Daisy and Simmons are running out of time both within the Framework as HYDRA track them down and without it where the Superior’s men are closing in on Zephyr One. Will they find the backdoor to the Framework in time? And if they do, will they persuade everyone to go through it with them?

The revelation of AIDA’s ultimate plan adds an additional sense of urgency to Gemma and Daisy’s mission – not only do they have to save their friends but they also have to try to stop an android which just wants to be a real girl but unfortunately also then wants to destroy the world as they know it.

Now that they have the location of the ‘back door’, courtesy of Holden, all they have to do is get everyone there. With some, like Coulson, this will be easy. For others – such as May and Mack – not so much. What follows is a series of quieter, more intimate scenes than we have had for the last few weeks. Small interactions between characters who should be friends who emphatically trust one another but don’t in the weird world of the Framework. It’s a nice reminder of bygone days in some instances (Daisy’s instant reaction to Trip’s appearance leads to a lovely little scene between the two of them later in the episode) and a little painful in others (for God’s sake May! Wake up!).

Elsewhere, Simmons still isn’t ready to give up on Fitz, whatever she has to do. This has been the key point of interest and tension in this current phase of the series – after so long getting these two awkward but clearly made for each other geeks together, this has been the ultimate test of what they share. No signs here that that’s about to get easier anytime soon. In another series, this would seem overly cruel, but then nearly four seasons have gone by and there’s still no real sign of Phillinda happening anytime soon…

In the real world, Zephyr One is struggling to stay in the air as power runs low. Landing could be dangerous, de-cloaking even more so, but it isn’t like they can just unplug Daisy and Gemma at their leisure. The scenes on the aircraft represent most of the ‘action’ in this episode, punctuated by the urgency of the poor guys trapped on it.

But really, if anyone shines here it’s John Hannah. Holden has been a complex, often duplicitous but never quite bad character throughout his tenure in the series, and this episode gives us the character at his very best. Meaty, weighty material is give to him and considering he gets relatively little screen time in this episode, he makes the most of it. Close behind him is Henry Simmons’ Mack, wrestling with the sense of duty and responsibility to his comrades and the resistance and his obligations as a father. Genre TV doesn’t often get plaudits for the dramatic range and emotional heft of its plots and characters, but it would be deserved here. There’s real heart to this show, and real weight to the choices characters face and make, and it’s thanks to actors knocking it out of the park every bit as much as it is to an FX team doing the best they can with a TV budget.

As the episode closes out – no sting this week – we are left with more questions than answers. One thing is for certain – the finale is set to be explosive.

Verdict: Quieter and more sedately paced in many ways than the last few weeks, this nevertheless carries some moments of high drama and raw emotion. Moreover, it feels less like a lull and more like the calm before the storm. A finale is approaching, and it promises to be a doozy. 8/10

Greg D. Smith