Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Paradise Lost
April 13, 2016 11:34 AM - Season 3, Episode 16 - Subscribe
The teams works to discover what sort of creature Grant Ward is now, with Daisy and Lincoln off to confront an ex-member of Afterlife, while the rest of the team goes to deal with Gideon Malick directly. But Malick has his hands full with consequences from long ago actions as the newly arrived Hydra god, formerly known as Grant Ward, teaches him the meaning of sacrifice.
Directed by Wendey Stanzler
Written by George Kitson & Sharla Oliver
Comic Book Resources recap: "Despite its status as a show that's technically in the Joss Whedon universe of TV, Marvel's ABC drama "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." has never been particularly great at delivering that very Whedon-esque flourish: the Big Bad. In three years, the show has delivered up a few decent antagonists, but never has the spy drama carried a full-on supervillain from start to finish. In tonight's "Paradise Lost," the show takes steps towards filling that gap by first running through a series of mini bosses with strange to sad circumstances."
Entertainment Weekly recap: "It’s about damn time that we got an episode focused on Hive, and more specifically, an episode that focused on why we should be scared of this Inhuman monster."
Directed by Wendey Stanzler
Written by George Kitson & Sharla Oliver
Comic Book Resources recap: "Despite its status as a show that's technically in the Joss Whedon universe of TV, Marvel's ABC drama "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." has never been particularly great at delivering that very Whedon-esque flourish: the Big Bad. In three years, the show has delivered up a few decent antagonists, but never has the spy drama carried a full-on supervillain from start to finish. In tonight's "Paradise Lost," the show takes steps towards filling that gap by first running through a series of mini bosses with strange to sad circumstances."
Entertainment Weekly recap: "It’s about damn time that we got an episode focused on Hive, and more specifically, an episode that focused on why we should be scared of this Inhuman monster."
Hive probably just signed his own death warrant, as murdering a child in front of their parent isn't going to inspire a lot of loyalty. Before it was all about power for Malick, now I suspect it'll be very personable, to the point where he finally will be willing to risk his own life to kill Hive/It/notGrant Ward.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 12:07 PM on April 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 12:07 PM on April 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
Have to disagree about Malick, I don't find anything interesting about him at all. His story is just not working for me. I think he is a character archetype that is best left as a shadowy puppet master. Once you really meet the man all the magic is gone.
They could have been giving us more Hive backstory instead.
With all that said, I foresee one interesting possibility here. They have sort of set Lash up to be the anti-Hive and the obvious source of his demise. Yet we've seen Malick's future, he has seen his own future, and while the visions can be misinterpreted, we have no reason (yet) to believe they won't come true.
So if Malick knows he'll eventually be consumed by Hive, and he is out for revenge, I wonder if he will find some way to poison the well and take down Hive that way?
posted by 2ht at 1:07 PM on April 13, 2016
They could have been giving us more Hive backstory instead.
With all that said, I foresee one interesting possibility here. They have sort of set Lash up to be the anti-Hive and the obvious source of his demise. Yet we've seen Malick's future, he has seen his own future, and while the visions can be misinterpreted, we have no reason (yet) to believe they won't come true.
So if Malick knows he'll eventually be consumed by Hive, and he is out for revenge, I wonder if he will find some way to poison the well and take down Hive that way?
posted by 2ht at 1:07 PM on April 13, 2016
(Even if that's how it plays out, they could tie in Lash's power and/or the inhuman cure they have been working on as a possible poison/weapon against Hive.)
posted by 2ht at 1:08 PM on April 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by 2ht at 1:08 PM on April 13, 2016 [1 favorite]
What, no way, Malick just got turned from a cookie cutter character villain, to something more. He's spent his whole life planning and cheating his way to be in a position of power, which minimizing the risks to himself. But now he's gotten what he's always wanted, and its finally cost him something.
Like Lincoln and Coulson, he's having to deal with his past in order to get what he wants now and in the future. The question for all of them is whether their past actions will permanently changed their future for ill or can they salvage some good from it.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 2:13 PM on April 13, 2016 [2 favorites]
Like Lincoln and Coulson, he's having to deal with his past in order to get what he wants now and in the future. The question for all of them is whether their past actions will permanently changed their future for ill or can they salvage some good from it.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 2:13 PM on April 13, 2016 [2 favorites]
My prediction is that Hive will take Malik as a host body and what Malick saw was himself as the Hive being torn apart.
Also someone tell the actor playing Ward/Hive that high cheekbones alone do not an actor make.
posted by Faintdreams at 3:11 PM on April 13, 2016
Also someone tell the actor playing Ward/Hive that high cheekbones alone do not an actor make.
posted by Faintdreams at 3:11 PM on April 13, 2016
I've actually been enjoying Dalton more lately. Being Hive suits him.
posted by brundlefly at 1:27 AM on April 14, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by brundlefly at 1:27 AM on April 14, 2016 [1 favorite]
I liked the episode reasonably well, but don't feel like I have a ton of insights about it.
* I am back to liking Dalton too, at least mostly (see below for reservations). I was very tired of Grant Ward, but they're doing a decent job of making Hive a distinct character, and he has the range to display the new personality well enough to carry it off, IMO. I do hope this is our last season with him. (Although I guess I'd be amused if Dalton were just a new classic villain every season - 'S4: Dalton is back as The Grim Reaper!')
* Giyera demonstrates how half-assed their security protocols are. I guess that fits - SHIELD's role is, in part, to be bad at their jobs. Still, I'm not sure I would've left the telekinetic his clothing, all things being even - he's got the background to be hiding tracers, weapons or pretty much anything else right into the weave of his outfit. Should've stripped him.
