This season of Agents of SHIELD seems to be flying by. The menace of the Shrike and the mystery of Sarge are progressing, bit by bit, as the team tries to figure out what’s going on and FitzSimmons tries to get home. With as many different things set to run headlong into each other as they have set up here, “Collison Course” was a good name for the episode. Of course, this is only part one, so there will be more to come.

In space, Izel, Fitz, and Simmons have taken up their positions on the Lazy Comet (I had to look it up, I’m not sure we ever get the name of the ship on screen). They argue with the crew about whether or not the ship will survive a jump with Izel’s salvaged drive, and Fitz’s calculations aren’t exactly reassuring. Simmons wonders if this is the best idea, but doesn’t have a better one and wants to go home. With no other options, they have a particularly anticlimactic jump and, to everyone’s surprise, make it to just outside the moon’s orbit around Earth.

Mack and Sarge are really not getting along. Both are strong leaders convinced they are right, and you saw how well that went in Captain America: Civil War. Sarge really isn’t helping his case any by giving evasive answers wrapped in smugness, but then again, Mack did give his word and doesn’t seem to be fully honoring it. There’s a lot of arguing, and the final deal is Sarge gets to pick one person from his crew to go with him, May, and Daisy. He picks Snowflake, who I’m not sure would have been my choice. Snowflake is deliriously happy to get her knives back, and Sarge and May talk about the mission. Sarge gives an amusing summation of what May does, and asks about Dasiy, who says she’s a hacker… which she was, once upon a time. After correcting what Snowflake thinks that means, Sarge isn’t impressed. Things go bad again when one of Sarge’s toys breaks down, and Mack has an idea. Deke isn’t happy to be included on the mission, but he and Mack have a unique negotiating session and things gets somewhat settled.

Deke gets Sarge’s toy fixed, and they take off. Snowflake is paying a lot of attention to Deke, which, from what we’ve seen in the past, doesn’t always work out so well, especially when she starts talking about souls. Daisy gets pushed into riding with Sarge up front, which she isn’t happy about. At the Lighthouse, Mack tells Davis (although I swear he called him Piper) to ready the Zephyr as Mack makes his own adjustments to the deal with Sarge. Mack and Yo-Yo have an odd conversation about what might be coming. On the Lazy Comet, Izel reveals a new hobby which really, really isn’t good.

Pax and Jaco get loaded on the Zephyr, which Pax isn’t happy about. He whines, but doesn’t offer any useful information as he is chained to the deck and Jaco stuffed in a containment pod. Sarge snarks at Daisy, but interestingly doesn’t know what DNA is. Daisy asks a lot of questions, which Sarge ignores or refuses to answer. He does reveal the name of the monster that’s coming, and it’s not good.

Aboard the Comet, Fitz and Simmons work on the coms, and Izel makes a few vague comments about never seeing her home again. The three seem to be making progress towards a friendship, but I’m not sure how much of that is an act. Izel talks about what she’s looking for, which is something familiar to the Agents and the viewers. Fitz babbles a bit but Simmons reins him in. We also hear a bit of Izel’s side of a conflict we’ve learned a bit about in the past.

Mack checks in with Davis as they follow their course, while Yo-Yo studies side by side shots of Coulson and Sarge. Yo-Yo gives Mack a pep talk, and he worries about what Sarge is hiding. The always off-screen Benson sends a message with the results of his research so far. On the Comet, Toad, the puff-eating bumbling crewman, finds out about Izel a little too late.

On the truck, Deke has a disturbing awakening. May and Daisy debate the Sarge/Coulson issue, and what he’s hiding from them. Daisy points out the many gaps in Sarge’s story so far. Mack goes over Benson’s data, which is disturbing on several fronts. There are a lot of ties to myths from South America, and a lot of unanswered questions. There’s also another reference to items from SHIELD’s past. Back in the truck, Deke gets rudely interrupted, and Sarge is pissed off about some equipment failure. Deke explains, but Sarge isn’t an understanding boss.

Boyle, head of the Comet crew, finds something that really bothers him. Fitz and Simmons aren’t really convinced, and end up having a conversation about the puffies, Simmons’ adventures without Fitz, some with Fitz, and Fitz being jealous of an unlikely person, but at least honest about how ridiculous it is. Simmons ends up in a no win situation. Pax paces on the Zephyr and works himself into a frenzy, while Jaco is much calmer. Yo-Yo tries to get some information about what they’re worrying about, but only gets vague philosophy from Jaco.

Sarge finally tells May and Daisy some of the history of his foe, and Daisy asks some questions. Sarge gives a motive that’s really hard to believe for both his enemy and himself. Sarge and Daisy argue about motivation and what he’s planning to do when he catches up with his nemesis. They both accuse the other of hiding things, and they’re both right. Sarge manages to discover Daisy’s secret, but the Agents don’t do the same. At a point in the middle of nowhere, a bunch of people meet up and start making something bizarre happen.

Sarge tells a bit more about what’s going on. The man loves to dole out information in tiny pieces. Daisy gets ahold of Mack to update him, and there are a lot of unanswered questions. Davis gives the good news that something else is arriving, while Fitz and Simmons deal with some strange events on the ship. Pax stages an escape that hinges on a nameless guard/agent being remarkably stupid. He and Jaco get most of the way free, but Yo-Yo comes to check on things and they aren’t prepared for her powers. Even captured (again), Pax keeps spouting vague threats. Yo-Yo isn’t impressed.

Pax finally spills at least some of the beans, and the bad news about Sarge’s actual plan gets passed around the SHIELD agents. The tension ratchets up several more levels, and May and Daisy demand answers. Sarge seems amused and is as helpful as ever. He manages to get away, trapping the Agents, Deke, and even Snowflake. His escape plan is clever, and creative, and a bit rough on your sense of perspective as you watch. We see a reunion, a discovery, and a lot of uncertainty about what to do next.

Very far away, Enoch contacts another of his kind. They talk about their shared history, and the fate of their homeworld. Enoch has a plan, and he wants some help to pull it off, despite being wanted among his people. Elsewhere, it seems there’s going to be some follow up regarding a difficult experience some of our heroes went through.

What I liked: I don’t care for Sarge at all, but he’s damn slick. He has some great ideas and plans. Yo-Yo got to be the hero a few times here, and did it really well. I understand Mack’s concerns about everything going on. Fitz and Simmons are a great couple, both their relationship and being a blast to watch. I’m really curious about the reveal of what Izel is looking for, and how that’s going to tie into things.

What I didn’t: The agent who died was killed almost by his own stupidity as much as Pax’s attack. Fitz and Simmons were very dismissive of Boyle’s concerns. I’m getting a bit sick of Sarge always being one step ahead.

It was an enjoyable, tense episode. I’ll give it a 4 out of 5. Part two should be interesting.