TV Review: Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 2 Episode 3

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EPISODE 3: "Making Friends and Influencing People"

SYNOPSIS:  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.

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

With the first two episodes completing an overall story arc, this third entry into the second season serves as the first jump into the HYDRA mystery…by referencing a villain from the first season.  But first, we get another glimpse at the big bad for the first part of the season, Dr. Whitehall (frequent Joss Whedon cast-member Reed Diamond).  We see as he interrogates S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Thirty Three using a very CLOCKWORK ORANGE setup that is referenced as Faust's Method.  Creepy, this is one of the darker moments we have seen on AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.

Next, we see a happy Agent Simmons awaken to a song by God Help The Girl, a nice little moment that drives home the normalcy she lives in despite her new workplace being a HYDRA laboratory.  Is she working undercover?  Has she turned against S.H.I.E.L.D.?  That is the mystery the episode is setting up for us, but we can all pretty much tell the answer from the outset, can't we?  This quickly segues to May training Skye on new weaponry and discussing her lingering hatred for Ward and HYDRA.  Hunter confronts Skye, asking if she ever killed anyone to which May says doesn't make it any easier when you have to do it.

We soon learn that Simmons is testing the abilities and DNA of one Donnie Gill, the S.H.I.E.L.D. cadet from first season episode "Seeds".  Donnie is hiding out working as a repairman when he is found by HYDRA agents.  Donnie displays his freezing abilities, killing the cafe owner and one of the agents tasked with bringing him in.  The fully realized powers on display are quite impressive and it makes you wonder if AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. is going to give us a full transformation for Gill into Blizzard.

Back at her apartment, Simmons finds Coulson in her kitchen and we quickly learn that she is undercover for him.  What a surprise.  They discuss Gill and Coulson suggests Simmons go deeper and try to infiltrate HYDRA.  When she asks about Fitz, Coulson sugar coats his condition.  Back at The Playground, Coulson rallies the troops to bring in Gill before HYDRA does.  Skye meets with Ward again to get intel on how HYDRA recruits and Ward denies anyone is to blame for his decisions but him.  Ward tries to give Skye some information about her father and she shuts down his advances.  Ward also suggests that if Gill denies HYDRA, they will kill him.

Simmons is taken upstairs for questioning with Whitehall's second in command who discovers who she is.  Learning she knew about Donnie Gill, they interrogate her about her knowledge of S.H.I.E.L.D..  Whitehall continues to break down Agent 33 and Simmons appears to be given a mission.  The team learns of the frozen port of Casablance and go after Gill.  Simmons also learns she will be sent to go after Gill on behalf of HYDRA.  While on the ship, Simmons tries to plead with Donnie but the S.H.I.E.L.D. team shows up at the same time.

Fearing Coulson is keeping things from him, Fitz descends to Vault D and finds the captive Ward.  Fitz breaks down upon seeing the man responsible for his current impairments.  Ward says he tried to save Fitz and Simmons by locking them in the hatch last season, but Fitz explains he had hypoxia from the lack of oxygen and begins to drain the air from Ward's cell.  Ward begs Fitz to warn the team they are in danger.  Apparently, HYDRA released Gill and programmed him with the plan to activate him now, which Simmons begins to do unknowingly.  May shoots Hunter to protect Simmons and she is revealed as Coulson's source.

HYDRA activates Gill and commands him to kill everyone aboard the ship.  Simmons watches as the ship begins to freeze and Gill is them suddenly shot by Skye from above.  Gill sinks into the water, freezing as he descends.  She gives Simmons a chance to protect her boss, thereby deepening her cover.  Back aboard The Bus, Skye finds the authorities still have not found Gill's body,  Skye also confronts May about Simmons not being a good fit undercover but May has faith.  Coulson also confronts Fitz about what he did to Ward and admits how hard having him aboard is for them.  They discuss Simmons mission and the importance of it.

Back at HYDRA, Agent 33 is shown to be completely under their control.  Dr. Whitehall admits S.H.I.E.L.D. is becoming a problem and they also decide to bring Simmons up to the next level, threatening to brainwash her if necessary,  The stinger gives us Skye meeting Ward again and he admits he was never brainwashed.  He also admits to Skye that he knows her father is alive and that he is looking for her and offers to take her to him.

MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE REFERENCES:

No direct MCU references this week.

BEST LINE:

"What do they give you?  Money?  Threats?  Torture?  Combo platter?" – Skye asking about HYDRA's recruitment perks

COOLEST SCENE:

The freezing effects were pretty impressive, but the sequence aboard the cargo ship was the most thrilling.

DO WE (REALLY) KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO COULSON YET?  OR WHAT SKYE'S ABILITIES ARE?

Nothing new, just another reference to Skye's father.

EPISODE CLEARANCE LEVEL: 8/10

Not quite as good as last week, tonight's episode was able to be a highly enjoyable episode without using the MCU as a crutch.  We learn a lot more about the inner workings of HYDRA and get to see Simmons undercover as well as some progress for Fitz and Skye.  A decent episode and another in a good string going back to the second half of last season.  My biggest issue with the episode is the waste of reintroducing Donnie Gill only to kill him off at episode's end.  Also, giving Coulson a less direct role in the plot allowed the rest of the characters to shine while also maintaining the team atmosphere.

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

Episode 4 "Face My Enemy" – While on a mission to learn more about the secrets of the mysterious writing, Coulson finds himself attacked by the only person he can trust: Agent Melinda May. Meanwhile the rest of the team is trapped in an explosive situation, and it's up to Fitz to save them–but is he up to it?

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