Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Approaches Its End-Game

[jabrwock]

Wait. Everyone is acting like Mac is definitely dead. I'm sorry, but most TV shows have taught me that if you don't see the body, assume they are still alive.

Well that and we've already seen with the rage stick that going "berserk" seems to strengthen you physically, at least temporarily. It's possible the symbol etched into his hand turned him into a "temple guardian" type berserker.

Plus I'm pretty sure the 'next time' teaser:

Spoiler

showed the team fighting Mac, so it's obvious he at least survived the fall.

Also: Assuming that either next week or at some point when the season continues The Terrigen Mists get unleashed and suddenly the world is crawling with newly-empowered Inhumans... is that going to be Agents' new status quo? S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA in a recruitment arms race? Because that could be fun.

Reminds me of the "new character intro" plot arc from Beast Wars. All the robots were "neutral" in orbit until their pods crashed to Earth, until whichever side (Maximals/Predacons) got to them first and recruited them.

I'm wondering if Mockingbird and Mac are working for SWORD? Keeping an eye on Coulson and team because they are suspected of being tied to aliens?

 

[Remus]

Skye is now, what, the 5th Romanov-level martial artist on the show? Loved the fight between her and Agent 33, plausibility be damned. When Mack first turned, my thinking was maybe this is how the MCU gets its version of Gorgon - it starts with super strength, ends with a 9 ft tall monster with hooves and a meanstreak.

 

[VoidWanderer]

I think given Skye's determination to not be a liability would give her a bigger drive now, especially as she plans to take down Ward. She isn't Cavalry or Black Widow level, but is one her way there.

Mac will probably die, as he needs to be 'out' so that Simmons won't drool over him, and Fitz will be forced to rebuild his connection to her. I think the whole set-up is nice to introduce the Inhumans and that part of the mythos.

Also, what were the flowers on Skye's dress in her dream sequence?

 

[jabrwock]

Also, what were the flowers on Skye's dress in her dream sequence?

Reference to Raina perhaps?

 

[fluxy100]

I'm still confused about where all the remarks about Skye's father being a "monster" are coming from. The guy killed 2 dudes, who seemed to be criminals anyways, and that seems to be enough to proclaim him as this horrible monster.

Now I'm not saying it isn't warranted with what the audience knows, the whole slaughtering a village to get to her, but all that the agents knew when they branded him a monster was that he killed two people. Hell, May has probably killed three times that in the first season alone.

 

[Nixou]

I'm still confused about where all the remarks about Skye's father being a "monster" are coming from. The guy killed 2 dudes, who seemed to be criminals anyways, and that seems to be enough to proclaim him as this horrible monster.

It's not simply the killing: it's the ripping apart limb by limb people who were in no shape or form a threat to him on a tamper tantrum.

 

[VoidWanderer]

Also, what were the flowers on Skye's dress in her dream sequence?

Reference to Raina perhaps?

I figured that, as they are probably related, but I am intrigued to find out what the flowers were.

 

[spoonybard.hahs]

I'm still confused about where all the remarks about Skye's father being a "monster" are coming from. The guy killed 2 dudes, who seemed to be criminals anyways, and that seems to be enough to proclaim him as this horrible monster.

Now I'm not saying it isn't warranted with what the audience knows, the whole slaughtering a village to get to her, but all that the agents knew when they branded him a monster was that he killed two people. Hell, May has probably killed three times that in the first season alone.

No, they knew it was him that wiped out the village; Coulson and May heard that story from the sole remaining agent of that incident.

It really felt like it was rocketing through as much plot as possible. Never mind the mid-season break, this felt like it was trying to get all the plot out before the series ended!

I think they are trying to establish as much as possible before Avengers 2. There's a brief shot of a protest scene in the trailer that Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver seem to be either leading or are a part of. A lot have speculated that this is basically Inhumans protesting for equal rights, since Inhumans will be the mutant analog in the MCU. Of course, it could also be them hiding in a crowd while protesting the Avengers for unleashing Ultron.

