Self Control (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.)
"Self Control" | |
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Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. episode | |
Episode no. | Season 4 Episode 15 |
Directed by | Jed Whedon |
Written by | Jed Whedon |
Produced by |
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Featured music | "Have You Heard" by The Moody Blues |
Cinematography by | Feliks Parnell |
Editing by | Kelly Stuyvesant |
Original air date | February 21, 2017 |
Guest appearances | |
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"Self Control" is the fifteenth episode of the
"Self Control" originally aired on
Plot
Having discovered that
An unknowing Johnson prepares to bring all of the Inhumans under S.H.I.E.L.D.'s jurisdiction to the base for protection, when she discovers a fleet of LMDs based on her likeness; the other top LMDs plan to send these in her place, to murder the Inhumans rather than bring them in. Johnson overpowers the Mack LMD and discovers through the security footage that Coulson, Mack and the Director are LMDs. She encounters Simmons and, after doubting and threatening each other, both verify that the other is not an LMD by Johnson gently quaking Simmons. They plan to find their replaced friends, whose minds have been uploaded to a virtual world, the Framework, by Dr.
The LMDs convince the other agents that Simmons and Johnson are the LMDs while Simmons finds Agents
Johnson and Simmons hack into the Framework from the Zephyr, while Piper, Davis, Prince and Rodriguez watch over their bodies. They find a different world due to Radcliffe changing one regret for each living person that had been uploaded to it: Johnson is in a relationship with the dead traitor
Production
Development
In early February 2017, Marvel announced that the fifteenth episode of the fourth season was titled "Self Control", written by executive producer Jed Whedon.[1] A week later, Whedon was revealed to also be directing the episode, in his directorial debut. He felt comfortable taking on the challenge after being so closely involved with the series' cast and crew as showrunner alongside his wife Maurissa Tancharoen, and after seeing both his brother (and series creator) Joss Whedon and her brother Kevin Tancharoen directing episodes for the series. Whedon decided to make his debut during the fourth season after doing second unit work under Kevin on the third season episode "Spacetime".[2]
"Self Control" was described as "pivotal" for the season, serving as the conclusion of the
Writing
When working on the season's twelfth episode, "
With the LMD Aida killing her creator Radcliffe in the episode, Whedon was asked whether that made her a villain, even the main villain of the whole season. He noted that "She's just doing what she's programmed to do ... she's programmed to protect him and the Framework, and she finds a way to do both that might not be exactly what he imagined, but she's really just reenacting her programming." He added that she is programmed to "mimic human behavior. I think that we're seeing that aspect of her taking over a little bit." On what Aida does to Anton Ivanov in the episode, decapitating him but having his still living brain remotely control an android body, Whedon would not comment on any comic connections this has, but did say that "he is his own sort of creation. He is different than the LMDs. I think Aida wanted to keep his humanity intact, and that was the main impetus to her leaving his brain as the remote control".[4] After the series ended, the producers revealed that they were setting up Ivanov to become a version of the comics character MODOK, as they had been given permission to use him in the series, but Marvel later retracted access to the character.[5][6] Whedon said that the goal of exploring LMDs for the entire second arc of the season was to use them to explore the nature of reality and identity, and what defines a person, "are you defined by your physical make-up or by your emotional make-up ... by my past actions or by my current actions or by my regrets". This is epitomized by the LMD of Melinda May, whose character arc throughout the storyline ends in this episode with her sacrificing herself to destroy the Phil Coulson LMD and save the human agents. Whedon highlighted a scene where the android sees snow, and remembers May seeing snow before, but says that she herself has never seen it, separating herself from the human May despite them sharing a brain, appearance, and memories.[3]
The episode focuses on the pairing of Daisy Johnson and Jemma Simmons, as they have to fight the LMDs together. Whedon explained that he and the other writers felt that the two "deserved to have some time together", as the series had not yet taken the time to show the characters "unpack [and] hang with each other" following Johnson's recent return to S.H.I.E.L.D. "Their friendship is one we hang about," he continued, "We felt like they were a good pair for this" episode, and they wanted the two characters to not have been replaced by LMDs for the next storyline in the season "when they get into the Framework. It worked out on all fronts."[4] Discussing the conflict between Simmons and the LMD of Leo Fitz in the episode, and the reveal in the end that Simmons is dead in the Framework and Fitz is with someone else, Whedon referred to the pair's relationship as "forever love", saying, "I don't think anything will come between them, but that's why we constantly put things between them, because the longing for them to be together is sort of the feeling that we're addicted to as writers and hopefully the audience is addicted, too ... It's the greatest representation of the price of being a spy is the things that are torn away from you, and there's no better relationship [in the series] to represent that than them."[7]
