"Purpose" in MARVEL'S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.

Article originally published as MARVEL'S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. Review "Purpose in the Machine" on Seat42F.

MARVEL'S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. - "Purpose in the Machine" - (ABC/Kelsey McNeal) IAIN DE CAESTECKER, HENRY SIMMONS

On last night’s MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D., Fitz (Iain De Caestecker) struggles to find the “Purpose in the Machine.” More accurately, he wants to rescue Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) from her imprisonment on an alien world. Thankfully, with some help, he manages to do so.

Where Simmons has been is a big part of the mystery so far in MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D., and rescuing her has to only be the beginning. While the portal is now destroyed, meaning it doesn’t seem the team will get to travel to where she’s been, we still don’t know what happened during her time there. It will surely affect her even more than her undercover mission in Hydra did, and I’m curious about her life these past months. Hopefully it won’t derail a romantic relationship with Fitz, which seems even more necessary now that he rescued her. And hopefully the show won’t just drop this plot and move on now that she’s back.

How Fitz convinces Coulson (Clark Gregg) that Simmons is still alive, and how Coulson tracks down Professor Randolph (Peter MacNicol, last seen in season one) to help open the portal really isn’t important. Admittedly, it is the meat of “Purpose in the Machine,” but it’s really minor in the scheme of things, which seems odd to say for an entire installment. I enjoyed this week’s episode, and there are some great moments for the team as a whole, but the hour just didn’t matter all that much to the larger arcs, save that a missing team member was recovered.

Daisy (Chloe Bennet), whom Coulson still keeps calling Skye, something that will eventually need to be dealt with, goes along with Fitz and saves the day, but her real plot this week is trying to put together her team, which she gets no movement on. Dr. Garner (Blair Underwood) has yet to approve any of the Inhumans that Daisy has recovered for field duty. Dr. Garner has a point that these people need time to adjust, but given Daisy’s impatience, I look for her to make another approach on Lincoln (Luke Mitchell), who probably wouldn’t need the cool-down period the newly turned have.

“Purpose in the Machine” catches us up with Ward (Brett Dalton), who has become quite the dangerous ruler of Hydra. It’s a shame to see how far Ward has fallen, but really, there are no redeemable qualities left in him, and I applaud MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. for his two-season arc thus far. I don’t know exactly when or how Ward will make a move against S.H.I.E.L.D., this episode giving us little except the beginning of an undercover assignment, but it’s imminent.

I say that even knowing that Hunter (Nick Blood) has recruited May (Ming-Na Wen) to kill Ward. It’s not that I think May has gone soft during her months living with her father (James Hong, Mulan, Blade Runner), though it’s nice she sort of got to relax. But I don’t see such a powerful villain could be taken down by two agents on a rogue mission, no matter how capable they are or how many reasons they have to want him dead. The suspense comes not from whether they will succeed, but from if they themselves will be hurt or killed in the process. (I doubt they will be killed; Hunter has his own spin-off coming and May is too valuable to die in a small battle.)

So, in summary, “Purpose in the Machine” is an enjoyable episode that moves along a number of characters, but really isn’t important. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as not every episode can be a vital linchpin, but it’s also a tad bit of a let down this early in the third year’s run. I expect things will pick up in the very near future.

MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.

New "Laws" for MARVEL'S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.

Article first published as AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. Review "Laws of Nature" on Seat42F.

MARVEL'S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. - "Laws of Nature" - "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." (ABC/Kelsey McNeal) CHLOE BENNET, LUKE MITCHELL

MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. does not do slow and quiet, as evidenced in the third season premiere last night, “Laws of Nature.” Months have passed, and Inhumans are starting to show up across the globe. S.H.I.E.L.D. seeks to catch and protect them, but they suddenly have competition in that market, and it’s not Hydra (or, at least not entirely Hydra). Not all the members of the team are focused on this, though, with personal issues driving the motivations of several.

Daisy (Chloe Bennet) is probably the most changed. Rejecting the name Skye, she now leads Coulson’s team to find the Inhumans. An intense opening scene in which she meets Joey Gutierrez (Juan Pablo Raba, Narcos) beautifully illustrates the challenges she faces, both physical and emotional. It’s not easy for someone to suddenly gain powers they can’t understand and control without warning, and while Daisy has gone through it herself, not everyone is receptive to her assistance.

