Agents of SHIELD – S2E6 – A Fractured House – Recap

The episode opens at the UN. Talbot talking about being in New York City during the battle for New York, aka The Avengers movie. In his speech, he stomps SHIELD into a mudhole. The Italian diplomat stands up to him. A squad busts in led by a guy who I thought was Batroc the Leaper (he’s not, pity) and starts hitting diplomats with those discs that obelisk people. Is obelisk a verb? It is now. The discs don’t turn people into obelisks, but it has the same effect that touching it, or you know, drinking champagne laced with the cells of its victims does. Not-Batroc and his people are wearing clothes sporting the SHIELD logo. Not-Batroc announces “SHIELD is done hiding” as tries to kill Talbot with one of those discs. Oh boy.

Agents-of-SHIELD-206-disc

Ward opens his eyes like he’s Jack in the opening of the pilot of Lost. He then goes through the Desmond workout from the opening of the first episode of the second season of Lost. I’m starting to think I know what show the Agents of SHIELD writer like the most. Hint: it rhymes with “LOST.” Ward has an insane workout routine. Skye and Gemma are watching the Ward channel. Gemma admits to watching it every day, but she manages to say it in a wholly scientific and non-sexy way.  May comes in to announce to them that there’s been an attack on the UN. Coulson figures out it’s Hydra immediately.
Coulson wants coffee and finds a grumpy cat mug. “Did someone bring this from home?” That’s a good question. How does a Grumpy Cat mug end up in a hidden SHIELD base. I thought everything was only allowed to have the SHIELD logo on it. I kind of wish that mug did have both Grumpy Cat and a SHIELD logo on it. Coulson tells Skye to put the alien writing deciphering on the back burner for now. Bobbie Morse, in a purple Star Wars t-shirt,  shows up with some intel. I have never loved Star Wars more. She says Marcus Scarlotti is the name of guy I thought was Batroc. Coulson tells Bobbie to join Hunter and May to take on the developer of the obelisk weapon. Neither Hunter nor Bobbie are feeling good about this team-up. Coulson basically says get over it or get out.
bobbie star wars shirt shield
Talbot is now in an arm sling. I’m guessing the disintegrater disc missed him. He meets with government honcho. Talbot tells him he thinks it wasn’t actually SHIELD. And then we find out that this government dude is Ward’s brother, Christian Ward. DUN DUN DUN!
christan ward
Coulson and Skye watch Ward’s brother on TV announce he wants to dismantle SHIELD. He calls SHIELD terrorists. Coulson shows Skye a map of the remaining SHIELD operatives. There aren’t many dots on that map.
Coulson contacts Agent Walters int he Netherlands. He tells her to go dark. Hmmm…could this be Jen Walters? For those of you who don’t read comics, Jennifer Walters is the cousin of Bruce Banner, aka The Incredible Hulk. Because she desperately needed a blood transfusion to save her life, Bruce agreed to go against his better judgement and donate his blood. This blood transfusion transformed her into the sometimes savage, sometimes sensational She-Hulk. At one time, She-Hulk worked for SHIELD.
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On the flight to Japan, Bobbie and Hunter try to have a civil conversation. Bobbie is slightly better at it than Hunter is. Bobbie is surprised that Hunter has stuck around. Once the conversation gets a little more passive aggressive, Bobbie goes to the cockpit to talk to May. She asks May if she’s ever been married and if she still talks to her ex. May answers her with silence to both questions.
Fitz is mumbling to himself in his lab. Simmons (the real one) visits him. I wonder if he was talking to fake Simmons just before this. He was definitely talking to himself, so maybe. Simmons asks Fitz for help figuring out something. Woo, FitzSimmons is back! Simmons sees just how bad Fitz’s condition is. It clearly gets to her.
Skye asks Ward about his older brother, the Senator. I wonder how the third Ward brother will one day play into the series. Ward tells her to stay away from him. The way Ward describes him, Christian is a worse guy than he is, and SHIELD/Hydra Ward is pretty bad.
In Japan, May, Bobbie and Hunter try to figure out how to take down Toshiro. Bobbie suggests going in under her Hydra cover. Hunter backs her up with some passive aggressiveness thrown in for old time’s sake. Toshiro’s men check Bobbie for weapons, as May and Hunter watch from the Van.
Bobbie and Toshiro meet. Bobbie speaks Japanese…and then starts making out with Toshiro. That must be fun for Hunter to watch. Toshiro then asks Bobbie if she is working for SHIELD. Bobbie deflects and asks about Scarlotti’s weapons. May and Hunter give running commentary. Toshiro calls them splinter bombs. Bobbie wants some, but he’s shipped them all out to Hydra.
Hunter intercepts an incoming message to Toshiro’s people. It’s alerting them at Bobbie is SHIELD. Hunter stops a gunman from shooting Bobbie in the back of the head. She’s pissed, claiming she totally knew about the guy walking directly behind her with a gun. Uh-huh. After taking out Toshiro’s men, they head to Belguim.
