Gemina (The Illuminae Files #2) by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff Review

Hang on while I work on my getting my breathing under control. I literally finished Gemina a few minutes ago and I am still trying to process what just happened. Illuminae was amazing but Gemina takes it further and is absolutely spellbinding. I could not bring myself to stop reading, especially the third act. This was one electrifying read. If you thought the stakes were high in Illuminae, then Gemina is a whole different ball game.

Like Illuminae, Gemina too is written in a similar fashion, that is, the story unfolds through chat logs, surveillance footage descriptions etc with one key and a very welcome addition, there are illustrations that feature most of the main characters. Like its predecessor, Gemina too is a long book but that length becomes irrelevant once you start reading it. The pace is so fast and the narrative so engaging that the time just whizzes past. Gemina is also exceptionally well-written. The really science-fictiony parts seem almost plausible and there is sense of ‘realness’ that’s always present. This is because Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff conducted a fair amount of research before jumping into writing this gem and wormholes and space-time are key parts of the narrative. Gemina is also very entertaining, it’s a fun book and it is as funny as it is heartbreaking. The banter between the characters is one of the most entertaining aspects of the book. Also, the surveillance guy’s commentary is hilarious. He’s possibly one of the most fun characters in the book.

Special shout-out to Marie Lu for the amazing sketches. They added to the experience of the book and I loved them. They were so beautiful. Here are some examples:

    

In Illuminae, we found out about the attack on Karenza, Gemina is about the fallout following those events, the plot thickens. Almost all of the action takes place aboard the Jump Station Heimdall and there were so many layers to the narrative that it was a wonder that it all made perfect sense and came together beautifully. It truly speaks to the writing and amount of care that went into crafting this complex story.

The other strength of the book are the characters. They are among the best realised characters that you are likely to come across. They are so well-written that it was easy to forget that they weren’t actually real and to get sucked into their world. Gemina also has a much larger cast of characters. There are our main characters; Hanna Donnelly and Niklas Malikov, then the secondary characters; Ella Malikova, Isaac Grant and Jackson Merrick and finally the Audit Team; there were quite a few notable characters there as well. To have so many characters with distinct personalities was no easy feat.

If you’re familiar with Illuminae and Jay Kristoff’s books, then you also know that body count is going  to be pretty high and no character is safe until the last page. Gemina was no different and people started dying fairly quickly and early on in the book. That surprised me for a bit because I didn’t expect it to happen so quickly. Things start off easy and calm but they don’t stay that way for too long. And once they get going, they don’t stop.

First up, Hanna and Nik. On the surface, these two couldn’t be more different, the former is the daughter of the Station Chief while the latter is part of a crime family and they were both amazing. Hanna was so resourceful and a force to be reckoned with. Every time someone underestimated her, they lived to regret it (if they lived at all) She soon became a painful thorn for the Audit Team and for the longest time they had no idea who they were dealing with. Every time she hit a roadblock, she found a way around it. I loved her because she was fierce and intelligent and she used both of those qualities in her favour. She made use of every advantage she had.

Nik was much the same, his life as a criminal actually came in handy since he didn’t believe in fighting fair. He gave as good as he got and he too was smart and cautious. Hanna and Nik, on their own were dangerous but together, they were even more so and someone the hijackers never accounted for.

I also loved the romance aspect. It was subtle and always in the background. Also, it grew through the course of the book and felt organic and earned. I also appreciated how healthy it was. They were honest with each other and worked well together, like a well-oiled machine.

But they would not have gotten very far without assistance from a certain hacker, Ella Malikova. I fell in love with her as soon as she stepped onto the page. She suffered from disability but you wouldn’t know that from how good she was at what she did. She was a hacker and another person the Audit team did not see coming. She became the eyes and ears for Hanna and Nik and guided them through the Jump Station and made sure they stayed safe. I fell in love with Ella, her snark and attitude were a breath of fresh air. Also, her nicknames for Nik were hilarious. I loved that she was not defined by her disability. Ella Malikova was a badass and anyone who disagrees has no idea what they’re talking about.

There was also a mole aboard Heimdall, helping the BeiTech crew and I had my suspicions early on about this person’s identity and very pleased to know that I right. The BeiTech Crew was also not to trifled with, they made that point soon after boarding the Station. They were ruthless, efficient and a very formidable adversary. Sadly, they had no idea what they had signed up for. I liked the way they were written. They all had such distinct personalities and quirks.

