TV Review: Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 2 Episode 2

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EPISODE 2: "Heavy is the Head"

SYNOPSIS:  Hunted and running out of solutions, Coulson puts his team right in the line of fire in the hopes of saving them all. But with General Talbot, Hydra and Creel all on the attack, can they possibly survive? Meanwhile, a mysterious Doctor (Kyle MacLachlan) harbors some dangerous secrets that could destroy one of our core team members.

BREAKDOWN: (The following column contains MAJOR SPOILERS, so I don't recommend reading this if you haven't watched this episode).

With the threat of The Absorbing Man introduced last week and the death of almost all of the new members of Coulson's ragtag S.H.I.E.L.D. squad, the second season kicked off the new regime for the Marvel Cinematic Universe police agency.  The question now is if the plot elements presented can be carried to fruition this season.  This second episode picks up immediately where last week left off with Lance Hunter stuck in the overturned SUV only to be rescued by May.  As May goes after the 084, Hunter is taken into military custody.

On motorcycle, May pursues Creel.  Demaning that she stop, Coulson evokes his directorship and orders her to stand down.  May begrudgingly agrees.  You can tell right away that there will be some tension between these two now that Coulson is completely in charge, I just hope it works within the developments from last season.  When Triplett and Skye return to The Playground with the quinjet, she updates Coulson on the strange symbols she saw on the 084, the same ones Coulson had her researching.  He lets her know Hunter is an issue, especially if he reveals anything about the S.H.I.E.L.D. operation.  In a field, Talbot meets Hunter and takes him away via copter.

Skye and the other agents begin reverse engineering the quinjet cloaking device and discuss whether Fitz is able to still work on fixing it for The Bus.  They mention Simmons abandoning the team, a throwback to last week's most heartbreaking scene.  Fitz looks concerned that he cannot handle the job, but pushes through.  Meanwhile in the copter, Talbot tries to turn Hunter away from the S.H.I.E.L.D. team by lauding his military record.  Hunter plays around with Talbot and offers him money in exchange for Coulson.  Hunter asks for two million dollars and a rightful burial for Agent Hartley.

Skye briefly questions Coulson's compartmentalization of Hartley's death, the symbols on the 084, and suggests he loosen up.  Fitz talks to Invisible Simmons again and mopes about his inability to help the team.  Fitz decides to research a way to neutralize Creel's abilities.  Creel, meanwhile, sits in a diner awaiting his contact.  A waitress bumps into him and the remnants of the 084 cause her body to react like Hartley.  May enters the diner but Creel is gone and the waitress is dead.  Coulson orders May to go dark and an alert goes off, showing Hunter has returned to the base.

Hunter and Coulson argue about the mission and he admits he said he would deliver Coulson in 48 hours to Talbot.  As they debate, Coulson promises Hunter his revenge and a burial for Hartley.  Hunter says he is gone once they have Creel.  Hunter helps Skye pack up Hartley's belongings and they talk about their fallen comrade.  Hunter suggests Skye become a mercenary and find an exit strategy but she says S.H.I.E.L.D.is her life now.  Back in his camper, Creel tries touching materials to get rid of the 084 remnants on his skin, but nothing works.  His employers tell him he will be taken care of and to wait at the secondary drop site.  As he vents at some works, the women in the flower dress, Raina, shows up out of the shadows.

Raina counter offers Creel's employer, Mr. Whitehall, with the gift of carbine, a material found in stardust that can store energy.  Creel tells her to leave and takes the carbine.  As Coulson and the team discuss options to find Creel, Raina calls them to say she doesn't want HYDRA to get the obelisk.  When Coulson asks why, she mentions the symbols that Coulson saw, the same ones Garrett did when he was injected with the serum that saved their lives.  The team goes to the drop site to take down Creel while FItz finds an old design that may neutralize him.  Coulson orders them to follow Creel when Hunter knocks out Skye and May.

Creel makes his exchange with his HYDRA employer but not before Hunter tries shooting him.  His ability takes over and the bullet bounces off his temple, initiating a chase.  Hunter and Creel fight but Coulson shows up with Fitz's device, killing Creel.  Hartley is given the funeral he was promised.  Coulson recruits Hunter to the team despite his double cross.  He then asks Hunter to sell him out.  Fitz finds his footing a bit, May and Skye argue about Coulson's state of mind, and May confronts Coulson about his "last episode".  Coulson closes his office, takes of his shoes, and in front of May begins to chart the symbols on the wall.  We then see Raina,in possession of the obelisk, with a mysterious man.  She is told to pick up with obelisk and when she does, it glows and does not harm her.  He then tells her to bring him his daughter.

In the stinger, Coulson meets General Talbot in a field.  Coulson makes a deal with Talbot by giving him Creel in a cryo-unit and only asks him to allow S.H.I.E.L.D. to continue operating.  Talbot declines and Coulson unveils The Bus, now working again before taking off.

MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE REFERENCES:

Coulson's S.H.I.E.L.D. computer is very reminiscent of Tony Stark's 3D model in Stark Tower.

BEST LINE:

"Right now we have a five alarm fire.otherwise known as Lance Hunter.  Captured.  But if he talks, our entire operation is compromised.  We'll have to burn the base and evacuate.  I know, and we just retiled the bathrooms." – Director Phil Coulson

COOLEST SCENE:

The neutralization of Creel was a well done scene, but I really enjoyed Coulson's recruitment of Hunter.  Well done scene and a highlight of the series so far.

DO WE (REALLY) KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO COULSON YET?  OR WHAT SKYE'S POWER IS?  OR WHO THE CLAIRVOYANT IS?

Some more glimpses at the symbols Coulson etches into the wall, but we may have just met Skye's father.

EPISODE CLEARANCE LEVEL: 9/10

Wow, this was a damn fine episode.  Feeling almost like a second part to the season premiere, this was a solid episode that furthered both Skye and Coulson's subplots while fully including Lance Hunter in the team.  Meeting Raina again was a nice addition as was Coulson's powerful recruitment scene and his "episode" with the symbols.  This is definitely a highlight episode of the series so far.  Good special effects, funny one-liners, and some of the best writing in the series.  Things are looking up people!

NEXT ON MARVEL'S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.:

Episode 3 "Making Friends and Influencing People" – Coulson and his team race against Hydra to get to Donnie Gill — a dangerous gifted with the ability to freeze objects — while Simmons is caught in the crossfire.

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