Article first published as MARVEL'S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. Review Season 2 Episode 5 A Hen in the Wolfhouse on Seat42F.
MARVEL’S
AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. pumps up the fan base with last night’s episode,
“A Hen in the Wolfhouse.” In the exciting installment, much comes
together as several of our central cast are imperiled or find their
secrets dragged out into the open. Relationships are paid off and the
danger level is heightened, which is probably what viewers of the
superhero film spin-off have been hoping for.
To
start with, Simmons’ (Elizabeth Henstridge) position within Hydra is
compromised at the worst possible time, just after the evil new security
chief, Bobbi Morse (Adrianne Palicki, Friday Night Lights, About a Boy)
shows up to hunt down a mole. Corned by Bobbi, things look dire for
Simmons, and one can imagine this poor women being tortured. Simmons
isn’t built for torture.
Then, lo and
behold, Bobbi is secretly S.H.I.E.L.D., too, sent by Coulson (Clark
Gregg) to protect Simmons! This not only shows us that Coulson still
does are deeply about his people and makes backup plans for them,
something in doubt in his new role as he distances himself, but also
leads to some really great action sequences as Bobbi gets them away from
Hydra. Not to mention, Hydra has been beating on the good guys, and “A
Hen in the Wolfhouse” shows S.H.I.E.L.D. winning a hand. It’s gratifying
all around.
Bobbi is a fun
character, tough and caring, totally badass. Most of the team quickly
takes to her when Coulson announces she’s joining them. The exception is
Hunter (Nick Blood). Bobbi, it turns out, is the awful ex-wife Hunter
constantly moans about. Is Hunter’s bitterness justifiable? We aren’t
yet privy to the details of their union. It seems like Bobbi doesn’t
hold the same grudge, since she is the reason Coulson recruited Hunter
in the first place. Still, it’s great to see entertaining conflict
between the two characters.
Another
clash comes as Skye (Chloe Bennet) continues to push Coulson to reveal
where the symbols she’s working on are coming from. Coulson is
defensive, even after May (Ming-Na Wen) recommends he come clean, a real
sign as to how much May has warmed to Skye. Eventually, Coulson has no
choice because Skye is smart enough to figure things out, and soon she’s
in the loop.
I like the tension
between Coulson and Skye. Coulson is a good father figure to the young
agent, whose own father (Kyle MacLachlan) hasn’t been around. Skye is
angry that Coulson shuts her out, as she should be, but Coulson has his
reasons. I see why May wants Coulson to bring Skye into his confidence,
as she can help, but I also see why he resists, not just to cover his
own butt, but to keep a needed hierarchy in place in the organization.
It’s a complex situation, one MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. handles
well, from the fall out to the confirmation that the fighting doesn’t
destroy their underlying bond.
Another
mystery opens up with this development, though: Skye has taken the same
drug Coulson took, so why isn’t she scratching symbols? Skye’s
backstory has been a long-running mystery on the show, one in which we
only get small pieces at a time. By relating this now, and having her
psychotic villain dad looking for her, the show is signaling a deeper
delve into things. Given her father’s powers and Skye’s immunity to the
chemicals, might she be of alien origin? That would be really cool! And
there isn’t another conceivable explanation offered as of yet.
Unlike
the rocky stuff above, Simmons and Fitz’s (Iain De Caestecker) reunion
is a happy one, mostly. Fans have been longing for the two to get back
together. However, what comes after the pair being in the same place
again remains to be seen. Will this screw up Fitz’s budding friendship
with guys in the group? How will the real Simmons being there impact
Fitz’s hallucinations of her? Will Fitz stay upset about Simmons
abandoning him? Did Simmons have a choice about leaving? They come
together too late in “A Hen in the Wolfhouse” to begin exploring this
yet.
All of these characters are
handled extremely well this well, authentic to who they are, but also
moving them forward. The same goes for recurring players like Raina
(Ruth Negga), trapped between Whitehall (Reed Diamond) and Skye’s dad,
who both wouldn’t mind seeing her dead. Coulson might be inclined to
help her, but only if she brings some benefit to him, since she hasn’t
done anything to earn Coulson’s trust in the past; quite the opposite.
Every
hour of MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. can’t be as intense as “A Hen
in the Wolfhouse.” Sometimes, the story needs to move slower so it can
explain things. But overall, this is a very good show, and having
episodes like this one pays off the patient fans who have been following
along in a big way. It’s appreciated.
MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.