Wednesday, March 23, 2016

The Geekcap: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. "Parting Shot"


The episode begins with Bobbi being captured by a Russian officer at Interpol Black Site in Moscow. The officer questions Bobbi and accuses her of being responsible for the assassination of three Russian figures as a former SHIELD agent. Bobbi refuses to answer, instead asking for a cheeseburger. The officer then asks her what exactly happened.

We move back 34 hours ago where Bobbi and Hunter are trying to track a vehicle. Bobbitt tags the car for the rest of the team on the Zephyr One as they track the movement to a facility in a distant wasteland. Coulson deduces that they plan to keep the Inhumans in an out-of-the-way compound acting as a prison camp. Hunter steals a Russian vehicle, and the two head for the facility.
In another flashforward, Hunter is also being interrogated by the same officer who is less than flattered by Hunter’s attitude. Hunter claims that he and Bobbi were simply out picking mushrooms for mushroom soup, but the officer insists on their implication in the assassination. Hunter states that they were only accosted unfairly by Russian soldiers and proceeds to discuss his recipe for mushroom soup.

31 hours earlier, Bobbi and Hunter make it to the facility where the team searches for key figures. Hunter wants to kill Malick, but Coulson states that killing a former member of the World Security Council on Russian soil would only start a war. The two are put on surveillance duty awaiting a back-up team if things go south. Hunter takes the time to talk with Bobbi, remarking on how they haven’t spent any time alone together in a while. Bobbi says that they have to make sacrifices for their job, but Hunter says that they’ve made too many compromises involving Ward and Carl Creel. The best solution might be a break. Bobbi then spots the soldiers leading a man in the facility with an iron helmet around his head, believing him to be an Inhuman. Before they can react, the two are caught by soldiers.

Bobbi attempts to throw off the guards with Hunter claiming they were looking for mushrooms. When that doesn’t work, they beat the soldiers unconscious. The Zephyr One arrives to provide back-up with Bobbi discovering that Malick has brought cabinet members to see the Inhuman. With other figures on the line, Daisy, May, and Mack join the mission. Daisy and Mack join Bobbi to infiltrate the base since Bobbi’s the only one who can speak Russian while May works with Hunter to survey the area. In another flashforward, the officer continues to interrogate Bobbi and Hunter, asking Bobbi personal questions about her role with Hunter with Hunter responding only with his recipe for mushroom soup. The talk continues until Bobbi states to the officer that she did not kill one figure. Through that statement, the officer concludes that she has implicated Hunter as the assassinator, though she quickly says otherwise. Additional officers take Hunter away, likely leading him to the firing wall.

29 hours earlier, May and Hunter track guards around the area, only to find a dead body hidden in the shadows. May reveals that the body is, in fact, the Russian Prime Minister’s attaché. Meanwhile, Bobbi, Daisy, and Mack infiltrate a security office. Bobbi plans to sneak in as a Russian guard while Daisy operates the security system, despite being ancient and in Russian. Mack spots Malick and Petrov in the facility for Bobbi to make her move. In the meeting, Petrov asks for Malick’s assistance with the Inhuman sanctuary, mostly due to the Prime Minister’s opposition against the project. Petrov remarks that this is only because the Prime Minister’s opposition, the ministers currently at this meeting, support it, under their general who happens to be the first Inhuman politician. The general was, in fact, responsible for the murder of the attaché because of the Prime Minister’s view of Inhumans and is now restrained because of his actions. Malick, however, remarks that in order to properly lead and guide the Inhumans in sanctuary, they need a leader in the general. Coulson deduces that Malick is staging a coup to eliminate the Prime Minister.

Again in interrogation, Bobbi asks to know about Hunter’s well-being, but the officer wants to know about her connection to SHIELD. Bobbi maintains that SHIELD has fallen, and the only one responsible is Gideon Malick. The officer gives her the ultimatum that either she outs SHIELD and the American government for the assassination or Hunter faces the firing squad.

28 hours earlier, Hunter is restless watching guards with May who has admitted that she doesn’t trust him as a friend. May states that friends don’t risk lives for personal vendettas like he did for Andrew, but Hunter adds that he would sacrifice his life for any one of them with or without SHIELD. May remarks that SHIELD is about sacrifice for the greater good, and Hunter needs to accept that.

