Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Review: Know Your Onions (Season 7 Episode 2)
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is only two episodes into their seventh and final season, but they’ve wasted no time getting down to brass tacks and jumping into action.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 7 Episode 2, “Know Your Onions,” is an action-packed episode. It rarely stops to let viewers catch their breath as Team S.H.I.E.L.D. battles the Chronicoms in 1931 before chasing them to another moment in time.
At its absolute best, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. does a little bit better of a job balancing the character building and heart moments with action than it does on “Know Your Onions.” But still, “Know Your Onions” is an exciting installment and isn’t without its emotional beats.
For instance, Daisy faces the dilemma that is common amongst time-travelers: Should we take out the bad guys and stop people from suffering if we can?
Obviously for anyone who watches time travel shows, the answer is “no.” But to watch Chloe Bennet take Daisy through that dilemma, and even tell Deke to take out Malick gives the audience an emotional reaction. It raises the question with the audience — what would you do in the same position?
But of course, creating an alternate reality is not in the best interest of the mission, so they spare Wilfred Malick and continue their fight.
Emotion (or lack thereof) also plays a tremendous role in Agent May’s “awakening” story. May clearly isn’t herself after waking up from Simmons’ healing chamber.
This development works because it creates a mystery thread, and has a profound impact on May’s character, which gives Ming-Na Wen some serious scenery to chew. So it works on multiple levels, and it’s still interesting when the episode is over.
Outside of those major emotional beats, “Know Your Onions” is a lot of action packed into an hour-long show.
It’s filled with exciting sequences, and the stakes are heightened by the main group being unable to communicate with Deke and Mack while they’re with Malick.
There are also some more teases of presumably upcoming character arcs. Yo-Yo, for instance, gets back out into the field but freezes when they need her speed. Ernest Koenig is introduced to new technologies and the future, which may have some interesting implications as they move forward in time.
So, though it feels like “Know Your Onions” is a little action heavy, it sets up several things that I can only assume will be important to having rich character arcs and an exciting final season plot. It seems to work to get people more invested, which is always a good strategy.
A few stray thoughts:
- I loved that not only is Wilfred (Freddy) Malick going to spawn a future head of HYDRA, but that he was brought in to deliver the key to the super soldier serum.
- Enoch referring to himself as “Best friend of Leopold Fitz” is both hilarious and heartwarming.
- Speaking of Enoch – it’s very disappointing that he was left behind in 1931, but since he doesn’t age hopefully they will meet up with him once they arrive in the new place and time.
- I think some of the emotional weight from the show is gone because Fitz is gone. Let’s get him back here, stat.
- My assumption is that when May died and then was brought back to life, she lost part of her soul. That’s why she’s acting weird.
What did you think of this episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on ABC.
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Nick Hogan
Nick Hogan is an experienced podcaster and writer (particularly on media topics), who loves discussion and analysis of TV and is always looking for new shows to watch. He is also a parent who loves buffalo wings, blowing raspberries, and his beloved Cincinnati Reds.