* The stuff with Malick was silly and off-putting. I'm not sure who is supposed to be surprised that he would sacrifice his own brother to get ahead. I mean, it's practically HYDRA's motto: 'betrayal is awesome.' Plus, Hive taking that personally suggests he'll be mad at Coulson when they meet, which led to bad scenes the first go, and will do nothing better on a later try. ('This time it's personal' is always pretty dumb, and AoS did nothing to prove otherwise last time they went there.) I hope it turns out he was just messing with Malick because he thought messing with Malick was funny - if anything, Hive should be grateful SHIELD let it out.
Anyway... yeah. SHIELD was all right, but just all right.
posted by mordax at 8:52 AM on April 14, 2016
* I am back to liking Dalton too, at least mostly (see below for reservations). I was very tired of Grant Ward, but they're doing a decent job of making Hive a distinct character, and he has the range to display the new personality well enough to carry it off, IMO. I do hope this is our last season with him. (Although I guess I'd be amused if Dalton were just a new classic villain every season - 'S4: Dalton is back as The Grim Reaper!')
* Giyera demonstrates how half-assed their security protocols are. I guess that fits - SHIELD's role is, in part, to be bad at their jobs. Still, I'm not sure I would've left the telekinetic his clothing, all things being even - he's got the background to be hiding tracers, weapons or pretty much anything else right into the weave of his outfit. Should've stripped him.
* The stuff with Malick was silly and off-putting. I'm not sure who is supposed to be surprised that he would sacrifice his own brother to get ahead. I mean, it's practically HYDRA's motto: 'betrayal is awesome.' Plus, Hive taking that personally suggests he'll be mad at Coulson when they meet, which led to bad scenes the first go, and will do nothing better on a later try. ('This time it's personal' is always pretty dumb, and AoS did nothing to prove otherwise last time they went there.) I hope it turns out he was just messing with Malick because he thought messing with Malick was funny - if anything, Hive should be grateful SHIELD let it out.
Anyway... yeah. SHIELD was all right, but just all right.
posted by mordax at 8:52 AM on April 14, 2016
The Lincoln reveal was really underwhelming. He dated someone and they got into an accident and she got hurt (not even killed). THAT'S the big secret? Wooo-boy, Daisy, you'd better be careful!
posted by MsVader at 9:29 AM on April 14, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by MsVader at 9:29 AM on April 14, 2016 [1 favorite]
There's probably more to it. He told Daisy just enough to get forgiveness and maintain trust.
Because the obvious question is "what happened to her?" They were dating, got into an accident and...what? Simply broke up? Was it because of his drinking, the accident, or something else?
Ask questions Daisy!
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 9:47 AM on April 14, 2016
Because the obvious question is "what happened to her?" They were dating, got into an accident and...what? Simply broke up? Was it because of his drinking, the accident, or something else?
Ask questions Daisy!
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 9:47 AM on April 14, 2016
Also it sounded like the girlfriend ended up at the Inhuman compound for her treatment. Did she end up being an Inhuman as well? Will she show up later on down the line?
posted by brundlefly at 10:05 AM on April 14, 2016
posted by brundlefly at 10:05 AM on April 14, 2016
Between Lincoln, Ward, and the hacker ex-boyfriend, Daisy should take some time off from dating and focus on herself.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 10:52 AM on April 14, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 10:52 AM on April 14, 2016 [3 favorites]
The Lincoln reveal was really underwhelming
... wait, Lincoln was in this episode? Huh. Blink and you'll miss him, I guess.
(On a more serious note: man, are they under-utilizing that guy. He was fine in The Tomorrow People, IIRC.)
Daisy should take some time off from dating and focus on herself.
That would be so much more interesting. They turned her into a legitimately cool character, and it's no coincidence that every working piece of that had nothing to do with romantic subplots. (The character I want to see her interact with more is May.)
posted by mordax at 11:38 AM on April 14, 2016
... wait, Lincoln was in this episode? Huh. Blink and you'll miss him, I guess.
(On a more serious note: man, are they under-utilizing that guy. He was fine in The Tomorrow People, IIRC.)
Daisy should take some time off from dating and focus on herself.
That would be so much more interesting. They turned her into a legitimately cool character, and it's no coincidence that every working piece of that had nothing to do with romantic subplots. (The character I want to see her interact with more is May.)
posted by mordax at 11:38 AM on April 14, 2016
Is Hive as the past leader of the Inhumans going to be anything other than boring old backstory, I wonder? Will he become a draw for folks with powers who are uninterested in toeing the SHIELD line? I'm not sure I think they have a concept that would pull that off, though it might be interesting to see HYDRA get itself subsumed into an Inhumans resistance.
I have to assume Lash as anti-HIVE is going to come around some more, with him playing more of the roving maybe-not-entirely-against-us sort of position that Ward did for a while.
posted by phearlez at 1:46 PM on April 18, 2016
I have to assume Lash as anti-HIVE is going to come around some more, with him playing more of the roving maybe-not-entirely-against-us sort of position that Ward did for a while.
posted by phearlez at 1:46 PM on April 18, 2016
I was bored watching this. I don't care about any of it.
posted by jenfullmoon at 8:42 AM on May 11, 2016
posted by jenfullmoon at 8:42 AM on May 11, 2016
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posted by paper chromatographologist at 11:49 AM on April 13, 2016 [2 favorites]