Illuminae had a deadly virus while Gemina had the Lanima. I leave it up to you to decide which was worse. Personally, I’m going to go with the latter, they were way worse. They were creepy and just very unsettling.

I strongly recommend reading either a paperback or a hard cover version of the book. Trust me, there is no comparison between a physical copy and the digital version. The book is so well-designed and it complements the story beautifully. Reading a digital copy will just not do it justice.

Gemina is every bit as amazing as Illuminae and I can’t wait to read the third instalment. It is exceptionally well written with an excellent cast of characters. The story is complex and layered and it is intelligent. I am currently going through withdrawal having finished it not too long ago. Gemina is a must read and must be read immediately. I loved every minute I of this insane ride, I only wish it had lasted longer…

Trapped In Silver (Eldryn Chronicles #1) by Emily Sowden Review

Honestly, there were times when I wanted to hit my head against the wall while reading this gem. It was excruciatingly bad. The pace was all over the place which was often confusing. The main character had crippling nightmares in the beginning and then in the middle, the author forgot about them so they disappeared. The other characters were badly written, giving you no real clue about the kind of people they were. The writing felt superficial at best.

Oh and let’s forget that the book is so damn slow. The world-building was virtually non-existent. I don’t know why I do this to myself. Please, avoid like the plague!

Iron Fist Season 1- Part 2 – Characters

Finn Jones as Danny Rand a.k.a Iron Fist was an absolute disaster. The scenes with him were just awful. His acting was painful to watch and he simply didn’t have it in him to carry the entire show on his shoulders. The show was best when it focused on other characters, which explains why the list of those characters kept growing. His action scenes weren’t any better, they felt clumsy and nothing short of amateurish . His casting was probably the worst decision the producers made. His character wasn’t any better. He was probably the least consistent character I have ever come across. He was sweet one moment and a jerk the next. He also did not understand the concept of personal space. When Colleen told him to leave her dojo, he refused, he also hijacked her class and assaulted a student. These were not the actions of a ‘hero’.

What struck me about him was that he often behaved like a teenager throwing a tantrum every time he got upset. Even his interactions with Joy and Ward, especially initially, displayed a lack of basic common sense. He does as he pleases without any regard for the consequences and doesn’t stop to think about the people who have to face those consequences.

The other thing that struck me about him was just how clueless and stupid he was, frustratingly so. He had no idea who The Hand actually were, or how to fight them or even how to control his own powers. For someone who had been training their entire lives to fight, he was woefully unprepared. He got beat up so often, it was a wonder anyone was threatened by him. Often the only way he could win was when he unleashed the Iron Fist. If you have  to keep relying on your superpower to beat up common thugs, then clearly, you needed more practice. His fight scenes also lacked any kind of impact or grace, they often looked like a lot of uncoordinated arm-flailing. They were unimpressive with a distinct lack of intensity.

As far as casting a Caucasian blonde actor for the character is concerned, well for those saying that the character is Caucasian in the comics is hardly reason enough for this bland and dull casting choice. Iron Fist first appeared in 1974 when there were very few (if any at all) superhero characters of colour. This show presented the opportunity to cast an Asian actor to play a superhero in a leading role and break stereotypes but sadly the makers shied away from that. The only example I can think of is Daisy Johnson from Agents of Shield played by Chloe Bennett. That’s it, just one and it’s disappointing.

Thankfully, there were some bright spots in this otherwise dismal offering. Colleen Wing was an absolute delight to watch. She was easily one of the best parts of the show and what kept me coming back. She was everything Danny should have been. She was kickass, supportive and protective of those she cared about, she was cautious, she was complex. She was flawed. And I loved that about her. I loved that she didn’t take bullshit from anyone, even Danny. I loved her camaraderie with Claire and would have loved to see more interactions between her and Joy. If you replaced Danny Rand with Colleen Wing, the show immediately improves. She was a hero worth rooting for. I loved the way Jessica Henwick played her. She made her tough but always with a touch of vulnerability. The character works to a large extent because of Henwick’s performance. I do hope that we get a Colleen/Misty team-up. Honestly, both Colleen and Henwick deserve better than what this show offered them.

Now, onto the Meachums. I didn’t quite know what to make of them in the first few episodes and that was largely due to the poor writing. The writers could not decide what to do with Joy in particular. Joy was so poorly written that it was a wonder that any of her motivations made sense. Props to Jessica Stroup for playing her in a way that made her sympathetic and also made sure that the audience saw the steel under her skin. She was just as tough as Colleen but in a different way. She kept the company running when Ward was having a meltdown and Danny was too busy mucking things up. I loved that she was ambitious. There still aren’t too many ambitious women portrayed on television in a positive light. I loved that about her. She was good at her job and earned the respect of those she worked with by working hard. Out of everyone working at Rand, she was the most deserving of the power. And yet, in the end, she didn’t even get to have her photograph next to Ward and Danny. That was a gross omission.

