[8.7/10] I can’t remember the last time Agents of Shield has been this much fun. I rolled my eyes a little bit when I realized the whole episode was going to be set on Alien Las Vegas, but damn if the show didn’t turn this thing into one of the most enjoyable episodes the series has had in some time.
For one thing, I really like the pairing of Fitz and Enoch doing their buddy comedy routine. Enoch as the straightest of straight men, and Fitz as his disbeliving human counterpart, makes them the perfect foils for one another in a den of sin. There’s a lot of very palpable Star Trek influence on the show this season, particularly in the space-bound adventures, and so Enoch’s Spock vibe is right at home.
Enoch understanding odds and strategy but not people, and Fitz having a sense for the risk and the soft skills necessary to succeed but being totally lost when it comes to how to get along in this crazy planet make them nice compliments to one another here. While the whole “deadly blackjack” setup is a little much, the two of them trying to bluff and scheme their way into enough money to get a ship is a good goal that gives the pair a lot of good character moments.
I even like the semi-cheesy “you’re my best friend” schtick between the two of them. It’s a nice setup and payoff, with Fitz just sort of going along with it at first, but speaking sincerely to Enoch after his chronicom friend has lost his sense of purpose is a reasonably touching moment between them.
I also really enjoy the banter and camaraderie between Daisy and Simmons while high on alien shrooms. This show is so enjoyable when it cuts back on the speechifying and just lets the actors seem like human beings reacting to one another, even under bizarre circumstances. The two of them reminiscing about how much Daisy’s van smelled and how much Simmons misses Fitz and how much Daisy wishes she had her own Fitz and how they’re the best best friends is just capital-D Delightful.
Plus, the way the show gets creative visually in showing how the two of them are “tripping balls” and throws in the physical comedy and and Fear and Loathing homages to boot is great. We even get a cool fight scene with Quake which embraces the Drunken Master style “fighting under the influence” vibe.
The only things I didn’t really like in this episode were the disc-riding hunter chronicoms, which just seem like cheesy terminator knockoffs, and the fact that once again, the show gives us a FitzSimmons reunion just to rip them apart again. Otherwise, this is one of AoS’s best outings in ages, with fun and a surprisingly natural vibe for an episode set in an outer space casino.
(As an aside, I got an unexpectedly big laugh from the random thug telling Daisy and Simmons to “suck some calm.” Methinks the writers may have been on a few “puffies” themselves when they wrote that line.)
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2019-05-31T04:54:49Z
[8.7/10] I can’t remember the last time Agents of Shield has been this much fun. I rolled my eyes a little bit when I realized the whole episode was going to be set on Alien Las Vegas, but damn if the show didn’t turn this thing into one of the most enjoyable episodes the series has had in some time.
For one thing, I really like the pairing of Fitz and Enoch doing their buddy comedy routine. Enoch as the straightest of straight men, and Fitz as his disbeliving human counterpart, makes them the perfect foils for one another in a den of sin. There’s a lot of very palpable Star Trek influence on the show this season, particularly in the space-bound adventures, and so Enoch’s Spock vibe is right at home.
Enoch understanding odds and strategy but not people, and Fitz having a sense for the risk and the soft skills necessary to succeed but being totally lost when it comes to how to get along in this crazy planet make them nice compliments to one another here. While the whole “deadly blackjack” setup is a little much, the two of them trying to bluff and scheme their way into enough money to get a ship is a good goal that gives the pair a lot of good character moments.
I even like the semi-cheesy “you’re my best friend” schtick between the two of them. It’s a nice setup and payoff, with Fitz just sort of going along with it at first, but speaking sincerely to Enoch after his chronicom friend has lost his sense of purpose is a reasonably touching moment between them.
I also really enjoy the banter and camaraderie between Daisy and Simmons while high on alien shrooms. This show is so enjoyable when it cuts back on the speechifying and just lets the actors seem like human beings reacting to one another, even under bizarre circumstances. The two of them reminiscing about how much Daisy’s van smelled and how much Simmons misses Fitz and how much Daisy wishes she had her own Fitz and how they’re the best best friends is just capital-D Delightful.
Plus, the way the show gets creative visually in showing how the two of them are “tripping balls” and throws in the physical comedy and and Fear and Loathing homages to boot is great. We even get a cool fight scene with Quake which embraces the Drunken Master style “fighting under the influence” vibe.
The only things I didn’t really like in this episode were the disc-riding hunter chronicoms, which just seem like cheesy terminator knockoffs, and the fact that once again, the show gives us a FitzSimmons reunion just to rip them apart again. Otherwise, this is one of AoS’s best outings in ages, with fun and a surprisingly natural vibe for an episode set in an outer space casino.
(As an aside, I got an unexpectedly big laugh from the random thug telling Daisy and Simmons to “suck some calm.” Methinks the writers may have been on a few “puffies” themselves when they wrote that line.)