Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. “Let Me Stand Next to Your Fire” was written by Matt Owens and was directed by Brad Turner, whose other credits include Stargate: Atlantis, 24, and Hawaii Five-O, as well as Life on Mars (which Jason O’Mara starred in!). Owens has been story editor on two other episodes and has also written for Luke Cage. This episode contained several unexpected reunions and a few first time encounters between characters. It’s a nice play on the title of the episode to see how many of the characters will stand with their friends even at the risk of getting burned.
The episode begins with what will be sure to be a favorite episode with FitzSimmons fans. Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) is out apartment hunting for herself and Fitz (Iain De Caestecker) – seems they are taking their relationship to the next level: co-habitation. Simmons has found the perfect place… unfortunately, Daisy (Chloe Bennet) is there and has actually arranged for the apartment. But Daisy is injured and needs Simmons’ help. Simmons can’t turn her back on Daisy, but she’s in a difficult spot because of her new position. I loved Daisy pulling a gun on her – she won’t have to lie about being forced now!
Meanwhile, Coulson (Clark Gregg) visits Robbie’s (Gabriel Luna) Uncle Eli (Jose Zunga) in prison. As it turns out, Eli has a PhD in Electrical Engineering and was clearly not just some kind of low level employee at the lab. Coulson tells him that his colleagues are back and getting worse. The only other guy who can help is in the coma that landed Eli in jail for manslaughter.
Before Coulson can get any answers, however, Mack (Henry Simmons) pulls him out of the interview because he’s seen Robbie’s car. What follows is a terrific car chase – but not before Coulson shuts Mack down about driving Lola! Love the chemistry between these two. Coulson wins – but he cheats by running Robbie into a cloaked quinjet. I did love Coulson considering it a street race and asking Mack if that meant he got Robbie’s car because he won!
Daisy wants Simmons to hack into the S.H.I.E.L.D. servers in order to determine how the Inhuman information is getting leaked to the Watchdogs and to make sure that all the Inhumans are protected. I loved Simmons just bouncing out of the car and running up to the Agent and handing them the jump drive while Daisy sits in the car with her mouth open. Better still was Simmons bouncing back into the car and informing Daisy that she’s the boss! Daisy is ready to cut Simmons lose at this point, but Simmons insists that they are in it together now and tells Daisy to “suck it up.” Hopefully, this demonstration of solidarity will help Daisy with getting over Hive.
Aida (Mallory Jansen) is helping Radcliffe (John Hannah) look after May (Ming-Na Wen) and run tests. They are trying to find a chemical cure for the ghost virus. Aida tells May that they killed her for seven minutes! Naturally, when Fitz shows up, he freaks out that Aida is with May, but Radcliffe insists that it’s the best way to test Aida – by putting her front and centre with S.H.I.E.L.D.’s most discerning Agent!
As it turns out, May quite likes Aida, especially after Aida understands May speaking Chinese. She almost gives Radcliffe and Fitz heart attacks when she asks where they’ve been hiding Aida! She really likes her no nonsense common sense! When May asks Aida where she’s from, Fitz jumps in to say she’s from Canada! Ontario! As an Ontarion myself, I loved this moment! Fitz further covers by saying that Aida is an army brat, so really grew up all over.
Aida, who’s been programed never to lie, asks Radcliffe why Fitz lied about her. Radcliffe explains that the intention of the lie is always important. He tells her that a lie can save a life. When Aida asks whose life, Radcliffe tells her, hers. Aida looks very thoughtful after this exchange, and I have to wonder if this isn’t foreshadowing of what’s to come. Jansen is doing an excellent job playing an android who is very, very close to human but isn’t quite. But is she close enough to have or be developing a survival instinct of her own? She allowed Radcliffe to put her to sleep pretty easily last week, but would she try to save her own life if it came to it? Will not hurting humans supercede any survival instinct?
This question juxtaposes nicely with the Inhuman storyline. Daisy and Simmons determine that James (Axle Whitehead) is next on the Watchdog’s list. They find him working in a fireworks warehouse – he likens it to a recovering addict – a constant reminder of what he doesn’t want to be. He’s clearly having a hard time with his withdrawal from Hive too. I thought he provided a really good reminder of what Daisy is going through. She hasn’t simply lost her mind and turned her back on her friends. She’s profoundly depressed – just as James is. He is so filled with self-loathing that he’s working with the Watchdogs. He’s helping to take out all the Inhumans, including himself!
