| "Self Control" | |
|---|---|
| Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. episode | |
&sq=&lang=&file=File:Agents_of_S.H.I.E.L.D._%22Self_Control%22_poster.jpg) Teaser poster | |
| Episode no. | Season 4 Episode 15 |
| Directed by | Jed Whedon |
| Written by | Jed Whedon |
| Featured music | "Have You Heard" by The Moody Blues |
| Cinematography by | Feliks Parnell |
| Editing by | Kelly Stuyvesant |
| Original air date | February 21, 2017 |
| Guest appearances | |
"Self Control" is the fifteenth episode of the fourth season of the American television series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Based on the Marvel Comics organization S.H.I.E.L.D., it sees S.H.I.E.L.D. infiltrated by Life Model Decoys (LMDs). It is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and acknowledges the franchise's films. The episode was written and directed by Jed Whedon, and serves as the last in the second "pod" of episodes for the season, subtitled LMD.
Clark Gregg reprises his role as Phil Coulson from the film series, and is joined by series regulars Ming-Na Wen, Chloe Bennet, Iain De Caestecker, Elizabeth Henstridge, Henry Simmons, and John Hannah. Whedon made his directorial debut with the episode, which explores the nature of reality and identity, and features a significant action sequence that took two days to film, a first for the series. Visual effects were used throughout the episode, including to depict the Triskelion building within the virtual reality of the Framework, as set up for the next pod of episodes for the season. The digital model of the building used by Industrial Light & Magic for the film Captain America: The Winter Soldier was given to the series' effects team for use in this shot.
"Self Control" originally aired on ABC on February 21, 2017, and was watched by 3.88 million viewers within a week of its release according to Nielsen Media Research. The episode was praised as one of the series' best, with critics highlighting Whedon's efforts, the emotional sequences throughout the episode, its action and visual effects, and the Framework revelations in the twist ending.