The Only Light in the Darkness

Episode: 19

What Happens
Ward arrives at Providence base and as his wounds are tended he tells the team that Hydra raided the Fridge. He says he managed to kill Garrett before he escaped. His story is interspersed by clips of him and Garrett raiding the Fridge. Coulson is worried about the release of dangerous prisoners and asks Koenig to check on a specific one. Keonig refuses to let anyone leave until they've been through 'orientation', which means answering questions in a specially-built lie detector chair. May, Skye, Simmons, Fitz and Trip are questioned, and we learn that Trip's grandfather was a Howling Commando (from Captain America). Ward is questioned, but his pain skews the results and though Keonig gets suspicious he eventually lets Ward pass. Coulson makes clear he doesn't trust May and suggests she leave. He takes Fitz, Simmons and Trip to Portland to track down an escaped prisoner who can absorb energy, he's obsessed with a cellist there. Coulson caught him before by overloading him with light, but that doesn't work this time as he's gotten stronger during imprisonment. Skye focuses on finding the Fridge escapees and convinces Koenig to let her hack the NSA satellites. She also discovers Koenig can track everyone in the base using the lanyards he gave them. Ward asks her to decrypt the hard drive (as Garrett ordered him to), but she says the encryption is location-based, so they'll have to leave to do so. Ward is about to take out May, when she tells him she's leaving because she can't stay while Coulson doesn't trust her. Ward quietly kills Koenig, then tells Skye how he feels about her and they kiss. It turns out the cellist, Audrey, is the woman Coulson was seeing when he died. He gets Simmons and Trip to speak to her, she still thinks he's dead. Audrey is used to lure her stalker out and the team blast him with spotlights Fitz has altered. At first it doesn't work, but Coulson helps from the shadows and the stalker explodes, knocking Audrey out. Coulson comforts her until she wakes, but leaves before she can see him. Skye tracks Keonig's lanyard to a storeroom, where Ward hid his corpse, she realises Ward is Hydra and freaks out. When Ward finds Skye she acts natural and agrees to go with him when he pretends the team have summoned them. Coulson and the others return to find the plane gone. May, having crossed the snow wastes, is picked up by her mother, a retired agent from a different agency. May is going to talk to Agent Maria Hill.

Coulson's Alive!
His concern about escaped, super-powered prisoners is general, and he intends to track down as many as he can, but his motivation is also very specific and personal. He immediately has Koenig check for the obsessive physicist and knows he'll go after Audrey. May knows the history of Coulson and Audrey and tries to talk to Coulson about it, but he refuses to confide in May, or listen to her. He tells her that it was wrong of her to withhold the answers from him, the support group is broken, they're no longer friends. He tells her to leave. Coulson's concerned for Audrey, but also holds himself away from her aware that the revelation will change her life and that he can't offer her anything stable. He loves her (though he never says it) but his loyalty is to Shield, especially now. At the end Coulson admits that he was too harsh to May and should forgive her as he hopes Audrey might some day forgive him.

The Cavalry
May tries to talk to Coulson about Audrey, but he won't have it. She explains herself again, insisting that she had orders and he would have done the same, but he won't have it. Just as Ward is preparing to take her out May leaves, she knows she isn't wanted. She's tried to apologise and explain but he won't see past her betrayal and now she's hurt. She doesn't want to stay where she's not wanted. She leaves with purpose, though we don't know what she intends to do until the end. Her relationship with her mother seems interesting. Melinda has called her mother as a last resort because she needs someone she can trust, but she's scolded for not saying thank you straight away. Mother May seems almost smug when she points out that her own agency hasn't fallen apart.

Grr, Ward
Ward's lies and ability to think on his feet allow him to pass orientation by increasing the legitimate pain he's already in to skew the results. When Koenig is suspicious and pulls a gun Ward admits to having feelings for Skye, this apparently guilty/embarrassing secret prompts Koenig to pass him. Ward doesn't have to take out May as he plans, which is lucky for him. He takes Koenig out before the images from the Fridge are revealed. He admits his feelings to Skye, and his vulnerability about her not liking the real him seems genuine, though he mentions his terrible family history, rather then being evil. When Skye finds blood on his neck he covers by pretending one of his cuts has reopened and goes to clear up, cleaning his garrotting wire at the same time. When he can't find Skye he gets suspicious and goes after her, checking on where he hid the body. He comes up with convincing lies for why Skye needs to come with him and decrypt the hard drive, pretending he's spoken Fotz about the mission.

Science Hermione
Simmons patches Ward up. In orientation several of her answers are similar to Fitz's. When asked which one thing she would choose to have with her when alone on a desert island she thinks for a moment and chooses the TARDIS. This is why I love her! She tells Audrey they're from the CIA (her English accent no doubt selling that lie). Simmons asks Fitz why he has such a problem with Trip and vouches for his loyalty again. Fitz pretends he's having trouble with the changes.

Monkey Boy
Resentful of Trip, Fitz tries to use his intellect against him, but Trip is fairly smart. Fitz complains to Ward about Trip, and Ward suggests it may actually be about Simmons and that if Fitz wants to tell her something he should soon. Fitz pretends he has no idea what Ward is taking about, though in the rest of the episode it's clear Fitz is thinking about/noticing Simmons more. I'm distinctly meh about this subplot. There's nothing wrong or unusual with Fitz and Simmons being close, platonic friends. This isn't the first time Fitz has been put out when he sees Simmons notice another man, it eas subtle before, but he's downright hostile to Trip. Plus it seems like Fitz is suddenly interested in Simmons (whose been by his side for years) because he sees someone else likes her, making me uneasy that it's a possessive thing. I get that he's not very in touch with his feelings and would cling to Simmons with all the changes happening, but it feels like a bit of trope to me. He nearly says something to her after the operation, but doesn't.

Hacker Girl
In orientation Skye reveals how much Shield means to her, and we discover the name she was assigned at the orphanage. Skye convinces Koenig to let her hack the NSA satellites, teasing him for his play-it-safe attitude. When Ward says May has left Skye is quick to think the worst of her, assuming she didn't care enough to say goodbye. She reassures Ward he is a good man when he opens up about himself and his background. When Skye find Koenig's body she's terrified and freaks out a lot, frantically searching the bathroom for anything to help. However she keeps her head enough to conceal what she found. She's able lie to Ward and even kisses him to distract from her nervy behaviour. This is where Skye became more interesting (previously it seemed like her circumstances were more interesting than she was) and though I like her character much more on this rewatch, she really comes into her own in this situation. It's so interesting not only seeing Ward's lies, but seeing Skye try to react to them and behave normally while trying to figure how to escape.

Weirdness of the Week
The 'orientation' chair is a bit intense. Koenig says Fury wanted something that Black Widow couldn't crack, but of course the Director wouldn't tell anyone if she did or not. Ward is understandably wary of it, but he seems to trick Koenig more than the machine.
Darkforce is some weird physics thing and it gave an obsessive physicist the power to absorb energy, meaning he can knock out electronics, kill people and stop bullets. While in the Fridge it seems he wasn't being contained but was being trained to use his powers, possibly due to Hydra influence? Now he can shoot out beams of cheesy-looking dark energy.

Villain of the Week
Ward - evil, bastard Ward. Also the obsessive physicist, he's not particularly impressive or nuanced, but the focus is on the team and what they're going through.

SHIELD LOL
Coulson: Nothing bad ever happens when you work with something called Darkforce

Koenig: You want to hack the NSA? ... Why poke the bear, the bog scary waterboarding bear?
Skye: Oh, I thought you were a comms agent, not agent of playing video games while hiding in a bunker.

Coulson: Who did you say created this technology again?"
Fitz: Bruce Banner
Coulson: Then I'm sure it'll go off without a hitch.

Spoilers Will Be Issued On A Case By Case Basis  (series 2)

Koenig mentions that he and his brother (singular) used to give each other nicknames. Eric was called "lightening foot". We're going to learn that the Koenig's are an odd family. There are at least 2 brothers (Bill and Sam) but are they brothers? The Koenigs seem to be identical and in series 2 it's a running joke that no one knows what they are and they mess with people about that.

Providence

Episode: 18

To talk about this episode at all means spoiling events in Captain America: The Winter Soldier as this episode references events in the film.

