Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: From the Ashes (6x11)

Huh. Flint? Okay, I guess.

Cons:

This was one of those episodes made up of things I liked, but whose whole is less than the sum of its parts. I think in some ways, it's because the episode was treading water. We already knew that Sarge had some of Coulson's memories and was twisted up about it. In this episode, a lot of stuff happens, but as the episode has progressed, the only part of the status quo that has altered is that Daisy acknowledges the truth. Same with Izel. She wants the monoliths, and she has Mack and Yo-Yo hostage. A lot of action and stuff occurs, but as the episode ends, she's still just trying to get to those monoliths. All we've learned is that she can create images and manipulate people, showing Benson his dead husband, and then showing Flint. (Unless that's really Flint? Jury's out). Again, this isn't a big problem or anything. I liked everything that we saw here. But I felt as if the entire episode was all setup, without any big payoff. Next week is a two-part finale, so maybe I'm just being hasty, wanting the payoff that we'll be getting in a big way next week.

Also, and this is my own problem probably more than it's the fault of the show, but I kind of forgot about Flint. It's been a long time, and most of what happened in the future has gone dim for me. Hopefully they do a good job of reminding the audience a bit more about him in next week's finale.

Pros:

It was a relatively small part of the plot this week, but I think my favorite aspect might have been Fitzsimmons with Deke, working on science-y things. It was just so precious, and gave me early-show feels. I adore the fact that Deke is getting what he so clearly craves - a real relationship with his family. By the end of this episode, they have an idea to stop Izel from possessing people, which will be an important key in defeating her. The three of them working together just warmed my heart in every possible way.

Meanwhile, May and Daisy are on opposite sides about how to deal with Sarge. May thinks that getting through to him and accessing the parts that remember Coulson's life might be a key to helping them defeat Izel. Daisy doesn't want to let herself believe that Coulson could really be in there, in any way, shape, or form. It's too hard for her to give herself that kind of hope. So she's firmly in the "Sarge is evil" camp. This is a very basic dichotomy, and I love that May is the one on the hopeful side of it. I feel like in earlier years, May wouldn't have hesitated, wouldn't have let herself have even the smallest amount of optimism, about something like this. But her years with the team, and Coulson in particular, have turned her in to a more open person. Daisy is running scared because she's hurt and traumatized by losing Coulson, and that makes perfect sense for her character as well.

Of course, the truth always falls somewhere in the middle. Sarge isn't Coulson, but he certainly remembers and feels a lot of Coulson's memories and feelings. I adore the way that this resolved in the episode. He decides to sacrifice himself to save everybody, but Daisy figures it out. The moment when Sarge tries to convince Daisy to kill him, and calls her "Skye", was a real punch in the gut. Everything we needed to know about Sarge, and Coulson, was said in that one word. I'm very eager to see what we get next week. Is there any chance that this version of Coulson can fully remember his past, and reunite with the team? Despite my issues with this kind of back-to-life cop-out, I still find the drama compelling in this case.

Finally, we've got Izel and her creative psychological torture with Benson, Yo-Yo, and Mack. I'm glad that Benson is still in the story, and still has value to the plot. The scene where he was confronted by his dead husband was really moving. I also liked that Mack and Yo-Yo were able to find a way to somewhat thwart Izel, by jettisoning Benson to safety and ensuring that S.H.I.E.L.D. would get his information about the location of the monoliths. Even though Izel got what she wanted out of Benson, it's not going to be smooth sailing.

Mack and Elena's relationship is obviously still somewhat fraught, although they are on the verge of a full reconciliation. I like that at first, Mack tries to say that he only came on the mission for strategic reasons, but they both quickly admit that they'd put themselves in dangerous situations simply for the purpose of being there for one another. The fact that Elena and Mack are both in this together, and that Izel can so easily hold either one of them hostage and use that to control both of them effectively, is a great set-up for angst and drama. I am really anxious to see how Izel will be defeated next week, if she can be at all!

That's where I'll stop for now - this episode wasn't bad. It was just... kind of there? It was made up of so many emotionally resonant things. Daisy hugging Sarge. Deke bonding with his grandparents. Yo-Yo and Mack discussing their feelings. And yet in terms of the plot, things barely moved forward at all.

8/10