So now we know what form Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will take in a post S.H.I.E.L.D. Captain America might have thought he was taking down HYDRA as well as S.H.I.E.L.D., but as they say… “cut off one head, two more shall take its place” In the end, Captain America seems to have made the world a more dangerous place. I am sure the ramifications of this will be felt in the next Avengers film. Perhaps Tony Stark will come up with an A.I. to make sure the world remains safe or something. That seems like a good idea.
However, I digress. The episode starts with Agent Carter and the Howling Commandos. It was great to see her as a tease for her upcoming series, but it was also amazing to see the Howling Commandos back in action. I hope they make a guest spot in the upcoming series. This little prologue also clues us into the origins of the term 0-8-4 (an object of unknown origins).
Back in the present day, we become aware of the current modus operandi of Director Coulson and his team, which has been recently expanded with some new faces. The team has traded “the bus” for “the playground” while there is a lot of Patton Oswalt around. We learn the Director Coulson does not get to bond with his team as he used to due to the strain and commitments of his new role. We also learn that General Talbot likes to appear on Good Morning America whose set did not get damaged in the Battle of New York.
While the hanging threads from Season 1 (Skye’s origins, the alien writing) just get a passing mention, the heavy lifting is focuses on establishing the new status quo with the audience. The remnants of S.H.I.E.L.D. are protecting folks while living in the shadows without the general public knowing about it. Skye is tougher, Fitz is not himself, and May is still concerned about Coulson, while Ward grew a beard in lockup. There are new mercenaries that are a part of the team, but let’s just say the bulk of them would be wearing red shirts if on Star Trek as only one has been added as a series regular.
It must be refreshing for the producers to be able to mention HYDRA, but I can’t help but wonder what about Avengers: Age of Ultron is their new secret. There is no doubt that the next Avengers film will change the world, with HYDRA’s involvement already revealed thanks to the tag in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Will Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. build towards Age of Ultron? Will Age of Ultron have as big of an impact on the series as Cap 2? All we know, is the world is a more dangerous place than we knew. Both the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers will have to face the impact of this.
Moving away from the big picture of it all, the episode was a solid one with lots of easter eggs for those that love the comics. The villain, the Absorbing Man, came across like a classic comic villain, which the first season lacked. (It probably doesn’t hurt that he is a classic comic villain created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby). In essence it was a villain of the week story, although the villain will be returning for episode 2. This allowed the viewer to get accustomed to the roles, S.H.I.E.L.D., HYDRA, and the United State government now occupy in this new world. I am sure we will learn more about those ongoing mysteries in the coming weeks, but this was a good episode to get everyone up to speed. With a lot of comic book shows hitting the airwaves this year, this is the only show that has to work within the confined of a cinematic universe. While that may mean some topics are off limits, it also adds scope to the series. This makes Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. a fun ride each week as you never know what will happen.