Late week’s Episode featured a Jemma and Fitz centric story that did a number on the heartstrings. This week we get back to the serious business. Both sides of the divided story are developed and we take another step toward bringing everyone together. So let’s see what we learned in Toldja.
Return to Kitson
When we last left Jemma and Fitz, they had escaped with Enoch using the ring teleport device. Unfortunately, he apparently failed to change its destination. The device must have a Yo-Yo selection as it snapped them right back where they had come from, the Planet Kitson. The problem with that is both Fitz and Enoch are still wanted men in Kitson. They were guilty of using a synth (Enoch) to win at their gaming tables. That was strictly forbidden by house rules.
Simmons experience in Kitson was much different as she and Daisy were under the influence of the psychedelic “puffies.” But before they can reprogram the teleporter, some random guy grabs it and accidentally activates it, immediately vanishing. Oops! So now the trio are stranded! Enoch, for his part is unconcerned as he believes they can sneak out before they are captured. WRONG! When their opening comes, they run straight into Mr. Kitson’s henchmen and haven’t been forgotten.
They are taken to Mr. Kitson who is being played by Anthony Michael Hall. He shares his past family history and how the Kitsons worked their way to such a fine gambling and brothel establishment. However, he feels that to maintain his reputation, he cannot let cheating go unpunished. He also feels that punishing Enoch would be a waste as he is a synth. He demands that Enoch be sent to one of the planet’s brothels. Leave it to Enoch to exclaim upon hearing this, “I’m not sure how I feel about this.”
Keeping your Head is part of the Game
Meanwhile, Fitz and Simmons are placed into a machine that is loaded with guillotines. They are strapped into the machine along with the guy who bluffed Enoch out of his winnings on their first stop at Kitson. It becomes a game where the unfortunate players have to manually hold a chain that keeps the blades from descending causes them to lose their heads…literally. Needless to say, the first one to let go is the loser. Fitz and Simmons are some the smartest people on this or any planet but they are not renowned for their physical strength or stamina. It doesn’t help when contestant #3 keeps talking about Jemma and ticking off Fitz, which causes him to lose focus. Not a good thing when your life depends on it.
Just when it is starting to look bleak, fortune and the show’s writers intervene. This takes the form of a mysterious redheaded woman played by Karolina Wydra. She manages to sneak up behind Kitson and introduce him to the knife she has pressed against his back. She demands that he free the “Terrans.” He initially refuses but she presses her point and her knife and explains he will be compensated for his loss. Because as a business man, he is all about profit and even more about not getting stabbed, he agrees. He uses a hidden device to electrically shock the third guy. This loosens his grip and allows the guillotine blade to fall. He has lost, both the game and his life.
Rescued for a purpose
While grateful for the their newfound saviors assistance, they have had about enough of galavanting across space. They explain as such to Izel, their rescuer, until they find out that her destination is Earth. She explains that the fact they were “Terrans” was the whole reason she rescued them. She is in need of humans to help her regain something that she claims was stolen from her. Earth is where her “property” was brought. Exactly what that is she leaves out of the equation for now. She also tells them that they will need a ship, since her’s was destroyed. They go back to the crooks who stole Fitz and Enoch’s pirated ship and demand it back. Remembering the broken fingers he received from Daisy when he last saw Jemma, they both agree to go with them to Earth.
Sarge vs Mack
Speaking of Earth, Sarge and Butterfly are brought back to Shield base. May orders Butterfly to be locked up but brings Sarge to Mack and the confused Daisy. This is the first time she has seen Sarge and his resemblance to Coulson. After a short time she realizes she can’t handle it and excuses herself. As for Sarge, he previously was able to piece together May’s relationship with his lookalike Coulson. After Daisy’s exit, he surmised that she apparently had some kind of “daddy issues” with his other self.
Later, Daisy reunites with Deke, who is still feeling a bit awkward due to his massive crush on her. He explains about what he has been up to since she left. She feigns interest but during their discussion she details the reason she went into space. Her mission was to find Fitz’s previous self since the other one had died. Unfortunately, that was unknown to Deke. Upon finding out, he goes to Mack and explodes at him for not telling him sooner. For his part, Mack agreed that he should have shared that information but reminded Deke he had left them. However, Mack tells him he can assist them now by living up to his lineage and temporarily filling in for FitzSimmons as their expert in high-tech science.
