Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Review: 2×14 “Love in the Time of Hydra”

Themes of individuality, family and trust take center stage as Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. plows full steam ahead toward confrontation. Betrayal is poised to shatter S.H.I.E.L.D. as we know it.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. — As Coulson (Clark Gregg) and May (Ming-Na Wen) try to get a grip on Skye’s (Chloe Bennet) new abilities, it becomes clear that removing Skye from the base, as Andrew (Blair Underwood) suggested, for a short while might be the best move for everyone. Coulson takes Skye to a remote safe house where she can continue working to control her powers with the help of gloves that partially inhibit her abilities crafted by Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge). As the two part ways, Coulson assures her that they will figure out what to do next together. Meanwhile, Agent 33, still with May’s charred face from her digital mask, is being helped by Grant Ward (Brett Dalton) to find her identity again after her brainwashing at the hands of Whitehall (Reed Diamond). When they manage to get her digital mask repaired so that she can become whoever she likes, she chooses to offer herself to Ward as with Skye’s face, despite being stuck with May’s voice. When he refuses, 33 is ashamed, but he assures her that he doesn’t want her to as anyone else but who she really is and he will help find her own identity again.

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While everyone else is having personal identity issues, Hunter (Nick Blood) finds himself in the middle of the largest of them all facing the leadership of a group claiming to be the real S.H.I.E.L.D. emerged from the ashes of the old. Led by Robert Gonzales (Edward James Olmos), the group sees Coulson as having fallen into the same trap of secrecy and mistakes made by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) that led to the demise of the S.H.I.E.L.D. they all knew. Already having been faced with the betrayal of Mack (Henry Simmons), Hunter is hollowed by the revelation that Bobbi (Adrianne Palicki) is working for Gonzales as a spy as well. After an emotional confrontation, Hunter escapes. Instead of tracking him, Bobbi’s plan is to eliminate the threat of Coulson before Hunter can blow her cover. At the same time, Agent 33 and Ward take the first step in their larger plan by infiltrating General Talbot’s (Adrian Pasdar) base using 33’s facial swaps in order to extract Sunil Bakshi (Simon Kassianides). Confronting her former tormenter proves therapeutic as Agent 33 is able to finally reclaim her own face (Maya Stojan) while the two proceed to brainwash Bakshi in the same manner as 33 had been by Whitehall. When Mack returns to The Playground, both May and Coulson know he is up to something, but what that something is is left unresolved leaving us tons of questions to sort through before next week’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.!

The love and support of a parent is a beautiful thing.

Skye and her powers are definitely uncharted territory for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. May and Coulson might both agree the Skye needs time alone in order to work through what she has become, but it’s Coulson that seems to believe she is the same Skye despite any changes she’s undergone. For him, this isn’t just someone on the Index. This is Skye. Someone he believes in, cares for and trusts.

Bennet and Gregg were phenomenal in their approach to the father and daughter relationship between their characters. As the two sat in the quinjet and talked, it felt very much like parent and child bonding time. Great writing really brought this out through the origin story of Lola and its relationship to Coulson and his own father, but Bennet and Gregg really sold the moment as the point was made that she hasn’t changed inside. Skye is still who she’s always been. She just has new elements to her that she has to figure out.

Bennet and Gregg have grown so much as actors in just the year and a half they’ve played these characters. They are comfortable as the persona they’ve each adopted and the characters feel natural and real. At the beginning of the series when things were questionable between Skye and Coulson, we watched as the characters butted heads while the actors worked to find their footing.

As Bennet and Gregg figured out who Skye and Coulson really were, it became easier and easier for us to understand the traits that define them both. Their reactions to everyone around them are now completely fluid and genuine. Seeing these characters break down the walls between them in order to understand each other better has been fun to watch. Skye is struggling with how her new found powers may have changed her, but Coulson, ever the loyal father figure, believes in her. Perhaps more than anyone else could and above all, Bennet has been able to still let the Skye we’ve come to know shine through her uncertainty.