Fitz is looking at Blackbird files. He has a hard time getting his thoughts out and gets frustrated when Simmons tries to finish his sentences. Fitz lashes out at Simmons for leaving when she did. It doesn’t end well. Simmons leaves, just as Mac arrives.
Coulson is in Christian Ward’s office when Christian walks in. Christian won’t shake his hand. Maybe he’s just a germophobe. Coulson wants to clear the air regarding the UN attack, saying it wasn’t his team. Coulson basically gives up Ward to Christian.
Skye visits Ward again. She tells him no one is watching.
Coulson tells Christian that he knows about the well. Christian paints the picture that Ward is just a big fat liar.
Ward tells the same thing about Christian. That’s he’s worse than Ward is.
Christian tells Coulson a story about finding Grant standing over Thomas with s screw driver. Thomas is the third Ward brother we haven’t met yet. Christian basically paints Grant Ward to be a sociopath. He plays Coulson right into his hands, telling him that he’s spent too much of his life trying to unravel his lies and that he always finds someone to believe them. Coulson feels the same way about Ward.
Cut to Ward possibly lying to Skye. This show needs a Lying Cat. Lying Cat would be so helpful here.
Coulson offers Christian a deal.
Ward tells Skye about her dad. Ward sounds super creepy during this scene. He tells her that the people who died when Skye was found in the Hunan province were Hydra agents, not villagers. Hydra killed Skye’s mother. Skye’s father then killed all of the Hydra agents. Ward wants to go on the run with Skye. Skye thanks him for telling him everything he knows and that it’s time to get him out of there…because they’re giving him to his brother.
Mac and Fitz figure out these bombs go back to a design from the 1940s, designed by Vincent Beckers…the same Beckers May is going heading to? Is he another guy who doesn’t age? Simmons says we have to tell Coulson now!
Ward is pleading his case to Coulson. Coulson isn’t having it. Coulson has it out on Ward, telling him the laundry list of things he’s done: almost killing FitzSimmons, killing Victoria Hand and Ezra Koenig. Trip pulls Coulson out. Christian’s men are here for Ward. .
Vincent Beckers is Julian’s grandfather. Ah, got it. Coulson relaizes they’ve been played. In Belguim, Beckers is waiting for Agents Walters in the safe house. He’s killed the SHIELD agents in the house. Wait, how? Is he a superhuman. Oh, Beckers has a Hydra team with him. Scarlottie comes in with a knife. Walters headbutts him. He discs her in the stomach and she turns to dust. Okay, definitely not Jennifer Walters. False alarm. No She-Hulk here.
Hunter busts down the door, offering Scarlotti and his people beer. They’re justifiably confused. Bobbie and May burst in. Bobbie whips out her escrima sticks and goes to town. She and Hunter make a good team.
agents of shield s236 bobbie
May and Scarlotti fight. He’s got a knife on a chain and knows how to use it. May dodges him well. It’s an exciting fight scene. Man, sometimes I’m watching Mingna Wen kick ass in these fight scenes, it occurs to me that this is the same woman who for the longest time I associated with The Joy Luck Club. Night and day. At some point, May ends up with Scarlotti’s knife.
Bobbie thanks hunter for saving her life three times today. Awww, are they getting back together?
May (mainly May’s knee) takes down Scarlotti. Unforuntatey, every SHIELD agent in the house other than she, Hunter and Bobbie, are dead. 
Simmons thanks Mac for helping Fitz. Mac says Fitz doesn’t need any help. He says that Fitz is definitely a different man from the Fitz that Simmons knew, but Mac never knew the old Fitz. He says she needs to get used to the new Fitz. Simmons wants to tell Mac why she left, but Mac doesn’t want to hear it. He says that the only thing that makes Fitz worse is her. She agrees. That’s why she left.
Hunter is leaving the team. Bobbie wishes him well, and hints he should stay.
There’s a big squad of guys there to take Ward form the stronghold.  Simmons stares Ward in the eyes while he’s marched out. Simmons tells Ward that she’ll kill him if she ever sees them again. I think she’s serious. Coulson can’t even look Ward in the face.
Talbot takes Scarlotti into custody.
Christian Ward gives a press conference separating SHIELD from Hydra, and stating bluntly that Hydra is the threat. He comes clean about his brother being in Hydra.
Ward says to Coulson,”Tell Skye this doesn’t change anything. I’ll keep my promise.” Yeah, I don’t see Coulson relaying that message. On the truck out of town, Ward dislocates his thumbs, frees himself and fights ALL the guards in the truck with him.
At some tattoo shop, some guys is getting all that alien writing tattooed on himself. Silly guy. Carve that into walls. Wait, who is this guy?
agents of shield s2e6 tattooed guy

