Violet recaps the Season 2 premiere of Agents of SHIELD, titled Shadows, where we see how Coulson is handling his new position, and how the team members old and new are dealing with the fallout from last season! Following the recap, both Violet and Josh share their thoughts on the episode.
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Agents of SHIELD, Season 2 Episode 1: Shadows Recap Overview
The season 2 opener of Agents of SHIELD begins in Austria in 1945. Agent Carter and the Howling Commandos infiltrate a HYDRA military base and confiscate the dangerous technology they have on hand on behalf of the Strategic Scientific Reserve (“SSR”) so as to box it up so it never sees the light of day.
In present day, a former SHIELD agent named Browning tries to sell some intel – a classified file that contains a picture of one of the boxes that Carter put the HYDRA paraphernalia in. But it turns out that someone else is interested in that file, though when he steps in to steal it, he is shot at, but he seems to just absorb the bullets. The guy takes off with the file and jumps out the window. May, Skye, and Triplet have been acting as backup, but the guy gets away.
The SHIELD team returns to the Playground with some new SHIELD members, named Hartley (played by Lucy Lawless), Hunter, and Idaho. Director Coulson has decided to grace the Playground with his presence, and summons May to his office. It seems that Coulson has been busy recruiting for SHIELD. When Coulson sees the photo of the SSR 084, he realizes it’s not just any 084, it’s the first 084, and they need to prevent HYDRA from getting its hand on it.
The file thief Skypes with a HYDRA agent, and is rewarded with a diamond. When he touches the diamond, he is able to transform his skin to turn to diamond.
Meanwhile, Simmons is trying to help Fitz with his rehabilitation. Fitz seems fine for the most part, but has trouble remembering certain words. He has been working on a cloaking device for the plane. May comes by to check on the progress of identifying the metal bits that came off of the file thief, but just then, the metal begins to turn to blood.
Coulson calls Hartley, Hunter, and Idaho into his office to explain to him what happened. May comes in with a DNA analysis of the blood. The thief’s name is Carl Creel, who was on the index, and crossed off, with Garrett as his supervising agent – so that confirms Creel’s HYDRA.
Skye hasn’t made any progress breaking the code of the pattern that Garrett and Coulson had drawn. Coulson visits Skye and asks her to go down to talk to Ward to try to get info about Creel. Ward is being kept in a high tech cell and has grown a scruffy beard. Ward tells her that Creel can absorb any substance he touches and transform his molecules into that substance. He also tells her that HYDRA used white noise to hide messages when they were communicating with SHIELD, and that’s probably how they’re communicating with Creel.
Koenig tracks a message going out, and they see that HYDRA is scattered across the globe.
Trip “accidentally” bumps into General Talbot while walking by and leaves a cell phone in his pocket, which Coulson then calls him on to tell him he’s in danger. He breaks the phone, throws it on the ground, and calls in reinforcements just before Creel walks up to confront him. May fights Creel, then Skye tasers him. Talbot runs to an SUV for safety, but it turns out May is inside.
Coulson talks to Talbot in the Box, and tries to convince him that SHIELD is the good guy. He gets Talbot riled up enough to grab the armrests, and Koenig is able to take a fingerprint analysis. Coulson chastises Talbot for his people taking Creel to the one place he wants to be – the facility where they’re storing the technology and prisoners confiscated in SHIELD raids. Talbot refuses to help SHIELD, so Coulson shoots him. Talbot wakes up in a car and calls for his people to pick him up. But it turns out Koening intercepts the call, and traces the number to a spot near the Pentagon.
At the facility, Creel is being kept in a clear container. The guards suddenly notice that Creel is missing. They don’t realize he has absorbed the material of his cell and is invisible.
Meanwhile, Trip dresses up as “General Jones” and the old and new SHIELD teams join as his entourage. Using voice changing technology, Coulson pretends to be Talbot, and directs the gate guard to let Jones through, while Skye cooks up a fake profile of General Jones. The team gets into the storage facility and splits up to look for SSR 084. They don’t realize that Creel is in the room, having blended in with the wall. Huntley finds the 084, and Creel finds her. Huntley picks up the 084, which begins to turn her hand black. Creel gets spooked and runs off. The SHIELD team comes to help Huntley, who is unable to let go of the object.
Skye asks Coulson for orders. He tells them not to abort, and to proceed as planned. However, Hunter brings Hartley to one of the SUVs and tells Idaho to drive. Hartley tells Hunter to cut off her arm, because she can feel it killing her. Meanwhile, Skye, May, and Trip are still at the facility, trying to hold off the soldiers, while they steal a cloaking jet. Trip and Skye fly off in the jet, while May follows on a motorcycle.
