Ignoring The Conceits, "A Life Spent" Builds The Dark Future Of Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. Well!

The Good: Decent performances, Good plot progression and pacing, Moments of character development
The Bad: Predictable plot reversals - especially with Abby
The Basics: "A Life Spent" progresses the story of the various Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. in their dark future as they try to piece together what life is like on the Lighthouse and how they might save the Earth.


If viewers of Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. were to actually believe the events of the two-part season premiere for the show's fifth season, Earth is destroyed and most of the familiar Agents are now in a distant future. The season's direction has become clear by the time "A Life Spent," the season's third episode, begins: the Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. are destined to return to the present from the distant future and participate in events that should restore Earth. The idea that the Earth could be destroyed on Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. is a preposterous one given the scope of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but for viewers who decide to play along with the conceit, the season progresses in "A Life Spent."

"A Life Spent" follows on "Orientation, Part 2" (reviewed here!), which found the Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. - less Fitz - trapped on one of the last human outposts in the debris field which is Earth in the distant future. There, most of the Agents have become indentured to the mercenary Grill, Simmons has become a geisha working for the Kree overlord Kaius, and Daisy and Yo-Yo have the potential to be hunted like animals if ever their status as Inhumans is revealed. The facility upon which the Agents find themselves is dark, dank, and dangerous and they have very few allies among the humans, who are now an endangered species living under the heel of the Kree who swept in after Earth's cataclysm.

Kasius greets an emissary on the Lighthouse from Basha, who is concerned about an impending ceremony. When there is conflict between Kasius and the representative, the Kree leader turns to Simmons for aid. In the bowels of the Lighthouse, Coulson, Rodriguez and Mack slave away for Grill while Coulson tries to decipher the notebook he found of Virgil's. Daisy Johnson searches with Deke for her friends, living in denial that she might be the cause of the Earth's destruction. May and Tess spring Coulson and Mack for some dangerous work on the trawler, leaving Rodriguez to try to steal scrolls out of Grill's office. On the other levels, Simmons encounters Abby, an Inhuman who is anxious about showing off her abilities in order to escape the Lighthouse. Simmons realizes that Abby has the ability to consciously change her molecular density!

On the trawler, Coulson and May search for a chunk of Earth that is noted frequently in the journal. En route, Grill's man on the trawler attacks the team and they are forced to retaliate, much to Tess's chagrin. But soon, the ship discovers a transmission nearby that appears to be coming from the surface of the Earth. Abby is put into the ring against Lady Basha's champion and it is only with Simmons's help that the Inhuman girl manages to survive. When Grill's man instantly turns on the trawler crew, it is up to Rodriguez to save them!

"A Life Spent" does a decent job of reminding viewers of the skills and relationships of the Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.. Simmons is a medical doctor and her training and experience got her into trouble in the prior episode; in "A Life Spent," she uses her medical knowledge, S.H.I.E.L.D. training and experience with the Inhumans to try to save Abby's life. Simmons is guided by compassion and that comes through in the way she treats Abby. Elizabeth Henstridge does a decent job of emoting with only her facial expressions when Simmons is forced to watch Abby get pummeled. Director Kevin Hooks does a good job with keeping the audio and visual distortions Simmons is suffering through consistent and unsettling.

The real heroes in "A Life Spent" are the Inhumans. Rodriguez earns her place on the full team by stealing Grill's scrolls, getting them to Johnson and ultimately coming to the aid of her team. Rodriguez proves in "A Life Spent" that she does not only move fast, she thinks fast and the result is satisfying, if unfortunately predictable, television. At the other end of the spectrum, Daisy Johnson turns on Deke and does her best to get to Simmons, in the process outing herself as an Inhuman. Johnson's arc feels much more like filler in "A Life Spent," but with it comes the promise that her arc might actually go somewhere in the subsequent episodes.

While the discovery of a signal from Earth offers real potential for future storylines and exploration of this dark tangent in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the episode's truly exceptional moment comes from one of the most simple scenes. May and Coulson reconnect and in their exchange of dialogue they completely rekindle their chemistry and the potential they had of advancing their relationship. When Coulson places his hand on May's shoulder, it is the most intimate moment of the new season and it is filmed by Hooks in a way that highlights the very basic connection between the two characters. It's nice to see.

On the performance front, "A Life Spent" is fine, but most of the performers are playing familiar characters and they do not show off anything in this episode that we have not seen from them before. They are solid in their roles and they help to move the plot forward at a respectable pace.

"A Life Spent" is the first episode of the fifth season that illustrates that, regardless of how ridiculous the notion is that the setting might not simply be undone by the end of the season, the journey in this horrible place might actually be worth investing in!