Tom Pelphrey as Ward Meachum, the tortured and tormented brother was also interesting to watch. His was an internal struggle between the path that his father had laid out for him, versus what he wanted for himself and the two didn’t necessarily align. It was interesting to see him get his sense of self back as the show progressed.

One of the things that the show did well in the initial episodes was set-up Ward and Joy as an unbreakable unit and that was fun. I would have loved for the show to explore that further, sadly that didn’t happen either. The end with Joy possibly turning evil was also just lazy writing and complete character assassination on the writers’ part. Throughout the show, Joy was the one with the conscience, who struggled to balance the needs of the company with her innate goodness. She honestly wanted to help Danny knowing she didn’t have to. She truly loved and cared for Ward even when he was pushing her away. She even confronted her father when he framed Danny and didn’t back down. This was someone who always spoke about getting people arrested when everyone around her was talking about killing them. This was not the woman who would sit across someone she barely knew and speak about eliminating Danny. Danny who sacrificed himself to The Hand to save her and her father. It made no sense. It will also be a repetition of what Harold already did to Danny. We’ve already had the Meachum-betrays-Rand storyline, there’s no need for a repeat, it wasn’t that great the first time. What would make sense is if she decided to help Danny for everything he did for her. If you recall, she and Danny were really close when they were younger and shared a bond, she was the first to believe he was Danny (with the exception of Hogarth) and she helped him, even going against her brother to do so. She wouldn’t just turn on him, it makes no sense. Her distrust of her brother makes more sense considering just how much he lied to her. I’m hoping that these are things that are addressed in the future season, if it does get renewed.

Claire Temple was back and boy was she a breath of fresh air. Rosario Dawson was amazing as the nurse who always gets pulled into the drama of these people with superpowers. Though, I don’t know why she kept forgetting Jessica Jones every time she name dropped people with special abilities. Not cool, Claire. Then there was Carrie-Ann Moss as Jeri Hogarth and she was a welcome addition as well. Her attitude and dry humour was deeply appreciated.

Danny Rand should have been the MVP of the show, instead, he was a liability. He was a frustrating character and it was clear that the writers had no idea what to do with him. I’d love to see more of Ward and Joy (minus the character assassination please), more of Colleen (though she should just get her own show, Daughters of the Dragon with Misty Knight. If Punisher can get his own series, why not her?) Also, two women-of-colour heading their own show, how can that be a bad thing?

Iron Fist Season 1- Part 1 – Overall Thoughts

And so Season 1 of Iron Fist comes to an end. The final show leading up to the Defenders was a mixed bag of opportunities lost and potential that was never fully exploited. The show has been mired in controversy pretty much since the beginning. The casting of the titular character, Iron Fist a.k.a. Danny Rand by Finn Jones was met with backlash for not casting an Asian actor, but more on that later. Add to that, the early reviews for the shows were far from positive and put a huge dampener on the excitement for the show.

I read a lot of the reviews and still decided to watch the entire season and it was apparent from the beginning that the reviewers had not been exaggerating. The entire initial arc of the show was a mess. Everything from the pacing to the character motivations and development from one episode to the next was chaotic and made no sense. There were times when it felt like the writers of the show had been working in isolation without reading what had been written for the previous episodes. It was almost as if the characters were suffering from multiple personalities disorder.

I am not going to get into a synopsis for the show save for the gist; Danny Rand, one of the heirs to a huge corporate empire, presumed dead for 15 years comes back to reclaim his place. The first few episodes were painful to watch because of the sheer stupidity of the character. He was honestly surprised when people a)didn’t believe that he was indeed Danny Rand and b) thought he was insane when he started talking about the more unconventional aspects of the monastery. The show also couldn’t quite decide on the route it wanted to take. Did it want to focus on the corporate end of things or on the Hand and set them as the primary antagonists. Sadly, they never figured it out which is why the entire season was a hotchpotch of everything they could think of.