Mack (Henry Simmons, now a full-time cast member) does his best to help Daisy, but he doesn’t have the same experience she has, so that’s why she approaches Lincoln (Luke Mitchell, also promoted to full-time). But Lincoln wants nothing to do with her, even after the monstrous Lash (former NFL player Matthew Willig), who looks like Raina’s overgrown big brother, destroys Lincoln’s new life. So Daisy is failing on multiple fronts.

Her failure does not mean that she should be written off. Daisy has shown remarkable strength and character over the past two seasons, growing into a very formidable member of the team, and earning authority despite her limited tenure. While she is drawn into MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. because of her past, she is well-poised to write her own future, and it’s a pleasure watching her go through this. And Lincoln will have to come around, eventually.

The best character on MARVEL’s AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D., though, remains Coulson (Clark Gregg). Armed with a new hand (hehe), as we knew he would be, Coulson spends most of “Laws of Nature” tracking down Rosalind Price (Constance Zimmer, UnREAL, Entourage, House of Cards, etc.), his competition for the Inhumans. Their exchange in the subway is perfect, and in Rosalind, I feel like Coulson has met his match.

Though, they aren’t exactly on opposing sides. It turns out, someone is killing Inhumans, but it’s not Rosalind’s group. I think. (Maybe it’s Hyrdra?) So that means this could be a match made in heaven. Or T.A.H.I.T.I. Wherever. As long as Zimmer sticks around as long as possible (as allowable by her other work), I’m happy.

Speaking of chemistry, the electricity between Hunter (Nick Blood) and Bobbi (Adrianne Palicki) has not cooled off. They are at odds and yet happy together at the same time. This pair has an odd balance, one born of both love and conflict, and yet it seems like they are as good together as they’ll ever be, and it’s nice. Someone on MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. has to be happy, and my vote is for these two. Who may very soon have their own spin-off anyway.

Poor Fitz (Iain De Caestecker) isn’t so lucky. He’s spent months trying to find a way to get Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) out of the monolith. Even Coulson gives up, telling Fitz it’s hopeless and she’s probably dead. The fact that she isn’t, instead trapped in an alien wasteland, with the rock-thing serving not as a cage, but a portal, only makes Fitz’s seemingly hopeless mission feel warranted.

I can’t help but wonder, though, despite not wanting Simmons off the show, if it might not have been a more powerful story to see Fitz dealing with a truly lost cause. The hero pushing on is a predictable archetype, and usually MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. is better than this. It also doesn’t feel entirely right that Coulson and others have given up on Simmons without confirming what happened. I’m still waiting for the twist to redeem this plot, such as Coulson perhaps still working on this in secret, and I expect there will be one coming. Hopefully.

Ward (Brett Dalton) and May (Ming-Na Wen) are both absent from “Laws of Nature,” but that’s OK. MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. has expanded its cast enough that not every player must be in every hour, and there’s plenty going on without them. Of course, I look forward to their imminent returns in the near future. But even sans those two, the season premiere is a solid one, setting up a new, interesting arc as the Inhuman-triggering substance spreads globally, and providing plenty of character drama meat to boot. This is a satisfying first episode back for a reliable series.

MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.

MARVEL'S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. Send An "SOS"

Article originally written for Seat42F.

MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. ends its sophomore run on ABC last night with “S.O.S.,” a two-hour finale that is as surprising as it is intense. Lots of characters die, dynamics shift, a war is only narrowly avoided, and there are plenty of pathos and cliffhangers to go around. I don’t think I’ll be able to cover it all here, but I’ll try to focus on the most important things.

No sooner does Coulson (Clark Gregg) agree to an advisory council than those on that council begin dropping like flies. Gonzales (Edward James Olmos) is murdered last week, soon followed by Agent Oliver (Mark Allan Stewart) in “S.O.S.” Bobbi (Adrianne Palicki) is kidnapped by Ward (Brett Dalton), while Weaver (Christine Adams) is held hostage by Jiaying (Dichen Lachman). By the end of the finale, a couple are left, but will Coulson replace those who perished? I hope so, because it still seems like a good idea to have his judgment balanced by others, and not just those on his team.

