Agents of SHIELD - 'Devils You Know' and '4,722 Hours'

The Inhumans storyline finally delivers something with a bit of punch.

That's right! I got around to watching some more Agents of SHIELD. Woo!

We open with Multiple Redhead contacting a couple of Inhuman sleepers, only for all three to be slaughtered by Hans My Hedgehog. The scene of the primary Alisha in the Quinjet reacting to the brutal murder of her doppelganger is perhaps the best use of an Inhuman in the series to date.

While Coulson feels compelled to call in the ACTU, he lets his people sweep the scene first, turning up an email computer virus which was sent to disclose the location of the recipients. The virus is tracked to an Inhuman whose 'power' is an allergic sensitivity to the presence of other Inhumans, and who sees their existence of a plague that 'Lash' is seeking to destroy. "He's not merciful. He's necessary." Unfortunately, before he can be questioned, Lash attacks the ACTU transport carrying his partner and kills him, before swanning away and shapeshifting into something far more human.

I can not get over the tracksuit.

Meanwhile, Hunter is finally introduced to Ward. May turns up in time to save his bacon, but Ward threatens to have her ex-husband and SHIELD psychiatric consultant murdered if they don't let him go. Hunter refuses the offer and manages to wound, but not kill Ward, so that's that whole long term undercover operation validated.

Back at the ranch, Jemma decides it's time to tell Fitz the truth about the other planet.

This leads into '4,722 Hours', which is basically a flashback episode to Jemma's time on the planet, finding water, hunting for food, and eventually meeting fellow survivor, NASA Monolithronaut Will. Coming through in the early 21st Century, Will has gone a bit crazy while battling the hostile environment of the planet, which looks increasingly like it is not a euphemism, but the literal truth. The planet reacts, climatically and seismically, to their attempts to escape, or to the smell of blood.

Take a hint, Fitz; she's into manly action men.

Working together, they try to survive and find a way to escape, but of course in the end it is only Jemma who makes it out. Now she wants to go back, and naturally enough, Fitz agrees to help her, despite the attempt being everything short of codenamed Operation Cockblock Fitz.

Agents of SHIELD is still a very odd show; something that is somehow much less than the sum of its parts. Part of the problem, for me at least, is the continuing presence of Grant Ward, who is still not interesting. Likewise Lance Hunter, although he is less annoying.  I'm also not fond of its tendency to use Fitz as a whipping boy, and I do hope that helping Jemma to get a boyfriend back is something he can manage without feeling the need to go cuckoo to prove his love.