One of the early criticisms of the show was that there were too few fight sequences and we instead spent more time in the boardrooms and corporate offices. I’m going to disagree with that particular criticism because the corporate end of the show was the more interesting part. The fight sequences, and I’m talking about the ones that featured Danny, were excruciatingly bad. Another mistake on their part was the Harold Meachum reveal. They did that in the very first episode. They should have kept the audience in the dark about him for a little longer, or at the very least, not spelled everything out from the beginning. The audience knew from the get-go that he was bad news and therefore could not be trusted, where’s the suspense in that? Though as a character, he was decent. Sadly, he too turned into a stereotype at the end.

To be fair, the show did improve in leaps and bounds by episode 9 and episodes 11, 12 and 13 were actually pretty good but it was too little too late. Also, Danny Rand remained a problem and a major weakness.

The real strength of the previous Marvel/Netflix shows had been the complexity of the antagonists like Wilson Fisk, Kilgrave and Cottonmouth. They were all complicated, layered characters which was what made them so fascinating. There was no such complexity to be found here. Also, when did Madam Gao join the Hand, didn’t she help Daredevil fight against them? When did she have this change of heart? The Hand was nothing more than a faceless organisation and a dull and predictable one at that.

The tone and theme of the show were chaotic and inconsistent as well. I believe this particular problem stemmed from the fact that the writers simply did not know who and what they wanted Danny Rand to be. Was he going to join the corporate world or fulfill his destiny and destroy The Hand? These questions remain unanswered till the end of the show. If you don’t know the chief motivator of your primary character, it is impossible to craft a narrative arc around him that makes sense and is coherent. All of the protagonists in the previous Netlfix/Marvel shows had a personal journey that made sense, their motivations were sound. Once you know what motivates your character, you can craft obstacles that they must overcome and watching them overcome said obstacles and be better for it is its own reward. That was missing in Iron Fist. The audience doesn’t know what motivates him because he himself doesn’t know. The previous Netflix/Marvel shows had a coherent vision that was missing here and the show was much worse for it.

As far as renewal is concerned, it could honestly go either way. While the critics as well as a large number of viewers hated the show, it has done well financially. Another season could give the writers the opportunity to fix some of the problematic elements that plagued this season. But if they learn nothing, then it’s just going to be more of the same, which would be a shame.

Hunted by Meagan Spooner Review

Did Not Finish at 120 pages. I just wasn’t working for me. I didn’t care about Yeva or the beast. Quite dull. I did like the sisters though, especially Asenka, but they’re secondary characters and therefore don’t have enough screentime. I’d love to read about them but for now, I’m out…

Till Death by Jennifer L. Armentrout Review

This was absolutely pedestrian, everything from the plot to the writing. There was nothing about it that stood out. The writing even felt poor in places. The plot was slow and kind of just plodded around. The end was predictable and there was so much build up that it’s likely that you’ll guess the big reveal before the actual reveal, which takes the wind out of the sales as far as shock value is concerned.

Then there were the characters. JLA could have focused more on Sasha and her PTSD and trauma, and while there were parts where it comes up, it’s not detailed enough and all too soon, it becomes about the guy, Cole Landis. For once, I actually liked the guy. He was sweet, gentle and protective without being overbearing. So points for that at least. But Sasha herself was so bland that she didn’t really hold my interest. Then there were all those instances where Sasha kept mooning over Cole and getting distracted by how amazingly good looking he was. He was beautiful, we get it, I don’t see why the reader has to be bludgeoned on the head by being told the same thing over and over again. That kind of writing just makes me roll my eyes.

Feel free to skip this..

Nevernight (The Nevernight Chronicle #1) by Jay Kristoff Review

Nevernight by Jay Kristoff was as different from The Lotus Wars trilogy as possible with some key similarities; the characters and their fates, but more on that later. My reading of this book was regularly interrupted so this review will be shorter than usual.

The writing took some getting used to. It is still funny and sharp but it definitely takes time for the reader to acclimatise. In the beginning, I almost gave up reading it because the writing felt jarring but thankfully, after a point, I got used to it and then could focus on other important things like the plot and the characters.

Jay Kristoff painted a rich and vibrant world, one that is perpetually bathed in light, courtesy of the three suns that orbit this strange planet. The residents enjoy a short period of absolute darkness known as Treudark when all three of the suns set for a limited time. The various locations like the city of Godsgrave, the Ashkahi wastelands and the Red Church were so incredibly detailed that they felt real.

It was the same with the characters. Jay Kristoff has a gift for creating amazing and complex characters. Even his protagonists are problematic and far from perfect. The antagonists leave you feeling torn between liking and hating them. Of course, that’s not true for the main bad guy. Those guys are just plain evil but unfortunately, also very resilient and hard to kill.

