Agents of SHIELD Review: The Patriot (Season 4 Episode 10)
Keeping secrets always ends up being much more harmful than revealing them.
Agents of SHIELD Season 4 Episode 10, “The Patriot,” reveals Director Maze’s secret while we find a few others struggling to keep theirs.
It isn’t shocking at all finding out Jeffrey was hiding another secret from the group. However, the reveal that the Director’s powers are because of a variation of Daisy’s father’s serum, and aren’t Inhuman powers is surprising.
The first clue is during a ceremony to honor Daisy back to S.H.I.E.L.D. Some HYDRA sniper tries to ruin the moment, and through it all, we see Jeffrey’s flunky (for lack of a better word) Agent Burrows follow him around with a mysterious briefcase that has the inhuman serum inside of it.
Sadly, we say goodbye to Burrows during an attack on the jet, and after some hairy moments, the team finds Bronson and the case but some old HYDRA goons ambushes them.
At his core, Jeffrey is a good man, and he reveals it a few times in this episode — especially near the end after suffering a gunshot wound and helping Mack and Coulson defeat the goons.
This leads to a heart-to heart when Maze offers his resignation, but Coulson refuses. Coulson does take back control of making all the decisions but to be fair he has been doing this anyway.
That moment shows us both men for who they truly are — Maze as a figurehead, a well-meaning loyal one but a figurehead nonetheless.
Phil, on the other hand, the leader he truly always has been. Stern and tough but also cares more than he will ever let on. A touching scene at the end of an interesting episode.
Now let us quickly hit upon the other people hiding secrets on “The Patriot.”
Dr. Radcliffe and AIDA 2.0 kidnapping the real Agent May starts to strain on Radcliffe and causes him to make a mistake in May’s spa day simulation. May thrives more in action and fighting than relaxing in “Tahiti.”
Meanwhile, Life Model Decoy May is slowly realizing something is off with her. A beautiful conversation with Daisy inside Coulson’s car (and the reveal that he let May drive her once just reveals Philinda is real) gives us the first hint, robot May may slowly be awakening to what’s really happening.
The gash LMD May sees at the end of this episode highlights this more as she see her exoskeleton.
Ming Na Wen is crushing this out of the ballpark, and it hurts that no awards will go her way for this outstanding performance of a woman/robot trying desperately to keep a secret while figuring out what is happening to her.
Fitz once more is hiding a secret from Jemma again, and I hate it.
Leo keeps AIDA 1.0’s head online as he’s trying to find more secrets from it. This disappoints me, because earlier Fitz and Simmons had a wonderful and healthy conversation about AIDA. It’s lovely seeing a mature couple discuss issues calmly and without drama.
So seeing Fitz lie to Jemma about AIDA is disappointing, and I swear, Agents of SHIELD, if you mess up FitzSimmons in any permanent way, we are going to have words.
Secrets have a way of eating you up inside. Seeing the team deal with these secrets and creating new ones shows that the old saying still rings true: honesty is always the best policy.
HENRY SIMMONS, CLARK GREGG
QUICK THOUGHTS:
- General Talbot’s return gives us a memorable moments. His demand of a cup of coffee from Burrows was funny. The revealing of the secret of Jeffrey’s serum to Fitz and Simmons: not so funny
- Jemma’s use of AIDA 1.0’s disembowled head to scare a confession from the HYDRA sniper was brilliant. I can’t wait for the day when Jemma Simmons is the Director of SHIELD.
- Awesome to see Coulson’s holographic shield back in action tonight. I know it’s hard to use each week but I selfishly want more of it!
- I feel a lot better that Jeffrey is using Daisy’s dad serum since they got the bad parts out! Well most of them according to Talbot…..oh boy.
What did you think of this episode of Agents of SHIELD? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Agents of SHIELD airs Tuesdays at 10/9c on ABC.
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Charles Dulaney
Charles is a full-time fan of television and movies when he's not swamped by his many cats. He's also a proud Uncle who can't wait to show his nieces and nephews all of J.J. Abrams' TV work. He loves all things DC TV and Agents of SHIELD.