Coulson does earn back some lost respect, though. Mack (Henry Simmons) hasn’t quite left the agency when the battle begins, and decides to stick around and help Coulson prevent a war. Last week, it looked like Mack would be resigning for good, but he is too noble to walk away when he’s needed. Let’s hope MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn’t really have to say goodbye to him, signs being positive he will re-enlist at the end of the episode.

The battle Mack and Coulson are working to end is the one between S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Inhumans. Jiaying, hardened and turned dark by the traumas she suffers through, doesn’t trust S.H.I.E.L.D., and so tries to force a war to wipe them out. This makes sense, given what we’ve seen of her character, but she brings along a lot of Inhumans who don’t realize what’s happening. As Lincoln (Luke Mitchell) says after learning the truth, they aren’t bad, just misled.

The struggle to stop Jiaying is not an easy one. While her plan isn’t perfect, she does have the element of surprise at first, and starts fighting before S.H.I.E.L.D. knows there’s anything to fight about, Coulson being the cool head that keeps the council for escalating things early. Jiaying also has Gordon (Jamie Harris), who believes in her scheme, and Cal (Kyle MacLachlan), who is set loose in S.H.I.E.L.D.’s base with super strength.

But Jiaying doesn’t have everything. Raina (Ruth Negga) sacrifices herself to expose the truth to Skye (Chloe Bennet), who turns on her mother and teams up with Mack, and Coulson talks Cal into switching sides to protect his daughter, appealing to the good man long buried deep inside of Skye’s father. What this means is that the war in “S.O.S.” really features a single villain and henchman (Jiaying and Gordon), with everyone else being essentially good, one may assume, manipulated by this leader. It should make for a more peaceful relationship between S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Inhumans next season, with Jiaying and Gordon dead and Lincoln supporting Skye.

The casualties are rough, though. Besides the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents that Jiaying kills, Coulson loses a hand. He would lose more if not for Mack’s quick thinking, and surely S.H.I.E.L.D. has the technology to give Coulson a really cool bionic replacement. Still, there’s a lot of destruction left to recover from.

Overcome it they must, though, as Ward is now heading up Hydra. After some disturbing scenes of torture, Ward making Bobbi suffer, Hunter (Nick Blood) and May (Ming-Na Wen) swing in to the rescue. In the chaos, Bobbi is badly wounded and Agent 33 (Maya Stojan) is killed, the latter sparking Ward’s embrace of the evil group, which he plans to use to take his revenge. Still, even with Ward remaining out there as a Big Bad, the outcome is as positive as one could hope for from such an encounter.

All of the above stuff makes for some really intense action and suspenseful moments. Emotion is served, too, especially in the relationship between Skye and Cal and the outcome of that, Cal’s memory being wiped and he being given a chance at a good life. The episode runs the gamut, being both big and small, and ending the season on an anticipatory note that should have fans on edge waiting for MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. return next fall.

There are also two huge cliffhangers, exemplifying the two arenas S.H.I.E.L.D. participates in. The personal has Fitz (Iain De Caestecker) and Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) finally planning a first date, something viewers have been waiting for at least a year, and then Simmons is sucked in by an alien artifact. The larger plot sees Jiaying’s crystals infect fish, whose oil is bottled and sold, thus potentially affecting a huge chunk of the population and activating more Inhumans.

And that’s why I love “S.O.S.” It really does have it all, presenting two hours that frequently shocked and constantly entertained.

MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. will return for a third go ‘round next fall, and this pick-up pretty much guarantees them a fourth year because of syndication patterns. I look forward to seeing what they do with it.

MARVEL'S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. Bear the "Scars" of Ultron

Article originally written for Seat42F.

NOTE: This review is as much about the Marvel franchise as a whole as it is about this week’s television episode.

I hope you made it to the theater to see Avengers: Age of Ultron before watching this week’s episode of MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. on ABC. The installment, titled “Scars,” doesn’t serve the movie a lot, but the events are pivotal in how the S.H.I.E.L.D. characters relate to one another now, and there are enough mentions to spoil some of the key things in the movie. Still, MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. is its own part of the franchise, so the majority of the hour focuses on arcs from this season of the show, not the movie.

If anything, I’m disappointed that the movie doesn’t tie in more to the series. There is a flashback to Coulson (Clark Gregg) and an agent Koenig (Patton Oswalt) viewing the helicarrier that Fury uses in the movie, but it really doesn’t go further than that, save some news clips shown on television screens. Shouldn’t Coulson have come to Fury’s aid? Do the Avengers know Coulson is alive? If we’d at least gotten a glimpse of some of our small screen heroes on the helicarrier on the big screen, I’d have been pretty happy. Though, I must say, Avengers: Age of Ultron was awesome!

