Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Review: 2×13 “One of Us”

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. takes a gritty turn as Skye struggles to cope with a frightening new reality while secrets, betrayal and Cal’s band of misfits put everyone at risk.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. — Cal (Kyle Maclachlan) is a man on a mission. As he assembles a team of gifted misfits from S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Index of individuals they monitor seeking revenge against S.H.I.E.L.D., Skye (Chloe Bennet) continues to struggle with her own new-found gifts. Having been placed on S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Index, a psyche evaluation of Skye is mandatory and Coulson (Clark Gregg) can only think of one person that he trusts, May’s (Ming-Na Wen) ex-husband, Dr. Andrew Garner (Blair Underwood). When Skye is incensed at the idea of an evaluation, the one thing that gets there to do an about-face, is learning who her shrink will be. But instead of divulging all the gritty details of May’s past, Dr. Garner, who only has Skye’s best interest at heart, works to understand Skye’s fear and help her face it. When she chooses sarcasm and deflection, he shares a bit of May’s past to open dialogue and connect with Skye who begins to see him as someone she can trust. Meanwhile, Mack (Henry Simmons) faces an uphill battle with Hunter (Nick Blood) held captive off base while Coulson and Bobbi (Adrianne Palicki) investigate missing gifteds that have been liberated by Cal.

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When Cal unleashes his misfits, including a coma-inducing shriek from the horrifying David Angar (Jeff Daniel Phillips) that leaves dozens of students unconscious, Coulson and Bobbi race to Coulson’s hometown to stop them. With Coulson in trouble, May doesn’t wait and lifts the Bus into action, while Skye and Andrew are still in session inside the containment chamber. With Coulson at his mercy, Cal broadcasts to the town about S.H.I.E.L.D.’s legacy of inhibiting and harming those on the Index until May shows up with Skye at gunpoint to distract Cal now that she is on the Index as well. Before Cal can react, Gordon (Jamie Harris) flashes in and in a ball of light, teleports Cal away. Without their leader, the rest of Cal’s misfits are quickly dispatched, but in an effort to control her powers, Skye redirects them inward, shattering bone and bursting blood vessels in an attempt to prevent her powers from manifesting. As she recovers, Andrew informs May that he recommends Skye leave S.H.I.E.L.D. for her own safety and mental health. He insists that S.H.I.E.L.D. hasn’t really changed. They still keep secrets and don’t have the best interest of their agents at heart. Surprisingly, Coulson unknowingly confirms this by setting Jemma Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge) onto a secret agenda to discover ways to inhibit Skye and Raina’s (Ruth Negga) powers. Meanwhile, Mack brings Hunter to the location of the organization he and Bobbi now are working for—the real S.H.I.E.L.D. risen from the ashes of the old. With secrets, betrayals and emotional turmoil at every turn, let’s sort through the Earth-shattering events of this week’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.!

The last thing Skye wants is to be on the couch of a shrink. Unless that shrink happens to be May’s ex-husband.

When we heard that Blair Underwood landed a guest spot on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. we were tickled. He brings gravitas to any character he plays and that kind of levity is needed at times to add a layer of realism to on a comic book show. When we heard he would be playing May’s ex-husband, Dr. Andrew Garner, we were ecstatic. We know next to nothing about May’s past and just like Skye, we were dying to know more.

Underwood delivered a grounded, real and genuine performance as the evaluator of Skye’s psyche. It was a smart character move to tie Skye’s evaluator to May’s past. Not only did it give us just a small glimpse of May before this show started, but it also was likely the only motivation Skye would accept in order to open up to anyone new. She trusts her family, for the most part at least given that she fears they are all afraid of her, but outsiders are a different story. Having him open up to her about May’s past broke down Skye’s walls and made for genuine, emotional interaction between Bennet and Underwood.

