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Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
Have we seen this before? Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.‘s ninth episode of its final season is titled “As I Have Always Been;” it is written by Drew Z. Greenberg (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Arrow), and directed by Jemma Simmons actor Elizabeth Henstridge.
Some spoilers ahead for those who are not up-to-date with the series or not caught up with this episode. If you haven’t done either, get to that now, then return to this article!
Henstridge’s episode of this season is creative from a storytelling standpoint, with the help of Greenberg, who has worked on this series for years now. The episode follows from last week’s, and the whole team is suffering from a still-malfunctioning time drive. Daisy Johnson (Chloe Bennet) wakes up amidst a time storm, and the agents’ aircraft-turned-time-machine the Zephyr is drifting towards the center of a vortex. She and Chronicom Life Model Decoy Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) are the only persons on board who are aware of the time loops created by the time drive, and every time members of the team get hurt or worse, with the ship getting closer to the vortex.
We also learn that Daniel Sousa (guest star Enver Gjokaj) has romantic feelings for Johnson. He tells her he knows her type: “Focused on the greater good, even at your own expense. You want people to think you like being alone, even though you always end up back with friends. You hate losing.”
Similarly, Chronicom Enoch (Joel Stoffer) learns that despite his programming, he has adapted profoundly to human qualities of life. He says, “Being alone meant feeling lonely, and I don’t care for it, so I am feeling — as you might expect — some anxiety now.” Coulson speaks of his fair share of having died many times before in the past, saying, “Dying is lonely, but the feeling is temporary, at least for the person dying.” In addition to this discussion of death anxiety, Coulson’s watching everyone die is a symbol of the death algorithm (as per Roberto Simanowski) found in machines, which gauge the probability of individuals dying in specific scenarios.
Having lived long, Enoch tells Johnson and Coulson that he has seen the future, and it does not look too great. He says they should cherish what moments they have before it ends. He states:
This is the nature of families. I have seen it countless times on countless worlds. People arrive, so we celebrate; and people leave us, so we grieve. We do what we can with the time in between, but the cycle is always there. No one escapes it, not even me.
Overall, “As I Have Always Been” is a great episode of the Marvel series that contributes to the list of films and television shows that feature time loop narratives. Bennet’s and Gregg’s characters develop the most here, with Stoffer putting the best performance in his role as Enoch. The plot rushes rather fast in terms of its pace. The episode begins with a mystery but ends with a tragedy, giving another one of the best moments of the season so far.
9.5/10
What do you think? Have you seen this series? If not, do you plan to binge it sometime in the near future? Let us know! For more Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., action, science-fiction, and Marvel-related news and reviews, follow The Cinema Spot on Twitter (@TheCinemaSpot) and Instagram (@thecinemaspot_).
Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
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