“Stop being this S.H.I.E.L.D. guy for just one second, okay? Please. We’ve been through way too much together. I just need you to be my friend right now. What would you do if you were me?” ~ Skye

“I don’t know. These are uncharted waters, but if anybody can find a way through them, it’s you.” ~ Coulson

“Cause I’m the red Corvette.” ~ Skye

“Because you’re one of the few people I know I can trust.” ~ Coulson

It certainly seemed that Coulson meant more by that last statement than he let on. Is it possible he is aware of the alternate S.H.I.E.L.D. and knows the list of people he can truly count on is a very short one? Perhaps so, but his fatherly affection for Skye is one that is endearing to both characters and to the audience as we watch. If there’s one thing Skye needs most as things change, it’s someone who sees past all the different and recognizes the things about her that are the same. To hear that she is trusted by him above almost everyone must certainly have been comforting for Skye to hear. The trust between them is part of what has made this show entertaining as that mutual trust has progressed and grown.

Where things go from here is just about anyone’s guess, but it would certainly seem that Coulson removing Skye from The Playground may have as much to do with protecting her from things that Coulson may suspect are about to happen as her finding herself again.

We’ve certainly enjoyed watching Chloe Bennet stretch herself each week and grow. She’s wowed us with genuine emotion and for someone like Coulson to remind Skye that she hasn’t changed must have been a huge step forward. Bennet has made us believe how lost Skye has felt and the reassurance by Coulson seemed remind her that she’s still the same Skye at her core—even if part of her is now different.

If you don’t remember who you were, but could be anyone now, how could you ever decide who you should be moving forward?

Agent 33 was a very interesting contrast to Skye in this episode and even more so since she was played primarily by three different women throughout. Unlike Skye, Agent 33 has no one to guide her back to who she was before. Ward certainly seems to be trying to help 33 find herself again, but as he left out details of his own family and recovery from being lost, we are left to question his motives.

If there was one clear point throughout all of Agent 33’s scenes it was that as the episode started, she had absolutely no identity of her own. Being stuck with the scarred face of someone else certainly wouldn’t help a lost person find themselves again. As 33 recovered the ability to hide her scars, in a sense, she became like so many others on this show—hiding her true self from the world.

Both Ming-Na Wen and Chloe Bennet did a fantastic job playing essentially the same lost soul. Both captured the emotion well and both brought depth to 33 that wasn’t there as the episode started with zero identity for 33. Dalton was mostly solid in his work opposite them both with a few exceptions.

Is Ward using 33 for some unknown gain? Dalton’s weakest moments were those where he simply felt a bit false in his claims to help her. We may look back later and see that Dalton’s performance was spot on, but in select moments his emotions and traits seemed slightly off. If that’s Dalton switching between genuine Ward and manipulative Ward it will make sense later, but for this episode it felt as if something was missing.

As the 33 story line progressed and we see Skye’s face with May’s voice, Dalton’s reactions were much more natural even if the voice sync wasn’t always 100%. Faced with someone he’s both had feelings for and who also shot him was perhaps Dalton’s best moment of the episode.

“You took Skye off that S.H.I.E.L.D. plane for a reason.” ~ Agent 33 as Skye

“I made her a promise.” ~ Ward

“You don’t have to pretend. I saw the way you looked at her.” ~ Agent 33 as Skye

“And you also picked me up from the floor after she shot me. Whatever I may have thought there was between me and Skye, she made it pretty clear the feeling wasn’t mutual. I’m not insane.” ~ Ward

Dalton nailed this reaction and so did Chloe Bennet as a stunned Agent 33. The one flaw throughout this scene and that cropped up from time to time for the rest of the episode was the voice sync. As good an actor as Ming-Na Wen is, in a few places her inflections simply didn’t fit proving it’s incredibly difficult to duplicate the nuances of another human being when you don’t play the part. That’s quite the opposite of voicing an animated character than can be adjusted to fit an actor’s performance as Wen did exceptionally well as Disney’s Mulan. Some of the voice sync was perfect, but a few places looked as if they needed careful editing to get just right.

As both Agent 33 and Ward infiltrate Talbot’s base to retrieve Bakshi, the ruse of using someone else certainly worked perfectly into the plot. We loved seeing Adrian Pasdar reprising his role as Talbot, but we’d prefer he didn’t become comic relief. He’s much more natural when he maintains his authoritative presence. A little bit of Taco Tuesday is fine, but a man and his mower may be a bit much.

