Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Review - Episode 22: Beginning of the End

[JimB]

First we're told that S.H.I.E.L.D. had at least one submarine, which begs the question just how big was S.H.I.E.L.D. before it collapsed?

It was run by an international council and was at least big enough to build three Death Stars in Captain America: the Winter Soldier, not to mention having secret bases all over the place, building flying cars, and having the budget and infrastructure not only to regularly launch dangerous objects into the sun but also to actually just maintain the illusion of doing so while keeping that dangerous stuff for itself.

So the answer there is "pretty big."

 

[faefrost]

"Compartents are made to be compatible with all S.H.I.E.L.D. aircraft, submarines and spacecraft".

How is no one talking about this one line and its implications? First we're told that S.H.I.E.L.D. had at least one submarine, which begs the question just how big was S.H.I.E.L.D. before it collapsed? I mean I know I've brought up the fact that the Helicarrier from The Avengers up and disappeared without a trace and it didn't seem to phase anyone (until noted otherwise I'm doing with "Department H grabbed it when the organization fell apart"), but it also means that S.W.O.R.D. isn't just part of, a breakaway organization of, or subsidiary organization of S.H.I.E.L.D., but is has SPACESHIPS! Knowing Whedon (who created S.W.O.R.D. in a comic he wrote) does this mean we're going to see them in Guardians of the Galaxy and/or Avengers 3? I sure hope so.

Also Bob, we know the Blue Alien is a Kree Pureblood, they didn't sat it on screen but one of the actors let it slip.

On a side note: me and my friends laughed so hard after Garrets' death we didn't even know what Coulson said.

One thing related to this that has been bouncing around the Internet. That TAHITI facility that Coulson was resurrected at? Remember how everyone has been confused that it wasn't a SHIELD base, nor did it seem to be Hydra. Well our Internet brethren went through freeze framing and studying that episode. And discovered the symbol that the guards wear and is on the computers is in fact SWORDs emblem. So that was a SWORD base.

And of course SWORD has spaceships. How else would they get to their space station?

Yeah SWORD is going to show up at some point probably if GotG come to earth.

 

[Mr. Q]

Great job on the season finale review, Bob. Hopefully, now that the show is coming back for season 2, you'll cover some of the things Marvel Studios needs to do to improve on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. As for what happened in the finale...

Spoiler

When they showed the icky hand of Sky's father, my first thought was "My God! Her dad is the Incredible Melting Man!!"

In all seriousness, I'd like to believe Sky and her true family are Inhumans but my money is on Kree and her daddy is severely injured. I'm just speculating on that one. But I am certain that what Coulson and Garret had injected into them was Kree DNA. As for their "madness" coupled with their doodling, it might be the Kree's living computer, The Supreme Intelligence, communicating with them in some way. As for what those doodles are (star map, Kree written language, their DNA, etc.), that's debatable. But I am in agreement with you on The Koenigs being LMDs. Either that or The Koenigs are clone-like cousins ala Pokemon's Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy. ^^;

 

[WhiteFangofWhoa]

I mean come on let there be mind control in the movie if they all show up in a Marvel movie. The world needs to see Black Widow vs. The Calvary.

Incidentally if that is an original thing from the show and not the comics Melinda May should be put in the comics and her super hero identity should be The Calvary.

Spoiler: Spoilers for The Winter Soldier

Already done. HYDRA has Loki's scepter, they can just use it on one of them.

In the same boat as most it seems. Didn't blow your socks off but we got almost everything that we wanted (saved Ace, May destroying Ward, Garrett having a mental breakdown and dying, reasons for Tahiti) and nothing that we didn't want (redeeming Ward, Mary Sue Poots saving everyone with previously unseen powers). With the impetus left on Coulson to rebuild SHIELD from scratch we have the perfect way to gradually introduce new agents as remnants of the old guard that Phil trusts or comes to trust.

I just hope they don't play the 'special guest is awesome' card too much to get out of trouble now that they have two different extremely capable allies just wandering the world until they're needed. Though that would be a funny gag if one of them saved the day and the other showed up ready for war only to find everything already resolved...

I don't watch much TV so my quality standards are probably lower than most here, but count me in for season 2.

 

[RedDeadFred]

This felt really anticlimactic. It just seemed like the "Nick Fury saves the day!" episode. I know it's not really Deus Ex Machina since Fury was known to be alive, but it sure felt like it. Hardly anything was answered and instead, more questions were made. This is starting to feel like Lost except for I care about the characters a lot less.

