Agents of SHIELD Review: BOOM (Season 4 Episode 13)

One of the worst feelings in the world is helplessness. Two characters having this feeling are the big cheeses in charge of SHIELD — Agent Phil Coulson and Director Jeffrey Mace.

Coulson’s monologue that starts out Agents of SHIELD  Season 4 Episode 13, “BOOM,” highlights just how far now he is willing to go to rescue May.

Phil has been bottling these emotions for Melinda so long that it’s leading to risks that he normally wouldn’t take.

One of those risks is searching for Dr. Radcliffe’s former lover, Agnes Kitsworth, who looks exactly like AIDA.

Finding out she is dying has made her want to live life to the fullest, and that’s something we all should do when we know the end is coming.  After a bad first meeting, a second one leads to a heartfelt revelation from Phil about how much Melinda means to him and she agrees to help by setting up a meeting with Radcliffe.

Her name is Melinda May and she means everything to me.” –Coulson

The Agnes/Dr. Radcliffe meeting brings up something I’ve thought about. Because of the Darkhold, AIDA has created an entire virtual world.

Dr. Radcliffe offers Agnes the chance to live in that world too. Agnes, like many of us I honestly believe would do, accepts and leaves to pass away quietly in AIDA’s Matrix-like world.

All is not hopeless, however, as Coulson overhears Radcliffe mentioning May doing well in the virtual world and this fills me with renewed hope that he can save her and finally open up to her. The real Melinda May. After all this time, happiness is deserved for both of them.

The rest of the team deals with them trying to take down Shockley, a watchdog who has gained inhuman powers.

Okay, the ability to blow himself up — but it could be worse. Remember Raina?

Jeffrey Mace, on the other hand, would kill for that power. Or any inhuman power. After a devastating test with Simmons, he finds he is benched as the serum could kill him if he uses it again.

One of the best things about Agents of SHIELD this season is how well Director Mace works. From his first appearance on “Meet The New Boss” to now, Jeffrey has become on of my favorite characters on the show.

I relate so damn much — from trying to please everyone to that feeling of wanting to help even when you can’t, and that anxiety of wanting to be a part of the team in any way possible.

Mace has gone from being perceived as a selfish character to being pretty darn self-less, in my opinion.

Mace’s slowly building connection with Daisy is unexpectedly becoming another great thing to witness on Agents of SHIELD. Daisy being the only one that Jeffrey opens up to feels real and makes their scenes connect more.

Why checking the news, the team learns that Shockley blew up Senator Nadeer’s office, killing her. More on that in the quick thoughts section. We see another moment of helplessness as the team goes to investigate the scene.

Mace is forced to play spokesman again while Fitz, Simmons, and Daisy investigate. Seeing how much it hurts Mace, knowing that he can’t help without risking a heart attack is tearing at his soul.

After some brainstorming by Leo and Jemma, they figure out that he is inhuman and is literally a human bomb. Fitz and Mace are able to football tackle him out of the ship but that also frees him as his powers lets him reform after every explosion. Isn’t it always convent that the bad guys always get the best powers?

This shows another example of how much Mace wants to be a hero, a part of the team. He and Fitz could have been blown up but they didn’t care. Because when you are hero, you think of others instead of yourself.

Another example of this comes later when Mace holds off the Russians for FitzSimmons and Daisy to capture Shockley. Mace knows he’s outgunned, but he doesn’t care. He just wants to help the team and prove that he is a hero just like they are.

I wish I could say it goes well, but Mace gets captured and brought to the Superior. My early feeling is that The Superior will not be drinking vodka with Director Mace, but instead that he’ll be showing off some very scary torture techniques.

QUICK THOUGHTS

• Simmons’s slap of the shoulder then hug to Fitz after he and Mace stopped Shockley is perfect. They are basically a married couple already.
• Man, do I love the pairing of Fitz, Simmons, Mace and Quake. It’s so exciting and a perfect combination of characters.
• I’m slowly shipping Mace and Daisy. Slowly.
• Daisy’s reaction to finding out Nadeer was dead is priceless. “Okay well we can’t be too sad” Chloe Bennet’s underrated comedic skills strike again.
• Bye, Senator Nadeer. You will not be missed.
• Do I detect a little jealousy in AIDA as she takes Agnes’s necklace?
• If that dream world is as perfect as AIDA and Dr. Radcliffe make it out to be, will May even want to leave it? The temptation to stay might be too high.

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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