starting on December 13.

Fitz and Simmons

Daisy