May and Coulson have a lot of time on their hands as they find themselves locked in a cell. Daisy gets to know the father of an old acquaintance. Talbot’s madness continues, as he seeks out an old comrade and then the only person whose opinion he cares for. Meanwhile, at the Lighthouse, tensions are still simmering as the crew work on ways to rescue Coulson, May, Daisy and Deke as well as how they might stop Talbot.

I feel as if I may have been a little harsh on Agents of SHIELD’s last episode. I do worry when the show tries to cram in references to other properties in the MCU, but on the other hand, the events of Infinity War are far reaching enough that, like it or not, even our favourite non-superhero MCU team will have to at least be touched by them.

Still, this instalment hits the ground running and I’m pleased to say that it’s full of the good stuff. First up we have Daisy, stuck having a conversation with someone she’d really rather not be. This has all the potential of being the dullest scene of the show – it’s a two-hander, in a darkened room and there’s very little action. Instead, it’s fascinating as Daisy verbally spars with her opponent and then exhibits the sort of power that really impresses – rarely has such raw strength and potency been displayed with so little physical effect.

Elsewhere, locked up in a cell together, May and Coulson have time on their hands. For a while, they sit and reflect on the man that Talbot was, and what he’s become, as they continue to dance away from discussing the one topic that fans of the show have been screaming at them to get into pretty much from the beginning. Still, when their turn for some action kicks in, it’s very satisfying, and there’s definitely a sense of the band being well and truly back together.

Back at the Lighthouse, tensions are still simmering. YoYo is still trying to get back on side with Mack, Mack is still annoyed with Fitz, and FitzSimmons are wrestling with the conundrum with which Daisy has presented them. The Centipede serum combined with her mother’s DNA may well save Coulson, but in doing so, aren’t they doing the one thing that YoYo’s future self warned them against? Fitz’s solution to this dilemma is as elegant as it is unconvincing, but in the absence of anything else, maybe it’ll do?

And then there’s Talbot, now gone full-fledged Supervillain but convinced he’s the hero. It’s a tricky line that Pasdar is dancing in this portrayal, because although there’s an element of self-delusion to what his character has become, there’s also a concurrent level of self-awareness. In one scene he gets to investigate the depths of the latter, managing to keep just on the right side of hammy. In another, things get genuinely tense, as he tries to convince himself (you sense) as much as anyone else that his intentions are pure, contrary to all outward appearances. One things is certain – stopping him won’t be easy.

As the credits roll and the stinger provides us with just one more thing to worry about, it’s clear that we are set up for a big finish next time out. All the pieces have been moved into place, and last week’s slight mis-step is but a memory. The stakes have seldom been larger for the Agents of SHIELD, and it’ll be interesting to see how they perform.

Verdict: Still leaning a little on cliché in places, this is much stronger than last time out, and in a rare turn of events an MCU property’s strongest element is its villain. I am genuinely intrigued to see how this one plays out in the finale. 8/10

Greg D. Smith