Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Rise and Shine (5x15)

For weeks, I've been saying the stuff with Hale just does not interest me. And then we get an episode that is almost entirely backstory for Hale.

Cons:

And... I didn't hate it. There were some elements to enjoy. Still, this episode moves the pacing of the story to a grinding halt, all for very little forward progress in the A-plot. So we know for sure that Hale is Hydra and has always been Hydra, and we also learn that there's a program in place to try and defend earth from alien invaders, and that Ruby has been raised to be the "destroyer of worlds." You could have given the same information in subplot form, and also continued developing other elements of the story. I just don't think the interest level with Hale, Ruby, and all of that is high enough to warrant an entire episode's worth of story just to delve in to their past.

I need a little bit more clarity on Fitz's situation. Is he still experiencing split-personality delusions, or is he fully in control of himself now? Is he their prisoner? While Daisy's anger at Fitz is completely warranted, to what degree should Fitz hold himself fully responsible for his actions, whether or not he now thinks they were justified? These could be interesting questions to explore, but I feel as if the show is just hand-waving away some of the possibilities.

Mack tells Simmons that Yo-Yo thinks she's invincible because she knows she'll survive to make it to the Lighthouse far in the future. Here's where things fall apart for me: did Elena ever tell any of them that the key to breaking the cycle is to let Coulson die? I can't recall if she said it or not. Maybe she should clue everybody in? I get that the idea is that repeating past mistakes is inevitable, but maybe if they had more information, it would help?

Pros:

Like I said, there was actually quite a few elements to enjoy in Hale's backstory, even if I think it could have been told in less time. For example, it was kind of neat to learn about children being raised up in Hydra's organization. I never really thought about that before. And Hale's journey from bad-ass to... well, still bad-ass, but now at the mercy of Hydra's scientists as she's used for her uterus was actually pretty powerful. She loves Ruby, but Ruby is not what she would have chosen for her own life.

Talbot was a special surprise for me in this episode. When we make it back to the present day, and we see an utterly defeated Talbot apologizing to Coulson for caving, it was actually very emotionally affecting. Talbot is one of those characters that has had such a long, complex road on this show. Every time I see him, I like him more and want to learn even more about him.

The idea of this intergalactic "confederacy" is obviously worrisome, and I do like the fact that no matter what choices our heroes make, they do tend to be working their way towards the same inevitable conclusion. If Hale keeps going, she's going to unleash the Destroyer of Worlds, in one way or another. It's interesting to keep them closed up in this loop. I hope we can start to get around to explaining how they're going to escape it!

Simmons puts robot arms on Yo-Yo, and I'm super duper excited to see that play out in the coming weeks. Not much to say about it, but just... yep. Seems cool.

Finally, I want to dedicate a paragraph to the brief Fitzsimmons scene at the end of the episode. First of all, how cute is it that Jemma tells Fitz that they're invincible? I love the fact that these two quirky scientists have this ongoing rhetoric about how the universe is dictating their personal relationship. They're cursed, then they're fated to be together, then they're invincible. Obviously I hope that Jemma's new perspective doesn't mean she instantly forgives Fitz for everything. I need some of the issues to actually be addressed, and I think they will be... but this is an adorable foundation to build upon. And Fitz's reaction to realizing that Deke is his grandson? AMAZING. I love the fact that Jemma instantly adores Deke and thinks he's perfect, while Fitz is horrified that his daughter is going to "give birth to a Deke." I want Fitz and Deke to form a friendship now. I want Fitz to grudgingly admit that his distaste is unfounded. I want Deke to continue his instant hero-worship of his grandparents, while Jemma smiles fondly at her grandson and forgives him instantly for all past wrongs. I want entire episodes devoted to the three of them. Deke feels like a microcosm of what happened to me watching Season One of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., where I found him very dull at first, and then when the twist came (even though it was a lame-o twist that I already knew) I suddenly kind of adored him. He's just so freakin' endearing, and I love that Deke's reaction is just instant love for these people. I can't wait for more.

There you have it! Predictably, the longest paragraph in this review is dedicated to the tiny Fitzsimmons scene. That's maybe a good indicator of how I felt about the episode. I didn't hate the stuff with Hale and Ruby and all that. It was actually kind of interesting in a lot of ways. But I still would have preferred to focus on the main gang, when all is said and done.

7/10