This is one of those "interlude" episodes that you see in most modern series where the pieces are being re-arranged on the board for the action to follow. Some critics call them "P2K4" stories. Whatever.
What makes this one shine is the writing. It is consistently wonderful.
The one scene where Talbot mistakes his own wife for a agent wearing a nano-mask and has her kneel at gunpoint ... well, funny as that was (and it was) it was even funnier when Talbot later appears on the monitor to Colson and says, with gravitas, that the incident "almost cost me my marriage." The point I am making is that while ANY TV show can pause to move characters around, to do so with some of the best writing in the series is an achievement. And should be acknowledged.
Writer Fletcher is no slouch, having worked with Whedon on some of the early Angel episodes (some of the best TV of that era) and more recently on SPARTACUS WAR OF THE DAMNED, which is some of the best TV of the current era.
The episode's title gives it away -- "LOVE IN THE TIME OF" tells you that there is a lot emotional stuff going on, more emotion that action, but never underestimate the power of empathy in a script, especially involving characters we have come to know by now.
Agent Ward (one of my favorite characters) is involved in some sort of Pygmalian theme, which was mesmerizing, and in fact, just about everyone is this episode (including Talbot) is feeling "relationship strains" in some way.
Low on action but tops of writing. Arguably of the best episodes so far.
What makes this one shine is the writing. It is consistently wonderful.
The one scene where Talbot mistakes his own wife for a agent wearing a nano-mask and has her kneel at gunpoint ... well, funny as that was (and it was) it was even funnier when Talbot later appears on the monitor to Colson and says, with gravitas, that the incident "almost cost me my marriage." The point I am making is that while ANY TV show can pause to move characters around, to do so with some of the best writing in the series is an achievement. And should be acknowledged.
Writer Fletcher is no slouch, having worked with Whedon on some of the early Angel episodes (some of the best TV of that era) and more recently on SPARTACUS WAR OF THE DAMNED, which is some of the best TV of the current era.
The episode's title gives it away -- "LOVE IN THE TIME OF" tells you that there is a lot emotional stuff going on, more emotion that action, but never underestimate the power of empathy in a script, especially involving characters we have come to know by now.
Agent Ward (one of my favorite characters) is involved in some sort of Pygmalian theme, which was mesmerizing, and in fact, just about everyone is this episode (including Talbot) is feeling "relationship strains" in some way.
Low on action but tops of writing. Arguably of the best episodes so far.
