Just by reading reactions, I don't know if people thought this was as great of an episode as I did but man, this was one of the best of the season, if not the series. All the actors were incredible, so much so that I had to jump online immediately after to see who directed the episode. They should get Eric Laneuville to be a mainstay on the show, he was that good. Whether it was the framing of the actors to the performances, that was some damn fine character work. The action was pretty weak on the other hand, but I honestly feel like that was some of the best performances I've seen from some of the cast, even just in catching really subtle but potent expressions from the actors with some close up shots. Then it even made Bear McCreary's score just swell with even more emotion. He does great work on the show, but it seems best when he has more to work with.
Mace has a great sacrifice. His character had become so good in the Framework that's it a pity to see him go, but fitting at the same time. Tripp returning was awesome. I had been hoping he'd come back along with some other characters just due to the premise. The writers have not only been having a lot of fun with the premise, but they've put in some great work, not just with the overall storylines and character arcs, but just being able to squeeze so much out of the premise. All the twists and turns, the philosophical exploration, the depth they've given the characters by putting them through the ringer, it's been a real treat to see the show become so good and living up to become something better than I expected the show to ever be. I want the show to have more seasons, but if they ended with this season, they went out on a high note.
I can't have my mans be evil, not again. I dealt with this already with Ward, not with Fitz damn it
I think it's been interesting that the writers have clearly been drawing parallels between Fitz and Ward in that they had fathers/father figures that have turned them to the darkside. They've been asking the question about "programming" in the show and if people are destined by fate to be programmed how they are or if they are changed by their circumstances. Nature vs nurture. Radcliffe's monologue this week shows a little more of where the writers stand on the idea, I believe, which means it could pave the way for the redemption of Fitz and the "redemption" of the non-evil Ward by taking the version of him that didn't become so far gone. At least, that's my take. As the audience, we've gotten to know good Fitz to be there with Simmons and Daisy in not being able to believe Fitz would do such a thing.