When Agent 33 and Ward do finally complete their mission and extract Bakshi, Talbot was much more himself. Pasdar’s best moment came while discussing the entire affair with Coulson and May. The confrontation with his real wife, Carla, was also top-notch. In fact, Raquel Gardner’s performance as both Carla and Agent 33 was fantastic throughout and helped to solidify that Agent 33 had very little identity of her own.

When Agent 33 did finally find her own face again and we see Maya Stojan, it was obviously a pivotal moment in her character development. As much fun as we had seeing Wen, Bennet and others play this role, Stojan stole the moment when she finally did emerge. That was simply great writing to bring her in at the end to help Agent 33’s arc reach a good milestone before the episode concluded. We don’t know if Ward can at all be trusted, but he certainly has helped Agent 33 find a lost part of herself. What the ultimate end game is for Bakshi we don’t know, but Stojan’s tense confrontation with him likely means Bakshi has a difficult time ahead.

Would the Real S.H.I.E.L.D. please stand up?

Deceptions and lies must be so ingrained in the S.H.I.E.L.D. way that even when a group emerges claiming to be the “Real S.H.I.E.L.D.” that is opposed to secrets, it’s a huge secret from the people who have been battling Hyrda on the front lines for some time. We found it a bit humorous that a group that claims they believe in transparency of leadership has been hiding all this time. That’s not a nit with the plot at all. That’s crafty storytelling that we think will play a role later.

Robert Gonzalez is a no-nonsense guy and Edward James Olmos was absolutely perfect in his performance. He’s simply got a gravitas that few can bring to the table with just his stoic demeanor and voice alone. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is extraordinarily lucky to have landed him in a role that could play a pivotal part of this series for the rest of the year.

While the questions surrounding Coulson’s leadership and his following in the same path as Fury before him seemed seemed accurate from the outside looking in, one would have to ask how anyone else would have handled these situations better. Where was this alternate S.H.I.E.L.D. when Coulson executed a brilliant plan to take down Hydra’s leadership? In fact, where have they been as Coulson and team have faced off against Hydra at nearly every turn and even earned trust again from the U.S. Government? These and other questions are ones we hope Coulson will ask when the time is right.

What made the reveal feel the most grounded was the surprising loyalty of Hunter to Coulson and the friction the moment caused between Hunter and Bobbi. Hunter has had his moments we’ve enjoyed this year, but he’s not always been our favorite character either. Lance Hunter is a bit of a cocky know-it-all at times and that makes him easy to dismiss.

Facing a new S.H.I.E.L.D. leadership and the betrayal of Bobbi certainly was a twist for Hunter and his staunch support of Coulson was a pleasantly unexpected outcome. Loyalty to S.H.I.E.L.D. wouldn’t at first seem to be one of his key traits, but looking back on the year, he’s slowly been buying in all along.

We still aren’t convinced that Bobbi isn’t playing both sides. Either way she’s lied to Hunter one too many times and no matter how this plays out it won’t likely end well for the two of them. But that’s part of what has made this show so good. Decisions and actions have consequences and those consequences aren’t just forgotten and written off later. The characters remember and their behavior reflects it.

Both Blood and Palicki shared an exceptional emotional confrontation as things unfolded.

“Everything I felt for you that was real.” ~ Bobbi

“Yeah, maybe so. But in the end, you still got that intel, didn’t you. It’s always the same pattern, love. I fall for you, only to discover you got something else up and running.” ~ Hunter

“There was no hidden agenda with you-“~ Bobbi

“Yeah, you say things like that, but your actions clearly suggest otherwise. Can’t you just meet me halfway?” ~ Hunter

“I want to. Just tell me how.” ~ Bobbi

“Walk away. Right now. You and I we can leave all this mess behind, just start over, be new people, be better people.” ~ Hunter

“I’m sorry. I need to finish this.” ~ Bobbi

Clearly both characters still care deeply for one another. It would appear to be a case of life intervening with circumstances that make a relationship nearly impossible. We certainly believed Bobbi when she admitted her feelings for him were genuine. Palicki’s eyes sold it, but it also simply makes sense. There would be no gain from Bobbi entering into a relationship with Hunter when she knows the end game would hurt him. That fact alone would suggest that her feelings are genuine and reconnecting with him happened against her better judgement.