Agents of SHIELD – S2E5 – A Hen in the Wolf House – Recap

The episode opens on a wedding. There’s a lot of guys in uniform at this wedding. The wedding guests, and the TV viewing audience, are being subjected to a terrible best man speech. One lady asks the waiter for something stronger than champagne, but the bartender gives him a stern “No way, Jose” look. That, and the fact that the catering staff is totally jacked has me thinking something is up. At the end of the toast, everyone drinks their champagne…everyone except the booze hound lady looking for something stronger. She made the right call, as the champagne has been poisoned. It looks like they drank liquid obelisk. For some reason, this scene reminds me of the Foo Fighters Learn to Fly video.

The catering crew takes off. They’re all Hydra agents reporting to that Hydra dude that works for Dr. Whitehall.

At the SHIELD hideout, May, Skye, Trip and Hunter give us some exposition on the dead wedding guests. A bunch of them were in a Navy anti-Hydra unit. When they enter Coulson’s office, he’s scratching his weird alien script into his desk. Skye notices and asks what it is. Coulson covers, and asks Skye if she found any info as to where the obelisk is located. She says that she put some feelers out to her Rising Tide contacts. Hey, remember Rising Tide? They were the group Skye was affiliated with when she was living out of her van at the start of the series. That’s a name we haven’t heard in some time.

In some back alley surgery room, Kyle MacLachlan, aka Skye’s dad, is removing a bullet from some dude while the dude’s friends watch. Raina enters. Those guys aren’t cool about it. Apparently, this is Kyle MacLachlan’s job, back alley surgeon. Raina begs him to give her the obelisk back. If he doesn’t, Daniel Whitehall will kill her. We get some weird insight into Raina’s past. Apparently Kyle MacLachlan found her on the street “clinging to some stories her grandmother told her.” It gets weird when she counters with, “You told me you’d make them come true.” I can’t wait for a Raina origin episode. Lesson learned in this scene: don’t piss Kyle MacLachlan off. He almost kills Raina by strangulation when she tells him things he doesn’t want to hear. Sorry Raina, but Kyle is keeping the obelisk. He suggests she beg to Daniel Whitehall (Hydra silver fox) instead of to him when Raina tells him that Daniel will kill her if she doesn’t return with it. The most interesting line of dialogue comes when Raina says “I really wanted to bring you Skye,” and Kyle responds, “That is not her name.” It would be kind of funny if her name is actually Sky. Or Skie. Speaking of names, I can’t remember Kyle MacLachlan’s character’s name at all. Were we ever told it?

skyes dad

Over at Hydra Inc, Simmons and her boss are pulled into a meeting by Whitehall’s #2. I really wish I could remember his name. Whitehall is at the meeting too. Simmons’s boss tells her who Daniel Whitehall is, “one of Hydra’s new heads!” Hydra! Head! Get it? Oh man, that Simmons’s boss. Such a master of puns. Whitehall explains that the poisoned champagne was created  by using cells of the obelisk’s victims. Whitehall wants the obelisk. Whitehall calls out Simmons. He asks her where the doctor who created the obelisk champagne went wrong. Simmons makes it out of the meeting with her head intact. Simmons’s boss takes affront to Whitehall knowing her name and not his. But just when you feel bad for this piece of Hydra middle management, Simmons asks him if he understands that if they weaponize the obelisk, they may kill millions or billions of people, and he responds with, “Pretty awesome, huh?” Suddenly I won’t feel bad about this guy dying at some point in the future.

