10.22.2014

Television: Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., "A Hen in the Wolfhouse"

Basically, Hydra becomes aware of there being a mole (Simmons).

Meanwhile, Raina is stuck between Skye's father and Whitehall. Whitehall has threatened to kill her within 48 hours if she doesn't bring him the obelisk; Skye's father refuses to part with it and wants Raina to bring him Skye. So Raina tries to blackmail Coulson by threatening to leak to Hydra that Simmons is the mole unless Coulson allows her to take Skye. Coulson calls Raina's bluff, and Hydra's head of security goes for Simmons . . . Only to reveal she also works for Coulson. Oh, and that she's Hunter's evil ex-wife.

Short answer: Simmons (& Hunter's ex, whose name is Bobbi) return safely to the S.H.I.E.L.D. fold.

The show has become fun again, but the cast of characters is starting to balloon past what is truly sustainable. I'm wondering at what point a massive battle will end up taking out a few of them. Sure, they'll stick around for a while so that we get to know and love them. But just when we start to get used to them and care about them, Whedon will likely come in with a scythe and cut them back.

There is more about Coulson's strange affliction, too, these strange carvings he makes that Garrett also used to do before losing his mind. The question is why Skye hasn't also started doing this stuff, and the hypothetical answer is that whatever alien DNA she has (or whatever) keeps it from happening. But she seems able to identify the writing as some kind of map. Gee, why now? Why is she only just now understanding it? After seeing so much of it . . . What made the difference? What switched on in her brain to make her go, "Oh, I get it!"

Just sayin'.

The episode ends with Raina working for Coulson and S.H.I.E.L.D. while Skye's father goes to make a deal with Hydra—bringing Whitehall the obelisk. This is, of course, meant to be a BAD SIGN. We'll see what happens . . .

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