But while Ultron himself and the crisis he causes does not impact the cast of MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. much directly, seeing the global near-disaster does bring S.H.I.E.L.D. and the “real” S.H.I.E.L.D. together, Gonzales (Edward James Olmos) willing to abandon his coup. For his part, Coulson realizes the value Gonzales and his council bring to the table and that he himself has made some mistakes, and so offers to make them his advisors, even while retaining the director title. Since Fury is involved, Gonzales agrees, albeit a bit reluctantly it seems. Civil war averted.

Or is it? Next spring, we’ll get Captain America: Civil War in theaters, and I can’t help but think some of the seeds of that are being planted in “Scars.” Gonzales compares Coulson to Tony Stark, a man acting on his own, ignorantly putting others in harm’s way. It’s a sentiment echoed in debates between Captain America and Iron Man, and I have to think MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. will play into that, assuming it is renewed. I just hope it plays a larger role than with this year’s film.

Gonzales himself won’t be the one butting heads with Coulson, though, as Jiaying (Dichen Lachman) murders him in “Scars.” Yes, S.H.I.E.L.D. may have come together, but S.H.I.E.L.D. still has an exterior foe in the Inhumans, who won’t make their film debut for a few years, likely when different Inhumans we haven’t seen yet are in charge. The Inhumans are the main antagonist now, with Hydra lying low, and take center stage this week.

Mack (Henry Simmons) would be an excellent replacement for Gonzales in opposing Coulson. He quits S.H.I.E.L.D. this week, unable to work for a man he doesn’t trust. But might Bobbi lure him back to sit on the advisor’s board, no longer being under Coulson? Mack is a great character and it would be a shame to lose him altogether. I hope “Scars” doesn’t mark his last appearance.

One cannot blame Jiaying for protecting her people. She has lived through a lot at the hands of very bad men, and while Gonzales’ offer of peace might be genuine, she would have to make big sacrifices to accept it. He wants to catalogue her people, keeping a database on them. That would make them easier to find and hunt, and she can’t have that. She doesn’t want to be under S.H.I.E.L.D.’s control.

In the past, S.H.I.E.L.D. mainly deals with humans. When superpowers are involved, they have their own heroes, The Avengers, to send in. “Scars” finds the humans of S.H.I.E.L.D. going head-to-head with powered peoples, and that puts S.H.I.E.L.D. at a huge disadvantage. While the Inhumans are generally not warlike and S.H.I.E.L.D. agents are much better trained for battle, I can’t help but think that some of the big screen heroes may need to be brought in to resolve this without S.H.I.E.L.D. being left decimated.

All of this puts Skye (Chloe Bennet) squarely in the middle of the conflict. Jiaying is lying about Gonzales attacking her, and one assumes Cal (Kyle MacLachlan) has juiced up to fight, too, so the Inhumans are the instigators. But they are Skye’s family, and she does feel accepted by these people. On the other hand, Coulson is like a father to her and she is close with several other agents. I can’t see her truly fighting for either side, but she may have to. Which side will she pick, or can she broker peace in a situation that is already falling apart?

And how would things have turned out differently had Jiaying murdered Coulson instead of Gonzales? Jiaying likely wishes she had, removing Skye’s main connection to the other side.

The wild card here is not Raina (Ruth Negga), who Jiaying wisely locks up, but Ward (Brett Dalton) and 33 (Maya Stojan), who kidnap Bobbi (Adrianne Palicki). What do they want with her? What is their plan?

They are involved in my one big complaint about “Scars.” How does no one notice two agent Mays (Ming-Na Wen) in the strike force, and why does Gonzales’ jet not concern itself when Bobbi’s doesn’t check in? Does no one notice 33 has escaped? This part of the episode just doesn’t make sense to me.

Still, that kind of hole is unusual for this program, and MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. has done a great job building up something huge for next week’s two-hour season finale. Not to mention, I mostly like the way the show fits into the Marvel universe, even if I wish it had a slightly bigger role.

MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.’s sophomore run concludes next Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.