I did like that they didn't try to do some quick redemption arc for Ward and Garret's final scene was brilliant. Fitz' and Simmon's scenes when they were at the bottom of the ocean were also well done. How they escaped was complete stupidity though.

 

[KazeAizen]

I mean come on let there be mind control in the movie if they all show up in a Marvel movie. The world needs to see Black Widow vs. The Calvary.

Incidentally if that is an original thing from the show and not the comics Melinda May should be put in the comics and her super hero identity should be The Calvary.

Spoiler: Spoilers for The Winter Soldier

Already done. HYDRA has Loki's scepter, they can just use it on one of them.

In the same boat as most it seems. Didn't blow your socks off but we got almost everything that we wanted (saved Ace, May destroying Ward, Garrett having a mental breakdown and dying, reasons for Tahiti) and nothing that we didn't want (redeeming Ward, Skye saving everyone with previously unseen powers). With the impetus left on Coulson to rebuild SHIELD from scratch we have the perfect way to gradually introduce new agents as remnants of the old guard that Phil trusts or comes to trust. I just hope they don't play the 'special guest' card too much to get out of trouble now that they have two different extremely capable allies just wandering the world until they're needed.

I don't watch much TV so my quality standards are probably lower than most here, but count me in for season 2.

Spoiler: Winter Soldier Related

You are right. I forgot about that. Seriously they did most of the fanboy smack downs in the first one and then they just gave us one more we want to have happen. Not nice Marvel. Especially if you don't pull the trigger on it.

Seriously I kind of don't want them to redeem Ward. My mom liked him but she's my mom. She found it very weird and not right when him and May started sleeping together while I was just like. "Cool. We really are in the 21st century." I'm with you on the special guest thing as well. I mean Jackson has pretty much said he'll play Nick Fury in whatever they need him to because he is into this stuff. The rest of the cast, while I like them, I do think that Tom is really the only other one fully embracing what he's a part of now. I'm sure the other guys like these roles but they aren't as attached as Sam, Tom, or Clark if you know what I mean.

I wouldn't mind guest appearances like mid season but to constantly use say Black Widow, Nick Fury, Hawkeye, or Steve Rogers as deus ex Machina would be bad. Besides out of the ones who could potentially guest star I suppose its a good thing that only Cap and Falcon are the ones that it would be harder to do because of their more special effects based stuff. The others it wouldn't be near as hard. Still this will be interesting. By my estimate season 2 should wrap up close to the debut of Avengers 2. Should be interesting to see what they do with that time.

 

[PBMcNair]

It also makes me wonder how many other secret bases and Koenigs there are out there...

X + 1.

Fury always has X + 1 secret bases.

I really liked this finale. Had enough closure to be a good finale, but sets up nicely for the next season.

 

[Sniper Team 4]

I was honestly a little disappointed with the first fight scene in the Peruvian base... May just casually disarms the guy with the Berserker Staff and goes on a rampage? A bit weak.. still kind of cool, but weak.

Personally I thought that part was brilliant. May is always talked about as being second only to Black Widow, and yet we haven't really seen her prove that yet. That fight right there though? That proved it. She one-shots a guy who has a super weapon, and then--just as someone with her skills should be able to do--goes to town on everyone else and it's not even a contest. I was actually disappointed in the fight with Ward because Ward did too well in that fight for all the skill May is supposed to have. Still, a great fight scene though.

This episode has restored my faith in the series. As Bob said, we didn't get a lot of our questions answered, but I don't care. I find the mystery aspect of the show much more entertaining. Coulson trying to find out what was going on with him was what kept me coming back when I was losing interest with everything else. Now we have new mysteries to follow that don't involve betrayal (hopefully). I feel this show does best when it's allowed to do its own ongoing thing but still keeps itself attached to the bigger picture. The HYDRA part, as well as the episode with Lady Sif, started choking the life out of the series for me because it felt like they were trying too hard to go, "Hey, look! We're part of the movies! See? We have people!"
Fury magically showing up in the middle of the fight was a little odd, and then whipping out that gun was a moment of, "Wait, where was he hiding that?" but as Bob said, it didn't matter. All of that was awesome. Ward is done, HYDRA betrayal is done, and the team has been rebuilt. I'm looking forward to seeing them begin to track down their new mysteries in season two.

