Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Review: 3×04 “Devils You Know”

Can S.H.I.E.L.D. and the ATCU play nice? Lash puts their newfound cooperation to the brutal test and reckless vengeance by Hunter may prove deadly.

CAUTION: SPOILERS AHEAD IN OUR DETAILED REVIEW

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. — Though Director Coulson (Clark Gregg) and Rosalind Price (Constance Zimmer) have tenuously agreed to work together, both sides are playing their hands carefully as the two organizations search for the mysterious Lash (Matthew Willig), an Inhuman who is hunting and killing other Inhumans. Daisy (Chloe Bennet) and Mack (Henry Simmons) identify a lead in the troubled Dwight Frye (Chad Lindberg) who has been working with Lash to track victims.

RELATED | Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Review: 3×03 “A Wanted INHU(MAN)”

Meanwhile, Hunter (Nick Blood) is pressing ahead at all costs in his quest for vengeance against Ward (Brett Dalton). Determined to strike before Bobbi (Adrianne Palicki) can return to the field, Hunter finds himself in way over his head as he’s delivered right to the heart of Hydra, and to Ward himself. With only May (Ming-Na Wen) as backup, Hunter risks everything to take Ward down, but Ward has other plans that may put loved ones squarely in harms way on the latest tension-filled episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.!

We’d watch Clark Gregg and Constance Zimmer interrogate all day long.

If there’s another element that’s been a standout this season, it still have to be the growing dynamics between all the characters in different combinations than ever before. Mack and Daisy have developed a bond that has become just plain fun to watch. They trust each other completely and that’s a far cry from where they were a year ago. Mack was the poster child for anything not human being über bad and Daisy was being wracked by parent issues on all fronts.

But thus far this season, these two have been the brick and mortar that’s held things together and we’re loving the chemistry between Chloe Bennet and Henry Simmons. Mack is one to show his emotions on his sleeve and when he’s got a nickname or two for you, it means you’re good in his book. Whether he’s referring to Daisy as “Tremors” or the more familiar “D” Mack definitely has her back and this is one dynamic we hope grows continuously throughout the season.

As the group closed in on the elusive Lash by finding Dwight Frye (Chad Lindberg) this episode really show off its polish. With Coulson and Price exchanging barbs, it was Mack that brought it all back to reality and we’re loving that he’s the cool head that prevails when the parents are acting more like squabbling kids. As everyone squared off on sharing of secrets and distrust, it was Mack that brought them all back to the task at hand—Dwight Frye’s apartment.

“You know that door won’t open itself, right?” ~ Mack

That’s growth for Mack and a sign that his character is in a good place. But the show stealers are still Clark Gregg and Constance Zimmer. We absolutely love the banter these two have going back and forth and veteran Writer Paul Zbyszewski simply outdid himself in this episode giving them exceptional dialogue to play off of one another as they interrogated Dwight and ultimately agreed to let Daisy and Mack aboard the truck to see the ATCU facility. All of that got stopped by Lash in a dazzling display of visual effects that left Dwight dead and us wondering who Lash might really be, but none of that takes away from the Gregg and Zimmer banter.

“Do you really have a laser finger?” ~ Price

“Sorry. It’s classified.” ~ Coulson

The dialogue between these two has been classic, snappy and witty banter, but it’s not forced. It has progressed naturally and it’s obvious that Gregg and Zimmer are having a ball with it. We see it in all the little looks and jabs. We’d be just fine if these two exchanged flirty barbs every week. We know some of the fandom loathes her, but it’s fun to see this kind of sizzle. Let’s face it, we all want to know if he really has a laser finger, but the real question might be how did Lash know where the truck, and Dwight, would be? Things that make you go hmm…

The odd couple of Bobbi and Fitz are a delight, but a dash of Simmons is the final ingredient of great drama.

Like all the other relationships that have blossomed into something good this season, Bobbi and Fitz, though a very unlikely pair, have been just as fun to watch as the rest. You can tell that despite the two knocking heads on how to work together, they genuinely do care about each other. Just the same, where Simmons hasn’t seemed to open to Fitz, she very much had to come clean to Bobbi after being caught working on a way to reopen the portal.