What Happens
Coulson is at the Hub monitoring the few Shield bases that haven't been compromised by Hydra. He's contacted by a US general who is coming to the Hub, knowing that this will likely mean either death, imprisonment or legal troubles Coulson takes his team away. Agent Triplett asks to come along and Coulson is wary until Simmons vouches for him. In the air Coulson instructs Skye to erase everyone's identity from official sources. Skye calls Ward to tell him this, unaware of his true allegiance. He and Garrett have Hydra agents break Raina out of prison. Though she's disappointed to learn Garrett isn't truly psychic Raina agrees to continue with Centipede using the Shield team's info fon Skye's hard drive and the drugs recovered from the Guest House. Ward and Garrett go to raid the fridge, managing to get inside only after a helicopter shoots at them. They kill the guards, release the powered prisoners and take the dangerous objects, including the stuff that was supposed to have been sent into space as part of the Slingshot programme. Ward leads Garrett to the confiscated gravitonium. Skye takes everyone's Shield badges and notices Coulson's has lights on it spelling out coordinates. He's convinced it's orders from Fury and has them fly there, even though everyone else thinks it's a trap. May tells Coulson she's worried that Hydra might be able to control him because they don't know who was running project Tahiti when he was resurrected, they might have implanted more than fake memories. Coulson is still angry at her and refuses to listen. They land in snowy, Canadian wilderness and trek to an empty-looking place where Coulson breaks down a little before they find Fury's secret base. Here the only occupant, Agent Eric Koenig, tells them Fury is dead and the Fridge has been taken by Hydra.  Then he takes Coulson aside and tells him the Director is alive, but he doesn't want many people to know. Agent Koenig shows the team the well-appointed base, which he calls Providence, but he's suspicious of everyone except Coulson. Raina tells Ward and Garrett that Skye has encrypted the hard drive so only she can unlock it. Garrett sends Ward out to get her, he can either persuade her to decrypt it as part of his cover, or he can kill the team and force her. Garrett beats Ward up to make his story look convincing. Ward arrives at Providence and is allowed inside. Garrett and Raina tell an angry Ian Quinn that his imprisonment was necessary, Quinn is ready to abandon the operation, but Garrett gives him back the gravitonium.

Coulson's Alive!
Coulson is trying to figure out Shield's status from the Hub, only a few Shield bases aren't compromised by Hydra and the media is reporting the falling helicarriers at the Triskelion and the intelligence broadcast by Black Widow. Coulson plays very affable with General Talbot, but gets ready to run, even though he doesn't know where. It's better to avoid detection and try to keep fighting Hydra than get caught up by the US Government. When the coordinates appear on his badge Coulson is convinced Fury is alive and sending him a message, despite everyone else's scepticism. He's still angry at May for her betrayal and refuses to surrender his weapon or position to her. He's alarmed to discover that someone besides Fury had control of the Tahiti project, and angry May can't tell him more. He refuses May's claim that he might be controlled by Hydra or leading them into a trap. Using the last of the plane's fuel to get to the coordinates he tells the team that they can leave if they want, but he's in no doubt about what he's doing. When they reach the place and it seems empty he starts ranting that S.H.I.E.L.D. ID still relevant, still needed. This is probably a reaction he's been suppressing a while. He throws his badge, which activates a machine gun turret, proving they've found something. Turns out Coulson's been expected and it's a good thing as he was close to breaking point. Within the base Coulson questions Koenig's insistence on secrecy, he doesn't want to lie to his team (there's been too much of that) but agrees as it's Fury's order.

The Cavalry
May questions Coulson's mental state as it's been her mission all along to look out for him. Now she knows Hydra had infiltrated Shield she questions whether Phil has been compromised. They know his memories have been altered and while Fury ordered the procedure she knows he wasn't running the project, but doesn't know who was. She stays professional in the face of Coulson's anger, though their broken friendship is painful to her. Later she tells Skye that she'd seen nothing odd in Coulson until his insistence on blindly following the coordinates.

Grr, Ward
Garrett comments that the 'straight' (he doesn't seem to be talking about sexuality) version of Ward is very different to the real him and that the transformation was something he doubts Black Widow could do. I don't think Ward seems especially different, more outgoing and talkative, with more of an edge, but mostly just more evil. He talks about Raina about how he won everyone's trust; saving Simmons early helped, beng SKye's SO meant he could talk to her easily, and his reluctance to do team work was what encouraged Coulson to recruit him. His biggest threat was May so the sexual relationship working to disarm her, though when Raina comments he doesn't seem like May's type Ward says he's everyone's type. Hmm, he's still arrogant and irritating and even though being evil makes him more interesting it doesn't improve his personality. It's clear that Ward really does have feelings for Skye and is angry at Garrett for having her shot. It wasn't part of the original plan, but Garrett didn't know how ignorant Coulson was about what happened to him and had to improvise. Garrett isn't bothered that Ward likes Skye, his jovial, edgy, jokey personality is no different when he's being evil. He tells Ward that if he can get Skye to decrypt the hard drive without blowing his cover that's fine, giving him an opportunity to further woo Skye, but equally Garrett expects him to kill the entire team if needed. Ward tells Raina he admires Coulson, but he owes Garrett everything.

Science Hermione
Simmons questions whether they have orders any more, as there's no one higher than Coulson around and Shield is now listed as a terrorist organisation. She's concerned by the sudden lack of structure, but also willing to think it through. Coulson suspects Trip because he worked with Garrett for a long time, though Trip argues that he was a s fooled as anyone. It is only once Simmons vouches for Trip that he's allowed to stay onboard, but Coulson makes clear he's her responsibility. Simmons understands Fitz's loyalty to Coulson, but also sees Trip's point that they can't just blindly follow orders. She worries about Coulson's state of mind and whether they're heading into danger. When Fitz says he doesn't want anything to change Simmons points out it's too late for that.

Monkey Boy
Fitz is grumpy and snappish at Trip, echoing Coulson's distrust, but for more personal reasons. He still wants to have orders and puts all his trust in Coulson, even when his orders don't make sense. He seeks reassurance from Simmons that they still have each other and she vouches for that, but she cannot encourage him in his fear of change.

Hacker Girl
Former-hacktivist Skye sees the intel Black Widow released and admits that her ideal of all the info being free is scary now it's happened and she's aware that it's not being protected. She agrees with running, it's clear General Talbot does not have warm intentions towards them. She's shocked that Coulson wants everyone's identities erased, it's an extreme option. Giving her badge to Coulson makes her wistful as she'd only just become part of Shield and now it's broken, though she acknowledges the culture shock for Coulson must be huge. She worries about Coulson and questions his plan, then worries about Ward when she hears the Fridge has fallen to Hydra. When Ward arrives at the Providence base she's shocked by his injuries and immediately tends to him, the romantic tension between them back, but at least made more interesting by Ward's hidden motives.

Weirdness of the Week
The Fridge contains all the powered people Shield takes in (those too dangerous/evil to just be monitored as part of the Index) and all the artefacts it finds. Turns out the Slingshot programme was a fake, not by Hydra but by Fury, so there's a lot more dangerous stuff there than most think. Including the 0-8-4 particle beam and the Asgardian staff from The Well (which Ward handles with gloves). Garrett mentions bringing in someone who gave himself lion's paws instead of hands, a weird aside. Ward reveals that the Gravitonium from The Asset is hidden in a secret sub-basement.

Villains of the Week
Evil Garrett is the same as regular Garrett, but more irreverent and honest. He handles Raina's disappointment well, praising her work so far and pricking her interest in what comes. It's kind of nice that Raina has decorated her cell with origami and that when Garrett has her broken out he also gives her a flower dress (one of her own?) as a present. Quinn is really angry at all that Garrett has cost him, especially as his life was full of luxury before. Turns out Quinn probably did know who Garrett was while he was interrogating him. His rich man's anger is completely dissolved when his gravitonium is returned to him, showing he was interested in more than just getting richer.

SHIELD LOL
Not an episode full of jokes, but there's light moments amid the action. Koenig is a great character, kind of officious with everyone else but slightly adorable in his pride about the cool base when he drops his guard with Coulson.

"You will be given a lanyard, lanyards for others will be distributed on a case-by-case basis"

It's A Spoilery Place (this series and series 2)

May's concerns about an unknown agent/operative messing with Coulson's head makes sense. Soon both she and Coulson will discover that the mysterious individual is actually Coulson himself.

Raina's disappointment about Garrett's lack of psychic powers is because she wanted to ask what she will become - I want to know that too. Come back series 2!

Ward says he's thinking of letting his facial hair grow out, will we see beardy Ward in series 2, though that's because they won't let him have sharp implements.

My thanks to @AlasdairStuart and @runalongwomble for the spoiler pun suggestions.

Turn Turn Turn

Episode: 17

To talk about this episode at all means spoiling events in Captain America: The Winter Soldier as this episode comes right on the heels of that.

