TV REVIEWS: FTN Reviews Agents of Shield Season 03 Episode 13: Parting Shot

I feel I must predicate this review with me stating that I’m not happy about Most Wanted. I don’t like the idea of two of the best members of Agents of Shield (since Season 02) getting their own shows. They’re great because they work within the rest of the team. Now can they sustain their own show? Sure! But will they? Not sure. Because of this uncertainty, this episode won’t get a perfect score, despite it being darn close to one. I feel that this, though well done, just doesn’t feel right in what AOS is about and can be.

Moving on, “Parting Shot” was indeed about pushing Bobbi and Hunter towards their own series. And again, it was well done, and it actually tied into not only the events of the season, but the events that happened not an episode beforehand. As Gideon and his Russian pals began plans for an Inhuman “sanctuary” it became clear that things weren’t as they seemed. As we found out, not only is one of the big Russian bosses an Inhuman himself, but the Prime Minister hates the idea of an Inhuman sanctuary in Russian soil.

This was a fun thing to happen, as many reveals afterward led to the Prime Minster almost being killed in a coup basically staged by Malick. Which just goes to show how far he’s willing to go to make his Inhuman army.

But of course, what really sold this episode was the flackbacks/flashfowards where we see Bobbi and Hunter in chains and being interrogated by Interpol. How each of them dodged questioning was totally in line with the characters, as well as how much they cared for each other, and wanted to know what happened when things went wrong for one of them.

That’s not to say others didn’t have good moment, but it was Hunter and Bobbi that rooted it all. From Bobbi making fun of everyone cause they didn’t know Russian, to Hunter feeling sympathy for May’s laser focus in regards to Shield and its mission, they showed why they’re some of the best characters on the series. Which made it all the more sad how it ended.

You knew they were going to live, but the question was “in what state?” Turns out, they were to be disavowed from Shield, and they can never join intelligence agencies again. What sold this though was that Coulson had a plan to let them escape, but they (Bobbi and Hunter) decided to take one for the team to protect Shield and the US. Something that they would’ve totally done as long as they did it together.

The ending scene was very simple, and very beautiful. As they got to say goodbye to their friends…without actually saying goodbye. Seeing Mack not wanting to let them good was very touching, and it made sense as he knew them the longest.

Where things go from here is a bit tricky. Cause the Secret Warriors still need to be truly made. The flash forward of the exploding ship is still looming, Ward is absent at the moment, and Malick is still wanting his Inhuman army. So what happens next? We’ll have to wait and find out.