Wednesday, April 27, 2016

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

 At the base, the team cleans up the destruction of the base with Mack securing everyone’s safety and Lincoln jumpstarting the power grid. Mack talks with May who reveals that the recent results prove that Elena and Joey are unaffected and are now hiding out in the Cocoon. Unfortunately, Daisy’s actions destroyed many of their ships as well as the hangar. May, however, is a little more optimistic on Daisy’s situation, considering that she had the chance to destroy the people on the base but instead chose to seal them off from the destruction of the hangar. More likely, though, it appears that SHIELD is not high on Hive’s priorities. She then informs Mack that Coulson is planning on going to start to move them to the field, despite the injuries he suffered in the destruction. Mack questions how they could possibly exit the base now, but May assures him that’s taken care of already.

May: No one comes to me with their feelings.
Mack: Makes sense.

The team gathers on the Zephyr One with a limping Coulson reminding that group that whatever happened here was not Daisy’s fault. The creature that forced her to do this wanted to cut off their legs, so they must fight back against this force. He then advises the group to grab onto something as May tilts the ship on its side to escape the destroyed hangar doors. Meanwhile, outside a city, Daisy and Hive look out at a city line. Hive reveals that she used to drive out here with her van back when she felt alone in the world. Daisy remarks that she told Ward that information since Hive has his memories. While she’s glad that Ward is dead, she’s surprised to see that Hive is completely different.

In the lab, FitzSimmons discuss their findings on the parasite with Coulson. The parasite seems to flood the brain with dopamine which not only floods the brain with feelings of pleasure but also increases the body’s capabilities, making them invulnerable to ICERs. Their only hope at this point is to create a possible cure to help the Inhumans and Daisy break free. The two scientists connect the destroyed studies at Transia to a scientist named Holden Radcliffe who seemed to study parasitic activity. However, he was edged out of the company for conducting enhancive human experiments. Fortunately, they manage to track the man and plan to meet with him in order prepare a cure. As they move to pack their supplies in the hangar, Fitz then questions Simmons on their relationship. While their professional relationship has been remarkably seamless, he believes that things will grow complicated as Simmons remarks they will soon have sex. Before they can go further, they’re ready to depart. At the last instant, May gives Simmons her gun and tells her to remember her training and go for the side.

Hive questions Daisy whether or not Coulson will find her. She believes that he will since he’s been protective of her, something Hive remarks as a shame since Coulson doesn’t seem to realize how strong Skye is. She reveals that she changed her name since Ward remembered her after finding her parents. Although they weren’t perfect, they were real which meant something to her. Hive remarks that now she has connection with him. While everyone believes that he wants to create an Inhuman army, Daisy understands that there’s no need for war when everyone will be under the same mindset with him.

In Coulson’s office, the director speaks to General Talbot. The general questions why Coulson hasn’t been involved in recent discussions involving Hydra, but Coulson’s been too involved with the Inhuman situation. When May enters the room, he immediately cuts off the general, claiming that if the situation comes through he will discuss it with May. May instead wonders why Coulson didn’t mention Daisy to Talbot, but Coulson wants to keep the military out of it. He instead plans to send May to look for Alisha, since she could be in danger of being swayed by Hive after knowing Daisy.

Mack, Fitz, and Simmons travel to Bucharest to find Radcliffe who is located in a former hideaway used for the black market. Because they need to meet with Radcliffe personally, Fitz and Simmons plan to infiltrate the location and go undercover as scientists looking to work with the doctor. They further their odds by bringing along the modified eye technology used in Deathlok to persuade the doctor in hearing them. Mack, meanwhile, plans to keep an eye on them via comms link. At the base, Lincoln plans to join May and Coulson since Alisha was his friend, but May forbids it because of the risk he has of being swayed by Hive. Coulson then agrees on the condition that Lincoln wear a vest laced with nanothermites which can be used to take him out should he go rogue. Lincoln lashes out at the accusation since he believes that Coulson and May would be happy to be rid of him to rescue Daisy. Coulson insists that no one will make him do anything, but if he wants to go out in the field, he has to take these risks.

Fitz: Things are about to get complicated.
Simmons: You mean once we have sex?

Fitz and Simmons enter the building. Simmons initially feels uncomfortable dressed up for the occasion, but Fitz says she looks nice. Mack tracks the two from their room only to notice that everyone around the two have more going on underneath them than they look. He tells them to be careful. Meanwhile, May, Coulson, and Lincoln begin to track Alisha. May questions Coulson on what they will do if Hive were to show up. He simply responds that they neutralize the threat, but May is more concerned by what they would have to do if Daisy doesn’t come quietly. Coulson says that May won’t shoot Daisy like she shot Andrew, but May throws that back at him by saying she only pulled the trigger because he made her. Lincoln finally catches up to Alisha and asks if she’s seen Daisy. She says she hasn’t, so Lincoln tries to warn her. At the corner, however, one of her clones aims a gun at him, forcing Lincoln to fight back.

In South Dakota, Daisy meets up with James to introduce him to the ancient Inhuman he feared. According to Hive, while James gave Daisy a Kree artifact, it was missing its companion piece. James doesn’t say where he hid it, so Daisy tosses a terrigen crystal, forcing him to go through Terrigenesis. In the meantime, Lincoln continues to fight against Alisha and her clones as she offers him to join her. May comes to help him fight, but she’s eventually knocked out while trying to search for the original. Lincoln then grabs who he believes to be the original Alisha and threatens to torture unless she reveals where Daisy is. The clone then shoots the Alisha he holds since Hive ordered her not to reveal that information, and Coulson eliminates the final clone.