What Happens
Coulson believes May has been working for the Clairvoyant and the plane has been overridden and is going to an unknown location. May says she was reporting to Fury, and asks why Fitz was messing with the phone lines. Fitz says he was trying to talk to Simmons at the Hub, because she's secretly analysing Skye's blood to find out about the healing drug, which Coulson and Skye wouldn't let them investigate. The plane is full of secrets. Coulson knocks May out and puts her in the interrogation room with Ward. Garrett's plane is chased by Shield drones and comes to the Bus, so Coulson shoots down the drones and Garrett comes onboard. Garrett says it looks like they're flying to the Hub and Coulson believes Agent Hand is the Clairvoyant. Skye finds an encrypted message revealing that Hydra are back and have been hidden within Shield. At the Hub Trip realises Simmons is hiding something so she admits that she's testing Skye's blood, he helps her contact Agent Weaver at the Academy, but Weaver says they're under attack from Hydra. Victoria Hand tells a group of agents to attack Coulson's plane and take out his team. The agents find Trip and Simmons and demand they swear allegiance to Hydra or die, Trip takes one of Hand's agents hostage, thus passing the test. Hand's group have been killing anyone who isn't loyal to Shield and she believes Coulson is Hydra because of all the iffy stuff his team have been doing. When the plane lands Shield attack it. Coulson gets May to call Fury, but the voice on the other end of his private line says he's dead. Coulson is furious at her, but needs her for now. The team sneak out and go into the Hub to rescue Simmons and Trip. Ward and Skye go to the nerve centre, and Ward asks Skye out. Garrett mentions details about Coulson's interrogation that no one else knows, meaning Garrett is the Clairvoyant. Garrett gathers Hydra agents, but Hand's team heard everything and capture Garrett. Hand takes back control of the Hub and leaves Coulson in charge, they may be the last high-level agents still loyal to Shield. She takes Garrett to the Fridge to be imprisoned and Ward requests to go with her. On the way she suggests Ward might want to kill Garrett, but instead Ward kills her and her men. Garret congratulates him, revealing that Ward has been working for him all along.

At some point we were either told, or it was telegraphed, that most people on the show were secretly Hydra, it made for intense if tiring viewing.

Coulson's Alive!
May's betrayal hits Coulson hard and he's furious with her. When she reveals that she had direct access to Fury and knew about project TAHITI he's even angrier because those questions haunted him, but she says she was under orders to monitor him and make sure he was OK. It's probably the best form a betrayal could take, but it's still a betrayal. Coulson's face changes the moment Garrett mentions that Raina had been in the machine. On my first watch I recall thinking something was up moments before that, because Garrett's rant was a bit odd, even for what we've seen of Garrett so far. Hand believes Coulson is Hydra for some pretty good reasons, a lot of what Coulson and the team have done is outside protocol. Recruiting Skye, covering for Amador, refusing to follow orders; Shield had noticed these things without knowing the motives we've seen. Blake had expressed concerns and then got hospitalised on Coulson's op, which looks awful. Coulson and Hand discuss the fact that they could be the last of Shield and it seems like a period of cooperation is coming. That would've been cool, Victoria Hand wasn't likeable but she was an effective character. Her hardline approach at rooting out traitors and Hydra agents seems like it would've created interesting conflicts with Coulson.

The Cavalry
May's reveal about Fury is borne of desperation, the discovery of her secret is badly timed what with the Clairvoyant and Hydra stuff. The level of deception that Coulson was subject to, from the people and organisation that he trusted. May researched what was needed and told Fury before the Director gave Coulson team parameters, meaning Coulson was being manipulated before the team was assembled. Everyone there (besides Skye) was chosen to further May's orders to monitor Coulson and keep him well. FitzSimmons have the skill to rebuild him, and Ward had the skill to take him out if needed. This explains her distrust of Skye, the one wildcard on the team who hadn't been vetted. Coulson patches May up (as he's done before) but makes clear they are no longer friends, though he believes she's an ally and needs her help in the Hub.

Meh, Ward
Ward tells Skye he has feelings for her and asks her out, just as he's about do take out a hallway of Hydra agents. He seems very vulnerable in those moments, but he's still playing the part he's been playing the whole time. Skye is wary but as he's likely to die she kisses him, I did roll my eyes at this on first viewing, but I liked Skye less that time around, and I've never liked Ward. Of course it turns out he was a kind of boring character on purpose. When Garrett is taken into custody Ward reacts badly, apparently betrayed by his mentor, and asks to be the one who turns the key on Garrett's cell. It's very convincing, and we honestly think Ward wants to kill Garrett right up until the moment that he kills Agent Hand. In that moment the trajectory of what's coming next (which is already dramatically different from anything we might have guessed pre Cap 2) changes. It seemed like Shield was about to pull through, but the war has only just started.

Science Hermione
Trip realises Simmons is hiding something, and he confronts her about it (he's professional). There are moments when we're supposed to think Trip is Hydra. He accepts her actions are well-intentioned and even helps her to contact Weaver. He comments that she isn't very good at lying, she agrees but says she's gotten much better. Perhaps in that moment we're meant to suspect Simmons just a bit. Even though they're both in the Hub they only find out about Hydra when they contact a panicked Weaver who is glad to see them alive and warns them to hide. Trip does what Weaver said, and again there are unnerving moments when we aren't sure of his loyalty. When Hand and her agents apprehend them Trip proves his dedication to SHIELD against HYDRA. This is an episode where no one (audience or characters) is sure who to trust. Simmons defends Coulson to Hand, which is when Hand lists her understandable reasons for suspicion.

Monkey Boy
Fitz handles himself pretty well despite the murky situation and danger. At the start he yells at May for shooting at him and when she turns things back on him he is honest about why he was covertly contacting Simmons and is accusing towards Skye and Coulson who he knows have been hiding something together. These disagreements are put aside with the reveal of Hydra's rise and the challenge of getting out of the plane unharmed. Fitz is adamant about saving Simmons, though no one disagrees. Garrett makes it clear that Hydra plans to make use of Fitz's skills, with or without his agreement, and though he's upset Fitz remains defiant, though this only makes Garrett chuckle. In the fight with Garrett and the Hydra agents Fitz ducks out of the way, but he does toss weapons to Coulson and ends up shooting someone to save May, probably his first kill.

Hacker Girl
Skye finds and decodes the Hydra message, which is hidden in Shield comms. She and Ward split from the main group to try and take the nerve centre of the Hub. While hiding in a cupboard Ward tells her about his feelings for her, and she responds to his sudden vulnerability as Ward is self-deprecating. Though she makes clear she would want to take things slow, she knows about his thing with May and is wary of what he's looking for. She kisses him because he's going into danger. At the end she's shocked about the Garrett reveal and realises how hard it's hitting Ward and Coulson.

Weirdness of the Week
That something like Hydra, an enemy thought to be decades dead, was hiding in Shield all along. That Garrett (and probably others like him) have been using their positions to further their own ends in secret. Though given the size and scale of Shield (which we've only glimpsed in the show), maybe it isn't that weird.

Villain of the Week
Hydra in general and I think the 'of the week' format has been fairly broken by this. Garrett specifically, it turns out he's been masterminding most of their opposition all along. Garrett didn't intend to kill them, he was furthering his own motives and fine with the secrecy, but he realises Fury must have rumbled them and so Hydra had to "come out of the shadows".

SHIELD LOL
"Phil, this is me being honest."
"No John, this is you being a psychopath."


As this ep is the big spoiler turning point there's not much to say down here now. This ep and the ones that follow are the reason I put the Spoiler section in. There will be stuff in later episodes that relates to series 2, but Turn Turn Turn is all about this change.

The End of the Beginning

Episode: 16


What Happens
Garrett and Trip (introduced in T.A.H.I.T.I.) are attacked in a safe house by Deathlok, who is resistant to weapons. They were tracking the Clairvoyant, and bring guests to the Bus: Agent Hand, Agent Sitwell (both introduced in The Hub) and Agent Blake (introduced in FZZT). The top agents are briefed about Garrett and Coulson's op against the Clairvoyant, the theory is that altitude makes them harder to observe, even psychically? They've narrowed suspects down to people who were rejected from Shield's Gifted Index, Skye's talent will allow her to identify the 3 most likely candidates. She devises a double blind mission where agents are paired randomly and given pieces of information, meaning only she knows full details. To access the required info Skye is made a full Agent of Shield, with little ceremony but much congratulation. Sitwell is ordered by Shield to catch a boat, and Hand returns to the Hub to coordinate the backup she feels is badly missing from the op. Deathlok gets a fancy upgrade from his mystery handler. Trip and Ward are sent to the curiously understaffed "Milton Keynes Prison" apparently in the UK (what we see on screen is not the UK despite Union flag and teacup props). Coulson and Garrett are sent after a brilliant college student with possible family ties to the Yakuza, they are diverted on their way. May and Blake go to a care home to see a catatonic patient, but Deathlok attacks them and injures Blake. Everyone returns to the Hub, where Simmons stays to debrief Agent Hand about Deathlok. The team realise Blake shot Deathlok with a tracer so they can track him. Shield raids an abandoned racecourse and chases Deathlok to the basement. Coulson and Ward find the catatonic patient staring at screens and communicating through a computer. Ward and May arrive as the Clairvoyant announces himself and taunts them. He threatens Skye, so Ward goes against orders and shoots him. Fury has reappeared so the team head to the Triskelion. Skye tells Coulson she thinks the Clairvoyant had access to the Shield files and they realise he's an agent and the racecourse op was a diversion. Coulson suspects Ward and asks why he shot the catatonic man. Fitz tries to communicate with Simmons and discovers May's secret cockpit phone. He tells Skye and cuts the line. May hunts Fitz around the plane, then Coulson and Skye confront her. Coulson's convinced May's working for the Clairvoyant, she admits she's reporting to someone bit won't say who. The plane changes course by itself, May doesn't know why. After the credits it's revealed that Victoria Hand had the plane redirected and she orders that everyone on the plane is taken out except Coulson.

