Agents of Shield has finally returned to the UK this week after its extremely long mid-season break. At the end of the previous episode, Agent Coulson was kidnapped by Centipede, and Mike Peterson was thought to have been killed in an explosion. This week’s episode followed the Shield agents, lead by Victoria Hand.
Sometimes the show struggles to find the correct balance between character development and the plot of the episode. However this week, one of the main plot lines WAS the character development. Coulson was kidnapped in order to find out how he survived New York, and this involves delving into his past and finding out why his memories were suppressed by Shield. This meant that, not only were you entertained and kept gripped with the plot, but you also learn more about the characters in the process, creating a fine and perfect balance between the two. The plot itself does keep you on edge. At times not entirely straightforward, but often, for a show to be great, there needs to be an air of mystery surrounding it, or a lack of clarity so the ending is not given away. Skye is sent off of the plane and decides to fly solo in order to find out where Coulson is being located, meanwhile we get scenes of what is happening with Coulson, and what the rest of the team is up to under Hand’s leadership. Of course, as expected, Skye manages to find out Coulson’s location before everyone else.
There is an obvious splash of money in this episode. Aside from the usual hi-tech plane as the base of operations, there are fancy black land-rovers, Lamborghinis, hi-tech robots that operate on your brain, mind-reading devices that try and unveil you darkest, most secretive memories. Money well spent, the special effects are first class and the extra splash of sophistication gives the show a glossier look, something that a super secret government organisation with tons of money in government fund needs.
The Magical Place was a wonderful start to the second half of the season. We delve deeper into Centipede, inch closer to uncovering the truth about Tahiti, and see the characters grow together to become a wonderful Shield team.