Back at the Playground, Coulson is explaining that the damage Fitz suffered is too severe, and Coulson is afraid he can’t do anything. We discover that Simmons has left, thinking Fitz would be better off without her there, but that he only has gotten worse since then, and that this whole time Fitz has been hallucinating her, merely talking to himself.
As Idaho drives away, Creel steps out in the middle of the road and absorbs the asphalt. The SUV runs into Creel and flips. Creel absorbs rubber from the tire and picks up the 084 object from Hartley’s blackened arm, which has been cut off. Then he walks away.
In the final scene, the HYDRA agent that was Skyping with Creel gives an update to Dr. Whitehall — the HYDRA soldier from the beginning of the episode, who has been looking for the 084 obelisk.
Violet’s Thoughts on Season 2 Episode 1 of Agents of SHIELD: Shadows
Pretty solid season premiere. It seems like a bit of time has passed, but the episode is quick to catch us up on what we’ve missed, and where things stand now. It was also pretty cool how the episode opened with Agent Carter and the Howling Commandos, and tied that in to the episode’s storyline. The last time we saw Agent Carter, she was on her deathbed in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, so it was a good move for Agents of SHIELD to show her in action, as her young self, to remind us how awesome she is, considering the upcoming Agent Carter series that will premiere early next year. I wonder if we’ll get anymore Agent Carter cameoes before then, or is this it?
This episode definitely kept me interested in the show, and the addition of Xena, er, Lucy Lawless, to the cast was pretty cool. I felt like the end of the episode, when Coulson is explaining what’s really going on, and putting things into perspective, was what really brought the episode home for me. It really captured the emotion and reality of the situation for me. Of course, the hardest hitting part of his monologue was his explanation about Fitz. It makes me so sad that this is what has become of him! And Simmons is gone? Why would she think that Fitz would do better without her? Where is she now?
The team feels really weird being made up mainly of May, Skye, and Trip. That’s an extreme difference from where we were last year. Things are going to have to be weird for awhile, I suppose, because I don’t think things are ever going to be the same again, or if so, it won’t be for a long time. Can we talk about how creepy Ward is now? He’s like this creepy stalker guy, and every time he tries to talk to Skye, it makes me cringe from being creeped out. I’m glad that Skye has this very standoffish attitude toward him, and I hope that she keeps it up. Oh, you know what I realized? That Skye didn’t really even bother me this episode. Which is weird for me. All last season, hating Skye was kind of a constant for me. But I don’t know, now she kind of seems like she fits in better. We’ll see how I feel about her next episode though.
All in all, I think this episode really set the groundwork for multiple storylines to come this season, and I’m really looking forward to seeing how it all plays out!
Josh’s Thoughts: Agents of SHIELD, Season 2 Episode 1: Shadows
The season premiere of Agents of SHIELD was actually really good I thought. I am disappointed that premiere-wise, it did not fair as well as some shows like the new NCIS show. But I have high hopes for this season, since the last one ended so well.
Fitz’s handicap is very sad. I am wondering where this story will end up though. I am kind of wondering if eventually his psychosis winds up turning him into a villain the SHIELD members will have to deal with. He has the smarts to do it, once he breaks through whatever mental block he is currently having. I am hoping that Simmons does come back eventually though. So far, I have enjoyed their dynamic in the show, much more so than any relationship on the show.
Lucy Lawless’ appearance was a fun one. I am curious if we really have seen the end of her, or if there is more planned for her character than what we have seen so far.
But we learn HYDRA is still alive and well this episode. Splintered, like SHIELD, it potentially has the chance to return and Coulson seems set to stop it.
Then we see Ward again. He still seems enamored with Skye. It is hard to tell if this is a game, or if he seriously is willing to help her. Either way, its pretty creepy.
I am happy with the set up for the season so far. I think we’re going to see some internal struggles right along with some external ones. I guess the final thoughts I have on the episode is this: What is going on with Coulson and those drawings? They look just like what Garrett was drawing. Hopefully this gets opened up more this season.
Scenes from Agents of SHIELD, Season 2 Episode 2, Heavy is the Head
Here are scenes from the next episode of Agents of SHIELD, titled Heavy is the Head:
Great start to the season!
This was a really strong open for the season – from them taking advantage of having Agent Carter available for a convenient flashback (with two of my favorite Howling Commandos) to setting up what the new SHIELD is like. Can’t wait to see where this season goes.