 

[Remus]

Looking at the pattern that Coulson and Garrett kept drawing, if it's of parallel dimensions, each star might represent a Starbrand, which would be a ridiculous revelation with a possible second alien invasion coming for Avengers 3. That combined with Garrett seeing "the universe", could the blood be from Captain Universe? Scary thought. A bit more believable is the running theory that the body was of Kree origin and by being injected with the blood, the recipients now have a connection to the Supreme Intelligence, in which case the stars connected by lines, like a circuit board, may in fact be inhabited. In case you haven't noticed, I love shows like this, that have a solid foothold on reality as well as the unreal, but allow for speculation, postulation, and is self-aware enough for an in-joke or two only long-time viewers would get. This is why I liked the X-Files, Fringe, Heroes (returning soon btw), and now, Agents of SHIELD.

 

[DoctorM]

Inhumans = brilliant if true.

Disney/Marvel cannot have mutants because of the X-men license... but genetically engineered is NOT the same thing.
I expect this to be the excuse for a lot of mutant-like abilities in season 2.

AND, am I the only one completely shocked that there was not a GotG reference or tie in? Or is that what the crazy scribble boards are about?

 

[jabrwock]

I was actually disappointed in the fight with Ward because Ward did too well in that fight for all the skill May is supposed to have. Still, a great fight scene though.

She may have been pulling her punches. Remember she wanted him to suffer. Taking him down too quickly wouldn't be as satisfying.

 

[Zontar]

Inhumans = brilliant if true.

Disney/Marvel cannot have mutants because of the X-men license... but genetically engineered is NOT the same thing.
I expect this to be the excuse for a lot of mutant-like abilities in season 2.

AND, am I the only one completely shocked that there was not a GotG reference or tie in? Or is that what the crazy scribble boards are about?

I can't remember where it was, but I saw an article that was either interviewing Feige or Whedon, but whichever it was said the Inhumans would not be used in substitute of the mutants. Doesn't mean they won't show up, just means they will be the Inhumans and not just the mutants with a new title.

For Guardians of the Galaxy, seems to me that the alien message thing might be leading up to that, since it was an after effect of using something based on a Kree Pureblood found it what I've been informed was a S.W.O.R.D. facility. If true, then we'll probably see it happen in season 2 around the time the movie is released, plus some S.W.O.R.D. references or maybe even agents.

Actually, come to think of it, given we now know there are aircraft, submarines, ships and spaceships (and a still missing helicarrier) along with countless facilities, bases, hid outs, safe houses and more that S.H.I.E.L.D. had (or used) that just keeps begging the question just who has what in their hands? The fact that Fury has a helicopter crew and doctors helping him show the remnants of Shield loyalists are scattered but out there (season two will probably have either it starting with new people coming into that base on the pretext of them being loyalists, having that happen during the show, getting new facilities under their control, or a combination of these) but what about all the Hydra? And the stuff local governments got their hands on? And for the love of god someone do something with Department H or so help me (if I write one of these movies and the Helicarrier from the Avengers is STILL missing I'm saying they took it and are been using it in secret because by that point like hell anyone was going to use it in their own movie).

 

[faefrost]

Inhumans = brilliant if true.

Disney/Marvel cannot have mutants because of the X-men license... but genetically engineered is NOT the same thing.
I expect this to be the excuse for a lot of mutant-like abilities in season 2.

AND, am I the only one completely shocked that there was not a GotG reference or tie in? Or is that what the crazy scribble boards are about?

The safe money is that is what the crazy scribble boards are all about.

I also think when we look back we will find a bit more GotG tie ins or links, wink and nods, or outright teasers than we actually realized throughout the back half of this season.

Just as an example, Coulson's super gun, was apparently made from the Destroyer from Thor, in order to be preparred to repel other types of Aliens. TAHITI was a SWORD base. A agency who's purpose is to watch for and defend against Aliens. I think the whole Garrett going crazy and the scribblings on the boards indicate a link to either the Supreme Inteligence of the Kree, an artificial organic super inteligence, or the Worldmind of Xandar, the living computer that empowers the Nova Corps. We know both Nova's and Ronan the Accuser a high ranked Kree factor into GotG.

 

[faefrost]

Inhumans = brilliant if true.