It’s revealed that the real Alisha was actually traveling with Hive. She informs him that Lincoln is alive though she still suffered from the pain of gunshots. Nevertheless, she was happy to make the sacrifice. James then breaks free from his husk, only to find that everything he touches begins to heat up and explode. Hive then sways him and discovers that James buried the device under his home. Daisy uses her powers to unearth the device, which he claims is the one thing that can destroy him.

Fitz and Simmons continue to search for Dr. Radcliffe despite feeling watched by everyone in the room. They meet up with his assistant Anon and claim to be fellow geneticists in order to meet him for a new technology they have. Mack warns them that the woman has had multiple enhancements herself which includes a computer system in her arm. She says that she could take the device to the doctor directly, but the scientists insist it’s their project. She then allows them to wait in the bar area until the doctor asks for them.

Back at the Zephyr One, Lincoln questions how Hive could have forced Alisha to kill one of her own. Coulson then orders him off the field until FitzSimmons can discover a cure for Hive. Lincoln protests despite his anger, but Coulson is adamant. The director then speaks to May to apologize for his mentioning of Andrew. He admits that he’s affected by losing Daisy since he knows that Hive only heightens the emotions she always felt. Daisy had always wanted a family, and he wanted to give her that with SHIELD, since she is the closest thing he has to a daughter. The team then tracks enhanced seismic activity in South Dakota, understanding that Daisy went after James.

In Bucharest, Fitz and Simmons feign feedback on the comms to speak privately without Mack. Fitz then blurts out that he now sees their relationship as a singularity, the point of which a measurable variable becomes infinite. While their friendship is effortless, the moment they cross that path, the changes become infinite. Simmons remarks that the prospect sounds both inviting and terrifying, and the two decide that in the future they will stop think so deeply on it and just act. Anon then interrupts them to inform them that the doctor is ready. She takes them down a dark hallway to an elevator, only to lead them to a makeshift surgery facility. Dr. Radcliffe is interested in their eye technology but only if he can use it himself. Against their better judgement, they agree to deal since it’s their only way to a cure for Daisy. However, Simmons then stabs the doctor’s eye since she recognized that it was already modified from its human capabilities. Dr. Radcliffe reveals that he had it changed to enhance his own features and wanted to make sure who he was working with in the future.

May and Coulson travel to South Dakota to examine what’s left of James’ place. They discover the hole used for the Kree device but can’t figure out what it was. May then spies a bomb rigged to explode. Coulson grabs May and dives into the hole, only to activate a virtual shield from his robotic hand. Once they are safe, Coulson receives a call from General Talbot.

Coulson: I thought it would be cool if the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. had a shield.

Dr. Radcliffe recognizes the technology as it was used in Cybertek for Hydra soldiers, but Fitz and Simmons try to insists they are part of SHIELD which is different. He then discovers that they were on comms with Mack and plans to have them escorted out. In desperation, the two then tell the truth, that they need him to develop a cure for a parasitic creature that can inhabit dead humans and control Inhumans. Dr. Radcliffe is interested that Inhumans are, in fact, real, but Simmons is still taken by the guards.
Fitz continues to bargain with the doctor, only to be confronted by Daisy and Alisha who want the doctor for the same reasons. Alisha takes the doctor while Daisy holds Fitz back. She warns him that for his sake and Simmons, they should stop trying to save them since she is happy where she is. Although she doesn’t want to kill anyone, she will if she must.

As Simmons is being dragged out, she meets up with Hive who speaks to her as Will. He tells her that he is glad she made it out alive instead of him and that he would never harm her. Simmons retorts that she knows it would say anything to fool her, but he just responds it would be in her best interests to stay away. She then shoots Hive with May’s gun and escapes.

With the comms link down, Mack arrives on the scene only to confront James in a fiery shootout where the agent barely escapes. Meanwhile, back at the base, Coulson reveals to May Talbot’s real plan. Malick had given them intel on Hydra’s infrastructure, allowing Talbot to locate and destroy their bases. The two agents watch as Hydra is finally destroyed. Mack returns to the room to meet up with Simmons who is worried that Fitz has not yet returned. She describes her meeting with Hive, remarking that she always promised that she’d shoot Ward. Despite the odds, they both swear that they have to save Daisy. The conversation then turns to the futility of Fitz and Simmons’ relationship since Mack saw through the comms trick originally played by Bobbi and Hunter. She persists that it’s new for all of them.

Fitz returns to the safe point to meet with Simmons. She explains that Mack is setting things up in the quinjet. Before they go to depart as well, they begin to kiss and remove their clothing. Fitz notices that Simmons’ hands are cold, but he insists that he can power through it as they make their way towards the bed.

At the end, Hive brings Dr. Radcliffe to a new location. He explains that the Inhumans are real and that he was one of the first originally created by the Kree. At this time, the human race has developed to a level similar to that of the ancient Kree, and Dr. Radcliffe is among the more advanced of them. Using the doctor, he plans to recreate the Kree experiments on the rest of humanity, beginning with the small town he just bought.  

S.H.I.E.L.D. Notes

  • Holden Radcliffe was actually a character from "Machine Teen," a Marvel series from the 2000s. In that series, he was the villain!
  • James is revealed to be the character Hellfire who, in the comics, was one of the original members of the Secret Warriors!
  • We have a small reference to season one with the re-introduction of the eye technology originally used in 1.04's "Eye Spy"!

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