"Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." Recap: "The Singularity"

Written by John Edward Betancourt

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

Over the past three years on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. we have seen our intrepid heroes save the day countless times. They have worked together as a team, resolved their differences on numerous occasions and while they have been surprised or blindsided from time to time by their enemies, they have always found a way to rebound or get ahead of evil doers everywhere to make the world a better place. 

Except for this week's episode that is, since "The Singularity" turned out to be a vastly different episode of the show than we are usually used to. This was the first time in the series short history that our heroes were scattered and lost, and quite frankly, behind Hive every single step of the way, and this change in storytelling and design actually worked on so many levels, regardless of the bleak and bittersweet feel that the episode manage to provide. 

But before we get too deep into that, I made mention of a bittersweet feel to this episode and that needs to be discussed first because it came from an unlikely and quick plot point that is actually a huge deal for the Marvel Cinematic Universe...the end of Hydra. Yes, this week we said goodbye to the age old Marvel villain in sudden and stunning fashion, since it turns out that Malick's intel was absolutely solid and Talbot was able to destroy all of Hydra's assets in one fell swoop, and well the move was indeed bittersweet. I knew that someday Hydra would have to exit the picture from the MCU before becoming stale, I just...somehow expected more for Hydra's finale. A grand showdown with Coulson and the gang as opposed to just...poof, gone like that. But, on the plus side they are finally defeated.  

Hive on the other hand, continues to become an intriguing villain as the weeks progress and last night he showed off his intelligence and prowess by staying one step ahead of S.H.I.E.L.D. for the entire hour. Every single plan that Coulson and the team put together was all for naught and it was extremely weird to see the team trying desperately to react and adjust on the fly. It was also heartbreaking to see Daisy the way she is now, cold and calculated and willing to hurt her surrogate family without giving it a second thought. However this ugly part of the episode was a necessary evil if you will, since the capture of the good doctor as part of Hive's plan for global domination sets the stage for what should be a grand and sweeping season finale and sadly we are inching closer to losing a member of the team for good it would seem.  

But this is a show that doesn't dwell on darker themes forever and our lighthearted moments came courtesy of Fitz and Simmons and their budding relationship and let's be honest, it was cute to watch these two bumble and stumble their way through courtship and romance and I like the fact that both characters had an opportunity to show their sensitive sides and also grow as well. After all this is the first time we've seen Fitz be so bold in getting his goals accomplished and it was an awesome sight to see Simmons stand up to Hive and his silly attempts to get into her head; and also fire a few rounds into his gut. Either way, the show continues to deliver as we barrel toward the season finale and I'm good with the fact that this episode wasn't cerebral at all, it was simply tons of fun and I'm ready to see exactly how S.H.I.E.L.D. will find a way to defeat Hive. Until next time.

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