At Coulson’s SHIELD hideaway, Fitz notices Skye walk off with the painting from last episode, the one with the alien markings on the back. FigSimmons (FIGment of Fitz’s imagination SIMMONS) changes the topic to Mac’s physique and how nice it is. Fitz realizes that he must also think it’s nice, since FigSimmons is a figment of his imagination. But he doesn’t notice that she changed the topic away from Skye walking off with the painting, as if part of Fitz condoned what Skye was doing.  FigSimmons is excited that Fitz admitted she’s not real. She suggest he move on from her and embrace the real world.

Skye and Hunter are checking out the painting. Hunter once again mentions how much he and his ex fought. Enough already! We get it. Seriously, that’s 90% of his dialogue this episode and last. When he finally takes a break from complaining about his ex, he suggests Skye interrogate Ward.

Ward is creepily happy to see Skye. Ward tells Skye that Raina knows her father. Skye doesn’t believe him, and doesn’t want to hear any more about her father. She shows him a photo of the alien markings and asks him what he knows. He first saw it in Belarus and later when Garrett started etching it in glass. I wonder who the previous etching carver was. Skye is surprised to hear that Garrett carved markings like this. Ward shows concern when he thinks that Skye is making these, but she tells him that she isn’t the one making them.

Raina enters Hydra Inc and sees Simmons in the lobby. Raina is clearly intrigued by this. In a park, Simmons talks into a takeout menu that is actually a SHIELD communicator, warning them of Hydra’s plans to weaponize the obelisk. Raina watches from some trees.

Skye confronts Coulson. She figured out the Coulson is the one making the carvings. He explains that the first time he saw Garrett’s writings, it triggered something in him. He thinks it’s from his being injected with the GH formula, that alien formula that brought Coulson back fromt he dead. Skye points out she was injected with it too and hasn’t started carving any symbols. Coulson responds with that’s either very good or “an all-different kind of scary.” He admits that he’s been keeping Skye under observation. He suggests to Skye that she might have alien DNA. Skye doesn’t take the news that she might be an alien very well. May interrupts. There’s a call waiting for him. It’s Raina.

ELIZABETH HENSTRIDGE, ADAM KULBERSH

At Hydra Inc, an alarm blares. Whitehall’s #2 is joined by…hey waitaminute is that Tyra from Friday Night Lights?!? It is Tyra from Friday Night Lights! Alright, Adrianne Palicki is on the show! She’s some kind of Hyrdra security chief. They order everyone away from their computers and announce they have a mole. Tyra (I’m going to keep calling her by her FNL character name until we’re told what her name is here) has Simmons’s takeout menu communicator. Simmons glances down at her open drawer, which has another takeout menu communicator sititing on top. Uh-oh.

hen in the wolf house bobbie

Thankfully, Tyra says that dude that reports to Whitehall’s name. It’s Bakshi. That’s much easier than “that dude that reports to Whitehall.” Tyra questions Simmons while Hydra agents search desks. What’s up with Tyra’s outfit. She’s wearing this weird Sgt. Pepper’s-esque jacket. Tyra asks about Gemma’s SHIELD background. Simmons says that her loyalty is to Hydra. She opens up Simmons’s drawer….no menu communicator! A Hydra agent does find one in Simmons’s boss’s desk. Wow, good job Simmons! Moving the menu during the commercial break from your desk to your boss’s without anyone noticing, despite being in a room full of armed Hydra agents. Move Simmons out of the lab and into the field. Simmons’s boss gets dragged off. Yeah, I don’t feel bad…

Cut to a fancy restaurant. Coulson is dining alone. Hunter is observing him from another table. Skye and May look on from the kitchen, much to the chef’s chagrin. Raina joins Coulson. He asks her where the obelisk is. She’s not forthcoming with its location. Raina threatens to email Hydra a picture of Simmons with the communicatior menu.

Simmons is calming herself down in the bathroom when Tyra creeps up on her and tells her she looks nervous. Simmons very rightfully points out that it might because she’s lurking right outside her stall. Tyra questions Simmons some more and calls her a bad liar.

At the restaurant, Coulson and Raina continue their standoff. Raina won’t send the pic to Hydra if Coulson gives her Skye. To show she’s serious, she starts a two minute timer. Raina tells Coulson that she wants to take Skye to meet her dad. Skye, listening in, understandably freaks. Coulson tells Raina no deal. Skye wants to give herself up. May isn’t about to let that happen. With second left…Coulson lets the timer hit zero. Man, that dude has balls.

