AGENTS OF SHIELD Roundtable: “After, Before”

A new episode from the final season of Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD aired this week on ABC.

Here’s the synopsis for the latest episode, “After, Before”:

With the Zephyr’s time drive malfunctioning, the team is quite literally hurling toward disaster and Yo-Yo may be their only hope. The only problem? To get her powers back, she’ll need to enlist the help of an old adversary and revisit part of her past long hidden away.

Join NiceGirls Roz, Christie, Karen, and Ruben as we discuss the episode, using our ratings system known as SASSY – S(tupid), A(wesome), S(o) S(o) and Y(Your Thoughts):

(ABC/Mitchell Haaseth) MING-NA WEN, NATALIA CORDOVA-BUCKLEY

STUPID

Roz: Okay so there’s an evil sister/not-sister for Daisy now? I hate that we keep adding new people into the mix in this season when we’re so close to the end. I hate how this woman is able to be swayed by Nathaniel and does Jiaying not have Daisy now? I have so many questions!

Christie: I’ll just add my voice to the chorus. And what worries me now is that the solution is fix the time stream and everything that happens just reverts back to normal. And that will be disappointing.

Rueben: I hate Nathaniel! I just want him gone. It’s bad enough that the time jump device is creating such problems for the team, but they’ve got him to deal with too coz he’s not gonna stop.

Karen: ugh. I agree with everyone here. Nathaniel is the worst, and I’d love for them to stop with the new characters already. I don’t mind complications, but is this stuff really adding to the storyline arc? I guess we’ll see.

AWESOME

Roz: Yo-yo managed to give the team some time, and wrestle with her own issues that have been repressed for far too long. I’m glad she got those sorted.

Christie: Glad to see that Yo-Yo found what was stopping her, and even that her trauma goes back to before the beginning. Also, it was nice seeing Jiaying before Hydra ruined her. Makes you wonder what she could have been as a normal mother to Daisy. I also loved how May helped Yo-Yo. Zen is not always sitting knees crossed and breathing in. LOL

Rueben: I was pleased that Yo-yo figured out what was causing her powers to malfunction. The May and Yo-yo scene with the meditation attempt was quite funny; but I loved that they decided to do the sparring to jump start Yo-yo. That fits them both so much better than the touchy-feely “stuff.” I loved May’s line, “this is literally my worse nightmare” and then Yo-yo responded, “finally, we agree on something.” I have to wonder if the message that Simmons left for Fitz will somehow reach him and he can help, from wherever he is?

Karen: For the most part, this episode was smack-dab in my wheelhouse. Uncontrolled time jumping? Please. That has me written all over it. I also love the built-in mechanic of focussing on the characters who leave the ship while it goes haywire. What a novel way to handle the spotlight episodes while still keeping the main story current.

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SO SO

Roz: I think we’re all worried about how we can wrap all this up in five episodes so my so-so is what’s the point of all these small fights with Nathaniel when we know there’s going to be something epic in a few episodes?

Christie: I feel like we’re starting to sound like a broken record but nothing is getting better on the “tying up loose ends” front.

Rueben: I totally agree with you Roz. There are so few episodes left and far too many questions still left lingering, and they keep stacking more on top of it. It makes watching a bit frustrating, as they need to start wrapping things up not making things even more complicated.

Karen: Agreed. TBH, I want them to hone in already. Taper it down to the ending nice and slow, but keep it tight.

(ABC/Mitchell Haaseth) MING-NA WEN, NATALIA CORDOVA-BUCKLEY

YOUR THOUGHTS

Roz: Does SHIELD need to pull a Groundhog’s Day? Is that really what we need with so few episodes left?

Christie: I am not bothered by this cliche time travel plot, but I do have to wonder how this ties into all the other times streams and side plots they’ve inadvertently created that need to be dealt with. Plus, if this episode doesn’t end with Fitz showing up and fixing the Zephyr, I say we riot. Because at this point I’m jonesing for FitzSimmons!

Rueben: Agreed, Roz. I had an “oh please” moment with that clip for next week. Obviously, the time jump devise sets them off into this Groundhog Day scenario, but then what? There are so many dangling storylines that we NEED resolution not more uncertainty. I loved that Simmons created a new prosthetic for Souza, but I’m worried about the new version of Coulson and how well (or not) that Daisy is healing.

Karen: Okay, I’m parting from you guys here. I am PSYCHED for next week. Has it been done before? Hell yes. But look at ST:TNG’s “Cause and Effect” for example. They found a way to take the time-loop trope and turn it on its head. I have faith in the writers that they can spin it again in a new way. I might end up being wrong, but I’m still anxiously looking forward to it. Also, does anybody else have the urge to see them go to the diner and swap out “human” Coulson for his android counterpart?

I want to fit in a plug for my friend, Michael Ahr over at Den of Geek. His previews and reviews of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. are amazing.

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will be back next week on Wednesday, July 22 at 10/9c on ABC.