‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’: Let’s Discuss Those Bats That Crawl Into People’s Mouths

I’ve been pretty down on Agents of SHIELD this season. So much so, I refuse to add the periods into the acronym S.H.I.E.L.D. in the title of the show, because come on, it’s enough already. But I can’t hate on the truly bizarre enemy they introduced in this week’s episode, “Code Yellow.”

Spoilers for this week’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (okay, fine, I’ll do the acronym) past this point.

Part of the reason I’ve been iffy about this season is that the show basically ended last year. Like, literally, the last episode of Season 5 was titled “The End.” The apocalyptic Season 5 episodes were easily the best run the show had ever done. It ended on a high note, and even killed off star Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg)… Again.

So I was hesitant about the show coming back anyway, and the awkward start for the season didn’t help things. The first episode, which adamantly refused to reference anything about Avengers: Infinity War or Avengers: Endgame felt even more obstinately irrelevant that the show’s usual place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And bringing an evil, alternate universe Coulson back, as well as stranding half the team across the universe seemed like a weird choice for a show that’s been all about how your coworkers can become your family (it’s like The Office… but with more spying and supervillains).

But last week’s episode, “Fear and Loathing on the Planet of Kitson,” was a silly romp complete with space drugs, and Elizabeth Henstridge and Chloe Bennet goofing off under a table. And this week’s episode headed back to Earth to focus on Faux-son and company, yet thanks to the return of time traveling doofus Deke Shaw (Jeff Ward) was a goofy, action packed hour that brought what’s been going on this season so far further into focus.

It also introduced what seems to be the actual threat this year; not, in fact, Faux-son and his dimension hopping flunkies, but actually bats that crawl into people’s mouths and turn them into crystals.

Really.

Look, I’ve been reading comics my whole life, and I have no idea what these things are (I’m sure they’re some deep continuity thing so fan will “well, actually” me about them, but whatever). The whole concept is so biznonkers, I can’t even begin to hate them. In fact, I love them.

Faux-son finds a man, approaches him, and stabs him with a blue knife, which seems to make strange metallic looking crystals burst through the man’s skin. But after Yo-Yo (Natalia Cordova-Buckley) and company pull the knife out of the guy, they find there’s some sort of bat/bird type creature that’s hiding inside of him. It flies out, escapes into the ducts, and then the bat creature crawls inside the mouth of Yo-Yo’s new boyfriend, who I’m now glad I didn’t bother to learn the name of.

Everyone is very convinced about the idea that Faux-son and company are behind the bat creature, which is bizarre because it’s pretty clear they’re actually traveling through alternate universes trying to wipe them out. It’s also confusing that they keep calling them birds when they fly on leathery wings and look like bats, but what can you do? But it all becomes even clearer for the Agents once Yo-Yo’s boyfriend starts to explode crystals everywhere, and she’s only able to stop him by plunging the knife back into the otherwise immortal bat-creature, killing… I don’t know, I want to say, Agent Steve?

There’s a lot more fun in the episode, including Deke’s abominably stupid tech start-up, and an extended cameo from co-showrunner Maurissa Tancharoen (including a goofy, Snapchat inspired post-credits sequence). But I want to reiterate: alien bats who crawl into people’s mouths and turn them into crystals. That’s just good TV, right there.

Does it justify continuing Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. for another two (!!!) seasons past its expiration date? Maybe not. But if they lean into this weirdness going forward, I’m definitely back on board.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. airs Fridays at 8/7c on ABC.

Where to stream Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.