Agents of SHIELD Season 3 Episode 18 Review: “The Singularity”

Check out Our Review [WITH SPOILERS] of Agents of SHIELD Season 3 Episode 18: “The Singularity”

As we creep our way towards a season finale, where one S.H.I.E.L.D. agent will explode in a fiery blaze of glory aboard a space-bound Quinjet, the chess pieces are beginning to move in bold and interesting ways. Hive is slowly building an army of Inhumans and it’s up to the regulars of the Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division to save the day.

I mean, sure, S.H.I.E.L.D. has Lincoln (an Inhuman to call their own). But since Director Phil Coulson will only trust him while wearing a “murder vest,” as it was called… The Electric Man will probably be sitting on the sidelines during a few missions. That means other agents finally have their chance to shine.

-Fitz-Simmons: Field Agents-

That’s right. They’re the Bobbi Morse and Lance Hunter of science. For the first time in a while, both Jemma Simmons and Leo Fitz got to play the role of secret agent. Their mission: track down a geneticist who may hold the key to stopping Hive. That included gaining the trust of Dr. Holden Radcliffe… BY JAMMING A SYRINGE IN HIS EYE!!! Sure, it was a mutated eye… and it probably didn’t hurt, but damn that was cringe-worthy.

Now Fitz-Simmons aren’t the best spies. Fitz blabbers about being S.H.I.E.L.D. almost instantly. Once Hive and his Inhuman goons show up, they don’t really put up a fight (they are just scientists after all). However, they did get one James Bond move down pat. Once the danger was over… they finally got it on (giggity). Nearly three seasons in and finally… Fitz-Simmons are a bonafide couple. So much for Jemma’s hypothesis that they were bad luck for each other… unless one of them dies in that Quinjet!? Then she’d be correct.

-Is Hive Really in Control?-

Fitz-Simmon’s plan failed due to Hive showing up with his Inhuman army. Aside from the newly recruited Daisy, Hive also managed to get his hands on Alisha (a multiplier) and James (the crazy guy, who originally had the Kree Orb). It looked as if he was going to recruit Simmons, but after firing two slugs into his stomach… she scampered on her way to rendezvous with Fitz.

However, her new beau Fitz was stuck in a tussle with Daisy. Sure, Quake was choking the life out of Fitz, but it seemed like she was hurting him… only to save him (wait, wasn’t that Ultron’s plan?). Daisy was well aware of her actions, which brings us back to earlier in the episode when Daisy and Hive went to recruit James.

It turned out the Kree Orb wasn’t the only item James had. After being transformed into an Inhuman (and he turned out to be Hellfire!!!), James revealed another Kree object he had; a gravestone-looking item that Hive said is the only thing that can kill him. More startling than a new alien object? The look on Daisy’s face when she saw it. It appeared Hive’s Inhuman manipulation wasn’t as strong as he’d hoped… which could lead to Daisy being the one that causes his demise. So could it be Hive in that exploding Quinjet? That would be a cop out.

-Putting an End to Hydra (but not really)-

Speaking about demise, how about the fact that Hydra was literally wiped off the map without putting up a fight. In two scenes (which didn’t fit into the rest of the episode) we saw Director Coulson talking with General Glenn Talbot about the information they got from the now deceased Hydra head, Gideon Malick. It turned out Malick supplied S.H.I.E.L.D. with every Hydra hideout, allowing the General and the ATCU to destroy Hydra is one swoop, thus eliminating the evil organization from the MCU. As Talbot put it, “The head has been cut.”

Doesn’t Talbot remember the Red Skull’s proclamation in The First Avenger? “Cut off one head and two more shall grow!?” Don’t think for one second Hydra is gone. This seems more like a way for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. to clean up a loose end before Hydra reemerges as a surprise secret organization in  Captain America: Civil War. I mean… who is Baron Zemo going to work for again? The Serpent Society? Sure, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. knocked Hydra off the TV screen, but I doubt it’s the last time we’ve heard “Hail Hydra” in the MCU.

***Highlight of the Episode***

I don’t think any scene this season will top Director Phil Coulson protecting Agent May thanks to a Captain America-esque laser shield coming from his robotic arm. “I thought it’d be cool if the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. had a shield.” He was right.