Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Review – “What They Become”

We now have the first names to some characters thanks to this episode. Can we guess the last names?

Cast and Crew Information

Clark Gregg as Phil Coulson
Ming-Na Wen as Melinda May
Brett Dalton as Grant Ward
Chloe Bennet as Skye whose birthname is Daisy. Is she Quake from “Secret Warriors”?
Iain De Caestecker as Leo Fitz
Elizabeth Henstridge as Jemma Simmons
BJ Britt as Agent Triplett
Nick Blood as Lance Hunter
Reed Diamond as Daniel Whitehall
Ruth Negga as Raina
Patton Oswalt as Billy and Sam Koenig
Adrianne Palicki as Bobbi Morse
Kyle MacLachlan as Cal or is that Calvin Zabo?

Written by Jeffrey Bellk
Directed by Michael Zinberg

Premise

Skye is reunited with her father, and everything comes to a head in the city that we might as well call Attilan until we learn otherwise.

High Point

Virtual confirmation of the name of the city.

Low Point

There’s a moment here that would have been much more powerful had the first half of the season played out differently for that character.

The Review

This was a well structured midseason break. We’ve managed to see a lot get wrapped up, but in ways that allow for new directions to be taken. That helps maintain an original feel. I give it 5 out of 6.

The effects were well done, even though many were seen before. Aside from the final sequence, they are all somewhat familiar. I give it 5 out of 6.

The story did its job and did it well. We’ve got a lot of setup here, and some reveals that surprised me, which is always a good thing. I give it 5 out of 6.

The acting was pretty good. I usually like Chloe Bennett’s work, but when you put her in an intense scene next to Kyle MacLachlan, you can clearly see where she has room for development. I give it 5 out of 6.

The production was generally good. Sure, the framing was a bit off in the first conversation between Skye and her father, but they also had a convincingly intense knock-down, drag-out fight between a 52 year old and a 55 year old near the end. I give it 5 out of 6.

The emotional response to this episode as a whole should have been great, and was marred only by the low point. I give it 5 out of 6.

Overall, it’s a very good episode, indicative of what the series has become since the release of Captain America: Winter Soldier. I give it 5 out of 6.

In total, What They Become receives 35 out of 42.

7 replies on “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Review – “What They Become””

  1. Tripp, no!!!! My daughter and I, both big fans of the show, are really bummed about the loss of Tripp. As much as we wanted his character to have gotten a bigger role in the series, the role he did have was impactful. He was a great character, and will be missed.

  2. I much prefer this sort of cliffhanger. The kind that makes you wonder what is going to happen next without specifically leaving someone’s fate in question. And is it weird that I’m more curious about what will happen with Raina than I am with Skye?

    With the name drops, locations, and from what has been going around, I suspect the guesses in spoilertext above are correct. Things will really be shaking up (pun completely intended) when it comes back.

    And this was only episode 10 of (presumably, but unconfirmed) 22. Now AoS is on break until March, with Agent Carter filling in the gap. Doing the math, even with no repeats, that puts it around episode 18 or so by the time Age of Ultron drops for the tie-in. A bit later than Cap 2 last year.

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