Agents of SHIELD Season 5 Episode 15: Rise and Shine Review

If you would like to read my review of the last episode, click here.

Synopsis: Coulson uncovers General Hale’s real agenda and it could be the end of the world if S.H.I.E.L.D. can’t stop her. (IMDB)

Writer: Iden Baghdadchi

Director: Jesse Bochco

Rating: TV-PG

Running Time: 45mins

Airs: Fridays at 9pm on CTV (Canada)/ABC (United States)

We are nearing the final stretch. After the best episode of the season so far last week, this episode was even better as it answers several unanswered questions while also giving us a backstory for Hale and Ruby.

Once Coulson arrived to Hale’s facility, she didn’t waste any time by revealing that this was Hydra. She believed that it was time for Shield and Hydra to unite.

First it was time for Hale’s backstory which started with a younger version of her at what seemed to be the same facility which was a Hydra school. There were also younger versions of Jasper Sitwell (the Shield agent who was really Hydra) and Baron von Strucker. Daniel Whitehall spoke in her class about one of his latest projects that was a chamber similar to the one that created Captain America.

Feeling threatened by Hale, a few male students, presumably working for von Strucker, came at her but she fought back. After they took their final test, Sitwell was assigned to Shield while Hale was selected to Whitehall’s program, however, not the program she was expecting. Von Strucker would work on the chamber and she would groom the perfect candidate for the chamber and to do that, she would be artificially inseminated all the while she would be placed within the Air Force. She was hesitant, however, she agreed when presented with no other choice.

Cue Ruby, the product of the artificial insemination. She started off at the same school and was just as promising of a student as her mother but her future was unclear, especially with Whitehall dead. Meanwhile, her Hydra associate at the Air Force told her about a communication the device they were using to communicate with a group of different races of aliens called the Confederacy that she would now be responsible for after he committed suicide once he was arrested by Talbot.

When Hale returned, she overheard an argument between Ruby and her teacher about getting rid of her dog before she can graduate. She disagreed with Hydra traditions but Hale ended the argument by shooting her teacher.

After Talbot was shot by the LMD Daisy, he was recovering in the hospital but he wasn’t doing well. Hale wanted to transfer him to another facility which was still the same one. He received the same treatment as Hale’s other guests. Talbot didn’t know about Ruby. He wasn’t going anywhere.

Hale showed Talbot the alien communication device and told him about the deal that was made with the aliens in exchange for protection from the oncoming threat. Suffice it to say that Talbot didn’t believe any of it. He knew the truth about what happened to him. Hale needed Talbot to find a device that was part of the Hydra contraband he hid but he refused to help her, being Hydra, so she wheeled him away.

Back to current time, Coulson was getting the same welcome treatment but he saw through what they were doing. Hale then showed him the communication device which he immediately thought was a bad idea. Either way, they both went to visit the Confederacy. Hale believed that they needed Coulson. The alien didn’t share what price they had to pay for protection but showed Coulson what was to come. Hale shared that what they wanted was gravitonium and inhumans, which was why she needed Coulson. She had no intention in complying and needed them to unite so they could fight back.

Hale’s plan was to use Whitehall’s chamber to create a solider with a codename who he called “The Destroyer of Worlds”. Hale wanted to place Ruby in the chamber but she thought Ruby wasn’t ready. The other option was Daisy, however, Coulson already knew what would happen from being in a future where the Earth was destroyed. Of course Hale didn’t believe him and took him away.

Hearing Coulson’s speech about the future, Ruby asked him how she failed, thinking that she would be the one in the chamber. She figured out it was Daisy and wanted to go after her but Coulson wouldn’t tell her where she was. Then Talbot was brought in and he told Coulson that he told them everything.

The episode didn’t focus on Coulson as it checked in on the others. They figured out that Hale was Hydra. The question was why she needed Coulson. May turned to Fitz, who was still locked up, for help. May tried to cheer him up but he didn’t regret anything he did in the Framework. Meanwhile, Yo-Yo was getting her new arms installed. Mack tried something similar by trying to console Simmons about Fitz and also shared Yo-Yo’s theory. Fitz wanted to be let out so he could help but Daisy was obviously against it. He warned her about what she may do so she decided to try and find Robin for help.

The last scene was of Simmons visiting Fitz in his cell to share that they will survive since Deke was their grandson.

Overall, this was an amazing episode that answered most of the unanswered questions from this season and even last season with Talbot, although in his case, it felt like the writers forgot about him. Hale is becoming a more sympathetic character now thanks to her backstory. Now we know who the real villains of the season are and we pretty much know how the Earth was destroyed. Maybe the evil aliens and the Confederacy are working together or are one in the same? Who becomes the destroyer of worlds? Will we go back to the future? Those are just some of the questions waiting to be answered over the remaining 6 episodes of what could be the series and it will definitely be exiting if it continues at this rate.

Score: 9.5/10

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.