What I’m Watching: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D: Season 3, Episode 16 “Paradise Lost” (B+)

This show is really centering back on that original inhuman currently inhabiting Ward’s body and the origins of said race as it relates to Afterlife. We got to see a glimpse of Malick’s past and his family’s immersion in the cult of Hydra, as well as a reappearance of Reed Diamond’s Dr. Whitehall, in prison at the time yet still highly influential on a young Malick. As the pieces came together, it seemed like Malick’s daughter Stephanie, played by Bethany Joy Lenz from “One Tree Hill,” was even more of a true believer than he was. The fact that seeing Hive’s true face only made her more loyal didn’t end up doing anything for her since he opted to punish Malick for his sins by literally sucking the life out of his daughter instead of taking out the disloyal father and keeping his daughter by her side. He has quite the ally in Giyera, who got more screentime than usual as he fell for the trap set for him by Coulson and May but then managed to escape and take control of the ship enough to sabotage it and send it straight to the ground and into enemy territory. I’m not quite sure why Lincoln’s past as an alcoholic is so crucial, but I was impressed by how Daisy dealt with the mines after she successfully separated herself from the first one. Blasting them all away and knocking their unfriendly host unconscious in the process was a neat trick.