“We eloped. We didn’t want a big wedding. And, no, it wasn’t Vegas. Although Melinda does love Vegas.” ~ Dr. Garner

“I also shot myself because I…I couldn’t stop what I was doing.” ~ Skye

“How does it feel when it’s happening?” ~ Dr. Garner

“It’s terrifying.” ~ Skye

If this episode established anything, it would be that gaining any measure of control over her powers is going to be very a long and difficult road for Skye. Again, this was smart writing. Characters on shows that undergo this kind of transformation often don’t go through a guilty, emotional birth. But the best hero stories are ones where the hero must struggle to overcome who they are before they can help anyone else. By associating Trip’s (B. J. Britt) death with her genesis she has an emotional journey to complete before reaching a place where she can use her new-found abilities for any measure of good.

We certainly hope that Underwood will make another guest appearance despite his insistence that he isn’t the person to help Skye. His recommendation that she leave S.H.I.E.L.D. all together was a bold choice, but one that made sense once it was broken down. Andrew is right, despite May’s claims not much has changed at S.H.I.E.L.D. Coulson is still harboring secrets and others are as well. That kind of environment, when added to the day-to-day stresses of being an agent may be too much for Skye to develop in a healthy way.

The question then, would be what it will take for her to trust anyone enough to step away? We certainly thought Gordon was there to claim her when he appeared at the end. Since he didn’t, though he must be aware of her, what does her future hold? We aren’t certain, but the idea that her internalization can harm her is a game changer. All this time up until now, she’s worried about hurting others, but if she’s also capable of destroying herself, that adds an entirely new level of danger to her abilities.

But deep down it was a fantastic throwback to her shooting Donnie Gill (Dylan Minnette) that brought things full circle. Dr. Garner would not have understood her fear of her own teammates in her simple statement, but as an audience we certainly did.

“I dreamed I was on mission, looking through the scope on my rifle. The next thing I knew, I was on the other side. The rifle was trained on me.” ~ Skye

“Pretty on point going from being an agent to a-” ~ Dr. Garner

“Yeah, to being on the index. And I know S.H.I.E.L.D.’s policy for people on the index. I have executed that policy.” ~ Skye

The stakes are high for both her and S.H.I.E.L.D., but we’re loving the complex and emotional exploration of the process she’s going through in order to become something new. She has a long way to go and a lot to overcome, but thus far, it’s been a fascinating process of discovery and change.

Secrets, lies and betrayals may ultimately tear this team apart if the old ways of S.H.I.E.L.D. aren’t put to rest.

A lot has been made of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s propensity to create, harbor, nurture and guard secrets. Bobbie’s assessment to Jemma was on point. They’re spies. They lie for a living. But some secrets bring much more pain than others and this episode certainly brought some of the prickly kind to the forefront.

No matter how the abduction of Hunter plays out, it can’t end well for Bobbi on multiple fronts. She’s not only burned a bridge with Hunter, but she and Mack both are lighting fire to multiple other bridges as well. Coulson, for all his secrets, doesn’t like to be manipulated or lied to and he certainly won’t take well to the idea that they are subverting his authority.

Bobbi was smart and Palicki played her cool when Coulson confronted her about Hunter. Her story was believable because of a past, but it left us wondering how much of it Coulson believed and if he’s more aware than we know. It would certainly make for an interesting twist if he did know more than he’s letting on at the moment. That will bounce some shock back onto Bobbi and Mack, but for the moment Bobbi certainly is playing things as if she’s got the upper hand. Her take down of Bruno and her request of a peace-offering to Hunter still shows she cares about her job and her teammates.

“You’re a hard person to read, but Hunter isn’t. How long have you two been sleeping together?” ~ Coulson

[…]

“I broke it off. Hunter slipped back into his old patterns, which involves bailing and beer. Mack’s gone to find him, and history repeats itself.” ~ Bobbi

But the lies will have consequences. Bobbi and Mack must know this and they both seem to be trying desperately to minimize those consequences. Their open support of secrets and opposition to how they can affect a team would seem to be clear indications that they are setting others up to accept their own secret, but Jemma cut right to the heart of the matter in her conversation with Bobbi early in the episode.

