Marvel

Episode: Hen in the Wolfhouse
Original Airdate: 10-21-14

An episode full of intrigue and misdirections as the different elements start coming together in interesting ways. While I’m a little bit disappointed that Simmons’ stint as a Hydra double agent has ended, it certainly ended with a bang. And the very short lived Wonder Woman is the one who gets to save her. Adrianne Palicki was a nice addition to the team, though it’s really starting to feel like the team is getting a little bit too big and spread out. The only member of the team that has gone was Ward and even he’s not completely out of the picture, and now there are three new agents added to the team, and there’s even a slight chance that Rayna might end up playing ball as well. At least the show has held up the fact that it’s nearly the only superhero show out there that has so many strong female characters and it has a good chance to add two more to the team in the near future. I will say that I enjoyed the extra surprise that she was the ex that Agent Hunter has been talking about. And finally I have to mention Skye’s father. He’s a bit of a wildcard at the moment, he’s possibly part or all alien, he’s a bit of a psycho, and at the end of the episode he decides to work with Hydra in order to kill Director Coulson. That is really the one aspect of this season that I’m not entirely sold on yet. The way Hydra is playing out has been interesting, including the double agents and the technology, but I’m not entirely buying this father who just wants his daughter back. Only now he doesn’t really want her back because she thinks he’s a monster? Maybe? Aside from that, it’s still a fine episode and Skye has really come a long way from who she was at the beginning of the first season. I’m also glad that the pulse meter was only there for that one episode. Anyway, I’m looking forward to where this season ends up.

Episode: Face of My Enemy
Original Airdate: 10-14-14

Another great episode that moves forward several different ongoing plotlines. The crux of the episode is a painting that has been found that’s hundreds of years old and on the back is the alien carving that Coulson has been doing since the end of season 1. We also get to see more of the relationship between Coulson and Agent May who is the only person that Coulson trusts with his condition, and to do what needs to be done if his condition worsens. We also get to see how much of a threat Hydra really is, as they are not only brainwashing former S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, but they also have the technology to pose as one of their dopplegangers with an electronic form of Darkman’s synthetic skin or the Mission Impossible masks, etc. Though it’s a little bit more believable here as it is electronic so it’s also able to mask their voice. Not only that, but at the end we see that they are also able to easily get the drop on Rayna and they want their obelisk back. Back on the S.H.I.E.L.D. side of things, Fitz is starting to make even more progress than before, even though he is still talking to his imaginary Simmons, he is also starting to reach out towards the rest of the group including the newcomers a little bit more, and also gets the chance to be Fitz once again while still having to work through his mental disability. Another great episode.

Episode: Heavy is the Head
Original Airdate: 9-30-2014

S.H.I.E.L.D. continues strong into its second season as things continue to have been shaken up since the events from the end of the first season. The team still has a lot of rebuilding to do, and it has to reassess their threats from various sources including Hydra, the government, and yet another group who we get to see a little bit more of in this episode.
Continue reading Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. S:02 E:02

episode: Light in the Darkness
original airdate: 4-22-14

Quick recap: The cat’s out of the bag, Hydra’s out in the open and Agent Ward is in with them, but the rest of the team doesn’t know it yet. S.H.I.E.L.D. is more or less dissolved except for a handful of scattered agents still loyal to Nick Fury and the ideals that he stands for. The Fridge has been opened and dozens of criminals both insane and superpowered have been released into the wild and Coulson’s team is one of the few groups out there willing and able to stop them. It’s almost an excuse to turn the show back into a freak of the week except instead of doing that, they tie the most wanted fugitive directly into the past of the show as someone that Coulson has dealt with in the past and it is finally a chance to meet the mysterious cellist that he has mentioned a few times. Meanwhile there are still trust issues within the team, not just towards Ward who the audience knows isn’t trustworthy, but also still between Fitz & Simmons, Coulson & May, and Trippett & Fitz. All in all it adds up to another great episode.
Continue reading Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. S:01 E:19

Episode: Providence
Original Airdate: 4-15-14

I think it’s time for a quick recap, obviously spoilers if you haven’t caught up to this point in the show, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. continues the course laid out by the events in Captain America: The Winter Soldier where the agency has crumbled due to a long-gestating Hydra infestation, but Coulson’s team is still intact for the most part. His trust in his longtime friend Melinda May has been dealt a blow after finding out that she had been reporting on their goings on to Nick Fury in secret, his trust in his other old friend and newcomer to the show Agent Garrett has been shattered after finding out he has been the Clairvoyant the entire time and is a high ranking member of Hydra, his trust in Agent Ward is in doubt as his loyalties are in question as he appears to be siding with his former SO Garrett, and finally his trust in Garrett’s current recruit, or at least current before his turn, Tripplett is being withheld due to his affiliation with Garrett. And on top of all this, S.H.I.E.L.D. Itself is in question as it is unknown what facilities are held by Hydra and what are held by those loyal to Nick Fury, and the US government is starting to come in, take everyone out of the picture, and ask questions later. To make a long story short (too late), things are continuing to ramp up towards the season finale and I’m enjoying most every minute of it.
Continue reading Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. S:01 E:18

Episode: Turn, Turn, Turn
Original airdate: 4-8-14

Once again, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has a tie-in with a currently released Marvel movie, and once again I was able to catch it so I was aware of the connections, and this time around it’s not just the fact that they’re cleaning up in the same location that the movie’s climax took place in. This time around the movie changes everything and going into the episode with that knowledge actually takes away some of the tension that the show tries to present. There’s also a few extra references, like knowing the fate of Nick Fury, the allegiance of Agent Sitwell, and who is the driving force behind the Clairvoyant whose identity goes through plenty of twists and turns in this episode and leaves you guessing until the very end. Things are changing and this episode brings a major shake-up which the show really needed. Fair warning: spoilers abound.
Continue reading Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. S:01 E:17

episode: The End of the Beginning
original airdate: 4-1-2014

Thankfully we’ve seen the last multi-week hiatus for this show and it will now be running straight through till the finale and things finally seem to be ramping up to full speed with yet another tie-in episode to a current release movie. Unfortunately, unlike the Thor crossover and like most of this country, I have yet to see the new Captain America movie which I have heard from those who have seen it that there are events happening in some of the S.H.I.E.L.D. Facilities at the same time that the show is taking place. But I can say that it doesn’t take much away from the episode. This episode finally brings out the clairvoyant, and while I won’t spoil who it is, I will say that I was right when I thought it would end up being a woman. There’s a few questions answered, still several left unanswered, and all wrapped in a nice mix of action, drama, and tension.
Continue reading Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. S:01 E:16