Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. - Recap: Frozen
Recap and review of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. - Episode 12 - Seeds:
Tonight's Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is an interesting one, even while I found myself bored for large stretches of it: the plot itself was a snoozer, but the subtext was compelling in a way I wasn't expecting. "Seeds" explores the nature of families, both genetic and social, illustrating the different paths two outcasts take when one is supported by a surrogate family, while the other is a virtual loner. I wasn't really crazy about the episode, but I appreciated that it had a bit more going for it underneath the surface than its plot would indicate.
Credit: ABC
That plot centers on the tale of two friends: outcast genius Donnie Gill (Dylan Minnette) and his sketchy pal Seth Dormer (Daniel Zovatto). When the team hears word of ice attacks at S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Sci-Tech academy, Fitz (Iain De Caestecker) and Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) investigate along with Ward (Brett Dalton) and Skye (Chloe Bennet). It quickly becomes apparent that the attacks have something to do with Donnie, whom Fitz theorizes is being targeted by classmates. Donnie is the youngest Academy prospect since Fitz, and so Fitz projects a bit of his own experience onto Donnie, assuming that the gifted youngster is suffering the same kind of alienation and mistreatment that he himself suffered. And so Fitz reaches out to him, and they form a bond, as Donnie appears to be grateful simply to have someone with whom he can relate, given how significantly his intellect separates him from the rest of his classmates. Fitz even helps Donnie work out a problem with a power source for the kid's newest invention. Unfortunately, it isn't until it's too late that Fitz learns he's been had. Donnie was peer-pressured by Seth into faking the attacks in order to draw S.H.I.E.L.D. to the Academy so Fitz could help solve the power deficiency in Donnie's device.
Credit: ABC
But why is the device so important? We learn that Seth's father works as a lawyer at Quinn Worldwide, giving the two boys an in with notorious venture capitalist Ian Quinn (David Conrad), last seen escaping S.H.I.E.L.D.'s grasp in "The Asset". Quinn is offering the boys an obscene amount of money for a large-scale version of the machine, and though Donnie seems hesitant to go through with the plan, Seth is really the only friend he's ever had, and it's clear that Donnie doesn't want to disappoint him. So he goes through with activating the machine, even though it hasn't been tested, and despite Fitz's earlier warnings that such a device could have global consequences. And sure enough, the device kicks off an atmospheric chain reaction, creating a storm that can't be stopped. Because he's essentially a good kid who's in over his head, Donnie attempts to rectify the damage he's done by deactivating the machine, pleading with Seth to help him. Seth realizes he has no choice, and helps Donnie disassemble the thing...only to get struck by a bolt of lightning that inevitably destroys the device. Seth goes into cardiac arrest just as the S.H.I.E.L.D. carrier arrives, and, despite Simmons's best efforts, they are unable to save the young man. Ultimately, Donnie recognizes his folly, and succumbs to the guilt of having caused the death of the only friend he's ever had. It's a tragic development that, as the episode closes, kick starts his transformation into the supervillain Blizzard, as we see that Donnie has developed cryogenic abilities.
Credit: ABC
This was a fairly straightforward storyline, but I really enjoyed what Dylan Minnette brought to the role. He was playing an outcast, sure, but it was a more reserved portrayal than one might expect from such a role. In fact, he seemed quiet and shy nearly to the point of nonexistence, and it was a perfect choice for the character, to contrast him with the more ambitious Seth. The arc also helps to further develop Fitz, who is an empath in his dealings with others, particularly scientific types like himself. It was clear that he thought he was truly helping Donnie, and probably thought he could form a bond with the boy similar to the intellectual/emotional friendship he shares with Simmons. But it's nowhere near that simple, and Fitz winds up every bit as in over his head as Donnie. Yet while the arc works on the singular level of developing Fitz and illustrating the downfall of an otherwise good kid, it also serves as a pointed contrast to the plight of Skye...
Credit: ABC
Coulson (Clark Gregg) and May (Ming-Na Wen) get a lead on Skye's origins, tracking down the missing partner of Agent Linda Avery, the woman who dropped Skye off at the orphanage twenty years ago. Coulson is intent on discovering the truth, and also casting away all secrets (prompting May to confess to her ongoing affair with Ward, in one of the more amusing little moments of the episode). When Coulson and May track down the partner (Boyd Kestner), it leads to a pretty well-done action setpiece, as May fights the man, who has no idea these are S.H.I.E.L.D. agents -- at least not until he's cornered by Coulson's flying friggin' car. Once captured, Avery's ex-partner reveals that he fled out of fear of the people who murdered Agent Avery. He explains that, twenty years ago, a S.H.I.E.L.D. team received a call for assistance regarding an OA4 ("object of unknown origin"). They traveled to the remote village from which the call originated, only to find everyone slaughtered by unknown mercenaries. All that remained was the team leader, who died clutching the OA4: a baby. Skye.
As Avery's partner goes on to explain, no one on the S.H.I.E.L.D. team had any idea why the baby was classified an OA4, since the girl showed no supernatural abilities. However, the people responsible for slaughtering the village refused to stop searching for Skye, slowly killing off the S.H.I.E.L.D. team members one-by-one. So Avery dropped Skye off at an orphanage and set her up to be shuffled through the foster care system every few months to keep the mysterious group off her trail. Yet, despite her best efforts, Avery ultimately ended up giving her life to keep Skye safe.
Credit: ABC
It's hardly the explanation I was expecting, but I don't necessarily dislike it either, as it's a bit of a tragic concept: in keeping Skye safe, Avery essentially doomed her to a life of shiftlessness and alienation in a foster care system that ultimately didn't care all that much about her. It recontextualizes the Skye character, particularly once Coulson ignores May's warnings and tells Skye the truth about her origin. Instead of mourning the family she lost, Skye rejoices in the family she's always had, taking comfort in the knowledge that even when she thought she was alone, S.H.I.E.L.D. has always been looking out for her. It's a poignant idea, and it works to contrast her with Donnie. Despite being a gifted outcast with no family and few friends or acquaintances, Skye still managed to avoid succumbing to hated, self-pity or outright villainy. I know Skye isn't exactly a popular or well-liked character to some, but I did like that it was Coulson who explained Skye's resilient reaction to the news of her parents' death, as it allows us to see Skye through his eyes. It's a bit cheesy, but I feel it works.
Credit: ABC
Granted, the surface of the episode doesn't really measure up to everything that's going on beneath it. Beyond the thematic import of the Donnie and Skye storylines, there isn't all that much to get excited about here. I suppose it's a shocker to learn that Ian Quinn is working with The Clairvoyant, and Coulson actually gets a fairly badass moment when he calls Quinn and gives him a warning that he'll be shot out of the sky if his plane crosses over a S.H.I.E.L.D.-allied country. But this mostly just felt like a placeholder episode, a stop-gap on the road to a more substantial story. "Seeds" isn't a terrible episode or anything, but it doesn't feel essential in the way that episodes at this stage of the game probably should. I'm not nearly as down on Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. as some critics, since I see a ton of potential in the series. But I feel like much of its potential is being squandered in favor of dragging out conflicts when they should be escalating (such as The Clairvoyant story). It's not as if the show can't recover from this, so hopefully, when the show comes back in a few weeks, the story will be more focused and urgent than it has been.