Run Away From The Kree "Together Or Not At All"

The Good: Good effects/direction, Performances are fine
The Bad: Simple plot, Light on character development
The Basics: Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. finds the Kree stumbling over their own principles in "Together Or Not At All," which ends up as a pretty basic chase episode.


Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D., to its credit, has gotten very dark in its fifth season. In addition to being physically darker in the distant future, thematically the show has become oppressive and miserable. Most of the main characters in the show are currently slaves, desperately clinging to the hope that Fitz can save them . . . as their other allies are slaughtered. "Together Or Not At All" finds the Agents struggling to escape the Lighthouse and the dismal future where the Earth is pretty much destroyed.

"Together Or Not At All" follows on the events of "Fun & Games" (reviewed here!) and it is impossible to discuss without references to where the prior episode went. Fitz, Simmons and Daisy made a bold move in cutting Kasius and breaking out of his arena. Coulson's team had to deal with Grill and May had been banished to the ruins of Earth in Fitz's desperate bid to save her life. As one might expect, "Together Or Not At All" is something of a chase episode as most of the characters flee the Kree, the Lighthouse and (in May's case) the "roaches" on the surface!

Fitz, Simmons and a wounded Daisy, flee through the Kree Sector of the Lighthouse. Kasius activates Jemma's implant and when a Kree comes to take them back, Daisy is forced to use weapons (not her powers). But when the trio heads toward Fitz's ship, they are dismayed when it is destroyed. Kasius begs Sinara to aid him in hunting Daisy. On the surface of the Earth, Enoch rescues May from the aliens. When the roaches flee the incoming gravity storm, it piques Enoch's interest, moments before Enoch and May are abducted by a mysterious figure.

While Daisy treats a wound Fitz received from a Kree hunter, the three are rescued by Deke, who made it out of his room. Reunited, the Agents (less May) are alarmed when Flint - having learned of his friend's murder - goes on his own to confront the Kree slavers. Flint begins attacking the Kree to bring vengeance for Tess, but he is stopped by Sinara who uses him as bait. When Daisy rescues him, the Agents find themselves trapped and they have to rely upon Deke to escape the Lighthouse, get to Earth and reunite with May!

"Together Or Not At All" is one of the more bloody episodes of Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.. While there is surprisingly little gore when Enoch kills the roaches, the Kree hunter sent to find Flint and Daisy is merciless and the scenes with him are frequently bloody. "Together Or Not At All" continues to play up the sense of carnage that has made the fifth season darker than the prior ones.

Kasius is mocked by his brother, Faulnak, throughout "Together Or Not At All." Kasius and Faulnak continue to reference their father and the reverence with which they speak of him hints at a character with the magnitude of Thanos. The idea that Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. could bring into the Marvel Cinematic Universe a lingering adversary of the same weight and power as Thanos or Ronan. Unfortunately for Kasius, "Together Or Not At All" weakens his character to elevate the Kree who keeps him down. Kasius does what many good leaders do, in that he surrounds himself with competent people able to execute his will. But, while other leaders are praised for that Kasius is derided and that is not a shade that plays on his character any better than his previous whining.

The Kree politics in "Together Or Not At All" play out in a painfully human way. For a group of aliens, the Kree in "Together Or Not At All" are motivated by very human emotions and weaknesses. This is an unfortunate twist within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Unlike something like Star Trek, which tries to flesh out recurring villains like the Klingons and Romulans with their own cultures, the Kree are reduced in "Together Or Not At All" humans in blue make-up.

Fitz gets the best lines in "Together Or Not At All," which almost makes up for his absence in the first few episodes of the season, as he tries to get credit for his accomplishments in getting to the future. "Together Or Not At All" is a necessary transition episode; at some point, the Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. have to escape the future to prevent Earth's destruction; this episode gets them that much closer, while still setting Mack and Yo-Yo up to try to save the dark future for no particularly good reason (if the Earth isn't destroyed, this tangent universe will, presumably, collapse).

The result is that "Together Or Not At All" plays as a very simple chase/escape episode that does very little enhance the main characters of the show.

5/10

For other elements of the MCU, please check out my Marvel Cinematic Universe Review Index Page for a comprehensive listing!

© 2018 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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The Inevitable Firefight For Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.: "Let Me Stand Next To Your Fire" Is Cool!

The Good: Good performances, Character interactions, Special effects, Direction
The Bad: Painfully predictable plot progression, Two of the smartest characters are suddenly surprisingly dumb, Chase scene filler
The Basics: Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. delivers a good episode with "Let Me Stand Next To Your Fire," which starts to restore some of the show's critical character dynamics.


As Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. makes its somewhat inevitable move toward alluding to Doctor Strange (as the television element of the Marvel Cinematic Universe does for all of the film works in the franchise!), viewers of the series are left with a show that is very much in the middle of a transition. With the episode "Let Me Stand Next To Your Fire," Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. continues its transition from a spy series into one that is obsessed with protecting the Earth from an apparent paranormal threat. The fourth season of Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. has been a jumble as it tries to redefine itself. Elements like the Life Model Decoy being infused into the new season might have worked far better when the show was trying to be a tense spy drama with adversaries with superhuman abilities and the political elements of the new season have gelled poorly with the Ghost Rider plotline. "Let Me Stand Next To Your Fire" is another episode that puts Ghost Rider at the forefront and it is blended with a plotline that puts the Inhuman James back into the narrative. And "Let Me Stand Next To Your Fire" is executed surprisingly well.

"Let Me Stand Next To Your Fire" picks up shortly after where "Uprising" (reviewed here!) left off and it is tough to discuss the new episode without some allusions to where the prior episode went. While the "ghosts" are now on a quest to find the book used by the scientist who created them, Daisy was severely wounded and needs help after abandoning Ghost Rider following the blackout.

Simmons and Fitz are shopping for an apartment (Simmons out in the field, Fitz by phone) when Daisy turns to Simmons for help. May wakes up and realizes, to her dismay, that it was Dr. Radcliffe who saved her. After revealing that the Watchdogs have a list of Inhumans and their powers, Daisy extorts Simmons to help her get the same information as the Watchdogs. Coulson approaches Eli Morrow to try to learn what created the "ghosts," who were his comrades (or test subjects). While leaving Morrow, Coulson and Mack see Robbie Reyes skulking around and they initiate a chase with him. While S.H.I.E.L.D. captures Reyes, Fitz discovers that Radcliffe is using May to evaluate Aida's new subroutines without her knowledge. Simmons and Daisy go off to find James - who took removal from Hive worse than Daisy.

Reuniting with James, Daisy warns him that the Watchdogs are after Inhumans like him and he is reluctant to move on from even his new crappy life. Coulson extorts Reyes to meet with his uncle Morrow and Morrow quickly figures out that Reyes is working with S.H.I.E.L.D. to find the woman from Morrow's team who is out killing people. As that woman hunts for the book, James lures Daisy into a Watchdog trap. The trap, however, goes awry when Ghost Rider shows up to confront James!

Simmons and Daisy sharing a scene is a refreshing return to form for Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.. The chemistry between Elizabeth Henstridge and Chloe Bennet is good. For the first time in the new season, there is some sense that Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. could effectively restore the dynamic it had worked to over the prior three seasons. One of the delightful character moments in "Let Me Stand Next To Your Fire" comes when Daisy learns that Simmons is now a high-level agent in the new S.H.I.E.L.D. The buddy cop vibe of Daisy and Simmons working together makes for a fun tone for those scenes in "Let Me Stand Next To Your Fire."

"Let Me Stand Next To Your Fire" includes a fairly banal car chase scene and it is far too late in the chase before Mack delivers a throwaway line to explain why Coulson and Mack are not simply flying Lola over the traffic as they pursue Reyes. Mack also makes a fun allusion to Luke Cage (reviewed here!), which is almost enough to make viewers wonder if Mack is destined for some form of super-power before Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. comes to an end.

When Ghost Rider was first teased as being in the fourth season of Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D., my first reaction was, "What's the point; they already have an Inhuman with the same, essential, powers?!" So, a conflict between James and Ghost Rider was almost inevitable and "Let Me Stand Next To Your Fire" does a surprisingly good job with it. The joy of that conflict in the episode comes largely because James is characterized well in "Let Me Stand Next To Your Fire." James was pretty much a jerk in the prior season of Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. and in "Let Me Stand Next To Your Fire," he is a self-loathing Inhuman. It is interesting to see him lash out at Daisy and call her out for transforming him into an Inhuman. While it might seem spoilerific that James is leading Daisy and Simmons into a trap, it is so telegraphed that only the heroes fail to recognize that they are walking into an obvious trap. For all the conceptual issues with putting James and Ghost Rider in the same place and time, the truncated nature of their battle is disappointing.

"Let Me Stand Next To Your Fire" uses Simmons well, ultimately, despite her not seeing the obvious trap. Simmons recognizes Aida for what she is instantly and it is nice to see she continues to be characterized as the super genius she is supposed to be. In a similar fashion, Coulson becomes a true leader for the S.H.I.E.L.D. team once again . . . which makes it seem all the more silly that his character had been undermined and replaced as Director for the other episodes in the season.

What is shown of the Ghost Rider and James battle is a wonderful execution of the special effects; it is a shame it is not a longer and better-developed fight. Between that and the character elements, there is a lot for fans of Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. to enjoy in "Let Me Stand Next To Your Fire."

For other works with Ghost Rider, please check out my reviews of:
Ghost Rider
Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance
Shadowland: Blood On The Streets

[Knowing that single episodes are an inefficient way to get episodes, it's worth looking into Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. - The Complete Fourth Season on DVD or Blu-Ray, which is also a better economical choice than buying individual episodes. Read my review of the fourth season here!
Thanks!]

