In this episode: PLOT TWIST. Also, I should have known.

Let’s discuss Bad Blood.

Note: This review will contain spoilers.

 

 

Quick recap:

After her conversation with a recovering Barnes (and a near-encounter with her feelings for him), Natasha puts off her emotional turmoil by throwing herself back into work. This leads to her infiltrating the VECTOR Institute, finding Karbayeva, and learning that the plot is actually already much thicker than she realised…

 

First of all. FIRST OF ALL. Natasha. Compartmentalising is one thing; running (metaphorically) screaming away from your feelings is something else.

Seriously. I’d offer her tea and a hug if I didn’t think she’d murder me in the attempt. BUT I WANT HER TO BE HAPPY. Damn it, Natasha.

OK. Now let’s talk about The Plot. Specifically, The Plot Twist. Because I feel like a Grade A fool for not seeing this coming. I read every mention of Allan Holt and his globally expanding clinics/healthcare services, and DID NOT EVEN QUESTION IT. Because why would I even imagine that a billionaire philanthropist in this day and age wouldn’t have some majorly questionable ulterior motives, right? And in the Marvel Universe? SURELY THIS IS FINE.

*Pauses to sigh at self*

So. Allan Holt is keeping an epidemiological historian under guard at an institute KNOWN FOR MORALLY QUESTIONABLE ACTIVITY AT BEST because … he’s aware of, or even involved with, the recent thefts that Natasha and Barnes are on the trail of? And whatever he’s doing, he believes it’ll help him to “save the world”? In air quotes because the scientist hostage he took is so cynical and despairing of her situation that she immediately leapt to the conclusion that Natasha had been sent to assassinate her?!

*Longer sigh at self*

I mean, I’m not really surprised at all the implications of this twist. I’m not. This is how the world is. Men with obscene amounts of wealth get it in their heads that Here Is How I Can Be Important Save The World; people with more than an ounce of sense are left waiting for the shit to hit the fan just so they can say “I told you so” even though Wealthy Dude probably won’t listen any more than he did before.

Wow apparently I have feelings about this episode. And about *gestures* all of this kind of thing. I mean, it took me years to really truly warm up to Tony Stark in the MCU, and I have a sneaking suspicion that this guy? Is no Tony Stark.

So … apparently it’s not the Red Room OR Hydra. Unless it somehow is? ARGH WHAT IS HAPPENING. WHAT DOES THIS GUY WANT. WHAT IS HE DOING?!

But is this a mess Natasha can clean up? And don’t think I didn’t see her there, thinking of her friends back in Chicago the minute she made the connection regarding Holt. SEE ABOVE RE: YOUR FEELINGS, NATASHA.

This is getting to be SO MUCH.