‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. 2×09: Ye Who Enter Here’ Review
Written by Paul Zbyszewski | Directed by Billy Gierhart
PLOT:
S.H.I.E.L.D. have found the location of the Mysterious City and attempt to enter it, only to find that it has it’s own defences. Meanwhile Raina is on the run from HYDRA, who too want to find the City.
VERDICT:
So we are now into the first part of the two part mid-season finale of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s second season and just like the last eight episodes that preceded it, this one blows the previous season’s out of the water (much like the majority of that season too).
So ‘Ye Who Enter Here’ starts off with another dream sequence, this time featuring Skye and though it certainly has some interesting moments and imagery (if you’re knowledgeable in your comic-lore, then it will give away a big reveal in the next episode), but it isn’t of the same exact quality and style that the dreams in ‘The Writing on the Wall’ had which is a shame. But no sooner is Skye dreaming the dream, that she is snapped out of it by Coulson so that we can get on with main plot.
That is when we get a nice little scene back at Shield HQ between Mac and Fitz, with the former still trying to get the chance to work on the Director’s beloved Lola by driving around the remote controlled toy-version (which led to the latter asking if it too could fly). This also brings in two additional plots with one being the renewed romance between Bobbi and Hunter (which Mac does not approve of for some reason), as well as the continued friction between Fitz and Simmons (which neither want to deal with).
We then get an interesting scene showing Raina still out and about (still being tracked by Shield as they use her as bait for Hydra), this leads to a nice reveal for Agent 33 (with her still stuck with May’s face) and we finally see both Koenig brothers as they appear and retrieve her (using a cool Umbrella Cloak). This leads to Coulson splitting up his team with one half (May, Skye and Hunter) going back and extracting Raina and the twins, while the Director continues on to the City. We also get Bobbi and Simmons talking about her fracturing relationship with Fitz (which we see is not because of his brain-damage, but because of a certain three word sentence he said to her previously). It was a very touching scene and it’s certainly made the pair far more interesting to watch this season, compared to what it was like last season.
We then get to see the Extraction team get Raina and the Keonig twins out of trouble (don’t know if seeing more of the two brothers is a good or bad thing at this moment), with Skye having a good fight with Agent 33 (with the young Agent showing what she has learnt under May’s guidance, though realistically it is not enough against the more experienced opponent, leading to Hunter bailing her out and freaking out at 33’s disfigured look – which was subtly funny).
Then we see Coulson and Bobbi in Puerto Rico (San Jaun to be precise) and we get some nice banter going on between the two (food talk and trying on hats) which leads to the two going over the differences between the new Director and Fury (as well as their differing opinions of the acceptable loses policy). And then we finally get to see the rather emotional scene between Fitz and Simmons, with the former stating that he will no longer work in the lab with her (obviously because she does not feel the same for him as he does for her).
And I know I said just earlier that I said that I was sure if the Keonig Brothers getting more screen time was a good thing or not, but then we get a funny scene with the pair messing with Trip (Patton Oswalt is a hoot here playing the pair and later when they confront Ward, with the ‘how many of you are there?’ joke not getting old any time soon) and so I can finally say, yes it is a good thing.
Finally Raina then opens up to Skye about what the Diviner does and that she can touch it and later telling her more about her Father and how they met (we see even more that Skye does have an interest in meeting her Dad despite her acting otherwise) before then talking about blue angels and naming them the Kree (finally making all Marvel fans geek out – except we have already seen them in Guardians of the Galaxy, but this is their first mention on Earth in the MCU and that we are definitely heading for the Inhumans. It is great to see Agents of Shield leading the way with a big story, one that leads to the Inhumans film, which is all the way in 2018).
Meanwhile Coulson and his team find the entrance to the city and Mac gets brainwashed (and of course enhanced strength and healing) and then tries to kill his friends (it was hinted earlier in the episode that the City was cursed). It was great to see him use his imposing figure for more than just repairs (it would have been good to see him in some fights earlier in the season) and despite how this fight ultimately ends, I do hope this wasn’t the last we see of him (which considering his given abilities by the City, I do highly doubt that he is really dead).
Hydra then catches up to the Shield Bus via tracking the same beacon that Shield had used to keep an eye on Raina (you would think that Shield would have deactivated it after retrieving her, but I can forgive that little plot-hole as it was needed for the enemy to finally come back into play for the plot). This leads to Ward appearing on the Bus and taking both Raina and Skye with him and leaving the fate of the rest in the hands of the Hydra Quintets (Ward gives his word that they will not be harmed, but Whitehall overrules that), leaving them in jeopardy as the episode ends.
**** 4/5