For other works with Pruitt Taylor Vince, please visit my reviews of:
True Blood - Season 6
Beautiful Creatures
The Walking Dead - Season 2
Constantine
The Cell

7.5/10

For other television reviews, please check out my Television Review Index Page for a comprehensive listing!

© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Ease Into Inevitable Bloodbath: "Danger Close" On The Punisher.

The Good: Well-directed, Good performances, Moments of character development
The Bad: Simple plot, Erratic pacing
The Basics: The Punisher begins to accelerate toward the season's conclusion as "Danger Close" raises the stakes and the body count.


As the first season of The Punisher rushed toward its conclusion, the fans had a reasonable question of "how can they possibly sustain this?!" After all, by "Danger Close," Frank Castle is publicly exposed, he knows his old friend is his enemy and one of the primary villains of the season is already dead. It seems like there is very little left for the season to do, save help Madani get justice for Stein's death and for Frank Castle to actually take out Rawlins.

"Danger Close" follows on the heels of the perfect episode "Virtue Of The Vicious" (reviewed here!) and it refocuses the show on David Lieberman, who was absent from the prior episode. Lieberman renews his partnership with Castle, though Castle continues to feel betrayed by the fact that Lieberman met with Madani without him.

Frank Castle sits alone with the homeless people near burn barrels by the river, while Russo wages a public relations campaign against him and Madani. As Russo publicly turns on Castle, The Punisher - still wounded - makes it back to Lieberman's hideout. After Castle removes the shrapnel from his arm, Lieberman volunteers to stitch him up. At the Lieberman house, Sarah recognizes Frank Castle on her television as the man she knew as Pete. Russo meets with Madani and interrogates him. Russo stonewalls, while Rawlins reaches out to James for authorization to access surveillance that will allow him to find Castle and send Russo after him.

While Castle remakes his Punisher armor, Sarah and Zach are taken by people outfitted as New York City Police Officers. Castle notices damage in the Lieberman house and he becomes determined to save Sarah and Zach, while sending David to find and rescue Leo. Madani and Hernandez call James in while Russo rebels against Rawlins's authority. Using Rawlins's intelligence and access, Russo's mercenaries storm Lieberman's hideout only to find The Punisher waiting for them!

Ebon Moss-Bachrach continues to be the very human heart in The Punisher as Lieberman. Moss-Bachrach speaks in compassionate tones, softly and in a way that is clearly empathetic in every encounter Lieberman has with Castle. Lieberman does all he can to show Castle an uncommon level of support and remind him of the fact that they are on the same side. From almost the first moments of The Punisher, Lieberman has been one of the grounding, most relatable characters on the show and he continues that in "Danger Close." During one of the episode's key moments, Moss-Bachrach and Ripley Sobo manage to perfectly embody a deep relationship, which is impressive given how little time they have spent together on-screen.

Lieberman and Castle are easily one of the best pairings in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Their relationship is not only symbiotic, it is synergistic. Lieberman provides Castle with his needed tactical knowledge; Lieberman comes in "Danger Close" to entirely rely upon Castle for his ability to do what he cannot. Lieberman is smart and protective, but he needs Castle's ability to act with brutal efficiency. Lieberman takes a more active role in recovering his daughter, Leo, when Leo manages to flee in advance of her mother's capture.

The primary adversary in "Danger Close" continues to be William Rawlins and just as the plot moves toward a potential Punisher bloodbath, various elements begin turning on Rawlins. Rawlins justifies all of his past actions to Marion James and he manages to sound credible. Rawlins has done terrible things throughout The Punisher and in "Danger Close" it becomes evident just how deep a game he has been playing. Rawlins has no real allegiance to anyone or even any institutions; he claims to want to protect the United States, but he shows no real belief in any of the ideals of the nation. The ease with which he moves to throw Russo under the bus is terrifying and characterizes him perfectly.

"Danger Close" is one of the more graphically violent episodes of The Punisher, living up to what one expects from the source material. The raid on Lieberman's facility is intense, well-directed and increasingly bloody. The fact that "Danger Close" precedes the major bloodbath with a far smaller and incredibly intense attack on Sarah Lieberman helps to build a tension in the episode. The tension in "Danger Close" builds and plays out well without going for the cheap reversal.

While the acting and moments of character in "Danger Close" are quite good, the plot is simplistic and the pacing is disproportionately slow compared to the abrupt speed and unrelenting tension that consumes the final third of the episode. The result is that "Danger Close" ends up as more of an average hour than an exceptional one.

5.5/10

For other television season and episode reviews, please visit my Television Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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