Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Out of the Past (7x04)

I have some complaints, but over-all I did have a lot of fun with this one!

Cons:

Obligatory complaint about no Fitz. Seriously - this episode didn't so much as mention him! Really frustrating. I hope there are at least one or two good episodes featuring lots of Fitz before this show wraps up for good. I miss him terribly.

Also... what the Marvel overarching canon did to Daniel Sousa is kind of unforgivable. We get a throw-away line that implies that he and Peggy fell apart because of work reasons. In at least one version of events, Steve Rogers travels back into the past and fucking steals Sousa's whole future, and Peggy's too. So that's... not great. But just the idea that his legacy, his fate, is to die? Yikes. Sure, our heroes save the day... but they do so by erasing Sousa from history entirely. I just think that's such a sad fate for such a fun character.

Pros:

The whole black and white noir vibe, with Coulson's voice-over... I mean, it was hilarious. I love the fact that they're really leaning in to this whole time-hopping thing, adopting tropes and story-threads that fit each decade they visit. Also, attributing it to Coulson's robot body glitching out was a great way to make it work within the rules of the universe. Coulson is such a nerd, and I loved how much this episode leaned in to that.

Also... while I'm frustrated by Daniel's fate, I do like that they saved the day. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s time travel policy seems to have some inconsistencies... I loved the line about "it's easier to let a bad man live, than a good man die." That's such an interesting thought, and it leads to so many big questions moving forward about S.H.I.E.L.D.'s interference, and where to draw those lines.

Enoch working at the bar made me laugh so much! What a perfect role for him, to just hang out there as the gang travels through the decades. Every twenty years or so, he gets a call from his old pals. It makes sense to have someone catching up to them the long way 'round, in a way... he can provide a lot of valuable insight! Plus, I thought his resigned grumbling about being used as a messenger service was really hilarious. Hopefully the gang takes the time to let him know he's valued!

May's emotional journey is really fascinating. We find out in this installment that when she touches people, she's getting senses of their emotions. Hence, the panic attack during last week's fight. And, when she shakes Daniel's hand, she feels his confusion and desire to flee. This is so fascinating! And heartbreaking! Here I thought maybe May was returning to us, but really her own emotions are as inaccessible to her as ever. Instead, we've got this strange emotionless empath thing going on. And the fact that she gets nothing from Coulson, who's an LMD, is really interesting! I'm totally on board for wherever this story takes us.

A few other details to mention - it's nice to see Deke feeling very much like one of the team. He's not just their annoying little tag-along anymore. He gets into trouble in this episode, but he manages to cleverly stall and help to get himself out, and I like that he is on equal footing with the others in terms of belonging to S.H.I.E.L.D.

I also like the continuing background details of Mack and his role in the team. Coulson has deferred to him as the leader, but there's an interesting dynamic in that and I think Daisy has her messy place in it as well. I can't wait to see where this is heading.

In conclusion... where is my boy Fitz?!?!?!

8/10