Things get a little confusing as past and present move ever closer to collision for the SHIELD team, who have lots of puzzle pieces but no clue how to put them together. Meanwhile, Mack, YoYo and Flint must face off against the vengeful retribution of Kasius against the humans of the station for having allowed his prize to escape.

Two main threads dominate the episode, which should make a nice bit of a breather narratively speaking. On the surface of the world (or what’s left of it) May and Enoch are confronted with a reunion with a blast from the past. Shortly after, they’re joined by Coulson, FitzSimmons and Daisy, but the celebrations may have to wait.

Because this is where things really start to get complicated. The team are in the ruins of familiar surroundings with unfamiliar parts. Worse still, they’re having to reconstruct a past that they themselves have not yet lived, and they’re not getting much helpful information on that score from either their rescuers or their old friend.

Back on the station, Flint, Mack and YoYo have problems of their own. The general population aren’t too happy with Flint, blaming him for the vengeful fury of Kasius. YoYo and Mack step up to protect him, and all three venture to find Fitz’s thoughtful care package stowed in an unfortunate place. However, turns out that Kasius can think of more inventive ways to get back at the humans than simply turning off light and power, and then the pressure is really on the trio to save the day.

By the end of the episode, after a lot of twists and turns, the link between the two stories becomes apparent – what will happen next is less clear, but it’s bound to be explosive.

What an episode though – as the 100th episode slowly rolls towards us (it’s the 12th of this season, for those keeping score), this is an instalment that really drills into what makes the show work: the groundwork that’s been done with all the characters. Seriously, aside from the obvious link provided by the return of a familiar (if not overly so) face, this one hits us hard with a thread that links right back to the very start of one of the characters. I was not ready for this – it’s affecting and hugely emotional, tugging at the heartstrings of the viewer just as much as it does the character. It’s a relatively minor part of the overarching plotline spinning out around it, but it was a visceral gut punch to this viewer and a reminder why I am quite so fond of this show.

Aside from that, there’s the usual twists and turns one might expect from an episode of the show, and one or two you won’t see coming. Flashbacks to the ‘past’ which the gang haven’t actually lived through yet (yes, it’s really a little disorientating) give us glimpses of characters going in directions we wouldn’t necessarily expect, and seldom in good ways either. Underpinning it all though, is the snarling, petulant anger of Kasius and the quiet menace of Sinara, as they scheme to get their revenge on everyone. It’s now a race against time to see if the gang can escape and save the world before the Kree descend on them.

Verdict: A little less crowded than previous episodes, and with a different shade of darkness to proceedings, this still packs one heck of an emotional punch for long term fans. Hankies at the ready would be my earnest suggestion. 8/10

Greg D. Smith