Disney/Marvel cannot have mutants because of the X-men license... but genetically engineered is NOT the same thing.
I expect this to be the excuse for a lot of mutant-like abilities in season 2.

AND, am I the only one completely shocked that there was not a GotG reference or tie in? Or is that what the crazy scribble boards are about?

The safe money is that is what the crazy scribble boards are all about.

I also think when we look back we will find a bit more GotG tie ins or links, wink and nods, or outright teasers than we actually realized throughout the back half of this season.

Just as an example, Coulson's super gun, was apparently made from the Destroyer from Thor, in order to be preparred to repel other types of Aliens. TAHITI was a SWORD base. A agency who's purpose is to watch for and defend against Aliens. I think the whole Garrett going crazy and the scribblings on the boards indicate a link to either the Supreme Inteligence of the Kree, an artificial organic super inteligence, or the Worldmind of Xandar, the living computer that empowers the Nova Corps. We know both Nova's and Ronan the Accuser a high ranked Kree factor into GotG.

I was actually disappointed in the fight with Ward because Ward did too well in that fight for all the skill May is supposed to have. Still, a great fight scene though.

She may have been pulling her punches. Remember she wanted him to suffer. Taking him down too quickly wouldn't be as satisfying.

It was actually Ward who was said to be second to the Black Widow. The Cavalry was said to be in a class all her own.

 

[AliasBot]

I had just watched the episode on Hulu a couple of hours before I read this review, so this kind of helped put my thoughts on it into words...by which I mean my thoughts were basically the same as what Bob described, but now I understand them: the episode didn't quite have the sense of closure I was expecting from a season finale - although granted, part of that might be because I watched it online on a relatively small-screened laptop, so I didn't immerse quite as much as I might while watching something on a TV - but I also wasn't particularly disappointed by the episode itself in spite of that. Garrett was dealt with in a satisfying manner, May got her throw-down with Ward (surprisingly, the show's stepped up the comedy in the last couple of weeks: "prepare for a large file transfer" last week, and "you were never on top" in the finale both got me to genuinely laugh out loud, which doesn't happen much), the crew officially got the season 2 mission everyone pretty much assumed they would get (though 'Director Coulson' was a nice touch I didn't expect), the cast seems to have mostly sorted itself going into that mission (Ward has been replaced by the less-generic Triplett, and Fitz is still alive but out of commission, shedding the somewhat-extraneous extra 'sciencey' member of the crew), the most intriguing villain by far (Raina) escaped and continued doing intriguing things, and the main mysteries going into next season have been set up (the effects of GH-325 on Coulson, the identity of and inevitable encounter with Skye's parent(s)) and look like things that will actually have relevance to the plot of the show/episode beyond "okay, well, now we know that," which is good.

On the Inhuman angle: the big thing for me that pointed in favor of that particular theory popped up during the conversation between Raina and the possibly-actually-clairvoyant-now Garrett. First Garrett, in talking about how humans are unevolved describes the process of further evolution as "crawling through the mist" onto land - specifically mist, rather than more common terms like mud or earth or whatnot, to the point that it felt more like a specific nod at the Terrigen Mists, which are what trigger the onset of abilities and mutations in Inhumans, than just a figure of speech. Then, right after that, Raina asks "what will [she] become," which...would definitely fit in with that whole angle. Raina is definitely something relevant, probably a similar something to Skye, but finding out just what that something is should be fun. Me, my bet is still on both of them being Inhumans - and since the Inhumans were Kree-created (Kree-ated?), that also makes sense with the connection to the GH-325 and its likely/possible reference to Guardians of the Galaxy. It's not a certainty, but it makes a whole lot of sense.

(...crap, now I'm going to have to wait until when Guardians comes out in August to get my next MCU fix. Damn it all.)

(Also: it wasn't something that was noticeably lacking in the first season, but hopefully the fact that the show is doing well means they'll get an improved special effects budget for next season, right? I feel like they did pretty well with what they had, but the idea of this show getting more special FX stuff to work with is an appealing one, since it means more creative freedom, and generally more possibilities for including stuff.)

 

[VoidWanderer]

I thought the series ended well, given it's rocky start.

But it wasn't until well after I had a couple of theories emerge.

Given the fact that Raina described Skye's parents as monsters, made me wonder if this could be an alternate take on Fin Fang Foom... It is highly unlikely as the Inhuman's theory takes some credence, but the insistent chinese origin and clues could indicate some thing more to it. And I find that both Skye and Raina's names are involved with being in the air as intriguing as both are looking for their own identity.

