Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Review: Purpose in the Machine (Season 3 Episode 2)

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s second episode of Season 3, “Purpose in the Machine,” packs a serious punch, both emotionally and physically. Overall the episode is much stronger than the season opener, which felt mostly like exposition. “Purpose in the Machine” brings back everything we love about S.H.I.E.L.D.: complex team dynamics, our favorite heroes and villains, and just enough sci-fi to make our eyes go wide.

We pick up right where we left off, with Fitz breaking hearts and screaming at the monolith. The team pulls him out of the containment box just in time, but his confrontation with the stone gives them what they’ve been missing in their search for Jemma: sand that pre-dates the planet Earth by a billion years. With this clue they decide to put everything they’ve got into one last attempt at bringing her home.

The team calls in the help of an Asgardian from Season 1, Professor Randolph. His historical knowledge, along with the Hebrew clue Fitz found in Morocco last week, lead the team to a Castle in England. Initially, the team translated the clue to mean “death,” but Professor Randolph tells them that another translation is “death by punishment.” When they find a secret door in the castle beneath a stone with the word carved into it, Fitz walks straight in, proving that he’d quite literally walk into hell if that’s what it takes to get Jemma back.

Meanwhile, Andrew is still around to consult on the wellbeing of team S.H.I.E.L.D., as well as the new Inhumans they plan to bring on. Daisy is practically chomping at the bit to get the new Inhuman unit up and running, but Andrew has them waiting.

Andrew: All these people who transform have the potential to turn into monsters. But the team you do have, has that danger as well.

As a psychologist he reads people really well, often telling the team the truths about themselves that they don’t want to hear. He sees the leadership skills emerging in Daisy and is there to help her adjust to the change. I look forward to seeing him be the voice of reason on a team full of people who tend to think with their hearts instead of their heads.

Daisy: Being different can mean making a difference.

When Fitz and Co. find an ancient machine built to control the monolith they bring it, Mack, and Daisy in to open the portal. When the machine proves too old to handle the force the monolith, Daisy uses her powers to match the sub-frequency needed to hold it open. Instead of sending the probe in, Fitz hooks himself to the cable and dives in to get Jemma.

Jemma comes to the sound of his voice in the dusty blue haze of the other planet, while Daisy holds the portal open and Mack and Bobbi hold tight to the cable that connects them to Fitz. The team effort to save everyone causing the audience’s hearts to race and eyes to well up with tears. When the monolith shatters into pieces, it seems all may be lost until Fitz emerges from the rubble with Jemma in his arms. #FitzSimmonsLives

Mack: You did good, Tremors, you did good.

Other thoughts:

• Ward is rebooting Hydra, making it meaner and uglier than it was before.
• After some well earned time off Melinda is back in the game. She joins Hunter in his mission to end Ward (and by proxy his new Hydra). Seeing May take on Ward again is going to be exciting! I hope she fractures more than his larynx this time.
• Jemma’s having nightmares. Where has she been all this time and what did she see there? I can’t wait to see how it’s all connected!

What did you think of this week’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.? Be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

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Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on ABC.

Samantha Coley

Samantha (she/her) is a social media specialist by day and a sci-fi junkie by night. As a freelance writer and podcaster, she also enjoys live-tweeting, blogging, good music, and better television. Her current favorite television shows include Star Trek (yes, all of them), Riverdale, and Stranger Things and there will always be a place in her heart for Battlestar Galactica, Leverage, and The West Wing.