As a relationship adviser, Bobbi probably doesn’t have the best track record, but since she cares about both Fitz and Simmons, it’s very clear she wants to see both happy. Not one to divulge secrets, we admired her restraint once Fitz also discovered Simmons’s Monolith research. But that didn’t stop her from putting in a good word for Turbo.

“Have you told anyone else that you want to go back? You might want to. There’s someone in particular who’s really worried about you.” ~ Bobbi

“I wonder who that might be.” ~ Simmons

But Simmons is clearly damaged by something far deeper than we know. Once again, this show has found ways to layer in such rich detail in side element that we are dying to dig deeper. In one of the most emotional and compelling moments of the hour, Simmons opens, just a crack to Andrew who seems to understand her trauma was already there. He just had to say the right things to get her to react. In recounting one survivor’s heroic story, he struck a chord in her psyche.

“She never gave up hope.” ~ Andrew

“I did.” ~ Simmons

The fact that Simmons quickly changed the subject tells us there’s likely something much deeper at play. Evasion is often a defensive tactic and she backpedaled in a hurry. Elizabeth Henstridge struck just the right flavors of melancholy to pull us right into her sadness. Iain De Caestecker has wowed us continuously with his emotional range and depth this season and Henstridge equaled that effort in just the right small ways here. The two of them together have been outstanding and as the episode closed with her admission there was much still unsaid, all we could think was how much we didn’t want to see this episode end without knowing more. That’s fantastic writing and compelling characters hooking us completely.

Revenge by cell phone video? We really do live in a new age.

Hunter (Nick Blood) has been a man on a relentless mission, but he’s focused on more than just getting to and killing Ward. He’s under self-imposed time pressure to get it done before Bobbi returns to the field. It’s an interesting choice by the writing team to allow his character to stain himself with the darkness of revenge in order to spare her of the same. Can he recover from what he has to do? Will his relationship with Bobbi survive it?

After this episode, the biggest question might be if he survives May (Ming-Na Wen) for selfishly throwing Andrew’s safety into the wind for a shot to kill Ward. That may be a level of darkness Hunter can’t recover from if Ward made good on his threats by cell phone video and Andrew (Blair Underwood) is killed. That’s a very dark road for anyone to follow and we get this sinking feeling that Hunter is one that won’t be able to wash the stain from his soul so easily as he thinks. Killing Hydra thugs is one thing. Selfishness directly responsible for killing Andrew is another. Of all people, Hunter should understand that fighting for the person you love comes first.

Melinda might be struggling with Andrew personally, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t care. Whatever impasse these two reached in the off-season, it’s obvious that May and Andrew still care deeply for each other even if they can’t find common ground right now. In the mean time, sparks continued to fly as they two knocked heads. To say that May walking in to SHIELD and finding Andrew talking to Coulson was awkward would be an understatement. That choice for her moment to return was perfect comedic and dramatic timing. As they confronted each other later, it was surprising that Andrew really was the one that caused this rift.

“Damn it, Melinda, I-I know I’ve handled this all wrong. I shouldn’t have walked away like I did.” ~ Andrew

“I did the same to you. Now we’re even.” ~ May

But despite the fact they may have both handled the situation badly, they still care and their faces told a different story than their words. As May later encountered the often used trope of facing her loved one on video about to be killed, we saw the fear very clearly in her eyes. Whatever was said in the hallway at S.H.I.E.L.D. didn’t matter. She did care and couldn’t hide it. What made the situation even more desperate was Hunter. Not willing to let Ward go even to save Andrew, Hunter may have added a stain that no amount of redemption can remove. We swear May considered shooting Hunter to stop him for a split second. Love does funny things to people and the fallout from this may be cataclysmic, especially since Ward ultimately got away.

FINAL VERDICT: Quirky, intense and full of layered subplots, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. just continues to deliver solid episodes week after week. We see quality arcs developing once again and that’s a very good thing.

The Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. writing team hasn’t gotten enough love this season for how well they are layering so many intelligent, emotional sub plots in with the main stories each week. Some shows have side stories that feel like they are delaying us from getting back to the good stuff, but that’s not the case with this show. Each developing side story is rich enough that we can see entire episodes dedicated to bringing those stories to the forefront later on. The rich side stories are one element that’s impressed us this season as this show has unfolded and Writer Paul Zbyszewski‘s stellar script helped those moments shine.

As side elements go, none have been better than Clark Gregg and Constance Zimmer together. They just keep impressing us. There’s a brimming, almost sexual tension brewing between the two. It feels like part rivalry and part flirting, but it’s all fun to watch. Daisy certainly has picked up on the flirting aspect as she very nearly accused Coulson of protecting the “dragon lady” for that very reason and then went on to point out all the attractive qualities that might make Rosalind catch the eye of one bachelor Director. Coulson nipped that conversation in the bud, but Daisy was only saying what we were all thinking. Is something going on there? But as with so many other aspects of this show, they don’t take the obvious and direct route for anything. Things develop much more organically and that is part of what makes this show so good.

Veteran Director Ron Underwood returned for his second stint on this show. The accomplished director who has done equally well on television and in film brings a unique sense of comedic timing and emotional tone to every project. It’s no surprise with hits like Tremors, City Slickers and Mighty Joe Young under your belt. Underwood did an excellent job of shifting gears between the more dynamic action pieces, comedic banter and the gut wrenching emotions of the final few minutes.

Underwood is very good at letting characters and dialogue set up the very next scene right before the cut and he captured those types of moments very well in this episode. And as good as the banter was between Coulson and Price, the emotional gravity of May’s dilemma with Ward threatening Andrew was masterfully done. Kudos to Underwood for camera angles and emotional notes that hit just right as things jumped into high gear and the fate of Andrew was left hanging in the balance.

All in all, “Devils You Know” was another quality episode that’s continuing to prove that this show has hit its stride with no sign of slowing. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. just keeps bringing quality and entertaining episodes to the table. It may never win an outright Emmy for dramatic performance, but that doesn’t mean that high caliber work isn’t being done each week by a dedicated cast and crew. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is simply fun to watch and we wouldn’t have it any other way. We’re both dying to know answers and loving the process of them unfolding. Each week leaves us wanting more.

Questions, Comments, Concerns and My Reaction on Twitter…

• Random new people and chicken just feels like it’s all gonna go wrong.
• Is anyone else LOVING the Mack & Daisy team?
• Shouldn’t they have bigger guns?
• So they were introverts. How’d you find them Coulson? She’s on to you Phil.
• I like it when you get tough. Was that foreplay?? O.O
• Hunter IS getting sloppy.
• If I get a shot at Ward. I’m taking it. BEFORE Bobbi gets back in the field. Wow. Avenging his woman AND protecting her.
• He never gave up hope. I did. That experience would scar anyone.
• May. Coulson. Andrew. Am I interrupting something? Um. #AwkwardJustWalkedIn
• Hey. No tie. Still practicing. That hand is a little stiff Phil.
• The killer has an IT guy? Your most powerful player is also your IT gal Phil. lol
• You know that door won’t open itself right? Gotta love Mack. #BreakUpTheSquabblingKids
• If the crazy Inhuman tells you to #GetOut .. I wouldn’t have heard the second one. #WooshGone
• Wait, what an allergy to Inhumans??
• Careful, it’s got laser finger. Somehow, I don’t think he’s kidding. lol
• Do you really have a laser finger? I LOVE the banter between these two.
• After all the time in the lab, I’d hate to be the first person Bobbi gets to drop the hammer on.
• Trapped with Lash in a small metal box. Bad, bad, bad, bad. o:
• May in the house! #NowWardsWorried
• Revenge is a dish best served by .. FaceTime??
• HOLY SHITE!!! Did that JUST happen????
• Holy hell. This shit just got REAL.
• Did anyone else think May seriously considered shooting someone ELSE for a split second?