“I have to accept that he’s different now and our relationship won’t ever be what it was.” ~ Jemma

“Little early to sound the funeral bells, don’t you think?” ~ Bobbi

“A betrayal of trust like that, it changes everything.” ~ Jemma

Jemma is right. Whatever this “Real S.H.I.E.L.D.” is that Bobbi and Mack are aligning themselves with is going to have deep ramifications to this show for some time. Trust issues already spend a great deal of time front and center. This kind of secret, even for a show full of them, is dynamite waiting to explode.

Did Cal’s team of misfit, renegade super villains just roll into town in the RV of Doom? Yes, yes they did.

An episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. wouldn’t be complete without a bit of humor, but Cal and his crazy band of rogues both frightened and entertained us. Make no mistake, Kyle MacLachlan has created a dynamic, genius character out of what could have been a very one-dimensional villain if not done correctly.

While we questioned some of the plot choices where these villains were concerned, what we didn’t question was how much fun crazy times five was to watch. We love Drea de Matteo and her portrayal of the very psychotic Karla Fay Gideon was brilliant and subtle. Her emotional release when unshackled and her twisted compassion when Angar was later given the same release were amazing moments from an accomplished actress.

Our only beef with Gideon was this plot itself. Why would someone so dangerous be living on her own with iron gloves on her hands? If she had killed more than just her abusive boyfriend, why was she on the loose? Those things certainly seemed to support the idea Cal was preaching—that S.H.I.E.L.D. had mistreated and mishandled people on the Index. But they also support the idea that S.H.I.E.L.D. handled things poorly on all levels. Gloved and set loose hardly seems humane, or even smart for that matter.

“Don’t you think it’s time everyone learn how S.H.I.E.L.D. treats people like us? We’re gonna teach them a lesson, and we want you to join us. I know. I sound bat-guano crazy. Except S.H.I.E.L.D. Nah. Not so mighty anymore. A handful of agents. Director is a door-to-door salesman of a man. Still, I’m…I’m not powerful myself. None of us are. But together, we’re a force. What do you say?.” ~ Cal

“I’m in.” ~ Karla

Once the plot holes were passed by however, the rest of the antics of this motley crew were absolute gold. Anyone who didn’t appreciate how enormously entertaining a normal cafe breakfast did not fit this group is taking life too seriously. We did get a little insight into Cal’s uniqueness. He’s been experimenting on himself, with mixed and sometimes volatile results, but doesn’t he play crazy exceptionally well? We certainly think so. All that was missing from this scene was Amanda Plummer jumping up, Pulp Fiction style, and yelling that she’d execute everyone if they moved. Had that happened we might not have recovered from the laughter.

Despite the humor, if there was any doubt of this group’s threat, they made their point loud and clear. Angar was creepy as hell. Jeff Daniel Phillips deserves a lot of credit along with the visual effects teams to create a villain worthy of Cal’s delightful chuckles. HIs coma inducing voice was horrid. But nothing topped Cal’s emotional reaction at introducing Coulson to the field of play with the entire town’s lives at stake.

“Let’s welcome Phil Coulson to the field. Here’s a fun fact. He killed the man I had been plotting to kill for 2 1/2 decades! Disappointment!!!” ~ Cal

Kyle MacLachlan has taken Cal to a level of crazy that’s just fun to watch. Skye said it best—twitchy and not all there. But the brilliant move of using Skye against her father worked like a charm. That is until Gordon whisked Cal away leaving the rest of the group outmatched for S.H.I.E.L.D..

We have no idea where Gordon transported Kyle, but we’re dying to find out if other Inhumans come into play soon after Gordon’s last statements. And if they do, what are there intentions? Gordon seemed heroic in capturing Raina, but he was genuinely creepy as Cal pleaded his case for what to do next. Gordon it seems has very little respect for Cal.

