Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Review: 2×05 “A Hen in the Wolf House”

Opening up to the wider comic universe was a smart move by Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Meet Bobbi Morse, she and her deadly batons bring the mojo.

The intensity ratchets in a hurry when Director Coulson (Clark Gregg) and team find one of their own behind enemy walls with threats closing in from all sides. Jemma Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) has played her duplicitous role within Hydra extremely well. So well in fact, her talent has caught the watchful eye of Daniel Whitehall (Reed Diamond) who wants her help in weaponizing the effects of The Obelisk. When secret S.H.I.E.L.D. messages are detected and the facility is put on lockdown, Simmons finds herself face to face with the Security Chief of Hydra, the beautiful and deadly Bobbi Morse (Adrianne Palicki).

RELATED | Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Review: 2×04 “Face My Enemy”

When Raina (Ruth Negga) threatens to blow Jemma’s cover if Coulson doesn’t let Raina deliver Skye (Chloe Bennet) to her father, The Doctor (Kyle MacLachlan), Coulson calls her bluff, putting Simmons squarely in the crosshairs and driving an agitated Skye to find answers. With time running out and Simmons on the run, it’s only a matter of time before she’s firmly in Hydra’s grasp. If Coulson and team don’t act fast they my find themselves minus two agents in both Simmons and Skye. A lot happened in this episode so let’s break out the batons and jump in swinging to see how it all plays out!

The Doctor is in. But the prognosis is not good.

As much as this episode was about Jemma Simmons behind enemy lines, it was just as much about Skye. A petrified Raina interrupts The Doctor in the middle of a back room surgery to plead for The Obelisk in order to save herself from Whitehall. Kyle MacLachlan was a treasure find for this show as The Doctor. As he threatens Raina’s life with an indifference that is both creepy and jaded, we couldn’t help but notice that he plays edgy wide-eyed and crazy extraordinarily well. In a scene that ripples with intensity from MacLachlan and a shaking fear from Negga, we get glimpses of a long and sordid history between these two.

“Don’t beg. It reminds me of what you were when I found you—hungry, in the streets, with just those fairy tales your grandmother told you.” ~ The Doctor

“You said you’d make them come true.” ~ Raina

“You said you’d bring me my girl.” ~ The Doctor

“And I did!” ~ Raina

“You brought me a picture and a promise. I still only have the picture.” ~ The Doctor

As the scene plays out in dark and eerie green lighting, an uneasy score adds to the tension and The Doctor begins to simmer into visible anger. When Raina warns him he’s about to lose control he smashes a mirror, possibly to keep from doing the same to her. Between the rage and the suggestive green light, we couldn’t help but feel like we were witnessing Bruce Banner’s evil sibling trying to not Hulk out. Raina leaves empty-handed, but we were treated to a masterful character introduction. The Doctor has a dark side and he’s got his sights set squarely on finding Skye.

In the Playground, frustrated and wary that Coulson is keeping secrets from her, Skye calls him out to reveal his source of the alien writings only to be summarily shut down and coldly reprimanded in front of the team. Frustrated, she turns to the only source she can to find answers, her psychotic ex-Hydra boyfriend in the basement, Grant Ward (Brett Dalton).

He tells her Garrett (Bill Paxton) was definitely losing it after the injection of the GH formula and scratched the writings on anything he could find. When he asks her in a worried tone if the writings she’s shown him are hers, he seems relieved they are not. But Skye puts two and two together. It’s Coulson who has been their source all along. She confronts Coulson, who finally admits the truth. The writings are his. A clearly worried Coulson comes clean, May has been watching them both for odd behavior. Oddly, Skye has displayed none. And he drops the bombshell that it may be because she already had the GH in her system.

Clark Gregg had at times throughout the first season not always played Coulson as believably stern as we’d have liked, but he’s found the center of this character this season. He’s easily flipping back and forth between the different places Coulson needs to be emotionally and we’ve enjoyed him stretching himself so well. Gregg absolutely nailed his performance in this entire episode. Coulson is indeed back.

Don’t play poker with Coulson. He always has an ace up his sleeve.

Propositioned by Raina to meet in a public restaurant setting, Coulson agrees and the two sit in a beautifully lit atmospheric setting. As the two banter back and forth about what it is that Raina wants, both Negga and Gregg are so much fun to watch. Raina threatens to expose Simmons if Coulson doesn’t let Skye reunite with her father. With a timer set to deliver the exposing evidence, Raina confidently waits for Coulson to crack. As the seconds tick away and Raina makes her case that Skye’s father has been searching for her all these years, Coulson coolly waits to play his hand even as he hears a shaken Skye being restrained by May over the group coms.

The brilliance of this scene is it’s collective elements. The seconds ticking away, fantastic performances by Gregg and Negga and brilliant editing between slow closeups of each actor, all make this one of the better moments of tension this season. As the clock nears zero, the music, editing and tight camera work help the mood shift to one of panic as Raina realizes that Coulson intends to call her bluff. Simmons has been exposed and Raina has no leverage left with which to bargain. Her tone shifts from panic to pleading and the horrific truth of The Doctor comes spilling out.

