'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' Recap: 'Option Two'

Written by John Edward Betancourt

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

Well, after last week’s stellar and intense episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., I could not wait to settle in for this week’s tale simply because, I was dying to know how the plot was going to unfold from here on out. After all, with Ruby now dead, the chances of Planet Earth splitting in half were greatly reduced, leaving all of us to wonder, was there really a threat on the horizon for Coulson and the gang to face? Well as it turns out, the answer to that question is a resounding yes, and while it seemed as though Hale’s alien buddies were going to become the threat in question, they would only serve as the catalyst for one hell of a twist…
 
But before we get into all of that, let’s take a moment to discuss the fact that ‘Option Two’ took the time to examine something that comic book themed stories rarely tend to touch upon; consequences. Because in these tales, crises come at our heroes a mile a minute, so they usually have to make a decision quickly and move on. But here, with a moment to breathe, the team actually found itself at odds over Yo-Yo’s decision to kill Ruby, to the point where people out right shouted at one another, and Mack even questioned the future of their relationship and well, I love the fact that the show took the time to explore all of this, and while it seems as though everyone was piling high on Yo-Yo, the core of this debate boils down to one thing, what does a hero become when they’re willing to take a life?
 
However, any further exploration on such notions will have to wait for another time on this series. Because those nasty aliens that Hale made friends with found their way to Earth, and this led to some wholesale slaughter in the Lighthouse, because these aliens have the ability to manipulate electricity and shut it down and without any power, every attempt the Agents made to put these beings down, failed miserably, meaning that there was a chance that everyone in the Lighthouse might lose their life on this day. But, just when it seemed that the worst-case scenario was about to unfold in front of everyone’s eyes, a decision Coulson made earlier in the episode ended up saving all of their lives, which brings us back to that big-time twist that I made mention of a few moments ago. 
 
Because in an effort to keep everyone safe, Coulson ordered Yo-Yo to pull Talbot from his cell, and of course, they ran into the intruders on their way to the command center, forcing Talbot to barricade himself inside the lab with Simmons as a last line of defense to keep the Gravitonium secure, while Yo-Yo and the other agents took care of the monsters outside and while He and Jemma waited to see if the frontlines fell, Talbot got a wild idea into his mind. In that he could possibly play the hero after all, and in a stunning turn of events, he ICE’d Jemma and used the device that made Ruby into a monster to infuse himself with the remainder of the Gravitonium and well…this newly reformed Talbot, managed to put down the intruders and save the day, but alas…this most likely means that Glenn will now become the Destroyer of Worlds…
 
I say that because there’s some serious cause for concern when it comes to Glenn Talbot having this kind of power at his fingertips. Sure, he’s always been a good guy, but his blunt headed and stubborn nature, combined with an ego fueled by rank, and the psychological abuse Hale forced to him undergo, could allow for him to be corrupted and do some terrifying things in the name of heroism. In the end however, this episode was downright solid. It was intense, cerebral, and stunning and at this point, it looks like the fight is only going to get tougher for Phil Coulson and his merry band of agents since another Destroyer has been thrown into the mix and I’m sure this twist will allow for the debate as to whether or not the future is set in stone to grow as we barrel toward the season five finale. Until next time.   

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