MARVEL'S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. Get "Dirty"

Article originally written for Seat42F.

“The Dirty Half Dozen” embark on a dangerous mission in this week’s MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. on ABC. Coulson (Clark Gregg) turns himself in to Gonzales (Edward James Olmos), but instead of locking Coulson up, Gonzales agrees to let Coulson and his people infiltrate a Hydra base in the Arctic to rescue their friends. The question remains, though: what will happen when Coulson gets back?

“The Dirty Half Dozen” who go on this mission are the original six members of the S.H.I.E.L.D. cast, Coulson’s hand-picked team: Coulson himself, May (Ming-Na Wen), Skye (Chloe Bennet), Ward (Brett Dalton), Fitz (Iain De Caestecker), and Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge). There is a beautiful symmetry to see this group come back together after more than a year apart, their gang so short-lived, yet meaningful to them all (as well as viewers). They will never truly be a team again, but at least fans get this one hour to remember the great chemistry they share.

The main reason for the break up, as he admits, is Ward. Exposed as a secret Hyrda agent last spring, Ward has been an enemy of S.H.I.E.L.D. ever since, and this time is no different. He helps them get into the base, using Bakshi (Simon Kassianides) as his inside man, but he won’t be rejoining them full-time. At the close of the mission, he slips away, back on the run from the people he once considered friends.

Ward is appropriately apologetic, but I don’t know why he expects any amount of forgiveness. What he did, especially dropping FitzSimmons to the bottom of the ocean, is unforgiveable. His attempts to lighten the mood or buddy up to his comrades meet deaf ears. If Ward can ever earn some measure of respect or affection from any of them again, that is in the far, far distant future, and despite his olive branch-words, he just doesn’t seem to feel bad enough to dedicate himself to making up for his actions. He’s pretty much a psychopath.

The one bright sign for Ward is that he leaves Agent 33 (Maya Stojan) in S.H.I.E.L.D.’s care, asking Coulson to help her get her life back on track. He must actually have some sort of affection for her to put her interests first. That, or he doesn’t want her hanging around him and sees a convenient way to offload her, which is a cynical view, but again, he’s a psychopath.

What did surprise me in “The Dirty Half Dozen” is that it isn’t Fitz, who is still suffering lasting injuries because of Ward, or Skye, who recently shot him, that makes an attempt on Ward’s life. Instead, it’s Simmons, who takes her turn to try to murder the traitor. She has every reason to do so, but she is probably the least violent member of the team. She may also be the most emotionally weak, the others keeping their anger in check, but she has grown a lot in her ability to handle herself in a crisis.

Speaking of growing, it is awesome to watch Skye in action. She uses her powers sparingly, as she should because they can really hurt someone. Still, when necessary, she calls upon them, and also relies on the terrific martial arts skills that May taught her. If there was any doubt going into this episode of MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. that Skye was qualified to be a full-fledged agent, it is erased when we see her in action rescuing Lincoln (Luke Mitchell) and Mike (J. August Richards).

I’m not willing to give Bakshi the benefit of the doubt when he sacrifices himself for Ward. My guess is, he didn’t know he would die and is acting more for his own selfish interests than heroism. But I can’t say that I’m sorry that Simmons kills Bakshi, other than to hope there are no lasting repercussions on her psyche. Bakshi was evil and slimy and won’t be missed.

May and Coulson are still at odds, though they are both mature enough to set it aside for the mission. May doesn’t like that Coulson is keeping a bunch of secrets from her. Coulson has a point that she once spied on him for Fury and secrets are a part of their business. But since May followed Coulson into a brand-new S.H.I.E.L.D. and was his most trusted advisor, she feels he shouldn’t have continued to keep her out of the loop, which seems valid. I still don’t think May will choose Gonzales over Coulson, despite accepting a position on Gonzales’ board, but I wonder what it might take to resolve the issues between these two.

Thankfully, Fitz and Simmons’ relationship seems to be fully healed, besties again. As does Hunter (Nick Blood) and Mack’s (Henry Simmons), the former forgiving the latter because Mack was just doing what he thought was right and apologized for it. Might Mack join Hunter and Bobbi (Adrianne Palicki) on the proposed spin-off?