Jaco’s Bad Breath
Back with Sarge, he tells Mack that by the time it’s all over, everyone will end up following him. This is despite Mack’s status as Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. While waiting for Sarge to cooperate, Yo-Yo is trying to get information from Jaco. He is apparently suffering from a respiratory issue but refuses treatment as long as Sarge is in custody. Mack returns to Sarge, extolling to him about Jaco’s condition. Sarge seems unconcerned saying that perhaps Jaco is just tired and wants to move on. What they instead find out is that Jaco was building up to be able to start breathing fire.
Agent Khan finds this out when Jaco pins him down. Fortunately, Mack and Daisy are able to knock Jaco out before he can free himself and Sarge. At the same time, Deke is able to access one of Sarge’s scanning devices and locates two Shrikes. Mack sends May and Yo-Yo to collect the two new Shrike hosts that just popped up in Iowa. While they are retrieving their targets, Mack goes back to Sarge and explains that they had subdued Jaco and had used their scanner to locate two Shrikes and capture them. Sarge feigns his surprise at their ingenuity but turns away with a smirk on his face.
Air Shrikes
Meanwhile, as the plane goes back to base, they put both of the Shrikes together in a pod. Bad idea, as the Shrike hosts start shaking and screeching, while manifesting those crystalline spikes from their bodies. With his team in the air in danger, Mack is forced to make a deal with Sarge. In return for a promise of freedom for his crew and the return of his truck, Sarge will tell them how to stop the Shrikes. If it is not too late. He tells them that the Shrikes are vulnerable to cold. Since the Zephyr is pretty high up in the atmosphere already, May opens a back exit ramp and the cold air kills the Shrikes before they can destroy the ship or kill Yo-Yo.
Toldja
While relieved that the immediate danger was averted, there was still the impending threat to face. Sarge smugly reminds them that “there’s more where that came from.” Daisy, for her part, asks Mack what their next move should be. Unfortunately, because he is not as knowledgeable about the Shrikes as Sarge, he has no answers. Eventually, the group turns to Sarge. “Toldja,” Sarge says, which of course, is the episode title. He smiles as he extends his manacled wrists for Mack to set him free.
Enoch says Goodbye
Finally, as Fitz and Simmons prepares for their journey back to Earth, Enoch says goodbye. Enoch explains that he considers that his tasks are completed. The Earth has been saved (from last season’s Quake-generated apocalypse, at least), and Fitz and Jemma have secured their passage home. Because of that, Enoch has given himself a new mission. He will help his own people find a new home for themselves. Jemma thanks him for all his help and Fitz gives him a hug, which Enoch returns as best he can. He tells Fitz: “I will not miss you, Leopold Fitz….I am bluffing.” So Enoch takes his leave as Fitz and Jemma ready to go home.
Thoughts:
After the the tumultuous emotion filled episode of last week, this week’s episode was more a return to the main story lines. While necessary, just because of the assault on the feels last week, Toldja felt kind of flat. That’s not to say it was bad, it just had a hard act to follow from last week.
Guest Stars: Anthony Michael Hall and Karolina Wydra
We had a couple of new guest stars and although they were fine, they didn’t really bring anything exciting to the table. Anthony Michael Hall was rather uninspiring as Kitson, which was not really his fault. They really didn’t give him a lot to do and he was so easily gotten the drop on by Izel, it kind of explains why he stays in hiding so much. His personal security sucks.
As for Karolina Wydra‘s Izel, while she played her character in a cool, almost subdued manner, there is more to her character than meets the eye. She is not telling everything she knows. In fact, at this point, I’m not sure if she might have ties to Sarge’s mysterious Creator for the Shrikes. Perhaps she even IS the creator or perhaps in a manner we are unaware of, Fitz is the creator. The only thing we know is they are on their way to Earth, just as Sarge explained. They have five episodes to clean up the mess and with the convergence of all the characters, it should be exciting.
While I don’t believe this is the last we will see of Enoch, I will miss Joel Stoffer‘s work as he was brilliant at his craft. The same can be said for Clark Gregg. You are doing some fine acting if you can one minute be loved, and the next make the viewer want to punch you in the head. Bravo Mr. Gregg.
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Senior Writer at GeekVibesNation – I am a 50 something child of the 70’s who admits to being a Star Trek/Star Wars/Comic Book junkie who once dove head first over a cliff (Ok, it was a small hill) to try to rescue his Fantastic Four comic from a watery grave. I am married to a lovely woman who is as crazy as I am and the proud parent of a 18 year old boy with autism. My wife and son are my real heroes.