6/10

For other reviews of elements of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, please check out my Marvel Cinematic Universe Review Index Page for a listing of all those reviews!

© 2016 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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"Stick" Trains Matt Murdock To Become Daredevil!

The Good: Plot works, Acting and characterization is competent
The Bad: Boring, Nothing superlative on the acting front, Predictably choreographed fights
The Basics: One of the essential Daredevil backstory characters makes it into the television story in "Stick!"


As the first season of Daredevil progressed, it was clear that the street-fighter vigilante story was taking a long arc into the super hero domain. Matt Murdock, by the midpoint of the first season, has not been called Daredevil or the Man Without Fear and Wilson Fisk is still building his organization; he is not yet The Kingpin. The thirteen-episode first season reached its midpoint with the episode "Stick" and it provides an opportunity for reflection into the protagonist's past.

Since "World On Fire" (reviewed here!), Daredevil has been in a plot hole that requires a massive amount of work to get the characters out of their current predicaments. Indeed, "Condemned" (reviewed here!) takes place over the course of a single night and almost exclusively in one building (at least for Matt Murdock's part in the story). "Stick" opens well, with an obvious narrative gap between "Condemned" and it, which allows for the story to progress beyond Hell's Kitchen's darkest night. The whole purpose of "Stick" seems to be to seed a future plotline, while explaining how Matt Murdock got his fighting skills.

Opening in a building where a man is being pursued by another, the pursued man attempts to shoot his attacker. The man is fleeing from the blind Stick, who is asking about the location of Black Sky. After he gets an answer, he kills the man. At Nelson And Murdock, Foggy flirts with Karen, who has to leave abruptly. At a parking garage in Hell's Kitchen, Leland Owlsley meets with Nobu, nervous about getting killed by Fisk like Vladimir was. Nobu does not want a strategic alliance and Owlsley falls prey to the Masked Vigilante, but is able to escape when Murdock is distracted. Murdock is distracted by the arrival of Stick.

The episode flashes back to young Matt Murdock meeting Stick and going out for his first lessons in how to adapt to being blind and having an overwhelming sensitivity. Twenty years later, Stick reveals to Murdock why he has returned; Stick wants to help Murdock save Hell's Kitchen. Meanwhile, Karen Page and Ben Urich meet again to talk about what it means to continue investigating Fisk's operation. Stick derides Murdock for the way he is living, but asks Murdock for help in getting the Black Sky before it falls into Nogu's hands. On the docks, Murdock and Stick intercept a boy being smuggled into Hell's Kitchen; the Black Sky. When Stick tries to kill the boy, Murdock intervenes and finds himself in direct conflict with the Yokuza and Stick!

In "Stick," Matt Murdock and Foggy Nelson are actually partners and there is a whole "buddy comedy" aspect to their relationship at moments in which they interact. Still, their friendship is evident in this episode and it works nicely to contrast some of the episode's other, darker, elements. In fact, the positive interactions between Murdock and Nelson at the episode's outset play well as Stick tries to get Murdock to give up his connections.

Threaded throughout the episode are flashbacks to the young Matt Murdock being trained by Stick. Stick is a jerk, but he helps to Matt manage his new abilities. Stick also has the moral goals that Matt adopts, but he is willing to kill and insists that Murdock will have to cross that line to achieve his goals of cleaning up Hell's Kitchen. Stick is characterized as a cold mentor who has almost lost his humanity in his quest to save civilization.

Also peppered in "Stick" are scenes that have Karen Page trying to connect Tully and his rent control apartment scam to Fisk. Those scenes have Page overcoming her fear, almost to the point of stupidity. Page's character is a little weakened by the way she witlessly walks out of Cardenas's apartment without her pepper spray at the ready. It is unfortunate - especially after Urich's advice - that she is forced into the role of damsel in distress.

"Stick" degenerates into yet another fight scene and the fight between Murdock and Stick feels incredibly choreographed. The episode serves as an odd bounce back and forth as a Daredevil origin story. Viewers are finally rewarded for their faith in the show by seeing how Matt Murdock learned the martial arts that allow him to confidently fight crime on the streets at night. In the present, Stick is pursuing his own agenda and Murdock ends up with his iconic batons.

Ultimately, "Stick" is an average-at-best story that is superlative in no ways; the acting is fine, the characters move, but the plot is unremarkable and more than any of the other episodes, it feels like filler.

For other works with Scott Glenn, be sure to check out my reviews of:
Sucker Punch
W.
Nights In Rodanthe
The Silence Of The Lambs

[Knowing that single episodes are an inefficient way to get episodes, it's worth looking into Daredevil - The Complete First Season on DVD or Blu-Ray, which is also a better economical choice than buying individual episodes. Read my review of the debut season of the Man Without Fear here!
Thanks!]

4/10

For other television episode and movie reviews, please visit my Movie Review Index Page!

© 2015 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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