Casting
Marvel confirmed in February that main cast members
The end of the episode reveals that Johnson's boyfriend inside the Framework is
Filming
The episode's "ambitious" central fight scene, between Johnson and the LMDs, took two days to film, a first for the series.[14] The fight ends with Johnson using her powers to push the Coulson and Mack LMDs away from her, destroying the Mack LMDs head. For this, Gregg and Simmons were filmed on bluescreen using a slow motion camera, which filmed the pair at 360 frames-per-second (rather than the standard 24).[15] For the sequence where Johnson discovers 20 LMDs of herself in storage at S.H.I.E.L.D., every shot had to be filmed 21 times using a motion control system, with Bennet moving between each position, portraying Johnson or one of the LMDs at a time.[16]
On set, the cast felt more freedom to make changes to the script as they filmed since the writer of the script was there to work with them.[2] For instance, when filming Simmons killing the Fitz LMD, De Caestecker suggested that the android suddenly "go real serious" and grab Simmons by the neck, before going back to pretending to be the real, dying Fitz. Whedon noted that they had fun coming up with these suggestions, laughing between takes of the scene.[3]
Visual effects
In the Framework, May is shown in an elevator of the
Release
"Self Control" was first aired in the United States on ABC on February 21, 2017.[1] It began streaming on Netflix, along with the rest of the fourth season, on June 15, 2017.[23]
Reception
Ratings
In the United States the episode received a 0.6/2 percent share among adults between the ages of 18 and 49, meaning that it was seen by 0.6 percent of all households, and 2 percent of all of those watching television at the time of the broadcast. It was watched by 2.01 million viewers.[24] Within a week of its release, "Self Control" had been watched by 3.88 million U.S. viewers.[25]
Critical response
The A.V. Club's Alex McLevy praised the episode as "near-flawless", grading it an "A". He compared the episode to previous Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. episodes "4,722 Hours" and "One Door Closes", saying that "Self Control" "splits the difference between routine and exception ... it takes the best of both of those models and combines them into a single triumphant installment." He praised Whedon, saying that "nearly every decision made here is the right one", and highlighted the combination of Johnson and Simmons, the conclusion of the May LMD's arc, and the Framework reveals.[26] Terri Schwartz at IGN also called the episode one of the best of the series, scoring it an "Amazing" 9.2 out of 10. Schwartz praised the "emotional weight and resonance" of the Johnson/Simmons combination, the Fitz/Simmons confrontation, and the May LMD's final scene, and also praised the quality of the episode's visual effects.[27] Joseph McCabe of Nerdist praised Whedon for transforming the series' pop culture influences "into the most balls-to-the-wall action-packed episode so far this season", finding "exactly the right note of paranoia to play". McCabe also praised the episode's level of blood and violence, taking advantage of the series' 10pm timeslot.[28]
At
Accolades
Henstridge and De Caestecker were named as honorable mentions for TVLine's "Performer of the Week" for the week of February 20, 2017, for their performances in this episode. The site praised the pair for the confrontation sequence between Simmons and the Fitz LMD, saying, "While Henstridge toggled between tears and intensity, De Caestecker crushed us by switching from an anguished Fitz, doubling over as he slashed his wrist, to an ice-cold android, plunging a knife into his accuser ... Simply chilling."[32]
References
- ^ a b c d "(#415) "Self Control"". The Futon Critic. Archived from the original on February 23, 2017. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
- ^ a b c Schwartz, Terri (February 15, 2017). "Jed Whedon Makes Directorial Debut On Marvel's Agents Of SHIELD". IGN. Archived from the original on February 15, 2017. Retrieved February 15, 2017.
- ^ a b c "This Week in Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Ep. 56 – Jed Whedon" (Podcast). Marvel Entertainment. February 22, 2017. Retrieved February 23, 2017 – via SoundCloud.
- ^ a b Schwartz, Terri (February 21, 2017). "Marvel's Agents of SHIELD Showrunner Addresses Hydra's Return, Simmons' Fate and Framework Changes". IGN. Archived from the original on February 22, 2017. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
- ^ Mitovich, Matt Webb (August 18, 2020). "Yep, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Was Going to Introduce Crazy-Looking M.O.D.O.K." TVLine. Archived from the original on August 18, 2020. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
- ^ McLevy, Alex (August 12, 2020). "The Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. showrunners reveal the plan behind that grand series finale". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on August 13, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
- ^ E! Online. Archivedfrom the original on February 23, 2017. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
- ^ "(#401) "The Ghost"". The Futon Critic. Archived from the original on September 7, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
- ^ "(#402) "Meet the New Boss"". The Futon Critic. Archived from the original on October 13, 2016. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
- ^ "(#412) "Hot Potato Soup"". The Futon Critic. Archived from the original on February 1, 2017. Retrieved January 31, 2017.