Coulson's Alive!
Coulson and Garrett have been on the hunt for the Claivoyant. Since encountering Lorelei and her magic his mind's been opened to the possibility that their opponent might have some abilities, though quite how altitude will affect that I'm not sure. Puts Skye forward to run the op due to her pattern recognition skills, it also puts her in a position where she has to become an agent. Coulson is grimly determined to get answers from Fury once he gets to the Triskelion, shame he never reaches it. Coulson's insistence on secrecy and no backup gets him in trouble with Victoria Hand after Blake is injured. The catatonic "Clairvoyant" taunts Coulson about what happened to him, calling him broken. He says he'll take what he wants from Coulson and Skye, suggesting that it's about the GH 325. Shocked by the shooting Coulson is told by Garrett that maybe being on the team has smoothed down Ward's rough edges. Later Coulson suspects they were tricked, that the catatonic man was just a prop. His conversation with Skye makes him realise that their enemy is in fact an Agent with security clearance. He interrogates Ward, believing that the specialist had orders to kill the catatonic man they were meat to capture. At the end he believes May is working for the Clairvoyant, and as she escaped the encounter with Deathlok there's reason for his suspicion. In the stand off there's no time to deal with his feelings, but Coulson's anger is deep.

The Cavalry
May brings Fitz and Simmons up to see Skye become an agent, a sign of her sense of community in the group. May realises Fitz and Simmons are interested in the drug that healed Coulson and Skye and tells them that if they notice anything odd about either of them, they should tell her. It's an odd moment, full of secrets. In Skye's op May is randomly paired with Blake, and though she fires on Deathlok it has little effect on him with his upgrades. After realising Fitz has found and cut her secret hardline she tracks him around the plane and tries to shoot him with icers. This is when Coulson and Skye confront her and she has to admit that she is working for someone, but though she says it's not what they think she still won't say who is giving her orders. Given what we've seen of May's friendship with Coulson she's got some big loyalty issues here.

Meh,Ward
Ward congratulates Skye on becoming an agent and doesn't acknowledge his own role in training her. Paired with Trip on the op, Trip mentions Ward's family history, sounds like -as well as being horrible and abusive- they're a political family. They alsodiscuss how much they both want vengeance against the Clairvoyant. Ward wants him dead for trying to kill Skye, whereas Trip remains more even-headed despite the Clairvoyant killing his partner. This foreshadows Ward's actions when he shoots the Clairvoyant. Garrett tells Skye that Ward has changed since being on the team, that his work usually means being alone but now he has people to fight for. Ward shoots the catatonic "Clairvoyant" after he threatens Skye, though the timing of when he shoots him feels odd to me. Coulson interrogates Ward believing he was ordered to shoot, Ward maintains it was an emotional decision and they're interrupted by the reveal about May's secret phone.

Science Hermione
Simmons continues taking Skye's blood, but this time she's honest about wanting to send it away to be analysed, backed up by Fitz. Simmons is asked to stay at the Hub as an expert on the Deathlok project, and takes some of Skye's blood to test at the more advanced lab facilities there. She agrees to keep in contact with Fitz. There's a moment when it seems like Simmons notices Trip, perhaps in the same way he'd noticed her. Again there's no flirting, but there's a spark. Fitz definitely sees this. On the phone she tells him that something is happening at the Hub and all the top-level agents are being called into the situation room.

Monkey Boy
Fitz tries to back up Simmons in convincing Skye to have her blood sent for testing, pointing out how much good it could do. He's perplexed by Skye's insistence they do as Coulson says and follow the rules. He shows off the new guns he's developed to an appreciative May and Ward, he's redesigned the night-night guns and is calling them icers. He's also developed a tracer round, which can track whatever it shoots, such as a moving vehicle or a wild monkey. Blake later uses it to tag Deathlok, so they can trace him. Fitz notices a spark between Simmons and Trip, and you can tell he does not like it. On the op to catch Deathlok Fitz's glowing, airborne retrievers are vital for monitoring and updating the split members of the team. Fitz discobvers the unauthorised hardline and traces it to May's secret cockpit phone. He's startled and nervy when she comes in, is lying isn't as bad as Simmons' is but he's jumpier than usual. He asks Skye about it she she tells him to cut the line, despite being a more senior agent he needs her guidance. May tries to shoot him with an icer, but he's behind glass in the lab, which doesn't seem like the kind of mistake she would make.

Hacker Girl
Skye, knowing the truth about alien fluid in the drug and agreeing with Coulson to keep it secret, doesn't give Simmons permission to share the blood samples. She comes up with a better version of the op, involving a double-blind and when she realises that she doesn't have clearance Agent Hand presents her with a Shield badge. Though there isn't much official ceremony the team congratulate Skye, Coulson says she's passed every test needed to be an agent and Garrett comments that most people haven't been shot in the stomach. Later Garrett officially introduces himself to Skye, she was unconscious before, and talks about Coulson and Ward. Skye plans the op so that one agent has the location and when they get near it unlocks the name of the target on the other agent's phone, I'm not certain if that's a true double blind but it's another example of Skye using location-based encryption. Coulson asks Skye to use the reports on the Index and the potential suspects to try and get into the Clairvoyant's mind. Skye is kept protected on the op, both Coulson and Ward wary of her safety. Looking at the files Skye realises the kind of detailed, personal info Shield holds on it's agents, precisely the kind of thing the Clairvoyant has been using to target them. She convinces Coulson that the Clairvoyant isn't magic, he just has access. After telling Fitz to cut May's hardline Skye gets a gun and pulls it on May to back up Coulson.

Poor Mike, he wanted none of this

Villain of the Week
The Clairvoyant and, to a lesser but more physical extent, Deathlok. The Clairvoyant seems to be a catatonic man who had previously been assessed by Shield for possible abilities before an accident. He's found in the basement of a racecourse looking at screens and talking through a computer. Though Coulson points out that all they see is a disabled man and a talking computer, there's no indication that one was powering the other. It's really bad that a severely disabled man is used as a prop. I'm not sure that this is fully addressed in the show, but I suspect this is meant to be another sign of the lengths the Clairvoyant will go to. When Skye sees Deathlok through Fitz's retrievers she realises that he hasn't just had a new leg and eye, he's been upgraded with stuff under his skin.

SHIELD LOL
This isn't really a funny episode, not really many jokes set up.
When Agent Hand disagrees with Coulson's op Garrett argues with her and calls her Vic. She tells him not to because it's condescending, it's not really a joke or anything, but it kind of amused me because she's right and people don't often call that kind of thing out on TV.

Spoilers at Dawn (spoilers for rest of this series and Cap 2)

Hand tells Sitwell he's been ordered to go on an op to the Lemurian Star, which is where we see him at the beginning of Captain America: Winter Soldier. We will also see him hailing Hydra to that politician with the big face.

Garrett has been tracking the Clairvoyant and seems to be very involved in the op to find him, convenient seeing as he's the Clairvoyant. Coulson runs into Garrett in the basement before they find the "Clairvoyant", was he checking everything was set up correctly? Skye and Coulson reckon the Clairvoyant is using Shield files and that's probably true but all the stuff we've heard the Clairvoyant and his people mention has been stuff Garrett probably already knew about.

It's a shame Coulson doesn't get to Fury, as he'll not get another chance before the Director fakes his death and goes even more off-grid.

The reveal of the fake Clairvoyant with words on screens and through speakers reminds me of the reveal of Dr Zola in that bunker in The Winter Soldier.

Simmons' brief call from the Hub is no doubt the start of the reaction to the events of Winter Soldier, which seems to happen simultaneously with this episode.

May's secret phone line suggests she's an agent of the Clairvoyant, though I think it's perfectly possible she could be running things, why doesn't he suspect she is the Clairvoyant. Even after being caught May still won't tell Coulson she's working for Fury, not sure why. Whatever happens Coulson will feel betrayed but the truth is probably the best version of that betrayal, though May's a pro so she's not going to give anything away without orders. I've seen it pointed out online before, but it's cool that of the very few people Fury trusts most, 3 of them are women (the other 2 being Maria Hill and Black Widow).

At the end the implication is that Victoria Hand is the Clairvoyant (the viewer not necessarily knowing about Hydra at the time of first broadcast) and she's making her move. This might not be surprising to comics fans, as (according to my husband, who knows these things) her pen and ink counterpart is the lieutenant of Norman Osbore when he's running some evil version of Shield, or something. Of course Marvel don't have screen rights to Norman Osborne.

Yes Men

Episode: 15

Yay, Lady Sif!

