Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Season 3, episode 13, “Parting Shot.”
Corrina: This episode makes perfect sense if you know that Bobbi and Hunter are soon to have their own show. That may be the only way it makes sense because if you think too hard about it, the whole “we must let you go,” doesn’t work at all.
For those who didn’t watch, the team went to Russia to stop Malick, find out he’s staging a coup against the Russian leader, and save his life against a truly scary Inhuman who can control shadows, with Bobbi killing the shadow-controlling Inhuman in the process. After all this, Malick vanishes to fight again, and Bobbi and Hunter are Russian prisoners because it looks like they killed Russian officials for no reason.
Hey, was anyone thinking “Game of Thrones Baby Shadow Killer!” when the shadow attacked? Just me, then? In any case, someone ought to remember this whenever we get a DC series about The Shade.
Will: I didn’t think it at the time, but now that you mention it, it’s totally Stannis’ shadow!
Corrina: It’s a good showcase for all the members of the team and their various abilities, with an excellent villain, but mostly it’s a showcase for Hunter and Bobbi and their relationship.
Will: Totally, I really do enjoy the Bobbi/Hunter relationship. I loved the exchange at the beginning while they were staking out the base. I’m glad Bobbi’s the one with the gutter mind! Am I the only one that noticed they were wearing very light clothes, and you couldn’t even see their breath in Siberia?
Corinna: At the end, the President of the United States shows up to explain things to the Russian leader, with an assist from Coulson. But in order to save face, Russia has to blame someone for killing the traitorous officials, and that’s Bobbi and Hunter. Instead of being executed, they’re sent packing from a secret spy agency that doesn’t exist. I see. So they’re banished for doing work for S.H.I.E.L.D., even though S.H.I.E.L.D doesn’t officially exist and already has plausible deniability. That’s some true Orwellian mind confusion there.
Still, the team’s silent farewell to Bobbi and Hunter in a bar had me sniffling. I’ll miss that crazy pair but, you know, not too long because they’ll have their own show.
Will: Despite this goodbye scene being great, I couldn’t get emotionally invested knowing it was just to setup the spin-off (which I am SO excited about) and didn’t make a lick of sense to me.
Corrina: Meanwhile, a still-free Malick talks with his daughter about his plans to take over the world and how he’s still confused the NotWard/HIVE.
Will: The final scene with Malick and his daughter didn’t really seem to add anything to the episode. It seems it was just there to introduce his daughter for future episodes. She’s a great shot, so maybe she’ll be a formidable opponent for S.H.I.E.L.D.
Corinna: Aside: Whew, no Daisy and Lincoln this time. That couple is as boring as Hunter/Bobbi was interesting.
The team is finally working as a team, Coulson continues to reveal he’s not dead to everyone but the Avengers, and it looks like the Inhumans won’t be getting a reservation, er, prison, in Russia anytime soon. Also, I want to try Hunter’s mushroom soup recipe.
Will: The comparison of Native Americans to Inhumans and mentioning reservations like they were a good thing was brutal. I guess if you want to show just how twisted Malick is in a single sentence, that was it.
Matt: Who would have thought that Coulson turns out to be Lady Sif in disguise?
Anthony: And is Zoom’s grandfather.
Gerry: From Earth-1.
Joey: Earth-2 Coulson is still Coulson. No difference.
Anthony: There is only one Coulson: Coulson-Prime.
Next page: Arrow (page 7)
I’ve always thought that Zoom was Zolomon Hunter; after all, Zoom *was* Hunter. But even though I admit I like the idea of a total personality spli between Jay and Zoom, I also think there have been times when both were accounted for (and in separate Earths). I’m not sure the Man in the Iron mask is yet another Jay Garrick… To top it all off, Hunter is Earth-1’s Garrick’s counterpart… And there’s the little detail of Zoom actually killing Garrick in front of the team.
Damn, this is all too confusing!