- ^ Abrams, Natalie (February 21, 2017). "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. welcomes back original cast member". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on February 22, 2017. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
- ^ Abrams, Natalie (February 21, 2017). "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. bosses on those shocking LMD twists". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on February 22, 2017. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
- ^ Mitovich, Matt Webb (February 22, 2017). "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Boss Fields Burning Qs About Framework Twists — Including That Return, That Death". TVLine. Archived from the original on February 23, 2017. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
- ^ Schwartz, Terri (February 21, 2017). "Agents of SHIELD: Season 4's Next Storyline Will Reward Long-Time Fans". IGN. Archived from the original on February 21, 2017. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
- ^ Kolpack, Mark [@MarkKolpack] (February 22, 2017). "We shot @clarkgregg, Henry Simmons at 360fps on blue screen" (Tweet). Archived from the original on February 23, 2017. Retrieved February 23, 2017 – via Twitter.
- ^ a b Kolpack, Mark [@MarkKolpack] (February 22, 2017). "Oh snap. Not one but 20 more Daisies! All MoCo with @ChloeBennet4 being a trooper. Move to each position 21 times while the cam repeated" (Tweet). Archived from the original on February 23, 2017. Retrieved February 23, 2017 – via Twitter.
- ^ Kolpack, Mark [@MarkKolpack] (February 22, 2017). "That pullout on @MingNa was a 17 sec shot revealing the Triskelion. @fusefx Chad Wanstreet and comped by Kevin Yuille" (Tweet). Archived from the original on February 23, 2017. Retrieved February 23, 2017 – via Twitter.
- ^ Kolpack, Mark [@MarkKolpack] (February 22, 2017). "Yes. One of the benefits with #Marvel. Triskelion from @ILMVFX and elevator from @ScanlineVFX All put together by Chad Wanstreet @fusefx" (Tweet). Archived from the original on February 23, 2017. Retrieved February 23, 2017 – via Twitter.
- ^ Kolpack, Mark [@MarkKolpack] (February 22, 2017). "No. Model from @ILMVFX. The same CG asset used in Winter Soldier" (Tweet). Archived from the original on February 23, 2017. Retrieved February 23, 2017 – via Twitter.
- ^ Kolpack, Mark [@MarkKolpack] (February 22, 2017). "A conscious decision to shatter a LMD head on one side and shatter / send Coulson through glass on the other side" (Tweet). Archived from the original on February 23, 2017. Retrieved February 23, 2017 – via Twitter.
- ^ Kolpack, Mark [@MarkKolpack] (February 22, 2017). "The #Bouquet of Daisies was done at @CoSAVFX and @dmellitz #AgentsofSHIELD" (Tweet). Archived from the original on February 23, 2017. Retrieved February 23, 2017 – via Twitter.
- ^ Kolpack, Mark [@MarkKolpack] (February 22, 2017). "CG knife and blood done @CoSAVFX" (Tweet). Archived from the original on February 23, 2017. Retrieved February 23, 2017 – via Twitter.
- ComingSoon.net. May 23, 2017. Archivedfrom the original on May 28, 2017. Retrieved May 24, 2017.
- ^ Porter, Rick (February 23, 2017). "'The Flash', 'NCIS', all others unchanged: Tuesday final ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on February 23, 2017. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
- ^ Porter, Rick (March 9, 2017). "'This Is Us' makes biggest gains again: Week 23 broadcast Live +7 ratings". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on March 10, 2017. Retrieved March 9, 2017.
- ^ McLevy, Alex (February 21, 2017). "Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. delivers a "trust no one" mystery and a near-flawless episode". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on February 27, 2017. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
- ^ Schwartz, Terri (February 21, 2017). "Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.: "Self Control" Review". IGN. Archived from the original on February 25, 2017. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
- ^ McCabe, Joseph (February 21, 2017). "Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Android Invasion Causes Loss of 'Self Control'". Nerdist. Archived from the original on February 26, 2017. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
- ^ Valentine, Evan (February 21, 2017). "'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' Recap: "Self Control" – Paranoia!". Collider. Archived from the original on February 26, 2017. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
- ^ Buxtom, Marc (February 22, 2017). "Agents of SHIELD Season 4 Episode 15 Review: Self Control". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on February 26, 2017. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
- ScreenCrush. Archivedfrom the original on February 26, 2017. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
- ^ "Performers of the Week: Charles Esten and Ron Cephas Jones". TVLine. February 25, 2017. Archived from the original on February 26, 2017. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
External links
- "Self Control" at ABC[dead link]
- "Self Control" at IMDb