The Review at the End of the Universe
“Adapt or Die” Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. evolves the threat of the Chronicoms as some lingering questions find answers. If anyone’s following these reviews to read my thoughts on how this show handles time travel then you’ll get your fix early. Any questions over whether this show was allowing the characters to play their part…
“The Queen’s Gambit” The 100 continues to heighten the tension in Sanctum as the Bardo prisoners have little to do but discuss their issues with one another. This season remains a difficult one to understand just because of the volume of plot being burned through. So far the strongest episodes have been the ones that…
“A Trout in the Milk” Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. heads to the 1970s to stop the Chronicoms and HYDRA from changing history into something significantly worse than came before. I really like that this season is playing fast and loose with whether the timeline can be changed or if the characters are simply playing their…
“Nakara” The 100 catches up with Clarke’s group on the ice planet as Diyoza’s whereabouts become known and the situation in Sanctum continues to deteriorate. At last we learn what happened to Diyoza and, to begin with, it’s more or less the same thing that happened to Octavia. Those in Bardo tried to forcibly extract…
“Out of the Past” Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. takes the form of a noir thriller as the team investigate the events leaving to the well documented death of Agent Sousa. So many shows eventually do an episode in the style of a noir thriller because it lets the production team play around with the visual…
“Welcome to Bardo” The 100 properly introduces Bardo and its complicated command over time as Sanctum destabilises even further thanks to Sheidheda. Without a doubt the most difficult thing to keep track of this season is the timeline. There are different planets where time passes at different rates and rules around what characters can remember…
“Alien Commies from the Future” Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. heads to 1955 and infiltrates Area 51 to prevent the Chronicoms from achieving their goals. Time travel storytelling is by its very nature difficult because you’re dealing with a concept that has been a big part of fiction for a long time meaning that people will have…
“Hesperides” The 100 starts to move the major pieces around so that they can inevitably converge on a central point that moves the plot forward. This season’s major advantage is also its major disadvantage. There are a lot of characters with arcs to resolve as well as a lot of stories to develop and conclude….
“Know Your Onions” Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. continues its prohibition era adventure with a race against time to make sure that Freddie Malick survives being hunted by the Chronicoms. Time travel usually brings in the moral dilemma associated with changing the past in some form. It’s a common story element because it fascinates so many…
“False Gods” The 100 returns to Sanctum for an Apocalyptic problem and growing unrest among the various factions as preparations are made for Russell’s execution. At the moment there are two distinct settings at play that have entirely different tones and styles to them. The Sanctum plot is a social and political powder keg of…
