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.

MARVEL'S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. "Afterlife" Review

Article originally written for Seat42F.

This week’s installment of MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. takes us into the “Afterlife.” Specifically, Skye (Chloe Bennet) wakes up in a place called Afterlife, where she is surrounded by both those with powers and many who wish to have them. Meanwhile, everyone else searches for both Skye and a way into the toolbox as the conflict between the “real” S.H.I.E.L.D. and Coulson (Clark Gregg) continues.

It’s a bit of a relief to see Skye among people who can help her. I understand her desire to go save her friends, but Skye is not much use to them in her current, unstable state, anyway. With Gordon (Jamie Harris), Lincoln (Luke Mitchell, The Tomorrow People), and the woman Skye doesn’t know is her mother and whom many believe to be dead, Jiaying (Dichen Lachman), Skye has a chance at not only controlling her abilities, but figuring out how to use them. She will come out of this experience better than ever if she just allows herself to listen to them, as they do seem to have her best interests at heart, at least for now.

A setback occurs when Skye learns that the group is treating Raina (Ruth Negga), too. It’s hard to know if Skye’s right and Raina doesn’t deserve assistance or if Jiaying is right and Raina was just Cal’s (Kyle MacLachlan) pawn who merits compassion. Seeing that Gordon and Jiaying have Cal locked up is encouraging, but Skye doesn’t know the fate of her father, so that’s of no comfort to her. Will Raina come out of this place with newfound purpose, or will she continues to do fiendish things because what she wanted didn’t turn out to be what she expected?

Coulson and Hunter (Nick Blood) go looking for Skye, believing she is more crucial to immediately retrieve than S.H.I.E.L.D. itself is, or perhaps believing that Skye is the key to taking back the organization. They have a bit of help in doing so in the form of Deathlok (J. August Richards), who has undergone some impressive upgrades. “Afterlife” is a little slow in moving this part of the story along, but it’s worth it just to see Hunter’s face when Deathlok shows up, an event Coulson doesn’t clue Hunter into for that very reason. Priceless. And by the end of the episode, the trio has a method of transportation, plus they’re heading towards Ward (Brett Dalton), which promises to be awesome, so it all plays out well.

Coulson has other assistance, too. May (Ming-Na Wen) remains completely loyal. Gonzales (Edward James Olmos) offers her a seat at the table in “Afterlife” and urges her to take it for Coulson’s sake, but she doesn’t seem to accept. This scene demonstrates both who May is, which I never doubted, but also backs up Gonzales’ claim that he is not a bad guy and just wants to help S.H.I.E.L.D. be what it should. He does want to stop Coulson, which causes conflict, but we see him treating the rest of the team with nothing but respect. That’s a good sign.

Fitz (Iain De Caestecker) and Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) take advantage of Gonzales’ leniency to smuggle the toolbox out of the base with Fitz, leaving Simmons almost exactly where she begins the season, a lone mole among enemies. By working together here, the twosome repairs their troubled relationship, though Gonzales’ people don’t see that, thankfully. Sadly, though, the bond between Mack (Henry Simmons) and Fitz seems to be destroyed. It’s uncomfortable to watch because Mack truly does think he’s doing the right thing, as does Bobbi (Adrianne Palicki), and their commitment to Gonzales isn’t that different from our main cast’s commitment to Coulson.

Is Gonzales right in thinking Coulson’s people shouldn’t put their loyalty to Coulson ahead of their loyalty to S.H.I.E.L.D.? For them, Coulson is S.H.I.E.L.D. and understandably so. They’ve watched him lead the organization through its darkest time. Yet, if Gonzales is going to lead the new S.H.I.E.L.D., perhaps they’re making the wrong decision, and maybe Coulson, who has admittedly been erratic, really shouldn’t be in charge. He seems better after the temple, but they don’t all know that for sure yet. Coulson is a great guy, but he’s not a perfect leader. Nor is Gonzales, though, even if he does allow the others to overrule him on May and let democracy win.

