Fans of shows that have been on for more than a couple of seasons know that there are ups and downs with the quality of storylines and even individual episodes. This is especially true as plots are drawn out to fill a season, when maybe they should have moved on to something new. But it’s always gratifying when an episode pops up a few seasons in that you would honestly call one of the best of the entire run of the show. That happened recently with Agents of SHIELD. 

To start, let me note that this blog will have spoilers – not just for the single episode, but for plot points and relationships throughout the run of the series. If you watch the show, you know which episode I’m talking about: “Inescapable” (S6E6). It focuses almost entirely on Fitz and Simmons as they try to figure out how to escape a “mind prison” they’ve been put in by a Chronicom who needs them to sort out a little thing called time travel. But that’s simply the overarching story.

This episode is a full character study of the relationship of these scientists who were destined for each other. Because it’s primarily set in their minds, they relive memories together and it’s a treat for fans to see not only moments that we remember from previous seasons, but also things we’d never witnessed before, like university life or when they first met Coulson. Sure, you could call it a fan service episode for everyone that’s been rooting for Fitz and Simmons since season one, but that would be selling it short.

These characters have been through so much over six seasons and have gathered so much baggage along the way. Showing how that manifests in their minds was a bit of a surprise, but extremely well executed. (Gemma becoming a pouty little girl was fantastic!) And seeing them work past obstacles together, recognizing that they’re not alone and really are made for each other was a fantastic progression. The actors deserve applause for this episode alone – Elizabeth Henstridge (Simmons) and Iain De Caestecker (Fitz) are always a pleasure to watch together, but the emotional ranges they showed in less than an hour of screen time were amazing.

With this episode, the writers truly rewarded fans who have been watching since the beginning. Things were revealed that created even more depth to the Fitz-Simmons bond, which is pretty impressive when we’ve had so many episodes worth of that relationship already. But while solidifying the strength of their relationship, the episode did actually move the overall plot along by the end and can’t be considered simply a “fun” filler episode. Kudos to the team behind AoS for proving that this is a show still worth watching.