I always aim for these reviews to be around 600 to 800 words long, but they more than frequently end up being over 1,000. There’s so much packed into the average episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. that it’s hard to critique it all without straining Microsoft Word’s Word Count tool. Take this week’s episode, for instance.

We learn Agent Ward’s backstory in regards to John Garrett. We learn of Garrett’s motivations for his Hydrated betrayal and his true reason for wanting the secret of Phil Coulson’s resurrection. Then there’s the fun of watching Coulson and May, disguised as science nerds, being fed science lingo via real science nerds Fitz-Simmons. Factor in fanboy Coulson geeking out over Trip’s vintage Howling Commando gear, as well as Fitz being the sole believer in Ward’s possible redemption, and we have an exciting episode that more than sets the stage for next week’s climatic season finale.

I could go into deep analysis of all this and more, but could I do it justice? Could I truly sum up what the episode is all about? And if I could, would that summary be contained within 600 to 800 words? I can confidently say yes to the first two questions. As for the third, I’m not so sure. I’d rather hedge my bets and bow down to the old adage, “A picture is worth 1,000 words.”  Bearing that in mind, here is this week’s full review…