What Happens
Lorelei, an escaped Asgardian sorceress, uses her power to control men in an attempt to build an empire. Skye is recovering and Simmons keeps taking blood samples, trying to find traces of the drug that miraculously save her. The young scientist is frustrated that Coulson won't let her report her findings. Freaked out by his discovery of the alien fluid that healed him and Skye, Coulson tries to track down Director Fury, including contacting Agent Sitwell. Fury is off grid so no one can contact him. Lady Sif of Asgard is sent by Odin to return Lorelei to Asgard's dungeons. The Shield team help her, but in the process of getting through the men Lorelei has ensorcelled the magic collar that stops her is broken. Then she ensorcels Ward, who goes rogue and takes her to Las Vegas. Fitz is able to fix the collar, and Sif warns May that Ward is no longer the man she knew. Ward pretends to run, but actually takes the plane. Sif is blown out through the airlock in the interrogation room, but Coulson points out that she's an Asgardian and therefore tough. When Simmons opens the airlock again Sif, who has been hanging onto the side of the plane, gets back in. She and Lorelei fight, while the sorceress taunts the warrior, but Sif prevails. Ward and May fight, after Lorelei has used Ward to taunt May. Sif takes Lorelei back to Asgard because those are her orders. Ward tries to apologise to May, but their arrangement is over. Coulson tells Skye about the alien drug that's in them and vows to find answers. It turns out May has bugged the plane and is listening to Coulson and Skye, she uses a secure line to report that Coulson knows the truth.

Coulson's Alive!
After his shocking alien discovery Coulson has shut himself away and taken leave days trying to track down Fury. He meets Agent Sitwell who says Fury is off-grid and can't be found. Coulson and Sif recognise each other as allies of Thor, she had heard of Coulson's death. Coulson has to ask her to keep his being alive secret, explaining that he'd like the news to come from him. Is this Coulson following protocol? Or does he just want to avoid awkward questions from Avengers? He asks Sif about blue aliens and whether any have been to Earth, he's not comforted by her assurance that none have. Coulson never encounters Lorelei, so he's never controlled by her, which is good as not sure I'd want to see that. Conversely he doesn't actively avoid encounters with her, which would seem sensible. He is able to play along with Fitz, pretending he's been ensorcelled to get Fitz to drop his guard. At the end Coulson tells May to talk things through with Ward, and she tells him to do the same with Skye. The old-friends-distanced-by-secrets-reluctant-support-group continues. Coulson tells Skye about the alien origin of the drug that saved them, she shocks him by not freaking out. The pair agree to find answers regardless of protocol, keeping it quiet from the team to protect them. This is similar to when Coulson told Skye about her mystery origin and the pair decided to seek answers, a similar moment but with raised tension. This is a big change for Coulson, though one that's been built up across the series, he references Sif's earlier words to him about the codes that bind people, he's decided he doesn't want to be bond anymore.

The Cavalry
May and Sif are both warriors, so it's cool that they chat and May gets to tests Sif's sword (not her first Asgardian weapon). Sif can sympathise with May's situation as a man she was close to once got ensorcelled by Lorelei, she advises that May may have to kill Ward as he will no longer feel any sentiment towards her. May denies any attachment to Ward or that he would be able to kill her (I believe the latter). Lorelei tries to taunt May using Ward, which irritates her more than anything else. May lets Ward think he's about to kill her, but she's a step ahead. After Ward is himself again May still punches him, I cheered. May asks Coulson about what's going on with him, she knows he's not good and is hiding something (again). At the end she tells Coulson that he needs to tell Skye what freaked him out about the drug. She sort of takes Coulson's advice and talks to Ward, but it's clear things are over between them. The after credit scene shows May spying on Coulson and reporting his actions to an unknown source, given their mutually caring relationship so far this betrayal is pretty big.

Meh, Ward
Knowing what Lorelei's power is I'm surprised that Ward, or any of the male agents, are allowed to go about unchaperoned. Ward is impressive compared to the local cops, bikers and new groom that Lorelei has ensorcelled so far. As a spy Ward has warrior skills and resources, he shows her Vegas and could actually help her achieve her world-domination plans, so she rewards him with sex. Ward tricks the team into thinking he's running as a way of taking the plane (which is not adequately protected by female agents). Ward tries to apologise to May after it's all over, she tells him he was never in danger of hurting her feelings, but as she's colder than usual that may not be true. She points out that if, as Lorelei said, Ward is attracted to someone else then he was more honest with Lorelei than he's been with himself.

Science Hermione
Simmons monitors Skye, not allowing her to get up while she's stil recovering. Simmons takes a lot of Skye's blood, trying to figure out what the GH 325 was, she's thinking of the huge medical benefits of reverse engineering it. She is frustrated by Coulson's furtiveness and his insistence that she not send her samples of limoted findings to anyone.

Monkey Boy
Fitz offers to help Sif fix the magic collar that stops Lorelei from speaking when she's captive. Although it's Asgardian metal (and, y'know magic) Fitz is able to fix it before he's ensorcelled. Coulson had to punch Fitz out while taking the plane back.

Hacker Girl
Frustrated by Simmon's monitoring Skye is determined to start training as soon as she can so that she's never caught unprepared in the field again. When Coulson tells Skye about the alien drug they both have inside of them she's not as freaked out as he expects (and certainly not as freaked out as him). She's spent her whole life with her past being a mystery, and when she found out more it all just got more mysterious, in this case she's just glad that someone else is in the same position as her. She agrees to Coulson's hunt for answers, but she would have included the team, she's used to looking for stuff, but also to sharing information.

Weirdness of the Week
As well as their fancy alien tech Asgardians do have magic, but apparently only some of them have abilities. Lorelei (like Loki and his mum) is one of these people. In her case she can control men using her voice or tough due to the "inherent weakness" of men (I'm gonna assume it's something to do with the Y-chromosome).

Villain of the Week
Lorelei's whole power is a bit gender essentialist/heteronormative for my liking if I am honest. Plus the magical femme fatale who wickedly controls all men is a bit of a hoary old trope. I don't know if the character is likely to reoccur in the MCU. I did think it was cool that an all-female team was sent to raid the hotel room. They should have used female agents a bit more on this mission, they left their males too exposed. Lorelei is given some characterisation, mostly reflecting upon her long captivity and trying to plead with Sif. When that won't work she goes back to taunting Sif, suggesting Thor sees her as a pet.

SHIELD LOL
"Who is this ugly old woman?" Lorelei doesn't understand paper money and misidentifies Benjamin Franklin, though the biker's knowledge of his country's history isn't great if he thinks Franklin was ever president.

Sif refers to the holotable as antiquated technology other realms, which slightly shames Coulson as he couldn't use it last episode.

Coulson asks Sif to give them some cover during a firefight, so she casually kicks a big, metal caravan into the path of the bullets. "Very literal interpretation" Coulson comments.

ETA -TW for sexual abuse-
A friend has pointed out that I entirely failed to address that Lorelei effectively rapes Ward when they have sex in the hotel. I have to admit I didn't think of it that way, it's definitely not framed that way, but Ward is being controlled so it's doubtful he could consent. I tend to ignore sex scenes in TV cos a lot of the time they feel like set dressing to me (which is probably due to my own issues), so I didn't think about it. This was my error.

Lady Spoiler of Asgard (for this series, next series, Thor 2 and Cap 2)

Agent Sitwell! Hail Hydra!

Sif says Odin ordered her to bring Lorelei back alive, much though Sif would prefer to kill her. I am fascinated by what "Odin" is ordering people to do. Especially as Lorelei used one of Loki's secret pathways to get to Midgard.

Lorelei is a comic book character (which may explain why her abilities are hokey). The only thing I've read with her in is Loki: Agent of Asgard, where she's pretty different. That comic is good fun, and a sign that Marvel have realised that having a pretty version of Loki is a good idea.

Sitwell comments that when a high-level agent goes off-grid they're hard to find, then says Coulson did a similar thing a while ago. We're probably supposed to think it's a reference to Coulson's recovery (especially as Sitwell then asks about Tahiti), but I think it sounds like something earlier. My guess is that's when Coulson was running the Guest House, yet more hidden memories from that particular facility.

Sif's lists a load of blue aliens, including Cree. She claims none have gone to Earth, but that's only as far Asgard/Sif knows. Internet rumour and the comics suggest that the Cree are the 'blue angels' that Raina talks about that created her people. Meaning the drug won't adversely affect Skye, as it does others, because of her origin and what she will become.

Yeah, it totally looks like May has betrayed Coulson. In a way she has, but her's is probably the most benevolent kind of betrayal as she's looking out for her friend, which would be her instinct. Thge betrayal is that she's reporting to Fury behind his back and doesn't use her exclusive - if indirect- line to try and get hold of Fury when Coulson's looking for him.

T.A.H.I.T.I.