But if you’ve read The Lotus War trilogy then you’re familiar with Kristoff’s love for causing immense pain to his readers by making sure that they fall in love with the characters and then pulling the rug from under their feet. So, to cut a long story short, I knew that Kristoff was going to tear my heart out and I still fell for it. Before I knew it, I was incredibly invested in these characters and their stories. Everyone from the students to the teachers were so nuanced. And Kristoff was not shy about killing off characters. No character is safe in his world.

Among the students, I loved Tric, Ashlinn and Carlotta and among the teachers there was Aalea, Spiderkiller, Naev and strangely enough, Cassius. But my favourite (excluding Mia) would have to be Ashlinn. She was funny, irreverent and completely bonkers and I loved her. Also, she was pretty explicitly gay so more points to Kristoff for that. Her scenes with Mia were among the most entertaining and I loved their friendship. Even though they were competitors, they were always supportive of each other.

Then there’s Mia, our protagonist. She has a lot of rage and darkness in her. Some of that has to do with the very nature of her powers, I guess, but the rest has everything to do with what happened to her family. She nurses that pain till it’s sharp enough to kill. She’s not your usual tortured soul, she has no compunction about doing what needs to be done to obtain her objective and she is dogged in her pursuit. She’s not exactly likeable but that works for her because she’s not meant to be, she’s not rainbows and sunshine, the exact opposite actually. But that’s not to say that she has no standards, she has few rules but she sticks to those no matter what and I admire her for that. I am looking forward to Mia discovering more about herself and making the full use of her powers.

Also, I have a feeling that Mia is bisexual. Of course, it isn’t spelled out but if you read carefully, there are definitely signs. Also, this is only the first book, Mia is still learning about herself and her powers, why not also learn more about her sexuality? I’d be happy if she is canonically bisexual and has a female love interest in the next book (and hopefully make it to the end of the series in one piece)

Now, for some reason, there are places where Nevernight is marked YA Fiction/Fantasy and it isn’t. The violence is very graphic and bloody and the sex scenes, those were pretty explicit as well, so definitely not for young readers. But the tone of the writing definitely fits with the contents of the book.

Nevernight is dark in both its plot as well as its main characters. But it is not without its moments of levity and dark humour. Its conclusion is also oddly satisfying despite all the bloodshed. This review isn’t exactly short but it isn’t nearly as coherent as I wanted it to be. At some point in the future, probably before I start reading book 2, I will reread it and hopefully, this time without all the interruptions.

P.S. – If possible, read a paperback or the hardbound copy of the book, trust me, it reads way better than the ebook version.

Agents of Shield Season 4C

As it is clearly evident, the posters for the only difference in the two posters above is the background. That’s literally it. Disappointment aside, let’s examine why they did this.

For starters, we know that the cast is currently filming. Add to that, even the promo for episode 16 just consists of scenes from the epilogue of episode 15. They wouldn’t do that unless they didn’t have any new scenes to put together the promo.

The other reason is that the makers have been particularly tight-lipped about the final arc of the season. Apart from one or two BTS pictures that have surfaced, there has been no new news online. No official stills or BTS stills posted by the cast. I’m guessing that we’ll get a new poster for the arc after the release of episode 16 or 17. The cast, Jed and Maurissa have promised some pretty big surprises for this arc so it’s not surprising that they want to be careful about potential spoilers, not just in terms of plot but also in terms of returning cast members. There is already speculation that Trip (B.J. Britt) may be returning in the Framework. But there’s also the possibility of the Bobbie and Hunter returning in the real world to help Daisy, Simmons and Yo-Yo fight Aida and Robo-Superior (though I still maintain his final fight will be against Daisy)

As for the supposed resurgence of Skyeward, as much as I liked that ship in season 1, I don’t think it’s gonna happen in the Framework. Daisy’s main arc this season has been trying to atone for what she did under Hive’s influence and the loss of Lincoln. I don’t see her suddenly transfer her love to Ward. If anything, he’ll be a constant reminder that the Framework isn’t real. Now, whether she’ll meet a version of Lincoln in the Framework remains to be seen. The Lincoln who, possibly, never turned into an Inhuman or at least the version who never met Daisy.

There’s even less information to go on about Simmons. We know that there’s a gravestone with her name on it but we can’t see the year of her supposed death. We also know that she’s not really dead.

The possibilities for this arc are endless but what excites me most is seeing Daisy and Simmons (with Yo-Yo) saving the entire team. I love the idea of seeing these women team up and save the world. Let there be more where that came from.