As the final sequence played out and Hunter escaped, it’s clear that everyone in the alternate S.H.I.E.L.D. questions Bobbi’s loyalty. We certainly do. Which side is she really playing? Time will tell, but Coulson and May certainly know Mack isn’t telling the truth so it would seem that everyone has known more about one part of this plot or another that hasn’t been said yet on screen.

FINAL VERDICT: Multiple identities, multiple S.H.I.E.L.D. organizations and multiple deceptions made for a fun episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. where everyone was challenged with the question of who they are and who they can trust.

Season Two of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has been exemplary without any real dips in quality throughout. This episode had a few things that didn’t quiet work as well as episodes past, but it also had exceptional moments too. Edward James Olmos is a fantastic addition to the show and we can’t wait for more Gonzales, even if he is in opposition to Coulson.

The father daughter interactions between Chloe Bennet and Clark Gregg were outstanding. Nick Blood and Adrianne Palicki also brought their emotional A-game as the reality of a second S.H.I.E.L.D. was revealed. Every character had exceptional moments despite a few that felt slightly off. The voice sync was a gamble that worked well for the story even when the effect itself didn’t feel 100% right.

The overall themes of family, identity and loyalty were put to the test on a number of occasions and great writing by Writer Brent Fletcher put those moments just the right places to remind us that each character is struggling with issues similar to someone else on this show.

Skye and Agent 33 are both searching for who they are and finding themselves again in completely different ways. Skye and Coulson are continuing to bond while the family ties between others are falling apart. Bobbi and Hunter clearly care about each other but are at an impasse of circumstance and we simply don’t know which side of the fence Ward is really sitting with Agent 33.

All those things were great writing by Fletcher and Director Jesse Bochco made it work fairly well throughout. We’d have rather seen a little less humor with Talbot and we wish the voice sync had been a bit more fluid, but that doesn’t detract from what was a solid episode with some fantastic moments.

A confrontation between two S.H.I.E.L.D. organizations is likely coming. That didn’t go well at all when Hydra emerged from S.H.I.E.L.D. and we’re betting it won’t go well now either—even if both sides believe they are in the right. Secrets and their consequences have been a constant threat on this show and the reveal of a second S.H.I.E.L.D. won’t do anything to make that better.

If we were placing bets, things are going to get much worse before they get better for everyone and we only hope that when the dust settles there’s still at least one S.H.I.E.L.D. to come back to for everyone that see the value in an organization determined to protect the world.

We have no idea what’s coming next, but the clash of S.H.I.E.L.D. versus S.H.I.E.L.D. and everyone struggling with personal dilemmas should certainly make for entertaining television. Skye may very well play a pivotal role in determining which organization emerges triumphant and we can’t forget that Cal (Kyle MacLachlan), Gordon (Jamie Harris), Raina (Ruth Negga), Ward and Agent 33 are all out there as wild cards to be played before this season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. closes!

Questions, Comments, Concerns and My Reaction on Twitter…

• #PulpFiction Where’s Fury??
• Well, Hulk saved the world last I checked. Don’t make her mad guys. #YouWontLikeMeWhenImAngry
• Damn. Neat trick there with the face dude. That will come in handy.
• Now you can be anyone you want. I’m sure Ward will put that only to noble uses.
• Other than that, he’s not so bad. We love Coulson too Lance.
• Well, Bobbi and Hunter, that was awkward.
• Why don’t you take it up with the man himself. Damn right you should. @clarkgregg
• Ankle bone is always the toughest. lol I love coulson.
• How long before Ward asks her to put on Skye’s face? Any bets?
• Wait, does this mean Ultron is a Cylon? OMG #ItsAllConnected
• Um. The Coulson situation? I think it’s more like a Gonzales situation dude.
• Saved by the covert operative posing as my bosses wife.
• There’s a laser fence. aka Don’t wander around. lol
• Are these gloves really my best option? YES Quake .. they are!!
• That damned mask again. Talbot’s got a beef with that mask.
• If there is one thing I cannot STAND it’s a spy in my house. Damn right. I want em out.
• No. You’ve done enough already. May’s on to ya Mack.
• When was the last time I got your name right? Never..Sir. Best line of the night!!
• Compliance was NOT rewarded. #SorryNotSorry @simonkass
• Lance hasn’t always been my favorite character, but this hurts to watch.
• You know what the scariest change is Jemma. Is you. I’m with him on this. But wow.
• Anyone wondering who is working for whom here?