Article originally written for Seat42F.
MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. goes into its winter
hiatus strong with “What They Become.” It’s a showdown above the hidden city as
Daniel Whitehall (Reed Diamond), The Doctor (Kyle MacLachlan), and Director Coulson
(Clark Gregg) all try to push their own agendas. Well, Coulson’s agenda is just
to stop the other two before they bring about a cataclysmic event, but with the
infighting among The Doctor and Whitehall, it becomes an all-out brawl. No one
is listening to orders, and one of our heroes doesn’t make it out alive.
MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. sometimes lets plots
fester too slowly, but that complaint cannot be lobbied against the current
arc, which has unfolded quickly and excitingly. The writers have kept the
adrenaline pumping and the twists coming, including learning we’ve already seen
Skye’s mother (Dichen Lachman) this week, which feels more like one of their
films than a twenty-some-installments-per-year television show, a good thing
for this particular series to do. By the end of the hour, I’m left quite
dissatisfied with the three month break, wanting to watch the next chapter
immediately, so they’ve done their jobs well.
It’s been cool to see Skye’s (Chloe Bennet) growth
throughout the show. She’s gone from an angry, insecure rebel to a polished,
tough agent in a year and a half. Before May (Ming-Na Wen) trains her, she may
not have been able to stand up to her father, The Doctor, so easily, nor would
she have shot Ward (Brett Dalton) as she does, without blinking. She’s become
someone who can take care of herself, and separated from the group, that really
comes out in “What They Become.”
I’m eager to see the next stage in Skye’s evolution.
“What They Become” ends with her transforming into something else entirely. It
appears she is a being with superpowers, which will take an emotional and
physical toll on her, but like a polished diamond, likely send her out the
other side better than she came in. She has the presence to handle such a
change now, as she did not before, and given who she is, it’ll be interesting
to see how she chooses to use what she has.
It’s unlikely the new Skye will want to include her
dad in her life, but may be forced to in order to find answers. Coulson beats
The Doctor in one-on-one combat, but surely Coulson doesn’t kill him. If The
Doctor is the only one (besides the faceless man in the epilogue) that can
explain things to Skye, then she may need him, at least in a
prisoner-behind-glass sort of arrangement, which MARVEL’S AGENTS OF
S.H.I.E.L.D. has done before pretty well.
It’s sad that the cost of that transformation is Trip
(B.J. Britt). He doesn’t die in a heroic, noble sacrifice. He dies doing his
job and rushing to a friend’s side, unaware of the danger. Nor is Skye able to
warn him, not knowing herself what is coming. His demise is purely an accident,
one that will make Skye less likely to embrace her new self, as it’s a cost she
wouldn’t choose to pay. It’s also a way for the series to lose an important,
beloved player for a real emotional impact without touching its core cast,
which makes sense from a practical standpoint.
Skye isn’t the only one that transforms, though. Right
beside her, Raina (Ruth Negga) goes through a similar metamorphosis. We don’t
understand Skye’s connection to Raina yet, but it’s fascinating the role that
Raina plays in the show. She’s practically ever-present, and every time one
might assume her story is over, MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. brings her back
to the forefront in a fresh development. She’s the villain that is always
around, not purely evil and bent on world domination, but someone far less
moral than our heroes, and one who gets in their way. Unlike Skye, Raina is
eager for her change, and will probably be more willing to use any new powers
she has gained. What are Raina’s goals now? Does the team need to stop her?
There are a plethora of wonderful, smaller moments in
“What They Become,” too. From charged scenes between Bobbi (Adrianne Palicki)
and Hunter (Nick Blood), to a re-appearance of Mac (Henry Simmons), who looks
like he may now be back to normal, to funny dialogue that the Koenigs (Patton
Oswalt) toss to Trip, every scene is valuable. These bits are as important as
the big stuff in keeping the series consistently engrossing and enjoyable, and
they are very present in this truly excellent mid-season finale.
MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. returns in March on
ABC. In the meantime, the network will air the seven-week MARVEL’S AGENT CARTER
beginning in January.
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