Bobbi nearly tails Malick before being stopped by a Russian officer and locked out by a mechanical door. While Daisy tries to translate her way to opening the door, Fitz and Simmons analyze the attaché’s body to discover that while he was strangled, there were no visible fingerprints, hinting at some telekinetic ability. Hunter and May spot Malick outside the building without the general, questioning his next move. Fortunately, Daisy finally unlocks the door for Bobbi to track Petrov. Fitz, howeverm tracks additional jets in the area matching the Prime Minister’s pattern, revealing that Malick plans to kill the Prime Minister in the facility. Coulson orders the team to stop the Inhuman general, but, as Bobbi notes, they have no idea what he can do.

-Daisy: “De nada.”
Bobbi: “Pretty sure that’s not Russian.”

May and Hunter abandon their mission to track Malick to rescue the Prime Minister who’s walking into a trap with the general in the open. Coulson orders Hunter to protect the Prime Minister while May, Mack, and Daisy fighting the general. In the midst of this, Simmons discovers the general’s abilities by noticing his shadow moving on its own. In the meeting, the Prime Minister denounces the Russian soldiers as traitors to the country for the death of his attaché, but SHIELD quickly intervenes. May and Daisy take out the soldiers, Hunter takes the Prime Minister, and Bobbi takes the general. The general, however, sets his shadow loose on the team. The shadow proves intangible to hits, weapons, and Daisy’s powers by knocking Mack unconscious. Simmons notes that the shadow comprises of a dark force that can shift its density at will but can’t find a way to defeat it. In the fight, the general escapes.

Hunter escapes with the Prime Minister, shooting Petrov in the process, but Bobbi and Daisy are left to fight the shadow to no avail. The shadow finally knocks Daisy out and goes after Hunter. Mack offers to take Daisy back to the ship while Bobbi goes after the general himself. Unfortunately, Bobbi’s only choice is to shoot the general in front of other Russian officials, implicating her and Hunter in the assassination.

Now in present day, Bobbi and Hunter are reunited. While they’re happy to see each other, they realize that their opportunities are slim in their position of being accused of assassination. The Prime Minister speaks with President Ellis, believing Hunter and Bobbi to be either working for the government or SHIELD to move ahead in the Inhuman arms race. The president, however, remarks that he should be thankful they saved his life. Unfortunately, the Prime Minister is not in a hurry to explain the deaths of three of his political figures and demands an option. From the shadows, Coulson appears to speak with the Prime Minister as an advisor to the ATCU. Coulson notes that the general who was killed tried to assassinate him, so their motives weren’t exactly malevolent. The Prime Minister still demands some repercussions for what happened.
Coulson walks in and introduces himself to the couple to explain their options. Suddenly, the video feed to the room goes out, giving Coulson, Bobbi, and Hunter ninety seconds to go over the extraction plan. While Coulson gives them clear instructions, the two refuse to go through with it. They argue that even if they do leave, they will still be fugitives, and neither want to be stuck in the lab or at a desk. With few options left, Coulson gives them an out. The video feed comes back on to hear Coulson reprimanding them for straying too close the facility, and the two apologize for their actions. The two also confirm that SHIELD is dismantled to satisfy the Prime Minister. Before he leaves, Coulson thanks Hunter and Bobbi for their actions in saving the Prime Minister’s life and their sacrifice. To the team’s sorrow, Coulson returns to the Zephyr One without Hunter and Bobbi, revealing that they have abdicated their positions in SHIELD.

At a bar, Bobbi and Hunter share a drink while discussing where to go next with the world open to them. Unbeknownst to them, a stranger casually watches them talk, but the two are interrupted when the waitress comes by with a free shot from a secret admirer who preferred to stay anonymous. Bobbi and Hunter look around the bar only to find Simmons in a corner booth. The waitress comes by with another free shot, and the two then spot Fitz on the other side. Bobbi remarks that this is a spy’s goodbye, the team’s toast to their leave. The waitress then brings buy three extra shots, each one from May, Daisy, and Coulson on each side of the bar. Subtly, they all raise their drinks, take their shots, and leave one by one with Mack being the last one to tearfully leave. Bobbi and Hunter take each other’s hand, preparing for their lives outside SHIELD.


In the final scene, Malick practices shooting flying targets when he’s interrupted by his daughter. She asks him how the situation in Russia worked out which he admits did not go according to plan. She then wonders when she can meet the Hive himself, but Malick states that he’s not at full power yet and his plan is still unknown. Malick’s daughter, however, says she knows his plan: to change the world. 
A toast to Bobbi and Hunter. Let's hope we see them soon in Marvels Most Wanted!

No comments:

Post a Comment