I still keep hoping there’s a peaceful resolution to be had here, and perhaps Skye will be the tool that can make it happen, once she wields her power correctly. None of the S.H.I.E.L.D. people, on either side of the schism, deserve to die or be locked up. They just need to come to an understanding, which will be difficult, given the strong personalities and opinions involved. “Afterlife” gives me optimism if only because both sides of the fight seem to be acting reasonably rationally, putting their cause ahead of personal feelings, even if they disagree on what that cause means exactly.

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

"One" Helluva AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.

Article originally written for Seat42F.

MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. revisits S.H.I.E.L.D.’s fall this week in “One Door Closes,” while the fragile, rebuilt group threatens to collapse again. This time, it’s not villains who seek to destroy what Coulson (Clark Gregg) has built, but members of the organization who think the new Director is taking things in the wrong direction and doesn’t deserve the position. Are they right? Can a compromise be reached that doesn’t involve civil war?

The “real” S.H.I.E.L.D. that seeks to topple Coulson is made up of Robert Gonzales (Edward James Olmos), Agent Weaver (Christine Adams), Agent Calderon (Kirk Acevedo), Bobbi Morse (Adrianne Palicki), Mack (Henry Simmons), and more. These are good people, and we see their nobility and bravery in flashback to their time during the initial Hydra revelation, circa Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Along with now-deceased Izzy Hartley (Lucy Lawless, who it is wonderful to see return), they take back a vessel that Hydra has conquered. These are good agents, the real deal, who love their country and their organization.

Which makes it very hard to be mad at them when Bobbi and Mack sabotage Coulson’s base and let in their comrades. They may have valid points about Coulson, putting his selfish motivations in front of the group and following in Fury’s arguably too-secretive footsteps. Fury and Coulson use those with powers without transparency, and with Coulson acting a little nuts in the search for the buried city, his stability is questionable.

Yet, it’s also hard for viewers to turn on those people who we’ve watched for two years on MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. None of Coulson’s original team betrays him because they’ve been with him a long time and trust him. May (Ming-Na Wen) even helps Coulson escape with Fury’s toolbox and alerts Skye (Chloe Bennet) that they are coming for her. Our agents are not going down without a fight, and “One Door Closes” leaves two separate teams doing battle, Coulson joined by Hunter (Nick Blood) on the outside, and Bobbi and Mack helping Gonzales and company keep the others prisoner within.

Is there a possible happy ending here? Could Gonzales be reasoned with if Coulson let him in on why secrets are necessary? After all, Coulson has worked to break down some of the security levels under his leadership, even if he’s kept a few things classified as needed. If the two leaders, both respectable men doing what they think is right, could just sit down, surely they could talk things out?

In the meantime, I can’t help but wonder if some of Coulson’s people may be swayed. May has deep personal reasons for supporting Coulson, but she’s also seen him act erratically. Fitz (Iain De Caestecker) and Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) remain at odds partly because they disagree over how Coulson has treated Skye. Bobbi and Mack are their friends; there’s a chance at least one of them could come ‘round to Gonzales’ way of thinking.

If Coulson has to take back the base by force, he doesn’t have his best weapon to do so. Skye isn’t captured by Bobbi, but instead escapes with Gordon (Jamie Harris). Gordon offers her answers and understanding concerning her new abilities, and given how Skye is so caught up in dealing with her powers, and not knowing how serious the S.H.I.E.L.D. situation is, she’s likely to stay focused on herself for at least a little while. That’s a good thing for her in the long-run, but it doesn’t help Coulson and her friends much right now.

Gordon seems nice, too, if he’s being honest. He is accepting of Skye and knows about her, being like her. He approaches her in a friendly manner, not forcing her to go with him or anything, and not asking for anything in return yet. We know Gordon isn’t working for Skye’s father, so he might be good people. My instinct is that Skye is in safe hands.

What this means is that “One Door Closes” has a lot of conflict, but not bad guys. I really, really like this. Fighting Hydra or Ward is exciting and cool, but by pitching those who all have similar morals but different perspectives on maintaining those values against one another, the story gets much more interesting. It allows complexity in the various characters, and makes the outcome very uncertain.