“You’re scared of him, and you don’t scare easily.” ~ Coulson

“He’s a very dangerous man. You wouldn’t believe the stories.” ~ Raina

As Simmons realizes she’s been exposed, panic sets in forcing her to do the only thing she can. Run. Evading Hydra security runs it’s course as she rounds a corner and faces down Bobbi Morse and her guards. It’s here, Coulson’s ace is played. Bobbi breaks out two batons and proceeds to artfully take out the two guards at her sides.

Bobbi Morse has been a S.H.I.E.L.D. spy all along.

Comic fans everywhere were likely dancing a jig to finally see this iconic hero brought to the screen. We certainly were. The two race through the building and a still confused Jemma asks what is going on. Bobbi explains that she’s been sent by Coulson to infiltrate Hydra and keep an eye on Simmons. Impressed, Simmons admits Bobbi was quite intimidating.

“I had to assess other security issues that were in play.” ~ Bobbi

“Like every Hydra agent receiving an email blowing my cover?” Simmons

“Yeah, that was a curve ball.” ~ Bobbi

The two work their way to the roof and escape onto a cloaked quinjet piloted by Trip waiting just off the side of the building. Jemma is safe and as they return home, we can’t help but think of Fitz (Iain De Caestecker). The two haven’t had an actual conversation yet this season, but with Vapor-Simmons encouraging him, he’s finally come to terms with the fact that she is only a figment of his imagination. She reminds him he has real friends now. He doesn’t need her. But with the real Simmons arriving, the nervous reunion is one we’ve been desperate to see. We’ll admit disappointment that these two only had a few moments on screen together. But in that brief encounter, it’s the multitude of things their awkward body language and expressions scream loudly that says everything. This is a moment they both knew would come but weren’t quite ready for no matter when it happened. That’s a testament to both De Caestecker and Henstridge. They’ve both been stellar this season and this small moment spoke volumes in it’s awkwardness. We’ll be anxiously awaiting the longer conversation that will inevitably come.

The father and the monster.

If there’s been a consistent theme throughout all 27 episodes to date on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., it’s a very clear notion that Coulson is in many ways a father figure to the younger members of his team. There are none that he has taken more clearly under his wing than Skye. With no family and no support structure growing up, Coulson and this team have become everything to her. They are her family and Coulson has become very much the paternal mentor she never had. It’s for this very reason that keeping her in the dark for much of this season has led Skye to become suspicious and even frustrated. She isn’t a child. But she’s felt very much like she’s been kept at arm’s length from Coulson and that distance has left a mark.

When Skye set out to find a glimpse of her real father, none of us knew quite what to expect. Her mindset was certainly fragile after overhearing all she did from Raina that seemed to confirm all Ward’s claims. As she crept through the hallway, gun raised and flashlight held under arm in police fashion, it was clear that she has grown tremendously since Coulson first brought her on The Bus. Finding the facility empty with the exception of a photo of a younger version of The Doctor holding a baby, struck a chord of emptiness. We have to give Chloe Bennet credit. She brought an apprehensive and empty feel to this scene. Whoever she thought she might find was not there. Just as he always hadn’t been.

When Coulson touches her shoulder I think we all took a collective sigh once we realized it was him. By reaching out, he was finally bridging the gap he’d maintained all season. As tears welled in her eyes and she admitted she just wanted a glimpse, it seemed as if the man in front of her was every bit the father she never had.

“You’re having one hell of a day, huh?” ~ Coulson

The words left him not as a director of a covert organization, but a person that sounded much more like a concerned parent. As she reached and he held her, telling her it was okay, it felt very much like a father would a daughter after a day where nothing went right. Coulson’s dedication to S.H.I.E.L.D. has meant sacrificing a life where he might have a family and children of his own. As S.H.I.E.L.D. has crumbled and he has been left to question his lifelong loyalty, it must have occurred to him somewhere deep inside that this small group of agents might be his family.

As this scene played out, we see The Doctor watching through a video feed. There may very well be a part of him that’s earnestly sought his daughter, but in that moment he realized someone else had apparently taken the place of father in her life. As he watched the team uncover the bodies of his victims left behind, he slips into a fit of anger. His daughter didn’t think of him as anything but a monster. One she was now bound and determined to stop. Skye now sets her own terms with Coulson. No more secrets. Let her in on everything. He agrees and as he shows her the writing, and tells her he has no clue what it means, it strikes her. It’s not writing at all. It’s a map.

With newfound purpose, The Doctor pays Whitehall a surprise visit in the final scene. Clearly not stable, but also focused on one thing, he presents Whitehall with The Obelisk, which he mentions in it’s native language is called The Diviner. Shaken and seemingly a bit off, he proposes that he and Whitehall have a common enemy. A man named Phil Coulson, and together they might kill him, along with everyone else.

FINAL VERDICT: Tense, dramatic character moments and a fantastic introduction of The Doctor’s dark side made this episode a good one. The addition of Bobbi Morse’s dramatic entrance and charm, made it a great one.

