Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. episode review: "4,722 Hours"

Season 3 episode 5
A very different episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. provides a nice respite from the usual action but lacks much excitement or tension on its own.

This week's episode entirely follows what happens to Simmons after she is swallowed up by the Monolith. Stranded there for months, she needs to find a way to survive, and for the first few minutes of the episode, that is primarily what we see her doing. However, instead of being a tense battle for survival, these scenes play out more like a recap of events. The tone never builds up to a real feel of danger for Simmons, and it's unclear if that's even the point. Regardless, though, the show's style doesn't really benefit this turn of events.

Simmons soon meets another survivor on the planet, an astronaut named Will who had crossed the Monolith back in 2001. He's grown superstitious from 14 years on the planet, claiming that he believes a thermal source deeper in the planet to be the fires of hell, and that the entire planet they are stranded on is evil. This is intriguing, but aside from his standard backstory we don't learn much else about him, and those flashes of superstition are his main flashes of personality. Simmons apparently takes a distinct liking to him, in a manner that is problematic for those hoping that she and Fitz get together. Hooray, more unnecessary relationship drama! Ultimately, he's left behind, which is likely the reason that Simmons wants to return. 

For this particular season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., "4,722 Hours" is unusually focused. Only one story is shown here, which serves as a nice break from the myriad plot threads that make up the rest of the season. The problem is, those who tune into this show hoping for superhero-style TV action will be disappointed, as there's little of that here. Thankfully, despite the generic nature of Will and the lack of action, the events on this planet are still fairly interesting. Seeing how Simmons wound up in the state she was in when she was rescued is compelling, though somehow sleeping in a snug underground cavern doesn't seem like it would lead to her waking up with a knife in hand. There is one creature that is successfully built up as a threat throughout most of the episode, but although said creature is menacing (due to the way the episode rarely actually shows it), Simmons is back underground by the time she's asleep. 

Certainly, then, "4,722 Hours" is far from bad. There's a number of nice moments where Simmons and Will talk about what they miss back home, which creates a quietly desperate atmosphere despite the absence of tension. Will's superstitions add a slight bit of metaphorical resonance for the planet itself, even if it's in service of nothing in particular. Ultimately, though, this isn't really one to re-watch, as it doesn't provide quite enough character depth to make up for its lack of action. Still, in between jam-packed episodes, it's a nice respite from all the excitement which does serve the plot. So, at the very least, it's perfectly watchable in spite of it all.