Considering how dour the world has looked for our favorite characters since Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.‘s premiere, “Fear and Loathing on the Planet of Kitson” turned out to be a breath of fresh air. The plot may not have advanced all that much, but friendships got to shine and audiences got to laugh. Isn’t that what we all need sometimes?
Now that they’ve arrived on the planet of Kitson, Fitz (Iain De Caestecker) and Enoch (Joel Stoffer) quickly learn that there are only two locales of interest: the casino and the brothel. Given that Fitz rejects the idea of selling his body out of hand, the lost man and his Chronicom buddy opt on the casino as a way to turn their one coin into plenty. Despite the fact that synthetics of any kind are banned from the premises and punishable by execution.
Things go well for them at first, thanks to Enoch’s masking abilities and card-counting skills. Unfortunately, he has no such talent when it comes to counting people’s intentions – so a few bluffs swindles them out of their winnings. What’s important isn’t the money they make, though, but rather the journey they take together. Enoch easily admits that Fitz is his best friend, while it ironically takes the human a lot longer to let that sink in.
Unfortunately, he has to be nearly sold into alien slavery and be tracked by a “hunter” Chronicom before realizing that he cares for Enoch as a best friend. But his revelation comes just in time to lift Enoch up after the latter has been “decommissioned” and finds himself useless. Plus, for a split second, all those struggles seem worth it when he locks eyes with Jemma…
Jemma (Elizabeth Henstridge) and Daisy (Chloe Bennet) are hot on Fitz’s trail at the start of “Fear and Loathing on the Planet of Kitson,” but they’re quickly derailed. First their fellow shipmates Davis and Piper accuse Jemma of endangering the mission and demand her confinement, something which Daisy quickly defends against. Then, they’re boarded by an over-eager welcoming party which includes the Chronicom hunter that’s been looking for Fitz. As soon as that name escapes Jemma’s mouth, the hunter’s guns are out and ready to take fire.
Apparently he believes that Fitz’s continued existence after his death a year ago puts the entire universe in jeopardy. Of course, the only thing the girls care about is that he is indeed existing on this planet. So they make their way into Kitson armed with information on his whereabouts, but not before ingesting a mouthful of hallucinogens – and that’s where the fun begins.
While Fitz and Enoch had a rather understated bonding session, Daisy and Jemma are all-out crying about strong and beautiful they are while feeling the softness of each other’s faces. It’s delightful and surprisingly sweet, serving as a nice reminder that these characters really do deserve a break after the roller coaster of emotions they go through weekly. Plus, Daisy gets to show off her Quake powers even under the influence – and her fighting is impressive even when her drunken aim is lacking.
The saddest part of all is that Jemma and Fitz do find each other again, but that happiness only lasts a minute before the Hunter locks onto his target and takes Fitz with him. With Enoch on their side, though, Daisy and Jemma are sure to recover him in no time.
Back on Earth, Sarge (Clark Gregg) is shown shooting his new PEG-powered device into the stars. The purpose is unclear, but the image is foreboding. The final scene, combined with the loss of Fitz, has a grounding effect that makes the highs of “Fear and Loathing on the Planet of Kitson” feel all the more special.