‘SPACETIME’ PLOT SUMMARY:
After Daisy (Chloe Bennet) receives a disturbing vision when she comes in contact with an newly-discovered Inhuman (Bjørn Johnson), the team works to prevent the events seen in it. Meanwhile, Malick (Powers Boothe) takes an interest in a specific robotic exoskeleton.
Is everything in our lives already fated to happen? Does free will exist, and what even is it, for that matter? These are questions that unfortunately don’t have simple answers. It’s these questions that this episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., like other works of science fiction, addresses. As a work of fiction, the show doesn’t provide any definite conclusions for us. It simply presents one interpretation.
Longtime viewers of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. should know that this is not the first time the series has introduced a character with the ability to see into the future. Just last season, Raina displayed such a talent after undergoing Terrigenesis (the Inhuman transformation), something that the team brings up in this episode. While there was some focus on altering fate, most of it fell on whether or not the duplicitous Raina was telling the truth (and slightly tying in to Age of Ultron). It’s what made the situation intriguing.
So, how does this oracle compare to Raina? Well, if you expect the hour to end with some earthshattering (Quake pun) event, you’re going to be severely disappointed, especially since the vision makes it seem like one of the agents is going to die. They don’t. And if you’ve ever seen Minority Report, you know the drill. That being said, Daisy’s vision is far more expansive than anything Raina saw. In fact, I found it quite difficult to make sense of. But it’s surprisingly entertaining to watch the team rehearse some of what’s supposed to happen. And everything that Daisy foretells does happen, save for one thing (I think). I imagine that one holdover will occur next episode. Well, there’s also that glimpse inside a spaceship too. I doubt that will be answered until late in the season.
It’s predictable but the storyline isn’t a total waste. The Inhuman behind all of the craziness actually has a decent backstory. It’s pretty sad, considering his powers forced him to leave his family. I wouldn’t say I got emotional when I saw him die at the end, but I did feel something. Props to Bjørn Johnson and Chloe Bennet for selling it. I’m willing to bet this guy’s daughter will play an important role later on, especially if she has powers like her father.
Agent May’s (Ming-Na Wen) reunion with her ex-husband Andrew (Matthew Willig) is similarly melancholy, and expected. Just last week she said that she would put him down. The chances of that happening are pretty good, but from what I can make out of Daisy’s vision, I won’t be surprised if that isn’t the case. As a side note, it’s cool that when May asks Andrew if he would undo them meeting, that he wouldn’t, whereas May says she would; he would’ve never gone through Terrigenesis or lost her if they never met. Both are valid answers that show they still love each other a lot.
Before Malick and Hive’s (Brett Dalton) storyline dovetails with the others, both characters do some interesting things. First and foremost, Hive shows off his swagger in his super-fly coat. Talk about unintentional comedy, though he does look fresh in his new digs. But more notable is how he decimates a group of businessmen later on. Not sure how this episode maintained the series’ TV-PG rating with that brutal display. And speaking of unsure, that’s what Gideon appears to be when it comes to his goals. I think he never really stopped to consider what he wanted beforehand. It takes Hive to even make him wonder. It has to be more than just an amusing exoskeleton (which looks goofy on him). Too bad for Malick that Hive will probably off him next week.
But as for this week’s episode, despite its predictability, it’s got a lot of heart. Couple that with some entertaining moments, like Coulson’s (Clark Gregg) reaction to seeing Ward walking around, and you’ve got a solid hour of television.
RATING: 7 OUT OF 10 (GOOD)
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Aaron Sarnecky is Pop-Break’s television editor and covers Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Agent Carter, among other things. He is a graduate of Rowan University with a degree in television and film. He probably remembers that show you forgot existed. Follow him on Twitter: @AaronSarnecky
