In the last episode of “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” we learned a very dangerous secret from the seemingly dying lips of Werner Von Strucker – Dr. Andrew Garner is the Inhuman killing Inhuman called Lash. How long can he or anyone else keep this secret? Meet me after the jump for my review of “Chaos Theory.”
First a quick note. I feel a bit out of sorts posting this review about spies and terrorism amidst the events of the last day or so. My heart goes out to all those affected by the Paris attacks, and by no means mean any disrespect to them in this review. S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra are fictional organizations and their adventures, both on TV and in the comics, are meant for not just our entertainment, but also for our escape from the terrors of reality.
The Secret
We find from the six months ago opening that Dr. Garner did not become Inhumanized in the same way as the other new Inhumans, via infected fish oil. He was transformed by terrigen mist released from one of Jiaying‘s books. Could Lash be a planned creation? A genetic watchdog mapped out in advance to wipe out terrigen mist mistakes?
Now that we know Garner’s secret, his every word, his every move is now suspect. With Werner Von Strucker comatose, Agent May is the only one who knows that Garner is Lash. The fact that he keeps daydreaming of becoming Lash and putting holes through new Inhumans doesn’t help, especially when he examines Joey Guitierrez, our ersatz Melter from “Laws of Nature,” who seems more Magneto than Melter in this episode.
Transformations
Coulson and Rosalind Price are getting very cozy off screen, and we are only getting to see the benefits of their ‘working together.’ I especially liked Rosalind helping Phil with his tie – but how does he do it when she’s not around? They’re attending meetings together, and sharing headquarters space (in more ways than one), and Coulson even tries to mend ties between Daisy and Rosalind by having the former give the latter a tour of the helicarrier. This is the subversive way spies make their friends make friends with one another.
The tour is interrupted and reassigned after a meeting between Mack and Lincoln. Lincoln has been searching for his friends from Afterlife, and has found that those Inhumans who aren’t dead, are missing. He suspects, correctly, that Lash is within S.H.I.E.L.D., and soon narrows it down to Andrew Garner. Lincoln is sure of one thing – Inhumans do not shapeshift, so Garner is still transforming and Lash is his final form.
Confrontation
We know our Melinda May, she can’t keep this secret to herself, and confronted Andrew about you know what some time before all the rest of the crew find out her ex-husband is Lash. He shoots her with an icer and kidnaps her away to an abandoned building at his college. Once May is awake, Andrew tells her his secret origin, and that when he changes, instinct just takes over. Funny, he hasn’t changed in front of her yet, and already he’s acting like a super-villain. Mister Hyde would be proud. That’s why he broke up with her, to protect her from what he had become. Wow. As if May didn’t have enough baggage already to deal with.
It was very cool to see Coulson put together a rescue and containment operation so quickly, too bad Lincoln was not on the same page – so S.H.I.E.L.D. and the A.C.T.U. have to take him the hard way. Doesn’t Lincoln know he can’t stop Lash from their first encounter? And for those with guns – how many times would you have to shoot a rampaging monster before you realize bullets do squat? It’s May that makes Lash hesitate and May that has to take him down. Ming-Na Wen runs a gauntlet of emotions in this episode, marking three episodes in a row with impressive acting from regulars.
Bittersweet
May and Andrew aren’t the only ones to come to bad endings this episode. Simmons gives Fitz her phone from her journey to the other side of the universe, and he sees and hears all the audio and video. It invigorates him to find a way to get Will home, and it’s a weird one. The NASA symbol on Will’s uniform, turned upside down, is similar to markings in the castle chamber where Fitz saved Simmons. Hunter says what we’re all thinking, “That’s a bit mental even for you, mate.” Yeah, secret orders and ancient astronauts, here come the Kree.
While it may be bringing Fitz and Simmons together, we know the final goal is to bring Will into the picture, and that can’t be good for the relationship. Speaking of relationships, Daisy and Rosalind may be on better terms after Daisy saved her, or at least she might look at the Inhumans differently. Too bad it looks like she’s working for Malick, who’s working for Ward… who’s going to tie Coulson’s tie now?
Next: The new Hydra, and can anyone be trusted?