As for the secret that Bobbi is keeping, which is important now that she's back with Lance... I'm going to guess that she, while under cover in Hydra, had something to do with Hartley's death.

I doubt that, since Heartly was killed by Absorbing Man. Plus, that episode made it clear that Kreel was dealing directly with Whitehall's office. Of course, it's entirely possible that Bobbi was responsible for bringing Kreel to HYRDA, but I think it's more plausible that it's something else.

 

[happyninja42]

Wait. Everyone is acting like Mac is definitely dead. I'm sorry, but most TV shows have taught me that if you don't see the body, assume they are still alive.

Especially with Joss Whedon. Seriously old characters in Buffy and Angel came back from the dead so much it was almost a drinking game. Not to mention this is a comic book universe, and nobody ever stays dead in those.

Spoiler: Spoiler for season 1

Hell the main character of this very show was dead for several days, and they brought him back from the dead. It' was one of the main story arcs of the entire first season no less.

Overall, this episode felt more like a setup than a real story. I think I'd feel a lot better about it if I had watched it and the next one back to back. I still liked it with since it built a lot of tension. Also, Skye's dream sequence was awesome.

I'm mostly annoyed with how Simmons yet again, didn't talk to Fitz. Maybe it's just me, but I really hate it when stories have a character trying to tell someone something but only to ha...*phone rings* Sorry, hold that thought *answers phone* Ok where was I? Oh yes, only to ha...*person comes into room and distracts him* Sorry, one second. *deals with person* As I was saying, only to ha...*person I was going to talk to leaves*....oh..nevermind, I guess it wasn't important or anything. I'll just leave things unsaid, even though this will probably make things worse.

 

[RedDeadFred]

Wait. Everyone is acting like Mac is definitely dead. I'm sorry, but most TV shows have taught me that if you don't see the body, assume they are still alive.

Especially with Joss Whedon. Seriously old characters in Buffy and Angel came back from the dead so much it was almost a drinking game. Not to mention this is a comic book universe, and nobody ever stays dead in those.

Spoiler: Spoiler for season 1

Hell the main character of this very show was dead for several days, and they brought him back from the dead. It' was one of the main story arcs of the entire first season no less.

Overall, this episode felt more like a setup than a real story. I think I'd feel a lot better about it if I had watched it and the next one back to back. I still liked it with since it built a lot of tension. Also, Skye's dream sequence was awesome.

I'm mostly annoyed with how Simmons yet again, didn't talk to Fitz. Maybe it's just me, but I really hate it when stories have a character trying to tell someone something but only to ha...*phone rings* Sorry, hold that thought *answers phone* Ok where was I? Oh yes, only to ha...*person comes into room and distracts him* Sorry, one second. *deals with person* As I was saying, only to ha...*person I was going to talk to leaves*....oh..nevermind, I guess it wasn't important or anything. I'll just leave things unsaid, even though this will probably make things worse.

Ya, using plot inconvenience to pad the story is quite annoying. Let's hope they finally get some resolution tonight!

 

[jabrwock]

I'm still confused about where all the remarks about Skye's father being a "monster" are coming from. The guy killed 2 dudes, who seemed to be criminals anyways, and that seems to be enough to proclaim him as this horrible monster.

Now I'm not saying it isn't warranted with what the audience knows, the whole slaughtering a village to get to her, but all that the agents knew when they branded him a monster was that he killed two people. Hell, May has probably killed three times that in the first season alone.

No, they knew it was him that wiped out the village; Coulson and May heard that story from the sole remaining agent of that incident.

Then again, it was HYDRA agents within SHIELD raiding the village on behalf of Whitehall, so it's possible there's a truth somewhere in the middle. The team wiped out the village looking for "specials", and then he slaughtered the team while tracking down his wife. Or murdered the village for failing to protect her.

Could be all sorts of "truths", he's an unstable nutcase.