Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 2 Episodes 11-15 review

With March being used for Spider-man Month, and hoping to minimise my workload, we didn't look at once recurring series during that time. Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. returned in March and has run for 5 episodes so far since its return. This show has not gone on break since it started. So let's revisit our old friends and find out what's happened in the aftermath of the amazing mid-season finale.

Episode 11 – Aftershocks

The one thing I loved about the first half of S.H.I.E.L.D. is how it told both a reasonably self-contained story, whilst subtly planting seeds for what’s to come. Here we get to see some of those seeds begin to bloom

They took the slow burn approach with this episode. We know what’s happening with Skye but few others too. And with Coulson holding onto the belief that Trip died a hero, and Simmons abandoning pretty much everything she believes in for a more ‘destroy all aliens’ attitude, I think we can all agree it’s probably for the best that not everyone finds out. Although given that Skye has little to no control over her powers, it’s hard to imagine the secret lasting.

And I love that it was Fitz who actually did. He has been the breakout character of season 2, funny as it might seem to say, his brain damage might well have been the best thing to happen to the character. Whilst at the beginning he’s needed help to bring up his confidence again, he’s used his experience to become the emotional centre of the show. A place where Coulson just cannot be any more.

His efforts comforting Mack at the beginning and how he helped Skye at the end were lovely moments and it’s good to see that whilst Fitz may never be the same again, in many ways he’s changed for the better. Although I’d like to see him reconcile with Simmons.

Cut off one head, and suddenly there are 5 of them, HYDRA is still a threat. And given all that happened Coulson is out for their blood. He has a very very high risk strategy to take out them all at once and it works. So the plan was to release Bockshi to Hunter’s custody, so he’d convince him that HYDRA’s out to kill him, so the leaders would end up killing each other.

And all this in response to the death of the least interesting character on the show! (And we have like 3 nameless characters dead in the first 10 minutes of the show, and no-one bats an eyelid, just saying)

Then we have Raina, who clearly isn’t happy with what she’s become. Search for an answer all your life and prepare to be disappointed when you finally find it. Her journey isn’t over, when our inhuman, who took lessons from Skye’s mother it would seem, rescues her from S.H.I.E.L.D.

We also have Mack and Bobbi’s scheme, whatever it is… They’ve found Fury’s toolbox and have the base schematics. This was the ending of the episode, but intercut with the memorial of Trip made it feel like a bit of an odd way to end this. But it’s a strong start to the spring season.

Rating 8/10

Episode 12 - Who you really are

Ah, we get to the guest star episode, once again we have Lady Sif from Thor. Unlike last time though, this was a narrative point rather than an extraneous side story but that doesn’t stop it from having extraneous elements.

OK, yes, I’m talking about the whole memory loss incident, yes, it’s what got Coulson and co on board in the first place, but none of the events with her that transpire before she gets her memory back are worth mentioning. Admittedly, memory loss is also a massive cliché, so maybe it’s a good thing they got it out the way quick

Yeah, I have 2 complaints about this episode, the first being what I’ve just said, and the latter being the ending, but I’ll get to that in a minute. But there’s a lot to enjoy about this episode too.

So, keeping in line with the lightning pacing this season tries to deliver, Skye’s secret doesn’t stay secret for very long. And everyone finds out this episode that Skye has been altered by the tera-genesis and can cause Earthquakes. Reactions were in character: Mack was scared, May tried to teach her to control it, Coulson did everything he could to protect her, Simmons was shocked, but more at the fact that Fitz lied to her (to be fair, he was kinda right, she didn’t handle his change very well at all) as for Bobbi and Hunter, they were the ones who didn’t really react, which is interesting, but springs some light for future events

Our villain this week, if you can call him a villain, is a guy from the Kree who has come to eliminate Skye from the equation because if the Kree empire ever found out that teragenesis works, they’d restart the long abandoned programme. There are still a number of outlying questions about the Kree on Earth and their blood, but there’s an interesting insight as to why they came to Earth in the first place. Of course this Kree has a magic stick that can take away your memories, which serves 2 plot points. 1 is Sif losing her memory, 2 is the resolution where he loses his.

