Reviewed by K-Ci Williams.

For the past three seasons, the writers behind this show have managed to keep my jaw permanently on the ground, and they just won’t let up. I liken my tear ducts to a dam system, where the writers can turn on the water works where they please – although this is something I didn’t find I needed with the latest episode. This week served up some interesting moments, while I noticed a bland directorial style with some seriously lacking make-up efforts.

Kicking things off would have to be the solid relationship that is growing between Robbie and Daisy. Now I definitely do not mean a relationship in the way of feelings and such nonsense, everyone knows the internet is far too averse to allow me any emotions. In all seriousness though, I welcome many changes in this show, but one I hope I will not have to stand for is a proper romantic affiliation between the two not-so do-gooders. I barely kept my head in the game last season while Daisy hit it off with Lincoln, as I found myself constantly wishing him gone.

Robbie and Daisy have an on-screen chemistry that is, forgive the pun, absolute fire. There is something delightfully macabre about their shift between ‘enemy at first fight’ and the implication that they will now work together is something I am excited about. How intriguing is it that they once again fought, this time clashing with expert non-violent conversation erupting into physical violence.

Once again the choreography was amazing, but as is evident, Daisy is no match for Robbie; at least not when he yields fire. Daisy made a stray observation that everyone is attached to something, so I thought it was obvious that Robbie would fight her after threatening his brother. Never go after the loved ones of your enemy, I was saying to her indirectly through the screen. It only multiplies their motivations to kill.

We finally got to see that dynamic between Mack and Fitz again, something I have really wanted to see. What with them being the only boys in the team now aside from Coulson, seeing as Ward is definitely, definitely gone and Lincoln made his trip into dead space last season. I got my wish in the end.

I found out the name of the badass agent that I wanted to see more of – her name is Agent Piper – and she actually starred in an episode from last season and I just never noticed, something that slipped past this reviewer’s eye. With each progressive episode I hope to be introduced to her more.

The standout shot of the episode for me has to be when Robbie is racing away in his car, and Daisy uses her quake powers to lift her up and she virtually flies through the air and lands on the car. This sequence and the following car race through the street really cemented the awesomeness that is Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. It appealed to me more because I know how little effects the team can put on certain episodes, such as last season’s small cash spend on animating Hive for all of a few minutes.

May has remained a stalwart member of the SHIELD team for the last few seasons and as a character has given Ming-Na Wen plenty of challenges. But this episode brought out something else entirely; May going crazy. I sat their saying, she’s out of the gate. I do however, like the suspenseful execution of her storyline and how the scene was played out through her point of view. It was shown through her eyes, and for a second I was convinced that Coulson had been compromised and he was leading May to a dangerous gathering filled with compromised agents. It wasn’t until the Director walked in that it made sense.

Speaking of the Director, what a surprise that he is Inhuman, especially after my first idea that he was a life model decoy. It would have been a bit anti-climactic having all this hype about a new director and have them not be an already known character, but introducing an Inhuman director makes incredible story movements. I do miss the ATCU though, and is it far too late to wish we still had Constance Zimmer in the show?

There hasn’t been much material for Elizabeth Henstridge to sink her teeth into which I am still awaiting this season, since her single episode from Season 3, which cemented her as my all-star to watch. I am hoping there is some hearty and dramatic stories to come between her and Fitz that don’t involve breaking them apart.

My only major gripe with this episode was that the ghost storyline appears to be taking a larger role than I thought, which means we need to see some development of these ghostly characters we’ll be stuck with. Their make-up wasn’t all that convincing either.

I am putting aside my feelings on the direction this show is headed, I am not a huge fan of the new SHIELD set up, one that is interested in bring the agency back out of the shadows. I enjoyed the last few seasons of it being cut off from the government, almost like a Torchwood version of Marvel stories. I hope after these fractures in the team pay off story-wise that there is a way for the team to reunite. That said, I typically complain my way through stories like this and then appreciate them later.

Unfortunately, there will be no new episode next week due to the second debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. God save us all.

Verdict: 8/10

A solid second outing for S.H.I.E.L.D’s fourth season.