Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Reaction: "The Man Behind the Shield" (4x14)

Spoilers! Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. contains PG-13 level content.

Another week, another mission! This week on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. we get more details about the Superior's vendetta against Coulson, plus we get to see May in a refreshing, much-needed flashback. How did all of this play out, and what did I think? Let's discuss!

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My Favorite Moments

★ I absolutely loved the subplot of Coulson and May. Their banter was hilarious and helped drive home why finding May is so important, both for Coulson and in general. It was one of my favorite moments of both this episode and the entire show.

Proof that Coulson and May's banter has ALWAYS been amazing. #TBT #AgentsofSHIELD pic.twitter.com/CEf1J37ODf

— Agents of SHIELD (@AgentsofSHIELD) February 16, 2017

★ This was a pretty Coulson-centric episode, and for good reason. I enjoyed the focus on him and the episode's development of him.

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"Cool origin story, bro. But this means nothing to me." -Coulson

★ Fitzsimmons were both on point in this episode. Jemma giving Fitz a pep talk was absolutely perfect.

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★ I like that Daisy finally got a showdown with the Watchdog leader. Does this mean that story line is over? (I kind of hope so.) I have no idea... we'll see.

★ As awful as it was to watch Mace get tortured, I think this was an important episode development-wise. It established who he is as a character and solidified his commitment to S.H.I.E.L.D. Though Mace started out as a reluctant convert, he remained true even under the worst torture, so I think we can all agree that he's committed to the cause.

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"I believe in Agent Coulson. I believe in S.H.I.E.L.D." -Mace

My Least Favorite Moments

★ Watching Mace get tortured.

★ I was kind of annoyed with Mack giving Fitz trouble about creating Aida and the Framework. It isn't Fitz's fault, Mack! Give him a break.

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★ My biggest beef with this episode is the slight flaw in the plan of switching out the LMDs. If you're going to replace four of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s team members, it does not at all make sense to leave behind the smartest team members, Fitz and Simmons, who can and did figure it out almost immediately. Major flaw in your plan, guys. However, taking out Mack, Mace, Coulson, and Daisy does make the most sense from a tactical advantage because they are very strong members of the team, and this is going to impact S.H.I.E.L.D. in a huge way moving forward.



★ Also, I guess Mack wasn't an LMD before this point. Ah, well.

★ On another note, one theory of mine came true. I told you Aida would become self-aware, emotional, and even more creepy! So much nope.

Favorite Quote

"This is why I don't have Facebook." - Coulson

Overall

This episode was pretty solid, but I can't get over the fact that the LMDs were discovered a little too easily. Though that plot twist should have been brilliant--and in a way, it really was--I find myself bothered that Fitzsimmons figured it out just like that. However, I think if it had taken them longer to figure out, that might have dragged the plot down a bit, so I understand why the writers chose to do it this way. This plot twist is really, really bad, and I'm really worried! Not just one Life Model Decoy, but four?! How will they get out of it? Stay tuned till next week...

Have you seen "The Man Behind the Shield"? What did you think of it?