Simmons returns from the bathroom just in time for everyone to get that email. Ruh-roh. Bakshi orders his team to drop her. Simmons books. As she rounds the corner, she sees Tyra and two guards approaching her. Oh no. Tyra whips out two escrima sticks and gives a beat down to her own men. Oh man, Adrianne Palicki’s Gi Joe training really paid off. But what’s with that pose at the end? Don’t get me wrong, it’s bad ass and all, but it seemed about as pointless as if she said “Ta-da!” Actually, I kind of wish she said “Ta-da!”  while striking this pose here. Tyra tells Simmons not to worry, Coulson has a plan.

bobbie morse ta  da

At the restaurant, Raina is freaking out and Coulson is 100% calm. Raina can’t believe that Coulson would sacrifice a member of his team like that. Raina begs for Coulson to take her in, as Whitehall will kill her if she doesn’t bring him the obelisk.

At Hydra Inc, Tyra tells Simmons that she’s Bobbie Morse. Coulson sent her to keep an eye on Simmons. For those of you who don’t read comics, Bobbie Morse is the secret identity of Avengers member and former SHIELD agent Mockingbird. In the comics, she was married to Hawkeye for a while, but then she died, and then he died, and then they were both resurrected, and they decided to go their separate ways.

mockingbird

Bobbie leads Simmons to the roof, taking out Hydra agents along the way, including Bakshi. In the middle of a firefight on the roof, Bobbie and Simmons jump off the side of the building, landing on top of a cloaked Quinjet piloted by Trip. Simmons and Bobbie bond in the plane. I really hope Bobbie is a regular on the show. I was a fan of Mockingbird growing up, and I loved Friday Night Lights.

Raina gave Coulson Skye’s father’s address. While Coulson and May discuss their next move, Skye sneaks off to that address. She searches the place room to room, but doesn’t find him. He does find his picture on the ground, holding a baby who I assume is Skye. A hand reaches for her. It’s Coulson. Skye’s dad is watching in his car on his iPad from the feed from a hidden camera in a clock.

Skye gets the best line of the night when Hunter enters. She asks if he’s been drinking. He says he was working and needed to maintain his cover. Her response: “Your cover as what? Ron Burgundy?” May finds the bodies of the guy Skye’s dad was operating on, and his friends’ bodies too. May points out that two of them were killed with pure strength. Coulson notices a camera and stares at it. Skye’s dad finishes her line when she calls him a monster. Hmm, was he calling himself a monster or Coulson? Either way, he smashes the iPad and drives off.

At SHIELD’s secret base, Coulson greats Simmons, Bobbie and Trip. Simmons is psyched to be back. Coulson announces that he asked Bobbie to join the team. YES!

FitzSimmons reunite! YES! Fitz has to ask if it’s really her. She says of course it is. Hey, it’s a fair question all things considered.

Mac and Bobbie know each other. Apparently, Mac and Bobbie both like “three olive martinis. Hold the olives.” Wait, what? Why would you hold the olives? Crazy people. Hunter also knows Bobbie. They really know each other. Oh man, Bobbie is Lance Hunter’s ex-wife. Hahahaha, this is going to be good. I’m guessing Agents Morse and Barton (Hawkeye) haven’t been a couple in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Okay, quick Friday Night Lights connection here and then back to the show. On Friday Night Lights, Adrianne Palicki as Tyra dated Landry, who was always called Lance by Coach Taylor. Now on Agents of SHIELD, Adrianne Palicki’s Bobbie Morse is the ex-wife of Lance Hunter. I wonder if naming him Lance was an on purpose nod to FNL.

tyra and landry

Landry forever.

Coulson comes clean to Skye about his alien carvings, all of them. It’s a lot. He did a whole wall yesterday. He has no idea why he’s doing it or what it means. Skye has a theory. It’s a map. Dun! Dun! Dun!

Whitehall and Bakshi are overseeing the breaking down of the Hydra Inc lab when who walks in? Skye’s dad! For some reason, he walks with a bumbling walk. Not sure what that’s about. He stabs one guard and beats the other to death with a briefcase. He then wipes some blood off Whitehall’s desk with his sleeve. He looks crazier than Norman Osborn post-goblin serum. Inside the case in the obelisk. Skye’s dad tells Whitehall that in its native language, it’s called the Diviner. He even offers Whitehall to teach him how to survive its effects. Why? Because Skye’s dad wants help “killing Phil Coulson and…everyone else.” Okay, yeah, he’s cray cray.