Raina (Ruth Negga) remains the true unknown factor as, having taken out a Hydra base, a super-powered-concerned S.H.I.E.L.D. will likely turn itself towards the Inhumans next. Whose side is Raina on? What will she do with her ability to see the future? Cal (Kyle MacLachlan) tells Jiaying (Dichen Lachman) that Raina is dangerous and I have no doubt about that. Having no loyalties to either the Inhumans or S.H.I.E.L.D., look for her to be important again as the season rockets to a close.

Besides serving our heroes, “The Dirty Dozen” is chock full of hints at what’s to come in this weekend’s Avengers: Age of Ultron film. The arctic base is clearly important, mentioning that The Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver were there. Loki’s scepter is brought up again, and Coulson speaks of Nick Fury and to Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders), talking about calling on the Avengers again. I don’t know yet which of the television characters might cross over to the big screen, but given the number of obvious references to larger events this week, it would probably behoove fans to go see the movie before tuning into the next installment.

Whew! “The Dirty Half Dozen” is an intense episode with a lot going on. It’s also very entertaining and just plain good. I can’t wait for the approximately five hours Marvel will be delivering in these next two weeks, on the big screen and small.

MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.

No "Enemy" of MARVEL'S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.

Article originally written for Seat42F.

The action-packed threads converge in “Frenemy of My Enemy,” the latest installment of ABC’s MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. Both S.H.I.E.L.D. and “the real” S.H.I.E.L.D. search for Skye (Chloe Bennet), but they aren’t the only ones, as Hydra enters the race, too. Too bad Skye is woefully ignorant of the danger she’s in, hanging out with her crazy dad instead.

It’s a bit surprising to see Skye sympathizing with Cal (Kyle MacLachlan) at this point. It’s obvious that she is staying by his side to protect others, not because she wants to be there, but her words of comfort to him ring a bit too honest to dismiss. She does understand what he’s lost, and while she may not approve of the way he handles things, it’s clear that she isn’t ready to completely toss him aside. Even if he gets locked up, which has to happen, it seems like Skye might continue to visit him.

This is a long way from Skye’s attitude regarding her father previously, but it makes a certain amount of sense. She has always wanted to find her family, and while she appreciates the clan Coulson (Clark Gregg) has built more than her biological relations, Cal does hold the answers to many questions Skye has about herself. Plus, whatever his faults, he loves her, and losing Skye has caused him huge amounts of pain that Skye has finally opened herself up enough to see. Whatever happens, I expect and hope for a lasting bond between these two.

Other bonds in MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. continue to grow more tenuous. Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) confides to May (Ming-Na Wen) that Fitz (Iain De Caestecker) has the toolbox. May turns right around and tells Bobbi (Adrianne Palicki). To her credit, Bobbi only asks Simmons to help her track Fitz, not sharing the news with her fellow S.H.I.E.L.D. board members. But Simmons feels betrayed by May, even when May points out how erratic Coulson has been acting. I don’t think May will turn her back on Coulson by any means, but she may see the wisdom in someone else leading the organization or making Coulson come clean with the team about his secret activities.

Because of this, “Frenemy of My Enemy” actually begins to heal the rift between the two S.H.I.E.L.D.s. Simmons may not be ready to get on board, but May understands that Bobbi and the others are not trying to destroy Coulson. That’s an important step to righting the ship, whoever ends up being in charge in the end. Coulson turning himself in at the close of the episode will be another important step, if he doesn’t do something horrible while in custody, which is a possibility.

S.H.I.E.L.D. does need to get its act together, though, because there are clearly other dangers out there. The super humans might not be one, although Lincoln (Luke Mitchell) is a bit shady in following Skye. But Hydra is presenting a real threat again when Bakshi (Simon Kassianides) is allowed to hook back up with Dr. List (Henry Goodman, Taking Woodstock). Mike (J. August Richards) and Lincoln are kidnapped and may be controlled by those with less than noble intentions. And 33, a.k.a. Kara (Maya Stojan), and Ward (Brett Dalton) remain at large, assuming Coulson didn’t follow through on wiping their memories, which we did not see him do.

It’s hard to review “Frenemy of My Enemy” as its own thing because it’s extremely interconnected with the rest of MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. lately. What is notable is that it is very clear that the series has ramped up, giving us lots of exciting players that keep changing their combinations in new and interesting ways, and the show seems to be rocketing towards what will likely be a shocking, splashy conclusion. I’m happy to be along for the ride.

MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.