The Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Go to War in “Best Laid Plans”

“Best Laid Plans” Plot Summary:

Mack (Henry Simmons) and Yo-Yo (Natalia Cordova-Buckley) lead an uprising on the Lighthouse while Coulson (Clark Gregg) and the others attempt to leave the surface.

Though this week’s episode does little to assuage my concerns about the time travel narrative, it sure is exciting.

I previously mentioned that unhinged villains are a lot of fun. Well, the normally calm and proper Kasius (Dominic Rains) certainly fits the bill. He’s out on a mission to remind the humans that he’s not just their master; he’s their god. And, in addition to the threat of force, he’s playing mind games.

To drive home his command over life and death, Kasius uses the same method that resurrected Coulson to bring back Tess (Eve Harlow). This is a welcome development, as the show unceremoniously killed her off a few weeks prior. It turns out there was a purpose in that after all. But the twist would’ve been more surprising if the episode didn’t list Harlow’s name in the opening credits, or in the credits at all.

While Mack and Yo-Yo deal with Kasius and his bombs, the team on the Earth has a tough time getting the Zephyr to fly. This sounds like a dry plotline, but the visual effects, the sets, and the semi-sarcastic Enoch (Joel Stoffer) make it stand out. And with gravitonium becoming increasingly important to the story, one can only hope we might finally get Graviton, a villain teased in the first season. His involvement would be a good explanation for the Earth’s destruction.

While it’s not the series best fight scene, I appreciate the fight between Daisy (Chloe Bennet) and Sinara (Florence Faivre). With Daisy’s powers deactivated and the playing field leveled, Daisy has to put her training to the test. The function of the encounter is for Deke (Jeff Ward) to decide whose side he’s on. It looks like Deke’s finally come around, though he could still change his mind.

The agents’ time in space is coming to an end and the next arc of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. should be just around the corner. Fortunately, if next week’s episode is as entertaining as this week’s, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will give Kasius the sendoff he deserves.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10 (Great)