Episode: 14

What Happens
Skye is rushed to a medical facility after being shot in T.R.A.C.K.S., but the doctors can't save her. Coulson is determined to save her, so he reveals the truth about his death to Ward, Fitz and Simmons, tasking the team to find out what was done to him. A Shield team arrives to take Quinn into custody. Agent Garrett, an old friend of Coulson's and Ward's former SO, boards the plane with his man Agent Triplett. Coulson won't hand Quinn over and Garrett realises that the team are hanging on to him because of Skye. Garrett and his team have been tracking Quinn for a while and he convinces Shield to let him interrogate Quinn on the plane. Garrett has a strong interrogation method and mocks Quinn for being duped by a charlatan Clairvoyant. Fitz and Simmons understand little of Coulson's file, and Simmons discovers the names and places in the file are falsified. The doctor that Coulson spoke to in The Magical Place has disappeared. Fitz sets up a virtual display and gets hold of all of Shield's admin files, he and Simmons track through them to find any clue about where Coulson was treated. They find a map of a secret mountain bunker, codenamed Guest House. It isn't an official Shield facility so Coulson, Ward, Garrett and Fitz go to ask for entry but are prepared to fight their way in. This turns out to be necessary, and when they've taken out the guards they find the mountain is rigged to explode. Coulson and Fitz go to the labs to find stuff to help Skye, they find a drug called GH325 that healed Coulson's heart. Fitz races back with it, but Coulson spots a door labelled T.A.H.I.T.I. and investigates. On the plane Skye keeps crashing so Simmons, with May and Triplett, tries to keep her alive. Running out of time Garrett finds Coulson traumatised in a corridor, he screams that they shouldn't give the drug to Skye. They race back to plane, barely taking off as the mountain explodes beneath them. When Coulson gets to the med room Simmons has already injected the GH325 into Skye, and it restores her. Garrett and Trip take Quinn into custody. May asks Coulson why he isn't happy about saving Skye, he flashes back to finding the secret of the GH drug, it was drained from a dead, blue alien in a tube. He tells May he was remembering his treatment and was worried she would suffer like he did. To lighten things the after-credit scene has a woman in odd clothing steal a newlywed groom from his bride, compelling him with her voice.

Coulson's Alive!
Like Fury previously did for him Coulson is determined to move heaven and Earth to save Skye, though Fury himself is unavailable. When Garrett arrives Coulson lets his old friend believe that he's holding Quinn for vengeance later, when everything turns out well Coulson says Garrett leapt to that conclusion, but it's not clear whether Coulson would have done what Garrett assumed. Of the pair Garrett seems like more of a maverick, though we know Coulson used to be different and that in his quieter way his trust in the system has been badly shaken. Coulson tries to get into the mountain base by asking nicely and appealing for help, though he's fine with using force when that won't work. The guard seems to recognise Coulson, who concedes that he may have spent some time there before. Coulson is terrified and shaken by what he finds, the substance that saved him, that's about to be put into Skye, was drained from the torso of a big blue alien, you understand his reaction. When I first watched this I was on the edge of my seat from when Coulson is found in the corridor until after we discover what he found. All I wanted to know was what he saw that scared him so bad. Coulson won't tell May this secret, I expect he's still wrapping his head around it.

The Cavalry
I the hospital when everyone is blaming themselves fr what happened to Skye May tells them to blame Quinn. When the doctor breaks the bad news May immediately goes and brutalises Quinn. It's not pretty or right, but it does show that Skye is now included in the group that May feels protective of. She knows tries to find out what's up with Coulson at the end, knows he is again hiding something that he almost can't bear, and it's hurting him.

Meh, Ward
Ward joins in with the pity party at the start of the episode, but in the previous episode he said he didn't blame himself for what happened to Skye. He keeps saying she shouldn't have been there and I feel like he kind of blames Coulson, though I could be reading into something that isn't actually there. Garrett was Ward's former SO and trainer, and it sounds as though they have a lot of history. He and Trip are friends, but when it looks like Garrett and Coulson meant order them to do different things Ward and Tripp start fighting, because they're silly boys.

Science Hermione
In the hospital, after Skye has been handed over, Simmons suddenly feels like she's been a mess. Now her role is over she can look back over her performance and see how scared she was, but Coulson's reassurance is kind as he points out she was wonderful. Without her Skye would have certainly died in that villa. She is amazed by Coulson's medically impossible reveal and frustrated by what's in Coulson's file, she can only understand 70% of it which must mean it's really out there. While waiting on the plane Simmons keeps watch over Skye, accompanied by Trip, who asks about what Skye means to her. Skye keeps crashing and Simmons has to work to keep her alive, never certain it it's what she should be doing, the emotional strain is heavy. Simmons points out that she and Skye have only known each other a few months and are really different, but yet Skye is important to her. Trip gives her space for her worry, but also says understanding things. Trip is attracted to Simmons, but there's no male gaze, no particular shot of him noticing her, no change to the way Simmons is portrayed. His bearing just shows he's interested in her and what she's saying. He doesn't do anything flirty, or make any kind of move, because it'd be really appropriate given the situation, it's not even clear whether Trip fully realises he likes her, Simmons certainly has no thought in that direction. Garrett notices (and makes it overt at the end by telling Coulson), but it's not so unusual for 3rd parties to notice attraction to before the individuals realise it themselves. It's really, really well done, subtle but also actually nice. When he compliments her it's about her performance as a doctor, he admires and respects her and that's all part of the attraction. Now that I've seen this I wonder why ths kind of thing isn't in more TV and film, because it's amazing!

Monkey Boy
When Coulson hands over his Death and Recovery file Fitz is the one that points out it's illeagl for them to read it, so Coulson states that he doesn't care about their clearance level any more, this is a man done with protocol. Fitz sets up the echo-chamber, a kind of virtual 3D holo-display/room to view data. He's also used contacts to get access to all of Shield's paperwork so he and Simmons can trawl the files to find some clue about where Coulson was taken. This is more visually interesting than watching people search through files and folders on a flat computer screen. Fitz is the one who realises that the Gues House file isn't encrypted but, when tilted, is a map made of scrolling numbers (quite why such a thing would be there is clearly a question we aren't supposed to be asking, again it's more visually interesting than coordinates). Fitz doesn't quite get Garrett's morbid humour on the mission, but he acts with bravery on the mission.

Hacker Girl
Lying in a hospital room (which is inserted into the plane with some kind of fancy forklift), the focus of so much effort and emotion. At the start the doctor says her family should be contacted, and Coulson rightly points out that the team are her family. The moment might have been sappy if it wasn't sad.

Weirdness of the Week
Quinn tells Garrett that the Clairvoyant gave him detailed information on how to avoid and take out his team members. The whole Guest House set up is odd, it's on Shield's files, but obscurely. It isn't a regular Shield facility, in fact seems to be at a remove from Shield, but Fury quietly used it to save Coulson. The place does have half of a big blue (presumably dead) alien in a tube and is harvesting its fluids for a drug that has regenerative abilities. That's pretty weird.


Villain of the Week
Quinn, still. He's been tracked by Garrett's team and had three of his men killed, though Garrett says it's odd that Quinn would kill someone himself, he usually pays people for that. Quinn says that the Clairvoyant ordered him to shoot Skye, which ties in with what he said after he did it, so that Coulson would be forced to find out how he was resurrected. That is apparently the one thing the Clairvoyant can't see.

SHIELD LOL
This isn't a funny episode. Garrett seems jovial and sarcastic and mocking a lot, but he's got more edge than Coulson and his manner is part of that.

My God, It's Full of Spoilers (Really big spoilers for series 1 and 2)

OH LOOK, IT'S GARRETT.

Funny how the "everything" the Clairvoyant knows relates specifically to people close to Garrett, like Garrett's team, and his old friend Phil. He is the Clairvoyant, which makes it funny when he mocks Quinn for believing in a charlatan's psychic powers and is constantly scornful of him. Garrett uses the Clairvoyant persona and its mystique for effect, he doesn't believe in anything. I really wanted to know if Quinn knew who Garrett was while he was interrogating him. I tried to analyse all the exchanged looks, but I can't tell.

Garrett tells Coulson he should see the stuff he's sweet-talked Ward into doing - what like being an evil, betraying bastard? And also shooting a dog. I was so happy with this reveal cos Ward was super dull and annoying and I felt vindicated in my dislike of him. Also it made him interesting.

When the guard thinks he might recognise Coulson is it because he was a patient, or is it because he used to run the Guest House? Are all of Coulson's hidden memories about this place? The guard's recollection seems confused, so his memories might have been altered too.

T.R.A.C.K.S.

Episode: 13

I have no idea what the title of this episode stands for, or why it's an abbreviation. It is a good object lesson in why you should train your tech agents with other spy skills.

