This episode was... incredibly funny. It wasn't perfect, strictly speaking, but the comedy was honestly good enough to make up for any small shortcomings, in my opinion.
Cons:
As far as those shortcomings go, I will say that tonally this episode doesn't really jive with the situation as it stands. What Jemma did, in sending herself and the others further into deep space, wasn't just a mild disobedience or mistake. This could mean death for them all. So for Jemma to be so extreme, and for Daisy and Jemma to be so much at odds, and then for that tension to completely vanish in order to serve the comedy, just didn't really work for me if you think about it too hard.
In order for the brilliant stuff in this episode to work, you need to hand-wave a lot of stupid behavior away. Davis just randomly decides to eat the brightly colored mystery food, and Jemma and Daisy are both instantly game? Seems weird. Piper leaves an extremely high Davis alone with their prisoner? Yikes.
Also, I really hope that we don't keep drawing out the reunion. It's not just that I want to see Fitzsimmons reunite very badly, although that's also true... it's that there's only so much narrative tension I'm willing to accept before the idea starts going stale. In episode two and in episode three, we've already had two close-call moments right in a row, where we know they're so close yet so far away. I hope we knock that off very soon.
Pros:
The comedy in this episode was outstanding. There are seriously too many great moments to mention. It's hard to pick a favorite joke, but I think if I had to, I would say it's when Daisy is narrating to herself what's going on, trying to put the pieces together while super, super high, and she says: "my little British friend was missing" about Jemma. I just about died. Jemma later remarks that she thinks her parents are mice, which Daisy finds imminently reasonable. I also liked the two of them crying and petting each other's faces and saying how much they loved each other. Both actresses did an excellent job of embracing the comedy of playing high, without going so far over the edge that it became total parody. This works especially well when they actually have to be semi-competent towards the end, with Daisy fighting and Jemma trying to get to Fitz by explaining the secret dolphin calls that only she can hear. Perfect mix of actually tense action and drama, with heavy comedy.
The Fitz and Enoch subplot was pretty much a vehicle for Enoch as a character, and I loved it. I've always been a bit on the fence about Enoch. I never really understood what he was adding to the story. But these last two episodes have really turned me around. I love that he thinks of Fitz as his best friend, and seems to genuinely want to do right by him. Also, his existential crisis about how he has no purpose was super duper relatable and hilarious all at once. I like that Fitz is so single-minded about getting to Jemma that he's actually pretty hurtful to Enoch at first, dismissive of the idea of "best friends" and all that. But by the end, we see Fitz recognize Enoch's actual emotional vulnerability.
The casino was pretty fun and creative. Nothing outstandingly original, but lots of bright colors and fun moments. The game, where if you draw fourteen you're instantly killed, was pretty great too, as was Fitz trying to stall for time when Enoch suddenly and without warning powered down and left him alone.
I think the fake-out with Fitz and Simmons briefly seeing each other and then Fitz being taken by that bounty-hunter guy was kind of annoying, but obviously the actors did an amazing job with it. They both play angst so well, so I am undeniably excited to see the ramifications of this for both of them in next week's episode. Simmons is going to be so devastated. And Fitz is going to be so confused.
I really enjoyed this episode. I liked the lighter tone and actually laughed out loud at multiple points. That said, I hope that we can dive in to the actual trauma and pain of what Simmons has done to Daisy, Piper, and Davis without their permission. There's a lot more that needs to be explored here. Can't wait for next week!
8/10
The Fitz and Enoch subplot was pretty much a vehicle for Enoch as a character, and I loved it. I've always been a bit on the fence about Enoch. I never really understood what he was adding to the story. But these last two episodes have really turned me around. I love that he thinks of Fitz as his best friend, and seems to genuinely want to do right by him. Also, his existential crisis about how he has no purpose was super duper relatable and hilarious all at once. I like that Fitz is so single-minded about getting to Jemma that he's actually pretty hurtful to Enoch at first, dismissive of the idea of "best friends" and all that. But by the end, we see Fitz recognize Enoch's actual emotional vulnerability.
The casino was pretty fun and creative. Nothing outstandingly original, but lots of bright colors and fun moments. The game, where if you draw fourteen you're instantly killed, was pretty great too, as was Fitz trying to stall for time when Enoch suddenly and without warning powered down and left him alone.
I think the fake-out with Fitz and Simmons briefly seeing each other and then Fitz being taken by that bounty-hunter guy was kind of annoying, but obviously the actors did an amazing job with it. They both play angst so well, so I am undeniably excited to see the ramifications of this for both of them in next week's episode. Simmons is going to be so devastated. And Fitz is going to be so confused.
I really enjoyed this episode. I liked the lighter tone and actually laughed out loud at multiple points. That said, I hope that we can dive in to the actual trauma and pain of what Simmons has done to Daisy, Piper, and Davis without their permission. There's a lot more that needs to be explored here. Can't wait for next week!
8/10
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