P.S. – I’d love to have one episode where both Chloe Bennet and Ming-Na Wen speak to each other in Chinese. Jed and Maurissa, please make that happen.

P.P.S – Also, please renew the show for another season. I’m not ready to say goodbye to these amazing characters!! I need more. Please!!! I hope the forces that be are listening and reading…

Daisy Johnson and her love interests and Skimmons

So far, through the four seasons, I think we can all agree that when it comes to love, Daisy has awful luck.

First there was Miles Lydon

He was never a serious contender in my opinion. It was clear that she cared for him because he found her when she was young and lost and helped her learn and perfect a skill-set that continues to help her to this day. We only saw him in one episode and , in the same episode, he fell out with Skye when she realised that he wasn’t as clean as she thought he was. She had an idea of what he was like in her head and he was a far cry from that. So that ended quickly.

Then there was Grant Ward:

Here’s a ship that continues to sail with some fans (including me) As I’ve stated earlier, Season 1 pre-Hydra Ward was pretty much perfect. He was adorable and awkward and clearly cared for Skye, maybe even loved her. They shared a bond because of their traumatic childhoods and understood each other in a way the others didn’t. But once Skye found out that he was Hydra, she shut him out and refused to fall for his excuses and reasons and I respect her immensely for that. Personally, I would have loved to see a redemption arc for him but the writers didn’t go in that direction so that’s a moot point. I’m hoping that the Ward we see in the Framework is the pre-Hydra Ward, since that will fit her with her regret, not that she didn’t choose him but that he was never a part of Hydra, here’s hoping. So long story short, it didn’t end well either.

Finally, we have Lincoln Campbell

It took me ages to get invested in this ship mostly because it came out of nowhere. They simply didn’t spend enough time together to fall in love. But overlooking that, it was clear that Lincoln loved Daisy, to the extent that he agreed to work for Shield simply because she was there. And over time, he won me over. He was supportive but also called out Daisy when she got too militant. They shared a healthy and balanced relationship. Sadly, he sacrificed himself for Daisy and that’s how that ended.

It is clear that when it comes to Daisy’s love life, she’s got awful luck. So far, Season 4 hasn’t presented her with a love interest and with only 7 episodes to go this season, there isn’t enough time to introduce one now. Even if it is Ghost Rider, there would be problems. For one, they didn’t spend enough time together and when they did, they were very wary of each other. I’m sure that she cared for him and respected him but that’s pretty much it, not nearly enough groundwork to set up a relationship.

So who else could it be? Well, I think it could be Simmons. This is probably wishful thinking and therefore pointless, but please, allow me to explain. Simmons and Daisy have both changed a lot since season 1. Everyone has but these two in particular. Skye became a part of a family for the first time and thus fiercely protective of it while Simmons lost her rose-tinted glasses and became a harder person for it. But they’ve always been close with each other. In FZZT, at the end of the episode, when Simmons and Ward are talking and Skye approaches from behind him. Simmons looks at her but isn’t sure why she’s there. They haven’t spent enough time together, in fact, at that stage, they hardly know each other. When Skye hugs her tight, you can see the confusion on Simmon’s face before she hugs her back. We see the bond deepen when Skye gets shot and almost dies. Season 2 saw a tense period between them when Skye turned into an Inhuman but even then, when Simmons saw the other Inhumans as a disease, she wanted to help Skye get better and not hurt herself while using her powers.

Season 3 didn’t see much interaction between them but what little there was, it was telling. Daisy was the only person who handled Simmons best after she returned from Maveth. She gave her time and treated her as the capable scientist she was. In Season 4, Daisy turns to Simmons when she’s hurt and needs help. She could have gone to Coulson or even Mack but she didn’t. Her equation with Simmons is very different.

Episode 15 with that scene between them, when Daisy is reassuring Simmons, you can almost play it like Daisy is about to confess her love but instead says Fitz, maybe because that what she thinks Simmons needs to hear. For her part, Simmons has maintained for the longest time that she didn’t love Fitz in a romantic sense. They’re partners and best friends but maybe over time, she convinced herself that it’s meant to be.

What if, in the Framework, both Daisy and Simmons realise that they love each other and Fitz realises that he and Simmons really are just best friends. Who am I kidding, it probably won’t happen, but one can dream.

But if Daisy and Simmons can’t be together, we don’t need another male love interest for her. I think the writers should make her bisexual and give her the female love interest she deserves. Come on AoS writers, you can do it!

Here’s hoping…

Also, please renew it for another season already!!