We have no idea where all this is going, but the writing to get to this point has been exemplary. We searched high and low for small nits in this episode but there were very few. The clues to Skye’s past and the weaving of that in with Raina and Jemma’s escape from Hydra were seamless. We had a suspicion that Bobbi would turn out to be S.H.I.E.L.D. and we were right, but that didn’t stop us from a glorious fist pump when it happened.

Writer Brent Fletcher deserves utmost praise for weaving two story lines together so well. We thoroughly enjoyed the sharp dialogue and humor. We’ve been hearing about Hunter’s (Nick Blood) ex for weeks and finding it to be Bobbi in a shocking moment of humorous twist near the end was so gratifying. We can’t wait to see that play out this season. We certainly hope she is here to stay.

Director Holly Dale was blessed with a fun episode to orchestrate, but a dramatically different one than last season’s “The Bridge” which was her last director’s role in this series. Gone were the huge set pieces, stunt work and fiery explosions that defined that episode. In their place were tense character moments and a quieter, but more emotional script. She delivered the same polish we’ve seen all season from this show. Despite limited action, this episode had an intensity from beginning to end.

The restaurant sequence in particular was extremely well done. Bear McCreary’s score throughout was masterful, but his emotional build through that scene combined with wonderful cinematography by Director of Photography Allan Westbrook and sharp editing by Eric Litman brought the right emotions and tensions when needed. We loved the intimacy of the tight camera work as the tension ramped up through that scene. Great performances by Clark Gregg and Ruth Negga were vital with such close focus on only them through much of the dialogue. As an ensemble, the entire scene came together incredibly well.

We would have loved to see a deeper reunion with FitzSimmons, but it’s our hope that this gets addressed in much more detail next week. These two have a lot to discuss. The question will be if they are willing to talk about it. We certainly hope so because we want to hear what both sides have to say. Fitz was just stepping out of her shadow and now she’s back. Will he step back in his recovery or will this be the jolt he’s needed to get to a better place? We are glad to see Skye and Coulson closer again. That was getting uncomfortable for us too and seeing them open to each other feels much more like the right approach in this small group. And we were already cringing at The Doctor and Whitehall both being on the loose. The thought of the two of them together with The Diviner? That’s a fear that’s more than the sum of it’s parts and we’ll be tuning in next week to see the messy fallout!

Questions, Comments, Concerns and My Reaction on Twitter…

• Toast anyone? That champagne sucked. Gave me the blues. What? Too soon?
• “We’ll have a very different conversation. One you will NOT be comfortable with.” Coulson is testy these days.
• Note to self—Don’t do anything that gives Daniel Whitehall a reason to “know” my name. @reeddiamond @Lil_Henstridge
• “I’m not going to have this conversation with myself again.” ~ Fitz to Casper-Simmons. Is Fitz finding himself again?
• “He wasn’t making a lot of sense after he was injected with the GH formula.” ~ Ward. Uh, oh. Skye knows. @ChloeBennet4
• Well that flexible screen was über cool tech there Jemma. @Lil_Henstridge
• “The GH is already in you. Which is either very good or a whole different level of scary.” ~ Coulson. Oh crap. @clarkgregg @ChloeBennet4
• Mockingbird!! It’s about damned time!
• “I’m an alien? That is not something you just say like it’s no big deal!” ~ Skye. Just another day at the office Skye. @ChloeBennet4 @clarkgregg
• “The tiny girl in the flower dress? That’s who everyone’s making such a fuss about?” ~ Hunter. Tiny girl. BIG problems. @nickdiscoblood
• “And why—also in the hell—would I ever let that happen?” ~ Coulson. I love his “I’m not giving you Skye” moment! Such good writing. @clarkgregg
• Okay, either the bathroom was a case of super high heels vs flats or Adrianne Palicki is WAY taller than Elizabeth Henstridge.
• Ladies and Gentlemen, meet Mockingbird.
• “Take me in!” ~ Raina. “Sorry. No vacancies.” ~ Coulson. I think this is the first time we’ve seen Raina that rattled.
• “Like every Hydra agent getting an email with my picture?” ~ Simmons. “Yeah, that was a curveball.” ~ Bobbi. Ya think?? @AdriannePalicki
• As much as we loved seeing Bobbi, who’s on pins and needles for a FitzSimmons moment?
• “You’re havin’ one hell of a day huh?” ~ Coulson. That moment was so tender. We needed that.
• OH HELL YES! The EX!!! “I prefer you blond!” ~ Hunter. @nickdiscoblood @AdriannePalicki
• #AgentsofS.H.I.E.L.D. just went from good to great in a single bound. They have SO much fun to work with in this team now!!
• @AdriannePalicki makes one hell of an entrance! And she makes me love @nickdiscoblood as Hunter all the more!
• That was flat-out badass! The fun and kicks that can come from this group now are off the charts. #AgentsofS.H.I.E.L.D. S2 rocks!!