‘Agents of SHIELD’ season 4, episode 10 review: Not the Jeffrey Mace origin story you were expecting
Who does love a twist that untwists itself later? In so many ways, this is what we had on Tuesday’s new episode of “Agents of SHIELD” courtesy of finding out the truth about one Jeffrey Mace.
Remember how exciting it was to learn that the Director of the group was actually an Inhuman? Well, tonight we learned that he was actually not an Inhuman at all, and was therefore as normal as everyone expected … sort of. Thanks to a series of unfortunate events (ones that did not involve Neil Patrick Harris as Count Olaf), Mace found himself in a position trying to retrieve Bronson after a series of attacks left him and the team vulnerable. In the process of all of this, we also had an opportunity to learn precisely what was in the briefcase: A serum. His powers come via that, and he has to take it anytime in which he feels the need to be a hero. This was all a plan orchestrated in part by General Talbot, who wanted an Inhuman to run the organization — when they couldn’t find one, they simply tried to make one.
As for how Coulson took it, we’d say slightly better than expected given that he’d been replaced by a fraud. He told Mace that he’d allow him continue to be the Director, given that he was very good at the politics and the public-speaking and that was something that he hated to begin with. However, he wanted full control of the actual operations of the team. Since Mace is not really in a position to negotiate, Phil is getting what he wants here.
LMDs on the back burner – After learning that Radcliffe was far more devious than first realized, and also that he made another Aida not long after the first one was destroyed, this storyline was a little more under the radar beyond him and Aida realizing how difficult it was going to be to trap May in any sort of false reality. She’s far too accustomed to being out there in the field and fighting for what she wants that this is almost her natural state. Relaxing, meanwhile, is not.
Out in the field, the cracks are starting to show (literally) for LMD May, who had to hide after an injury that there was a robot exoskeleton hidden underneath her skin. This ruse can only stay hidden for so long, right?
Fitz’s secret – Why do couples always gotta hide things from each other? While he thinks that there may be something useful that comes from Aida 1.0’s head (and there could be), it just seems odd that he would hide it from Simmons, even if she disapproves. After all of the work it took for him and Jemma to get together, putting that in danger for a robot head is one of the few aspects of an otherwise-great episode that didn’t make a whole lot of sense.
So long as you enjoy Mace as a character (Jason O’Mara’s great in the role, and the twist tonight is one that we never saw coming), odds are there were still many things that you liked about “The Patriot.” It didn’t necessarily push the LMD story all that far forward, but for the time being, we’re okay with that. Grade: B+.
Next time – This is when things could get crazy for our resident androids. Head over here if you do want to see a further preview for what is coming up next. (Photo: ABC.)