What Happens
After the events of Seeds Coulson has the tea tracking down Ian Quinn. A company called Cybertek is linked to him and covertly transporting goods through Italy on a rural train line. After talking to local law enforcement they go undercover to intercept a package. Coulson and Simmons pretend to be father and daughter, Skye and Fitz pretend to be tourists and Ward pretends to be a conductor. The op goes wrong and Coulson and Ward are thrown off the train, which disappears after a weird grenade is thrown at them. They return to the Bus and meet Russo from the local team, he is killed by May. It turns out she was thrown off the train, and found Coulson and Ward insensible by the tracks. Russo captured her, explained Shield was interfering with his lucrative side-business and tried to torture her, but she quickly escaped and tracked him to the plane. The train is found by Shield satellite. Simmons, who was also knocked out, is hidden in the baggage compartment and thinks Fitz and Skye disappeared. When the op went wrong Fitz realised that a stronger form of the toxin in the night-night gun was being used against them. He and Skye were able to track the package to a villa and Fitz activates a tracker for the team to follow. Skye goes in and finds Mike Peterson in a hyperbaric chamber the cellar. Quinn arrives and fits Mike with a bionic leg then tries to order him to kill Skye. Mike says that's not his orders, so Quinn shoots her in the stomach twice, saying he's been ordered by the Clairvoyant. Meanwhile the Shield team arrive at the villa and capture Quinn, but Mike is ordered not to engage them and escapes. Coulson finds Skye bleeding out in the cellar and Simmons puts her in the hyperbaric chamber. This sustains Skye, but she needs immediate medical attention. Mike Peterson (and his new bionic leg) clump past a park and he uses a notebook to ask if he can see his son, the orders in his eyesight tell him 'Not Yet'.

The non-linear storytelling here is quite neat, with each piece of story revealing events as they happen to certain characters before resetting and showing what someone else experienced. The narrative is built up, creating then asnwering questions. The audio cue of the announcement to is well used, though I question whether a non-touristy, rural train in Italy would have English announcements. Then again it does contain a lot of English speakers.

Why does cosplay on this show always involve glasses?

Coulson's Alive!
Coulson's renewed determination to get Quinn shows he's setting the agenda for the team now, rather than waiting for Shield to pass on orders. He meets with Russo and despite the amicable tone and setting muscles in on his territory. Having Simmons pretend to be his daughter yields possibly the worst undercover experience ever, and all Coulson can do is sit there in stunned awkwardness. He really needs to get that girl some training. Coulson is angry and guilty about the junior team members being lost in the field, none are trained for the situation. Coulson gets angry at Ward about his relationship with May, I'm not sure if there's a double standard here, as Coulson didn't seem to blame May or get angry at her. I don't know if it has anything to do with their genders or whether it's because Coulson doesn't trust Ward as much as May. Coulson patches May up after her ordeal, despite her instinct to do things for herself. This keeps happening, they're old fiends, but there's distance between them as each wants to be self-sufficient and they both dance around whether to accept help from the other, even though they'd give it happily. Coulson is desperate for Skye to survive, he's guilty that she was ever put in that position and angry at Quinn for what he did. At the end Coulson stands by the chamber and stares a Skye.

The Cavalry
May seems to take pleasure in off-balancing Ward by revealing she already told Coulson about them, a distancing technique I assume. She says she hates undercover (after episode 1 of series 2 I love May undercover, she is Amazing) but other being haughty she doesn't do much. As resident Action Woman she is quickly on top of the train tracking the package with tech, then improvising in a dangerous situation among enemies. May's storyline reveals that the train didn't disappear, Ward and Coulson were knocked out and lost time. It is as she's trying to help them that she is captured, again her storyline explains the hot-wired van the agents find when they wake. Even when Russo has her hanging from a rope and stabs her she's never intimidated, and in fact stabbing just gives her access to a knife which she uses to free herself. At the end May tries to offer comfort to Ward, so perhaps she's not as distant as she intended.

Meh, Ward
Ward asks May about why Coulson and Skye are so driven, sensing it's a personal thing, she won't tell him and makes it clear there's nothing personal between the two of them. Ward is the one who is first targeted by their enemies and runs through the train telling the others they've been made. Ward is the one who raises the issue of him and May. Coulson makes very clear that if it's a problem Coulson will see that Ward's career is adversely affected, which must be against protocol, but then so's sleeping with team members. At end Ward takes out his anger about what happened to Skye by hitting things and brushes off May's attempt to comfort him.

Science Hermione
After the hilariously awful attempt at lying in The Hub, Simmons has attempted to rectify her inability to improvise by over-researching her undercover backstory, leading to another hilariously awful scene in which she entirely fails at any kind of spy skills. Having decided that Coulson is her distant, American businessman father and she's a grieving daughter who's just lost her mother, she proceeds to make a scene (as is planned) while describing aspects of their made up life with a weird amount of detail (this was not planned). Fitz is right, she does love homework more than life itself. When she's knocked out in the baggage carriage to her it looks like Fitz and Skye disappeared, and when she wakes she shoots wildly with the night-night gun. When Skye is found shot Simmons goes into medic-mode, this is her wheelhouse and she's immediately confident and efficient, getting Skye into the hyperbaric chamber and stablising her as much as possible. At the end when she is on her own she can be upset about what happened, and when Fitz appears she cries on him.

Monkey Boy
Fitz and Skye are paired as the team's techies. Fitz suggests that as they're travelling together they should pretend to be from the same country, demonstrating his ability to do an American accent. When Skye improvises that they're a couple Fitz gets tense and quiet, unsure what to do and not happy with it. Later when Skye calls him on his he covers with his usual brand of sarcasm. When Simmons is knocked out Fitz suggests hiding her somewhere safe and is both amused and concerned about how embarrassed she'll be when she wakes. He also shoots the man who shot Simmon's with the night-night gun, even though he's already knocked out. Skye convinces Fitz they can still follow the package, even though they're lost the rest of the team. When they get to the villa he is outside disabling the cars while Skye goes in. At the end he finds Simmons and holds her while she weeps.

Hacker Girl
She asks Fitz about 0-8-4s and whether he's heard of the code being applied to people, trying to subtly find out if he can shed any light on her origin now that she knows she's an 0-8-4 herself. Skye realises that she's flustered Fitz by pretending to be his girlfriend, personally I think you should ask a person if they're comfortable pretending to be romantically involved before putting them in that situation (although that would ruin many plotlines of Fraiser). Skye's drive to catch Quinn has her convince Fitz to follow the tracker even though they're lost the rest of the team. At the villa she never suggests Fitz goes in and even suggests something he can do outside. Skye discovers Mike, alive but badly burned and missing part of a leg, in the cellar and is shocked that he seems to be working for the Clairvoyant now. Unaware that he is being controlled Skye tries to reason with him. He does refuse to shoot Skye, but is only able to do so because he's not ordered to do so. After Quinn shoots Skye she struggles to survive and tries to get help even as she's bleeding out.

Weirdness of the Week
At first it seems like a train-disappearing grenade will be the weirdness. Then it turns out it's a dendrotoxin so strong it makes people lose time. The true weirdness is the Cybertek prosthetic leg which is given to the enhanced Mike Peterson, it telescopes from a band of metal to a working robotic leg immediately. The zoom in at the end reveals that Mike is now codenamed Deathlok (it sounds a bit silly, but its from the comics).


Villain of the Week
Quinn is the ongoing villain, after being called out by Coulson last week he callously shoots Skye twice in the stomach before ordering Deathlok to kill the couriers and assistants upstairs. He says he also has orders from the Clairvoyant, but he's not unwilling as poor Mike is. Cybertek are introduced, a tech firm who've evolved FitzSimmon's dendrotoxin into an airborne grande and created Mike's leg (and perhaps his other enhancements and the eye tech). They're somehow linked to the Clairvoyant and Centipede, though it's not clear how.

SHIELD LOL
Simmons is trying to lie again and it is hilarious! Poor Coulson just has to sit there, a captive audience at the most confusingly exposition-heavy tirade ever. At the end, when the plan is for her to get angry enough to spill her "mother's ashes" on the mark, she stands and yells "You never had any time for her, but you made time for your work! And your prostitutes!"
As they're pretending to help with the spilled "ashes" Coulson murmurs "Prostitutes? Plural?"

After the first part of Simmon's tirade Stan Lee shows up (with two anonymous pretty women who are basically set dressing) to tell Coulson off for neglecting his daughter. I wasn't that into it, I guess it's amusing that he's there, but not as funny as what was happening before. Plus, y'know, women as set dressing.

Skye's Scottish accent is terrible, never do that to anyone, especially a Scottish person.

Ward and Coulson try to use the holotable. And they just can't!

This is why you need your techs around. These boys are more old school.


Going Off The Rails on this Crazy Spoiler (for future episodes including series 2)

Simmons is going to go undercover, in Hydra! Rewatching this series I still find that kind of surprising. Though I guess she's being herself, so doesn't need to invent and overly research/exposit a fictional backstory.

Deathlok doesn't have anything good happen to him again for a while. Poor Mike, you can see he's already hardening here, the only way he can keep going.

Is May's reluctance to rely on Coulson, or ask him for help because of the secrets she's keeping from him? She knows a lot of the answers to the questions that haunt him.