Daisy asks him to help them because fighting back is how she’s moving on. I really liked the exchange between Simmons, Daisy, and James. Simmons doesn’t want Daisy to drag James into her vendetta, and Daisy gets impatient with her for it. It’s James that tells Daisy to take it easy because Simmons doesn’t know what it’s like – reminding us that we too may have forgotten.
Meanwhile, Coulson enlists Robbie to help them. Mack is impressed that Robbie’s car doesn’t even have a dent, but he’s also wary of having anything to do with him. Robbie tells Coulson that he made a deal with the Devil. Coulson asks Mack if he believes in the ghosts and devils they’ve encountered. Mack tells him that he believes in God so he kind of has to believe in the other. Coulson points out that most of the gods he’s met have simply turned out to be aliens! I loved Coulson turning to Mack as he went in with Robbie and saying, “Time for me to make a deal with the Devil…”
Coulson tells Robbie that he’s opening the door for him because he thinks that they’re on the same team and can help each other. He thinks Eli will open up to Robbie. Coulson is opening the door for Robbie – but he’s happy to open another door if Robbie doesn’t want to help – before they land!
Robbie does speak to Eli – it’s what he was about to do when Mack saw him at the prison. Eli tells him that Lucy (Lilli Birdsell), Joseph’s (Kerr Smith) wife and the others were the leaders at this think tank and developed a quantum particle generator that defied physics. They were pushing boundaries and he thought they were playing God. Eli wanted revenge. Robbie tells Eli that Lucy isn’t dead and wants to know where she would go. Eli tells him that she’d go after the book they were trying to find – the book is evil. Once again, Mack puts an end to the interrogation because they have to go deal with a situation with an asset – James.
Meanwhile, Lucy has gone to comatose Joseph for help locating the book. She wakes him up by sinking her fingers into his head! I suspect he will have the ghost virus pretty badly!
Robbie wants to go after the book immediately, but Coulson tells them they have to make another detour and could really use his help. James meeting Ghost Rider is one of the most epic sequences yet in the show. I loved the fight between these two – great effects and perfect dialogue.
Daisy and Coulson are finally reunited. It’s clear that Daisy is relieved to see him and missed him, but it’s also clear that she’s hurt him deeply. Mack and Coulson take care of the Watchdogs, but James and Ghost Rider’s fight ends up with them falling into the warehouse, leading Mack to say, “Did two fire-dudes just drop into a warehouse full of fireworks?” And Coulson to reply, “You had to see that coming.”
The warehouse explodes, but Robbie emerges dragging an unconscious James. He was told to bring him in alive!
On the quinjet, Daisy and Robbie are strapped in across from Coulson – who’s not happy. Daisy thanks him for saving them and then asks if he’s going to say anything else besides you’re welcome. He tells her there’s nothing else to say. She wants to go after the Watchdogs – nothing else is more pressing for her.
Coulson is angry. He tells her the Watchdogs have to go on the backburner for now. He knows the two of them like to work solo but that’s not how they work at S.H.I.E.L.D. He throws his tablet at their feet. He explains about the The Dark Hold: it’s a book of sins, spells, infinite knowledge. No one else has ever found it – not even Nick Fury! Coulson tells them, “You don’t need us? Right now, we need you.” Daisy and Robbie exchange a look. They’re in. Coulson is going to start with Joseph, who’s just woke up.
I loved the last scene. Coulson and Simmons come to pick up May. Radcliffe thanks May for all her help – she clearly doesn’t know which experiment she’s been helping with! May and Coulson have a great reunion – and it’s a nice contrast to Daisy and Robbie when May asks no questions and just says she’s in when Coulson asks for her help. Love the tight writing on this show! Even with Aida’s rather odd answers, Coulson doesn’t realize that she’s not a real person. I loved that it seems like Simmons is jealous – she’s beautiful! – But in fact, Simmons knows immediately that Aida is an android. There’s a nice moment when she asks if Fitz knows – I love how they still gently jockey for who is the smartest! But there’s another big problem. Simmons has a lie-detector test the next day.
What did you think of the episode? Are you happy to see the team sort of back together? Do you think Daisy will stay now? How long until everyone knows about Aida? How long until Aida becomes a problem? Will Simmons be able to pass the test? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
About the Author - Lisa Macklem
I do interviews and write articles for the site in addition to reviewing a number of shows, including Supernatural, Arrow, Agents of Shield, 12 Monkeys, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, The X-Files, Designated Survivor, Timeless, Killjoys, and a few others! I'm active on the Con scene when I have the time. When I'm not writing about television shows, I'm often writing about entertainment and media law in my capacity as a legal scholar. I also work in theatre when the opportunity arises. I'm an avid runner and rider, currently training in dressage.
