Seriously, after having gone through the threat establishment of the LMD’s we finally see how dangerous they can be as SHIELD is manipulated into hunting two of their own in an intense and gripping bottle episode.

For those that don’t know, bottle episodes are mainly set in one central location (SHIELD base), starring as few non-regular as they can get away with (most of the characters onscreen are regular cast) and using mostly dialogue. That part is up for debate because there is a ton of action and dialogue and both are incredibly strong!

The episode follows the same formula of paranoia, distrust and dread as John Carpenter’s The Thing but accelerates the timeline as the LMD’s go on the offensive and it’s up to Daisy and Simmons to undermine and ultimately triumph. Oh? Did I say Daisy isn’t an LMD? Well you know what that means!

Someone pick up that phone because I FUCKING CALLED IT! Fitz is revealed to be an LMD in one of the most powerful, emotionally-charged scenes of the episode, if not the season, because Iain De Caestecker is an acting demigod. His performance during the tense standoff between him and Simmons further highlights this guy’s acting chops. Elizabeth Henstridge also delivers a strong perfermance but she isn’t switching from terror, anger, love, and affectlessness on the fly like Iain. It’s brilliant.

Daisy gets to show more of her combat chops by going up against the Mace-LMD and doing a pretty effective job though just taking one out is enough to knacker her out and resort to quaking Mac to pieces. It’s a fun running fist fight through the lab with some great camera work.

AIDA also continues her descent into full-on villain by turning The Superior into a Frankestein’s Monster of an LMD and killing Radcliffe before stuffing him into the framework. She’s like Ultron but actually threatening.

Ming-Na Wen has a pretty badass display of character for the May LMD this episode too! She has more May in her than Radcliffe probably intended, selflessly stalling the other LMDs from hurting her team with a pile of explosive barrels! She might not be human, but she’s still May. Right ’til the end.

We end the episode with Daisy and Jemma sneaking into the Framework to free their friends and we get a glimpse of what that perfect world looks like and boy is it bleak. Coulson is a racist teacher, Simmons is dead, May works for HYDRA and, most chilling of all…

SON OF A BITCH! I know good villains don’t die but jaysus, lads… Still, it’ll be good to see Brett Dalton back to being an openly evil bastard because he and Daisy have to be working for HYDRA too, right?

Self Control is my favourite episode of the season so far but that may soon change as when we come back to Agents of SHIELD in April, we’ll be dipping our toes into the alternate universe of the Framework and asking What If…

Okay, so here’s the thing… Last week was a bit hectic for me. My mum went into heart surgery so I was looking after my family, and I had two extra TV shows to cover for Invasion Week sooooo… Deals With Our Devils slipped by me entirely and honestly… Kinda glad it did.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s an interesting premise for an episode but seeing things play out twice from two perspectives, which could have been done in an interesting fashion, kind of feels like padding while parts that I was genuinely interested in were barely expounded upon.

AIDA’s reading of the Darkhold is of particular interest because instead of what I expected ie; she couldn’t read it, she not only could but it was in binary as well. The line Thor said about science and magic not being as distinct as we perceive them to be clearly has some merit when it comes to the Darkhold.

Another segment was the conversation between Reyes and the Rider (is it too much of a stretch to call him Zarathos since Eli is flesh and blood?). It could have been a fascinating look at their relationship but was boiled down to it’s barest element; the deal.

The deal we finally see sealed in The Laws of Inferno Dynamics, which is a fantastic title. Again, the most interesting parts are from AIDA and Reyes, the former finally revealed as an LMD and the latter making sure his uncle can’t hurt anyone else.

It’s safe to say that Reyes was never going to be in the show for long so bowing out at the mid-season finale makes sense. Might as well take the opportunity to say that I’ve enjoyed Gabriel Luna in this role and it’s a shame to see him go. Hopefully he’ll be back in the future and maybe this will lead to a solo series in the future but for the short time we had him, Luna was a brilliant Ghost Rider.

I really liked this continuity nod toward the end of the episode. Very cute moment to cement Daisy’s return as a rostered Agent. Good thing Mac and Yo-Yo got together too because holy fuck, that was getting tedious. But this is the mid-season finale so we need a cliff-hanger right? Something to get people interested in the next arc. Something like…

Yeah, May being revealed as an LMD’ll do it! I can only presume she was replaced when she was still having visions. Could Radcliffe also been an LMD? Could Fitz? Anyone who has interacted with AIDA in the house is immediately suspect! Shame about whatsisname. Guy. Snappy.

Not a bad winter finale overall but I can’t wait to see how the show progresses with this rogue AI plotline. I guess I’ll see you guys in January!

Spacetime, rather disappointingly, does not really having anything to do with my favourite Rider’s call out but instead focuses on the notion of precognition. An Inhuman is discovered who can share premonitions of future events. Naturally, the episode revolves around the team trying to thwart the events only for them to inadvertently cause them or to be out of context to the actual situation. So how does the episode turn out?

It’s definitely a damn good episode. For it’s character development, fight choreography and handling of a subject that others have done before; Spacetime comes off as the sci-fi spy craft show it was meant to be.

I love the little bit of bonding that they’re doing with Coulson and Lincoln. Mostly because it’s clear that Lincoln, as a character, has no chemistry with May so switching his SO to Coulson is a great move.