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

Don't Quite "Love" MARVEL'S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.

Article originally written for Seat42F.

Last night on MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D., two people find “Love in the Time of Hydra.” Maybe. At the same time, another relationship or three nearly completely dissolve and things continue to build towards a semi-unknown showdown. What does the rest of the season hold for the team? I certainly don’t know.

Ward (Brett Dalton) finally shows back up, in the company of Agent 33 (Maya Stojan). Ward decides to take 33 under his wing, and step one is to nab Bakshi (Simon Kassianides) and torture him. The problem is, Bakshi is still in Talbot’s (Adrian Pasdar) custody and 33’s face replicator isn’t working. These are surmountable tribulations, and it isn’t long before 33 is trying to repay Ward for his help by allowing him to finally have sex with Skye (Chloe Bennet). Well, have sex with 33 wearing Skye’s face and possibly May’s (Ming-Na Wen) voice, though Ward may just be over Skye and ready to move on with the real 33.

33 and Ward make a creepy pair, and if Ward’s affection for Skye has really and truly evaporated, they are dangerous foes. I’ve been pleased at MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.’s decision to keep Ward around full-time, even if he’s not in every episode, and the set up for him in “Love in the Time of Hydra” elicits a general feeling of fear and uneasiness. It’s not clear what this duo’s plans are, but they are definitely up to something sinister.

S.H.I.E.L.D. has more than Ward and 33 to worry about, though. They also must fear S.H.I.E.L.D. Or, the other S.H.I.E.L.D. See, Robert Gonzales (Edward James Olmos, Battlestar Galactia), Agent Weaver (Christine Adams, Terra Nova), Agent Calderon (Kirk Acevedo, Fringe), and others decide that Nick Fury keeps too many secrets, and that Director Coulson (Clark Gregg) is going down the same wrong path. Bobbi (Adrianna Palicki) and Mack (Henry Simmons) apparently agree with them, and because they’ve infiltrated our heroes so fully, this could spell trouble, especially if they act at the same time Ward does.

Hunter (Nick Blood) might be able to warn Coulson and company, but will it be in time? He manages to escape his captivity on a ship in the middle of the ocean, twelve hours from land by the sub he steals. Bobbi says she only needs six hours to do whatever she’s going to do, which doesn’t exactly point to the outcome Coulson’s S.H.I.E.L.D. will want. But considering Bobbi says her affection for Hunter is true and she does let him escape, might she be a double double agent, working for Coulson while pretending to work against him?

Let’s hope so, because Coulson is distracted by what’s happening with Skye. He takes her to a cabin where she and the rest of the team can be safe, separated, while they figure out what to do with her. The “vacation” is not punishment, even if she kind of feels like it is. It makes logical sense to isolate her, given how Skye shakes the base down repeatedly, a barely controllable Hulk in their midst. But if there really are two dangers coming at S.H.I.E.L.D., Coulson may regret sending away his best weapon, as Skye has talents none of his other agents have. Although most of alt-S.H.I.E.L.D. seems ineffective, Hunter easily overcoming the whole group of them, Bobbi is anything but, and we still don’t know for sure whose side she is on.

“Love in the Time of Hydra” has all of the moving pieces mentioned above, but those aren’t the only threads weaving through MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. Something the show does well is balance a variety of segments who all have their own motivations, letting them clash at the perfect, sometimes unexpected, times in spectacular showdowns. Roughly two-thirds of the way through this season, it seems likely that will happen again soon.

In the meantime, this installment does serve various characters well. The scenes between Hunter and Bobbi, between Ward and 33, between Coulson and Skye, and between Fitz (Iain De Caestecker) and Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge), the last of which are still on the outs, make for compelling personal drama. What more could you want?

Well, something. I love this show, but lately it’s felt like there’s just a little something missing for me. I can’t quite pinpoint what it is because all of the stuff I talk about above is exciting. Maybe some of the characters are a little flat or the pacing is slightly off, but season two has just not quite been clicking like the latter half of season one did. When I figure out exactly why that is, I’ll surely let you know.

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