Seeds

Episode: 12

What Happens
At the Shield Sci-Tech Academy some students are almost frozen in a swimming pool by a device based on designs by Fitz and Simmons. As the youngest and most successful alumni the pair are asked back to investigate and give 'the talk' about not using your potential for evil. Skye and Ward join them, neither having been to Shield's science "Hogwarts" before. During Fitz and Simmons' lecture another student is  frozen solid. Fitz goes to talk to Donny, the boy who was frozen, both are brilliant and socially awkward. Donny idolises Fitz and discusses ideas for advanced power sources. Simmons shows Ward and Skye the Boiler Room, a kind of club where students go to relax, they ask around to establish suspects. Meanwhile May and Coulson go on a mission to look into Skye's past, as Coulson has been withdrawn since the events of The Magical Place. The trail leads to a former Shield agent hiding in Mexico. May and Coulson learn that Skye was found in China as a baby after a whole village was slaughtered. The agemts who found her set up a protocol that meant the foster system kept moving her so that she would be safe. May says Coulson can't tell Skye. A student reveals Donny is friendly with Seth (the other student who was almost frozen) and they've talked about meeting Fitz and Simmons. It seems the pair planned it and presumably attacked themselves to evade suspicion. Fitz tries to confront Donny, sees he made the freezing device, and is knocked out by Seth. Turns out the pair have an offer to sell the tech to Ian Quinn (the evil billionaire from The Asset), who is flying in to see a demonstration. When he hears Shield are there he wants to turn around so Seth and Donny do a large scale test, creating a super-storm. The Bus flies into the centre of the storm to stop the machine, Seth is accidentally killed in the process and Donny is taken into custody, he may have ice powers now. Coulson tells Skye what he and May found, and that she is an 0-8-4, but instead of destroying her the information makes her feel that Shield has always been looking out for her. Quinn phones Seth to ask about the device, Coulson answers and calls Quinn out, then Quinn reveals he's working for the Clairvoyant.

Coulson's Alive!
Since being rescued Coulson has kept away from the team, Ward thinks it's because he's saving face, but Skye suspects, and May knows, better. He's looking at the file about his death and May thinks he's obsessing. An op with just two old friends should be a good way to get Coulson out again. On the mission he tells May that he's afraid of the gap in his memories, what if there's more. May assures him that she knew him before that and he's still the same person. After talking to the former agent Coulson won't bring him in, reasonng that after his whole time was gradually crossed offover 20 years ago Shield still might not be safe for him, a sign that he won't trust the system now. The revelation about Skye crushes Coulson a bit, he wanted to help her but fears the news will only break her heart further. When he does tell Skye, reasoning that he's not happy that secrets are being kept from him, her positive reaction amazes him and gives him hope. It was just what he needed.

The Cavalry
May knows Coulson needs distracting and she now wants to help Skye find her past, reasoning that she has proved her loyalty and earned her place. While they wait for their target May talks about what each of them might do if they wanted to disappear and when Coulson asks what's with the uncharacteristic chattiness she point out that it's because he's not talking. She tries to convince Coulson that he can trust the system, or if not that he can trust her and himself. When Coulson says he's tired of secrets May tells him that she and Ward have been having sex. Any awkwardness is averted by their target showing up and bolting, so May has to chase him down alleyways. May tells Coulson Skye should be protected from the truth.

Meh, Ward
Ward shows signs of the rivalry between Operations and Science & Technology Academies, which is just another iteration of the whole US high school jocks and geeks thing that American TV seems obsessed with, at least here it's playful and not the focus. Ward shows Skye the Wall of Valor, which is a memorial that each Shield facility has. He reassures Skye that she has earned her place on the team, even if she got there through an unconventional route. Ward suggests that the Academy's official investigation won't bear fruit because the cadets are trained to keep secrets, so he speaks to an ambitious girl in the boiler room pretending to offer her a chance to jump rank in Operations. Ward is confident about running through the super storm, until he sees it; he may be the tough guy but he's not an idiot.

Science Hermione and Monkey Boy
It's nice how they each describe which part of the other's research went into the device, their double act-thing works because it's built on long standing friendship and knowledge of each others methods and work. Fitz and Simmons feel very strongly for the Academy, which isn't surprising as it's where both seemed to find their place and could apply their genius. The fact that you have to have a PhD just to get in and they're the youngest graduates gives you an idea of the prodigies the pair are. Fitz particularly seems to have found his place there, as he discusses with Donny how little his family understood him. During their speech to the cadets Simmons talks about the history of Shield and the Strategic Scientific Reserve that preceded it, she also mentions the kind of organisations that take advantage of people's potential, like Hydra and AIM. Fitz mostly makes jokes. Fitz wants to believe the best of Donny as they're so similar, but he concedes that the influence of Seth (and Quinn through him) has led Donny down a bad path.

Hacker Girl
Skye is curious to see the Academy, aware that this is where everyone else got their training. The Wall of Valor gives her imposter syndrome, feeling as though she cheated by hacking her way onto the team. It seems as though she's searching for a connection there, probably because she still suspects her mother was the Shield agent who left her to the orphanage. We only see Skye's reaction to Coulson and May's discovery in flashes with Coulson desrcibing in voiceover. She learns that she herself is an 0-8-4, and was found as a baby after a massacre, the agents that found her set up a system for her protection and most died soon afterwards. The news is shocking, but instead of falling apart as May and Coulson thought she would Skye understands that this explains her past. It was not that every foster family rejected her, it was the protocol that stopped her from being settled anywhere. She also feels that Shield has been protecting her since she was an infant, which ties strongly with her moment in front of the Wall of Valor early in the episode.

Weirdness of the Week
The Academy is like some kind of Science and Tech Hogwarts, which is partly why I've given Simmons the nickname I use above (I actually like Simmons more than Hermione, but I've not really been into the Harry Potter books for over a decade). The idea of the Academies is interesting, Sci Tech seems to be a postgraduate, research wonderland; Operations sounds like military training, we don't know much about Communications, (and no one talks about the fourth house, where all the evil cadets go) but it seems weird to me that these vocational training institutions are described in terms of school. Not sure why Donny gets ice powers, but it's a superhero universe so it doesn't need to make sense.
The second weirdness is where Skye came from, and what she is. An entire village is massacred and a top agent dies getting her out. It's not clear whether the former agent thinks Skye herself is dangerous, or whether it's the circumstance she was in, he seems happy she's alive but warns that being involved with her us dangerous. It opens up big questions about Skye's origins.

Villain of the Week
Ian Quinn is looking to exploit the talents of young geniuses who're being trained by Shield. Looking for talent and tech and funding them through Seth's father's connection to his company. Ian is businesslike but pushy with the boys, interested only in what's tin it for him. When Coulson speaks to him Quinn reveals that he's working with the Clairvoyant, tying his company and resources into the shady organisation we've glimpsed so far. Neither Seth nor Donny are villains, but it seems that Seth may have taken advantage of Donny's smarts and loneliness, their friendship/partnership wasn't common knowledge.

SHIELD LOL
"Academy of communications ... they're the biggest and focused on data analysis. It's the easiest to get into." 
"Boring." 
"That's where you'd be, Skye." 
"Thanks."
Skye is not happy with Fitz's tactless Sorting Hat technique.

Skye mentions how young Fitz looks and he responds defensively. "Time will come when you won't make fun of me for that. You'll be jealous. You'll be jealous, wrinkly old hags." 
I can empathise, at a certain time in your life it's really irritating that everyone thinks you're younger than you are, it's harder to buy age-restricted products and there's the suspicion that people are always underestimating you.

"Well, Simmons is probably smarter, technically, but that's just because she likes homework more than life itself." 
Fitz privately concedes a point about him and his best friend.

Fitz jokes about boring professors. Simmons is smug that Operations doesn't have anything like the Boiler Room. It's light hearted stuff but not hilarious.

Spoiler's the Word (future AoS episodes, including series 2, and Captain America: Winter Soldier)

Simmons mentions the SSR -Shield's forerunner- defeated Hydra, aww bless.
If the Academies are like Hogwarts (and hey this is the internet, so one is more or less honour bound to compare stuff to Hogwarts, even if the show itself hadn't started it) then Hydra is like Slytherin, if Slytherin were disbanded and distributed into the other houses because it's a daft idea to stick all the evil children together. Though it's a sign that Quinn/Centipede/Clairvoyant are distanced from Hydra, who must use the Academies (especially SciTech) for recruitment.

On the Wall of Valour Skye sees the plaque for "Bucky" Barnes - who died before Shield was formed, never went to the Academy (he was in the US Army and died in WWII, that's different memorial), and as it turns out isn't actually dead.

Skye's origin is weird. The full weirdness is far from revealed yet. We know Hydra are the ones who massacred the village, to get Skye's mother. It seems Shield went in to save Skye as an 0-8-4, but its not clear how they knew about her or why she specifically was being rescued. Also I don't recall but I think her dad wasn't there for some reason, or else did a counter-massacre, who knows with that guy.


My thanks to @AlasdairStuart and @runalongwomble for the spoiler pun suggestions.