‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ Recap: ‘Collision Course (Part II)’

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...

I’m always quite intrigued by any television series that offers up a two-parter in the middle of their season because cliffhangers are always a difficult and dangerous venture for a show. Because if everything isn’t perfect, and the finale isn’t top notch and impressive, then a great season or a great story arc is potentially sullied and inevitably scrutinized and that’s why I was supremely curious about how Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was going to wrap up the mess that the team found themselves in at the end of ‘Collision Course (Part I)’. Because if ‘Collision Course (Part II)’ failed to live up to the wonder of its predecessor, it could derail the incredible season that this series has been putting together and thankfully, the story lived to the grand expectations hanging over it.
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Because this one not only found a way to end in the most stunning way imaginable, it accomplished some wonderful things over the course of the hour. For starters, it kept our attention with a race against time plot that saw everyone in danger since May’s team were surrounded by the Shrike with no hope of escape and it took the unleashing of Daisy’s vast power to give them a fighting chance to survive. Plus, Fitz and Simmons found themselves on the Izel’s bad side thanks to a little twist we will get to in a moment, forcing them to hide within the bowels of the ship in order to not be assimilated by the Shrike, and Mac had to deal with a hijacking aboard Zephyr-1 since Sarge made his move and took command of the ship in the hopes of bringing down his nemesis.

Which brings us to the twist that I just made mention of. Because Jemma and Leo were able to get the radio aboard that clunker of a freighter working, and that allowed for them to talk with the team and that conversation is precisely what got them into trouble. Because Izel thought they were in cahoots with Sarge, but before she could unleash her fury upon them, she decided to speak with Sarge. And what was shocking when it comes to this little chat, is that we came to learn that Izel and Sarge have quite the past it would seem, since it was heavily implied that they’ve known one another for a long time, and she actually managed to get under his skin since she teased him and taunted him to the point where he lost his cool and I have to admit, I’m dying to know more. Because there is clearly one hell of a story between these two, but those answers will have to wait for another time since there were bigger matters to handle in this tale.

Because shortly after that conversation, Mack and the team reclaimed Zephyr-1 and found a new ally in Jaco since he finally saw the error of Sarge’s ways. Which meant, he was recruited to help with a rescue mission to bring FitzSimmons back home and that led to the most moving moment of the night. For dear Jaco, a man without a home or a family, sacrificed himself to get that duo home and to keep the Shrike at bay and well, this was touching to say the least. Because it means a complete journey for Jaco, one that sees him as a hero at last and while that’s a hell of a way to end this story, there was still one more surprise waiting for us. For in the closing moments of this tale, May waltzed into Sarge’s cell and plugged him full of bullets, putting an end to his sorted and painful life and leaving us, without a clue as to what prompted her to pull off such a cold-blooded act.

Which means, the conclusion to this cliffhanger, ended on a cliffhanger and that’s just wild to say the least and well, where we go from here is anyone’s guess. Because there is just no way that the Shrike problem is that easily solved since there are so many of them still out there, which means it is only a matter of time before trouble finds the team again, and of course, that whole mess with May has to be addressed. So, I suppose the only way to figure out what waits on the horizon for this team, is to tune in tonight and see where this story takes us. But before it arrives, we can bask in the wonder of this particular tale, because this one was tense and stunning and I tip my cap to the writer’s room for assembling a top notch cliffhanger, one that did a phenomenal job of setting up the endgame for season six. Until next time. 

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