Again, my theory that Agent Coulson is more than he appears still won't stopping jumping about in my head. I still think dormant form of Adam Warlock and I will be happy for this theory to be proven wrong.

But about the blue alien... Given the effects of it on Garrett, could he be a Watcher? The language of the Cosmos, the facts that they look like stars filmed by JJ Abrams and his lens flare cameras indicates it is plausible. The 'fact' that Garret could see more into objects could be a plausible side-effect as the human mind can only comprehend so much would explain the insanity the earlier experiments suffered.

 

[twosage]

Generally disappointed in the finale. Nick Fury has gotten a new superpower post-Winter Soldier: to spoil the tone of any serious scene. I know it's Sam Jackson bein' Sam Jackson, but Cap 2 showed he can be more than the caricatured quip machine we got here. And speaking of soured tone, the final death of Garrett really made this episode into a self-parody of what the first half of the season was, rather than living up to the recent standard of the second half.

I'm not really pleased with the situation with Fitz. Him not returning full-fledged cast member would be a waste of all that development. He's a great, tortured character in a show that seems to prefer more shallow relationships.

The only bright spot in the otherwise underwhelming finale for me was Koenig, for all the reasons that Bob mentioned. I will be a happy man if Oswalt is a regular next season, particularly if they devote some time for "Pinocchio Drama". While I generally hate that story line, I would love to see a congenial Patton Oswalt fumble a bit on the basics of humanity.

As for Skye and the blue alien, I'm officially going to give up theorizing. I was certain it was all Kree-related, then this week I started to suspect that it was all about Atlanteans (even so much that I was watching out the window of Fitz-Simmons' capsule for movement). The Inhuman angle is workable, but it doesn't really solve any of the questions that the Kree explanation wrap up so nicely. Why would an Inhuman's blood heal people, then make them crazy, and then make them scribble on walls (which I am all in favor of). My favorite TV show of all time kicked off its second season with the main character going so crazy from hidden knowledge in his own head that he started to write on walls. Let's hope this show's writers (and Clark Gregg) are half as good as the writers of Farscape (and Ben Browder) were at going loco-en-la-cabeza.

[/center]


So, yeah. Long story short, I'm definitely glad it's getting a second season. Next year it won't have any movie tie-ins to worry about except probably an Avengers tie-in with the May finale. Considering this is largely a Whedon baby anyway, I hope Joss will give them something juicy to get tangled up in, instead of the clean-up duty they did for Thor and Captain America.​

 

[phlip]

"while Skye makes middle manager guy show her what The Incentives Program is" <= They already knew what it was from the start, she just needs to find the kid.

I thought it was supposed to be a euphemism for the whole eyeball-explosive thing. Maybe also the family-as-hostages thing like they did with Deathlok... general reasons people would be working for the organisation against their will.


Overall, I've enjoyed the series, so far. But then, I have a pretty high ability to watch mindless dreck, and intentionally not notice obvious stuff (about half the things that Bob has said "As we all saw coming..." about, I didn't see coming, because I don't want to see it coming). Possibly influenced by the fact I spent a significant portion of last year watching about a dozen various seasons of Power Rangers out of a sense of morbid curiosity. And unironically enjoyed doing it.

That said, I still have no idea who Patton Oswald is, or why I should care... and that's after reading his Wikipedia entry, and seeing other people asking "who is Patton Oswald and why should I care" in previous threads and reading the answers. I still honestly have no idea who this person is.

 

[JimB]

I was actually disappointed in the fight with Ward because Ward did too well in that fight for all the skill May is supposed to have.

Skill is only so much of a fight. Ward has a lot of natural advantages in being younger, taller (which equates to a longer reach), and heavier. He can hit harder and from further away than May can. That counts for a lot.

 

[WarpedLord]

I was actually disappointed in the fight with Ward because Ward did too well in that fight for all the skill May is supposed to have.

Skill is only so much of a fight. Ward has a lot of natural advantages in being younger, taller (which equates to a longer reach), and heavier. He can hit harder and from further away than May can. That counts for a lot.

Agreed. It was her greater experience and training that let her survive against an opponent who had her physically outclassed long enough to find an opening she could use to "nail" the bastard.