“Why am I here?” ~ Cal

“Because you’re making too much noise.” ~ Gordon

“Noise? I’m sounding a battle cry! I’m protecting us from S.H.I.E.L.D.” ~ Cal

“There is no ‘us.’ You’re not one of us. You’re a science experiment.” ~ Gordon

“So what happens to me, then?” ~ Cal

“That’s not for me to decide.” ~ Gordon

As Cal straightens his tie and his hair and wanders off, we can’t help but wonder who he’s going to see.

FINAL VERDICT: Skye’s new reality hits hard as she struggles to control her frightening abilities while her father seeks to do just the opposite in this gritty, enjoyable and wild entry of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has proven time and again that it can switch gears from gritty, emotional realism to light-hearted humor at just the right times and in just the right ways to make this show enjoyable to watch and really hit us in the gut all within a span of minutes. That skill is highly underrated. It’s easy to make one or both elements feel off and wrong, but Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. seems to do it with ease. That’s great television and great writing at work.

Writer Monica Owusu-Breen and every other writer on the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. writing team must all be having a ball coming up with the next crazy thing Cal might say. Kyle MacLachlan has made that character all his own and dreaming up his reactions to every situation must be a laugh a minute. We’d love to be a fly on the wall for some of those meetings. Owusu-Breen did a stellar job with the dialogue in this episode.

Snappy, well planned writing made most of this episode an absolute joy and Director Kevin Tancharoen pulled it all together into one nice, fun package to watch. Our only beef would be that some of the introductions of the villains were suspect and that most of the characters paled in comparison to Underwood, Bennet and most especially MacLachlan who delivered absolute hilarity with his off kilter antics. The performances of everyone else were solid, but those three stood head and shoulders above the rest with the exception of perhaps Adrianne Palicki, whose deception has her showing some emotional range as well.

The splinter and division within S.H.I.E.L.D. sets up a load of confrontations in the near future and the consequences will likely be widespread. We loved seeing Skye deal so realistically with her unsettling circumstances and Blair Underwood was fantastic opposite her struggle. We don’t know what boiling pot will overflow first, Skye’s emotional state, the team’s discord or even the tension between Fitz (Iain De Caestecker) and Simmons now that Simmons is conducting her own secret investigation of the Inhumans on Coulson’s behalf. We do know this much. We’re loving Season Two and will be eagerly watching next week to see if someone strikes a match to this powder keg and blows the relationships on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. wide open!

Questions, Comments, Concerns and My Reaction on Twitter…

• The misfits are about to be loose.
• I’ll try not to be offended. We are certainly NOT S.H.I.E.L.D..
• That’s quite a set of nails there.
• Is the secret ingredient cheese?
• Who ya gonna call May?
• Simmons. You and Fitz shared more than science. That was sacred too.
• What the hell Melinda? Yeah. We’re asking the same question.
• Does anyone else find the Winnebago of Doom somewhat humorous?
• I did not know you were married. That look from Fitz was priceless.
• Pillow “stern looks” May: “foreplay” lol
• Who’s he waiving to? Us. Well, he’s definitely a villain with personality.
• Damn. Now for bachelor number 2. Don’t mess with Bobbi Morse.
• I’m absolutely loving how well @Kyle_MacLachlan plays crazy. He’s SOOO good at it. #ThatsACompliment
• I sometimes get the shakes “after” a nightmare, but rarely shake the entire building.
• Okay, if a crazy couple tries to rob the restaurant during this meal, I’m gonna fist pump. #PulpFiction
• The breath on that thing .. ugg
• Disappointment!!! This is absolutely hilarious! I love @Kyle_MacLachlan as crazy Cal.
• I was hoping it was wings. Disappointment Again!!!
• Whoops. Wrong person Gordon?
• Directing them inward. Holy shit. I didn’t think of that. Da-amn.
• Her photo’s on my desk. Ouch May.
• Well, I’m seriously confused now. That look Hunter had? That’s me too.
• That’s not my decision. That look was ominous. Whose decision is it? #Inhumans