MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. Ep 19: The Only Light in the Darkness (T.V. review)

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Question: Can subtext exist without text?

Question: Is The Only Light in the Darkness a Springsteen album or an Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. episode?

Important questions.  Let’s see what the answers are.

Before we begin, are you looking for a recap?  Look here and scroll down to episode 19, The Only Light in the Darkness. (First question answered!)  Then bounce back for the review.

We finally meet the cellist whom Coulson was dating before Loki “murdered” him in The Avengers.  She now has a name, Audrey Nathan, and a face that belongs to Amy Acker, a Whedon alum from Dollhouse.  She also has a super-powered stalker in the form of Marcus Daniels, an escaped Fridge felon who, for obvious reasons, goes by the name of Blackout in the comic books.

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Acker is great in the role, particularly when she describes how she met Coulson.  Also great are Clark Gregg’s facial expressions as he secretly listens to her description.  If this is an indication of their chemistry then seeing them together in the future will be a highlight of the series.

In this episode, Skye discovers Agent Ward’s true allegiance to Hydra.  It’s horrifying to her, particularly given how close they’ve recently become — “recently” being 5 minutes prior to her discovering the truth.  We the audience just discovered it ourselves a mere 2 episodes ago.  It was a shocker to say the least.

Actress Chloe Bennet’s emotional reaction is incredibly believable, but why the rush to clue the characters in so soon?  The showrunners could’ve generated more suspense by waiting a few more episodes.  Give the viewers time to absorb the game change before changing the game again.

Likewise, this is only guest-star Patton Oswalt’s second episode and he dies?!  The fan favorite (this fan’s favorite anyway) deserves better.  I’m not saying never kill him.  I’m just saying don’t do it so soon.  Not only did he bring the funny, but he got to play a more serious side when he threatened to shoot Ward.  It’s good to see.  Too bad we won’t see more.

Or will we?  Ward slays Agent Koenig off-screen, so maybe he’s not fully dead.  Only mostly dead.  Or incredibly maimed.  L.M.D. anyone?  Let Remy live!

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Part of the serious side of Eric Koenig that we get to see is his mistrust of Coulson’s team since Director Fury told him to expect Coulson alone.  Koenig employs a digital Marauder’s Map that tracks the agents via their innocent-looking lanyards.  Harry Potter would be proud.

Koenig also gives everyone a lie detector test using a machine created by Fury himself.  This “orientation” results in a fun montage that cuts back-and-forth between the team members answering Koenig’s questions.

Everyone is asked the same questions, but their wildly divergent answers reveal a lot about each member’s personality.  At one point Koenig paints a deserted island scenario where a box washes up on shore.  “What’s in the box?” he asks.  The answers range from Simmons’ geeky “Tardis” to Ward’s cold “pistol.”  I personally would’ve said “Gwyneth Paltrow’s head,” but no one asked me.

This episode is pretty revealing in general, especially with regards to legacy.  As it turns out, the world of espionage runs in the family for 2 separate agents.

In addition to learning that Melinda May was once married, we catch wind of her mom being a former spy for an agency that’s in better shape than S.H.I.E.L.D.  Momma May even makes an appearance when she delivers intel about Maria Hill.

Aside from being Garrett’s former protégé (the good one, unlike Ward), we know little about Antoine Triplett.  Until now.  Koenig finds out that Trip is the grandson of a Howling Commando.  Given that only one Howler is black like Trip, it’s safe to assume that Gabe Jones, played by Derek Luke in the first Captain America film, is his grandpa.

Marcus Daniels...

Marcus Daniels A.K.A…

Marcus Daniels, A.K.A. Blackout, is a villain in control of an other-dimensional energy named Darkforce.  This produces the best quip of the episode, another Coulson classic one-liner, “How could anything go wrong with something called Darkforce?”

Now that this negative energy has made the leap from the Marvel Comics Universe to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, could other Darkforce users such as Darkhawk, Darkstar or D’Arcangelo be far behind?  We’ll see.

For all that this episode gets right, it’s undermined by the main thing that it gets wrong — subtext.  More specifically overwritten subtext.

In my review of Turn, Turn, Turn, I praised the writers for penning a script “dripping with subtext.”  This time around the script is drowning in it like a salad swimming in Balsamic Vinaigrette.  The teleplay, credited to Monica Owusu-Breen, is bloated with way too much subtext.  How much is too much?  Before examples, let’s have definitions.

Text: What a piece of writing appears to be about on the surface.

Subtext: An underlying theme in a piece of writing.  A message that is not stated directly but can be inferred.

Now on to the saturated samples:

...A.K.A. Blackout!

…Blackout! Owner of the world’s worst costume.

1)    Text: Ward advises Fitz about his feelings for Simmons by saying, “If there’s something you want to tell her, don’t wait.”

Subtext: He’s really talking about himself and Skye, as evident by the ensuing scene where he confesses his feelings to her.

 

2)    Text: When Koenig says to Ward, “Let’s see if being sneaky pays off” he’s referring to them and Skye hijacking control of N.S.A. satellites.

Subtext: The double meaning, albeit unintentional by Koenig, refers to Ward’s Hydrated infiltration of the team.

 

3)    Text:  Fitz describes Blackout to Coulson with, “He’s single-minded.  He’s dangerous.  He won’t stop until he gets what he wants.”   

Subtext:  For the characters, there is only the textual meaning.  For the audience, this perfectly describes Ward, which is inferred by the immediate cut to him hiding a pistol under his shirt while en route to May.

 

4)    Text: “When you get orders, you don’t question them.  You follow them.  No matter the price.”  This is Ward’s attempt to show May his understanding of why she spied on the team.    

Subtext: Ward isn’t just talking about May following Fury’s directives.  He’s talking about himself blindly following Garrett’s directives.

 

5)    Text: After Skye’s satellite-hijacking plan works, Koenig excitedly proclaims to Ward, “Living on the edge really pays off sometimes.”

Subtext: Koenig only sees one meaning behind these words, as does Ward.  Those meanings, however, are completely different, as driven home by Ward muttering to himself/the audience, “Yeah, sometimes,” as he prepares to kill Remy Koenig.

 

6)    Text: In regards to Coulson not telling the cellist that he’s alive, Fitz asks Phil, “So it’s not because you’re afraid to talk to her?”

Subtext: By now we all know that Fitz is chastising himself for not voicing his feelings to Simmons, right?  It’s all about Fitz.

 

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7)    Text: Ward whispers sweet nothings in Skye’s ear, including, “I want to stay here with you and imagine the world outside doesn’t exist.”  Sounds romantic, doesn’t it?  It would be if not for…

Subtext: Ward wishes he didn’t have to obey orders and betray Skye.  He wishes he wasn’t in over his head (or in at all) with Garrett and Hydra.

 

8)    Text: For a second time, Fitz inquires as to why Coulson didn’t tell Audrey of his resurrection.  Coulson responds, “I will.  Someday I guess.  When there’s a chance she’ll understand.”

Subtext: Do I even have to say it this time?  Let’s just cut to the bottom line — Coulson is surrounded by narcissists.

 

I could go on with more examples, but I don’t want to overload you like the episode itself does.

So can subtext exist without text?  No, but vice versa is true.  A few instances of subtext per script go a long way, but wall-to-wall subtext is too much of a good thing.  Sometimes a dude swatting a fly is just a dude swatting a fly.  It’s not a dude plotting to conquer the world.

Unless that dude’s go-to greeting is, “Hail Hydra!”

 

NEXT UP: Silk-screening “REMY LIVES” T-shirts.  And then back to the show for Nothing Personal.

 

 

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