'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' Recap: Elizabeth Henstridge on Fitz vs. Will
Warning: Spoilers ahead for this week’s episode of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Simmons finally gets an episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. to herself, and it’s a doozy. We find out what happened during those “4,722 Hours” on the alien planet, and the revelations make things more complicated rather than less. Yahoo TV also got to ask Elizabeth Henstridge the question that’s now burning in everyone’s mind.
The Plot
Simmons gets spit out on the alien twilight planet. She waits around for the portal to re-open, then sets off in search of food and water; an oasis populated by a killer tentacle creature provides both.
Related: Get Caught Up With Our ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ Recaps
She gets captured by Will Daniels (Dillon Casey) — an astronaut stranded on the planet for the last 14 years. They live in his hidey-hole for months, escaping the view of a malicious entity that’s been killing people who enter the portal for centuries. Simmons figures out how to plot when the portal will open, but the entity prevents them from going through. Eventually, she and Will become romantically involved, and a month and a half later, she is rescued, leaving Will behind.
The Triangle
So, is this a Team Edward/Team Jacob situation? Or was Will just a fling for Jemma? The obvious question to ask Elizabeth Henstridge after watching that episode is: If both men were right there in front of Simmons, who would she choose? Here is what she told us:
“Probably Fitz, honestly. Because, at the start, she leant on Fitz emotionally so much while she was out there. Even though she was on her own, she would speak to Fitz and only Fitz the whole time. And even when she and Will were romantically involved — as soon as she saw that flare at the end, her mind immediately went to Fitz. He’s deep down in her bones.”
Will, the Hot Astronaut
What’s with Agents constantly hiring dudes who are easily mistaken for Ward? Is every actor in L.A. a dark-haired guy with a beard, or are the writers just really specific about what kind of eye candy they like to see on TV? This is an ABC show, so we probably won’t see the sort of teenage love triangles you get on The CW, but it’s definitely possible we’ll see him brought back and causing friction at S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ. And what was with the last shot of the episode? Was that actually sunlight, or was it symbolic of the entity driving him crazy?
“You’re Dead, Beeyotch!”
Season 1 Simmons may not have just collapsed and died waiting for Fitz to save her, but it’s also hard to imagine her being as bad-ass as she is now in Season 3. She’s smart (building an arrow and cairns out of rock to alert any rescuers), strong (taking on that tentacle beast on its home turf), and she’s got swagger (burping like a Viking after a horn of mead). Even if the team hadn’t figured out how to manipulate the monolith, she was well on the way to rescuing herself; she’s basically her own cavalry.
“Talk to Me, Fitz.”
How much of Jemma’s PTSD is actually guilt? On the one hand, she feels guilty about leaving Will. On the other hand, she feels guilty for her relationship with Will while Fitz was single-mindedly obsessed with rescuing her. Surely it’s understandable — at your very lowest point, when you might legitimately be looking at the last human you’ll ever see — that you might abandon Plan A for the next best thing. But when it turns out Plan A actually went undercover to steal ancient artifacts from Moroccan gangsters? Shame City: Population, 1.
“I’d Kill for a Glass of Wine.”
That line gives her breakdown in the restaurant some added depth. And the breakdown in the shower? What a complicated mix of terror and relief and remorse and maybe even happiness? Time to go back and re-watch last week’s episode.
(Runner-Up) Line of the Night
“What’d you think, I was going to build a helicopter?” “Kinda.” If you’re a hot astronaut trapped on a planet for 14 years who rescues a pretty girl, expectations can run pretty high.
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on ABC.