So, we come to my issue with the series. Mack and Bobby reveal something to hunter about their game and he wants to know what’s going on. Mack has already decided it’s too late for that and doesn’t want him siding against them, so he knocks him out! Of all the things he could’ve done when confronted, this was a dumb choice. Now suspicions will brew, regardless of what he does to Hunter

But overall, it’s a well-crafted episode, with some really good character moments, especially for Fitz and Skye and it didn’t come off as forced like the last time Sif made her appearance

Rating 8/10

One of us

So… erm… this episode was… ok, that’s really all I can say about it. Review done, can I cash my cheque now. I suppose I’d better go into a little detail

So Cal is back and he’s recruiting gifted humans with the intent of erm… erm… getting revenge on Coulson. Including erm… lady wolverine and erm… strong guy and erm… that guy who can hack into sh*t, also the guy with the killer scream. Yeah, they’re about as interesting as the scenery once the actor playing Cal has finished chewing it.

So, maybe more intrigue with the Skye plot? Well, they’ve put her on the gifted index, and Skye is being visited by a shrink who happens to be May’s ex-husband… awkward. So hijinks ensue and Skye controls her powers, except when she doesn’t. Yeah, instead of controlling her emotions she uses the May tactic of bottling it up for future use. Except she ends up using it while she’s sleeping… So the shrink says she should leave S.H.I.E.L.D. entirely

Oh, and Simmonds is really bummed out about Fitz lying to her. GET OVER IT! OK, she does make progress on this but… Seriously, Fitz has a point. You abandoned him first!

Then we have the weird of the episode. They handcuff Hunter to a bathroom or something and feed him Pizza, and then they reveal they’re working for another S.H.I.E.L.D.

Yeah, this is a pretty short review, rating?

Rating 7/10

Love in a time of HYDRA

So, time for filler!!!!

Ah, I jest… This is really a prelude rather than a filler episode, time to set things up for the next few episodes of story. First off we find out who Bobbi and Mack have been working for all this time, the SHIELD of hypocrites. Seriously, their philosophy is so rooted in truth, openness and transparency they’ve sent 2 agents to work undercover in another S.H.I.E.L.D.

That said they do offer a few good points, were the deaths in the season avoidable? I’d argue that a lot of the points are counterbalanced by the fact that HYDRA, Ward and Cal were all, in one way or another also going after the city and had they reached it, it would’ve massively complicated matters.

So, Hunter gets the intel about the new/old shield and decides to leave. Easily evading all the highly trained agents (he’s a mercenary, he’s not that well trained) aside from Bobbi, who never really tries to stop him. Anyway, he gets away to probably do nothing as everything unfolds

Meanwhile, Coulson decides it is best to keep Skye off active duty for a while, so he takes her to a safe-house, or mini-prison, depending on how you see it. Anyway, she has full access to communications to the base and some gauntlets that might inhibit her powers or something… Yeah…

So, then we have the other side of the story. Agent 33 and Ward. Yeah… It’s been a while. Ward’s over Skye after she shot him, he’s in love with Agent 33 now. And… it’s a shared feeling actually. So, it’s time for Agent 33 to get some closure on her HYDRA arc

So they get the mask repaired and break into the military base in order to retrieve Sunil Bakshi, currently in prison under Talbot. Oh yeah, he’s in this show… I almost forgot about him… Damn you S.H.I.E.L.D. We’re going back to the factions play. Ward, 33 and possibly Backshi are coming out as a new faction

So, war is coming, but at least May and Coulson ain’t stupid, and they’ve worked out that Mack is hiding something. Phew

OK, the title. There’s no HYDRA in this story.

Rating 8/10

One door closes

It’s time for the battle of the shields. So will the S.H.I.E.L.D. of soldiers or the S.H.I.E.L.D. of hypocrites emerge triumphant?

Well, at least they tried to rationalise the S.H.I.E.L.D. of hypocrites a bit better this time. They formed from an attempt to stop HYDRA taking over an aircraft carrier (one that evidently can’t fly) by blowing it up under Fury’s orders. They decide maybe it’s time to ignore Fury and take over the base, and they did.

Democracy seems to be the founding principle of the new S.H.I.E.L.D. Not secrets are bad, so that’s why we do things in secret. And the fact that Fury operated with almost absolute automony, keeping secrets from the world council is why they viewed him as a threat. They see Coulson as a threat because he has alien blood in him, basically.

But I have two particularly important questions. What has the ‘new S.H.I.E.L.D.’ actually done since gaining an aircraft carrier. They rescued a few former S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and then what? What actions have you taken against HYDRA? None.

My other question is: Why not just talk to Coulson? What was the purpose of sending spies to find out what he’s up to when you could ask him up and front. If you were Loyal to S.H.I.E.L.D., he probably answer you.

So, Simmons manages to knock out Bobbi momentarily, Mack is injured rescuing Fitz, May kicks ass, and Coulson meets up with Hunter. Yeah… I f*cking love this episode.

Rating 8/10

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