AGENTS OF SHIELD: “The Patriot” {Roundtable}

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. dropped a huge bomb in the middle of “The Patriot”, some of which will probably shape the rest of the season’s LMD arc.

Rueben, Karen and I all dig in with some hard hitting questions and some not so nice memories.

1. Big things first. What are your feelings about Mace’s reveal?

Rueben: I guess we should have seen that coming, right? SHIELD needed a “good” face for the agency, but I don’t think it was a smart idea. Mace (Jason O’Mara) wanted glory, to a certain degree, but getting that glory based on the fact that he basically tripped over his own two feet?

The only good thing we got out of that is that Coulson will be charge, albeit behind the scenes, of the missions and Mace will be the “face” only of SHIELD. I’m not sure if that set-up is going to turn out well in the end.

Karen: Well, I certainly should’ve seen it coming. Although I’m not well-versed in my Golden Age Marvel info, “The Patriot” became a version of Captain America at one point. Here’s what should’ve clued me in:

Jeffrey Mace had no superpowers but he was an exceptional athlete, a superb hand-to-hand combatant and a licensed pilot. As Captain America, he carried a shield, similar to that used by his predecessors, that was made of enhanced titanium.

Roz: I was shocked that Mace isn’t actually an Inhuman, but I’m not shocked actually. If I had known Mace was “The Patriot” I might have felt a bit more clued in, but it also makes me hate Mace’s ideas a bit less. He’s just as human as everyone else in the office (save Daisy).

2. Fitz’s wanting to understand AIDA is misguided, and I’m glad Simmons saw that, but what do you want to happen to the May LMD if she’s left unsupervised while Radcliffe licks his wounds at home?

Rueben: Fitz (Iain De Caestecker) really is obsessed with AIDA’s head and that’s disturbing in and of itself. And given what we saw near the end of the episode, he’s not given up no matter what Simmons had to say. ARGH!! The May LMD is an android; not the real May. It needs to be turned off just like the first Aida, but we know that’s not gonna happen any time soon. Although with that injury, there is the possibility that the May LMD may start to malfunction.

Karen: Well, MayLMD (Ming-Na Wen) might become self-aware now that she’s seen what’s inside her, but what that means is an unknown quantity at this point. I’m upset about Fitz, mostly due to the fact that it’s putting another stumbling block in the path of FitzSimmons. They can’t seem to have a normal day. Either Jemma (Elizabeth Henstridge) is getting kidnapped, Fitz is dragged into some plot or phased into another dimension, or really, just anything happens where they aren’t sitting down and watching a movie at home like a normal couple. It’s annoying. Let’m have some down time already!

MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. – “The Patriot” – (ABC/Jennifer Clasen)
MING-NA WEN

Roz: How sad is it that I want MayLMD to go HAL on Ratcliffe and AIDA? Like, is that something I can make happen? That said, I like that MayLMD is self-aware, but I don’t know if that can change what her directives are.

3. Why is a Whedon putting a pilot down with a spike through the chest? WHY?

Rueben: I nearly gasped when I saw that scene; and had to take a moment. At least they didn’t make mention of being “a leaf on the wind” or anything else similar. It was bad enough to practically recreate the scene.

Karen: Seriously? Can he not rub salt in the Wash wound? I still hurt from that death. Every time I hear about them contemplating a reunion, I think to myself: “but what about WASH?!?” And now another Whedon has killed a pilot the exact same way. THE EXACT SAME WAY! Okay, he’s not Wash, but still…

Roz: I just had to look and Jed and Mo didn’t write the episode, but it still hurts. Like, really hurts.

4. Talbot, will you stop being a pain in the ass? Discuss him as you see fit. (DON’T BRING UP CAP WITHOUT DOING HIM JUSTICE SHOW!)

Rueben: He really is an ass! And just doesn’t get that his style of military just doesn’t work anymore; and that no one respects him. Or more than likely, he just doesn’t care. But something needs to give where he is concerned, right?

Karen: (Chandler impression) Can he *be* more arrogant? ugh. I’m not surprised that he’s back though. I had a discussion about him last week because I think he may be doing something that we don’t know about. I’ll say this, last week Watchdog henchman Shockley got a call from “The Boss” telling him to take Vijay down, regardless of Senator Nadeer’s objections. They don’t put lines into an episode without them meaning something. Especially since he never got to carry out that order. So who’s “the Boss?” (no, not Angela). One of my theories is that it might be Talbot. When he showed up this week, I found it very interesting.

Roz: I just want to rip off that ‘stache, first, and then I want him to be transparent with what he’s doing. That Jemma had access to Mace’s secret and had to force her way into it, despite Talbot’s protests, says that we shouldn’t trust him, at all.

5. Simmons to the rescue! How much have you missed her being a badass?

Rueben: She is just such a great character and has really come into her own. She didn’t even have to do anything to that guy this time around to get him to tell them what they needed to know about the downed Quinn jet. Way to go, Jemma!

Karen: Again I return to last week’s episode – Daisy mentioned that Simmons had been kidnapped a few times, once on another planet, and survived. She’s been “through the wars” as it were, and she’s got some skills to show for it. I love that she’s growing as a character and the writers are really letting her shine. They were doing this with Fitz as well, but with the LMD storyline, I fear he’ll have some setbacks. Not that it’ll be terrible for his storyline, just that it’ll stunt his progress a bit.

Roz: I want more of Jemma taking names and not giving a flying bleep about Talbot or Mace or anyone else in the SHIELD hierarchy that messes with the team. She really is the team’s moral center now and I want to see that explored, especially as Fitz goes down that dangerous LMD path…

6. Other thoughts, concerns, MVP?

Rueben: The real May was really incredible given that she was being drugged, but was still able to attempt to break herself free of Radcliffe and the new Aida. And how about Mack fighting that guy in the shed.

I’m worried that Fitz is going off the deep end with this whole testing the chopped head of the first Aida. I hope that Jemma figures out what he is doing so she can bring it to an end somehow.

Karen: Good on Coulson for seeing Mace’s value to SHIELD. I totally get his decision. That’s the whole reason behind his decision to step-down, and he’s standing behind it. Talbot is a jerky jerkface, but he may be even more sinister… we’ll see. Radcliffe may be headed into a spiral, which is tragic because I dig the actor. John Hannah can totally pull off crazytown though, so I’m looking forward to whatever he does in the next few episodes.

MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. – “The Patriot” – Separated from their team, Coulson and Mack discover a shocking secret about Mace, leaving all of S.H.I.E.L.D. in a precarious position, on “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” TUESDAY, JANUARY 17 (10:00-11:00 p.m. EST), on the ABC Television Network. (ABC/Jennifer Clasen)
HENRY SIMMONS, CLARK GREGG

Here’s something to think about. News came out that Patton Oswalt will be returning as The Koenigs. They’ve hinted that we’ll learn more about their backstory, and the fact that he’s coming back during the LMD arc is interesting. I’ll just leave that there.

Roz: I know we’re only two episodes into this arc, but I wish we knew more about the end-game. I feel like I’m missing things each week that only become relevant as we reach a finale and all the pins fall into their proper place.

Agents of SHIELD airs Tuesdays at 10PM/9PM Central on ABC.