Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: FZZT

Okay, I’m finally going to post a review of an episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., because even though the show has started out slow, it’s finally starting to build up momentum. I’ve been hoping that it would get better, and it has.

I liked episodes 5 & 6, but I loved this week’s episode, “FZZT.” I have been waiting for an episode that had more of Fitz and Simmons, and this episode gave it to me – and now I love the pair. I was happy that the focus wasn't on Skye and Ward again. I like their characters, but when you have an ensemble show, you need to give the other members of the ensemble a chance to shine, so the audience cares about them.

I loved that the episode started with a scene that is so normal and then brought in the “paranormal.” A bunch of boy scouts are out camping, it’s night time, and the leader is telling them scary stories around the campfire. And then scary actually start to happen, including metal objects levitating. And then their leader ends up dead, suspended in the air. This is a death that Rick Castle would go absolutely bonkers for. *wink*

I loved the scene with Skye, Fitz, and Simmons imitating Ward. These are the kinds of scenes among characters where we learn who they are and if we like them or not. I like them.

Another great (and emotional) scene was when Coulson realizes that Diaz is going to die and he talks to him about “the other side” to try to help him deal with the fact. I just can’t imagine what it would be like to know you only had minutes to live. Scary.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a show where a character has to find a vaccine (or “anti-serum”) for an virus that they've been infected with (in this case, an alien virus) in a certain amount of time or they’ll die. Just watching Simmons trying to figure out how to save herself and the rest of the crew who will die also if she doesn’t find a cure, and Fitz watching helplessly made me emotional. And then when Fitz goes into the room where she has been quarantined to help her I just like him even more. It was so well written and acted. I love these two!

This episode was just chock-full of emotional scenes. When Simmons tells Coulson to tell her father first about her death because her mother would probably be able to take the news better if it came from him, I thought, how much more can I take?

Simmons’ rescue was great. I wish that Fitz would have been the one to rescue her, but it really wouldn’t have been true to his character to be able to jump out of a plane and know what to do, so it made sense that Ward did it, but it was a great save. And I loved Coulson reprimanding Simmons after they picked her and Ward out of the water. It was like a father scolding his child because he loved her.

I really hope that the series continues with great episodes and that we get to know the characters better, and it isn’t just about the “missions.” I love character-driven stories.