Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Stolen (7x10)

I've got to admit, I get a little lots in the weeds with this whole Inhumans plot, and I feel like it's less connected to the things about the season that I've actually enjoyed up to this point?

Cons:

Like, I'm sorry, but so much screen-time was used on Gordon and on time-streams and on Nathaniel Malick, and I just don't really give a crap. It feels so disconnected from everything. The most compelling part here is Daisy's family connection, to Kora and to Jiaying, and that gets less screen-time than a young version of a future-villain (John Garrett) who doesn't have any emotional resonance in the story anymore. I don't have a problem with any of the pieces here, but the combination/balance felt off, if that makes sense.

Actor availability aside, every episode that I watch, I keep thinking how much richer it would be if Fitz were there. Iain is the most talented actor on the show, and he brings a real dynamism to many of the other characters, and as much as I've been having fun with this season, I definitely do miss him in a very real way. This episode, since it was so time-heavy on elements that didn't interest me, I feel like I missed him more than ever.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: As I Have Always Been (7x09)

I am feeling some kind of way right now.

Cons:

Missing Fitz hours continue... especially in light of Certain Events. I wish he could have been there.

Also... like... while I was watching Daisy and Daniel being adorable, I literally said out loud to the screen: "oh no, they're going to make me like this, aren't they?" and they DID and I DO, but I refuse to let go of the cold bitterness in my heart over the way Peggy Carter was treated by the MCU as a whole. I'm just quietly seething about it forever and ever amen. Setting that aside, I do think Daisy/Sousa works, and I can let go of my rage if I just ignore the other stuff and focus on this as its own universe with its own version of Daniel's fate. To be slightly critical, though, I feel like Daniel taking things in stride makes a certain amount of sense given who he is as a person, but I do wish we'd seen him do some more grappling with his new reality. Does he not want to go and see if any of his friends are still alive, decades older, now? Does he not miss ANYTHING about the life he left behind? Suffice to say, I'm feeling conflicted!

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: After, Before (7x08)

Elena gets her groove back!

Cons:

I really loved focusing on May and Elena for a good chunk of this episode, but the story felt somewhat crowded and also oddly... muted, by bringing in not only Jiaying (it was cool to see her again), but also a host of other people living at Afterlife, like Kora, and the guy working with the Chronicoms... etc. I didn't dislike the story, but it crowded up the frame, so to speak.

Still missing Fitz hours, folks...

Pros:

But like I said - focusing on May and Elena in this episode was such a treat. They have a good odd couple energy, honestly. May is still emotionless herself, but she's starting to pick up on how other people feel even without needing to touch them. Elena, meanwhile, is obviously stressed nearly to the breaking point, because if she can't get her powers fixed, she might not be able to perform a key function that will save the ship and allow them to get back home to their own time. So the negative energies are just feeding between them, growing in intensity.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: The Totally Excellent Adventures of Mack and The D (7x07)

I mean, this was a lot of fun, obviously. What else is there to say?

Cons:

You all know what I'm going to say. I freakin' miss Fitz. He wasn't even mentioned in this one!

Pros:

As soon as I realized that Deke and Mack were going to be settling in to 1982, I immediately thought Deke would try to invent technology early/buy in on stocks for things he knew were going to make it huge. Basically, the same thing he did back in the 2010's, using his future knowledge from the Lighthouse. And we sort of got that - only we got Deke becoming a musician, and "writing" a bunch of famous '80s music that hadn't come out in '82. I loved it! So great! This is what I'm talking about with the show having a lot of fun with the various decades/motifs. Deke saying, with full confidence, "I wrote this song," and then playing the SUPER recognizable opening to "Don't You Forget About Me" was honestly so funny.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Adapt or Die (7x06)

Oh my gosh, poor Mack!! I'm going to rush my way through this one, sorry.

Cons:

Are they setting up a Sousa/Daisy thing? I'm going to be honest, I'm not mad about it if so. I know I keep griping about this, and it's cool to see Sousa and I love his character... but I guess I'm still bitter about the fact that Agent Carter, an excellent show (better than Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. honestly) has been done so dirty by the MCU. So there's this part of me that's salty that the setup and care given to Peggy and Sousa's relationship in that show has been tossed aside and can't even really be properly deconstructed here, as to say anything unfavorable about Steve/Peggy would be anathema to the brand or whatever. I'm gonna grump about it even as I'm glad to have Daniel Sousa along for the journey.

This episode wasn't as "fun" as the other ones, and it wasn't meant to be, which is fine - but I felt less immersed in the time period, less like I was seeing anything essential or specific about the decade. Hopefully '80s shenanigans come back in for next week's installment. That should be lovely.

Also - still missing Fitz big-time.