Speaking of May, Ming-Na Wen is on top form, not only providing some fantastic fake fight work during a training sequence but also a fantastic scene with Andrew, whom turned himself before he transforms into Lash for what he believes is the final time. It kind of lacked emotional impact for me but I can tell both actors put their all into it.

Fitzsimmons sails on with this adorable little sequence while Daisy is getting her face caved in by Robo-Malick.

Also, shout-out to the most comedic reaction to the reveal of your nemesis still being alive goes to Coulson. Or maybe he’s just impressed with HiveWard’s fancy new Matrix coat?

Overall, Spacetime is a great episode for a whole bunch of reasons and is a contender for my favourite episode of the season, even without any major reveals or events. Just a really solid episode.

Melinda is an odd horse, pulling double-duty of continuing the Inhuman story of Skye and focusing on May’s past and her current investigation. I don’t know what it is about this episode but I am completely ambivalent towards it. Maybe it’s because I’m coming off the best 13 episodes of superhero television I’ve watched in a very long time (aka THE FUCKMOTHERING DAREDEVIL) or that the story is chugging along at a steady/sluggish pace and I just want MORE to happen…

In the present, May is put in charge of the Playground and is running an investigation into Coulson’s clandestine Theta Protocol, which the ‘Real’ SHIELD know about but May has had no knowledge of. Clearly, Coulson’s up to some shady bullshit and Mack believes its to do with hiding powered people but whatever his agenda, we know Coulson is doing it for good reasons. Right?

In the past we learn of May’s infamous mission to Bahrain where she earned the title “The Cavalry”. They throw in a mother/daughter Inhuman tag team to keep the story relevant (I guess) but it’s quite interest to see the dichotomy between her past and present selves. Her charming home life with Andrew, her cheerier outlook and her compassion are on full display and we get to witness all of that stripped away from her by an ultimately forgettable encounter (from out perspective) with a nobody character (though the little girl’s reveal as the creepy fear monger is quite cool).

Over with Skye; her new guide, Jiaying, is helping her “hear” the vibrational frequencies and tunes in on a mountain and causes an avalanche and later creates a continuous tone with wine glasses, showing her focus increasing tremendously shortly before she shatters all the glasses. This leads to a little more about her trust issues and her time at St. Agnes (the orphanage Matt Murdock also spent time in) and laments that she doesn’t even know her birthday, only for Jiaying to tell her the truth and reveal both Skye’s birthdate and that she is Jiaying’s daughter. It’s not a bad resolution all together, and solid reasoning is given as to why their connection should remain secret (tying into May’s plot nicely). Jiaying pleads with Skye to give her father some small measure of time for at least tracking her down and leading her to her heritage, but this “happy” family reunion is quite disturbing as Lincoln walks in and realises this is what Raina saw in her nightmares, revealing her power to be precognition.

Stinger catches up with Fitz, who is being tailed by SHIELD and has holed himself up in a dinner bathroom and activates the Toolbox, gaining contact with Hunter. He admits that he’s in trouble but still wants to join up with them and Hunter offers some reassurance like a supportive dad. Clearly he’s been taking lessons from Coulson.

So yeah, Melinda is a fine episode but I need the show to give itself another, much needed, kick up the arse as we head into Age of Ultron. Come back next week for THE DUMBEST title for an episode to date with The Frenemy of My Enemy. Hngh.

Coulson and May share the spotlight for most of the episode, with Clark Gregg and Ming-Na Wen obviously having a ton of fun with old-school spy shenanigans. Fun cover stories, dancing, laser grids, the works! They even have cuff-links and sparkly dresses! Coulson and May are having fun but also taking time to talk about Coulson’s worsening condition and how he wants to be killed if he becomes like Garrett. It shows the connection these two share and their close friendship. The usually affable Coulson is dead serious with his wishes and the usually pragmatic May shows concern and compassion for her friend. It’s a nice change of pace.

Ming-Na Wen has lots of butt-kicking to do towards the end of the episode that is simply astonishing to watch. General Talbot swipes the painting from under the team’s noses but offers to let them have a look at it. May goes to check it out and see if the offer is legit but finds the freshly brainwashed Agent 33 and Sunil Bakshi from Hydra, the latter impersonating Talbot thanks to a Photostatic Veil, the digital face swap gadget Black Widow used in The Winter Soldier. May gets knocked out and replaced by 33 with another Veil. Slyness ensues but Coulson catches on and socks 33 in the jaw, just as May breaks free. Thus ensues a three minute long brawl between two Agent Mays, 33 in a slinky dress and the real May in nothing but a lace slip. To quote another Whedon property: “I’ll be in my bunk.”

The fight is very impress though! Between slight CGI work, stunt doubles and the most impressive fight choreography I’ve seen since last season’s finale, it’s an absolute delight to watch. It’s quick, brutal and ends on a fantastic finisher.

Fitz also gets plenty of development. He’s made a new friend but is still struggling with team dynamics but when the Bus is compromised, he collars Hunter to be his hands as they rewire the plane before it explodes thanks to a Hydra virus. Hunter later buys him a beer and Hunter, Mack and Fitz share some bro-bonding time, Fitz opening up about his unrequited feelings for Simmons. It’s a great moment which brings Fitz back into the fold and even show that Hunter can be a good guy when not being insufferable to the others. The newer characters have been doing a great job and I’m glad to see them helping Fitz while the Season 1 guys are busy with their own shit.

Next week sees the introduction of a new character that everyone is excited to see so we’ll see what happends when you put A Hen in the Wolf House.