Agents of SHIELD: “Lockup” Review (Season 4, Episode 5)

Despite being a filler episode, “Lockup” was yet another solid episode for SHIELD’s fourth season.

I say filler episode because we didn’t make too much leeway into the mystery surrounding the Darkhold, besides getting a peek into how Lucy McGhostyJerk got her hands on the book, and most of the episode’s action was contained within a very…hectic prison. Luckily, I’ve come to trust SHIELD to still deliver some entertainment even when it’s treading water for a week, and it didn’t fail me now.

The prison riot allowed us to see the whole team, sans Simmons, back in action together alongside Ghost Rider, who continues to be a freakin’ highlight for me every week. Pairing him with Mack for the episode proved to be a lot of fun, especially during their ghostbusting session in the boiler room. And he goes and ruins the plan in the best way possible by leaving his uncle and flaming out on that one prisoner. Meanwhile, Coulson, May and Daisy were busy beating the snot out of the other prisoners. I loved May and Coulson’s realization that the warden and guards were halLucynating (That’s a 10/10 pun, come on.) and Daisy taking on that horde of Watchdogs on her own. There was some fantastic fight choreography in that latter sequence.

While all the mayhem in the prison was going on, Simmons was avoiding her dreaded lie detector test and helping Mace wipe the floor with Senator Nadeer. This subplot proved to be a lot more intriguing than one might have expected, as light was shed on Mace’s seemingly heroic acts at the Vienna bombings (as seen in Civil War), and then quickly having Simmons blackmail Mace because, well, apparently Mace is hiding some details about his involvement there. My only problem with this development is that him being in Vienna should have been revealed a few episodes back. Revealing it in the same episode that it’s called into question doesn’t leave as big as an impact as I think the writers were going for. But hey, now the world now knows he’s an Inhuman! That was a nice little twist. Even though Simmons blackmailed him, things are looking up for the new di- oh…oh wait. Ah shoot, now Nadeer’s blackmailing him. In all seriousness, whatever punishment Mace will inflict on Coulson for going behind his back certainly won’t be lenient. Perhaps the team will go AWOL to find the Darkhold on their own?

Other Thoughts:

• So…Eli’s working with Lucy now? That’s what I got from the look on Eli’s face when he read the Darkhold.
• The accident that put Gabe in a wheelchair was actually a hit? Interesting.
• Real talk: Ghost Rider needs his own show. The fact that he’s a highlight for me every week now, and that I’d be overjoyed with an episode just focused on him, has me rooting for a Ghost Rider series once his stint on SHIELD is finished. I don’t care if it’s Netflix or still on ABC, I need it. And a crossover with The Punisher. Which might be happening. Hopefully. Please.
• Coulson and May. I’d ship it.

Rating: 8.0/10 terrifying epipens.

Next week, Ghost Rider’s origins are revealed…

 

Noah