'Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D' recap: 'What They Become'

It’s easy to say that this Tuesday’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D had so much going for it. Fans who have remained with the show or have come on to the show for the new season were rewarded by answers to the season-long mysteries, while new questions arose not only for the show, but for the connected Marvel Cinematic Universe as well. So much happens in just one hour of TV, with such major reveals.

It was awesome to see Kyle MacLachlan play the Doctor, whose name was revealed as Cal, almost sympathetically. He reunited with his daughter Skye (Chloe Bennet), revealing that Skye’s mother was brutally killed for her powers by the season’s villain Whitehall a long time ago, something that was already known by the audience. The back story he explained to Skye about losing his practice, wife and her, also added an extra dimension to the character. The key word is “almost,” since he was also restraining his more sinister, brutal side during the reunion as well as using the evil agency HYDRA, despite advancing his own agenda.

Meanwhile, since this episode directly continued from the week before, Agent May (Ming-Na Wen) managed to outmaneuver the HYDRA aircraft that attempted to shoot their plane down. Learning that HYDRA finally found the mysterious underground city forced Coulson (Clark Gregg) and the rest of the team to destroy the city while attempting to save Skye and a possessed Mac (Henry Simmons). Agents Fitz, Simmons, and Triplett are sent to plant the explosives, while the rest of the team gets involved in the action. Cool action and suspenseful scenes ensued, especially with Raina (Ruth Negga) maneuvering into the city herself, taking with her the obelisk.

Whitehall found out about Skye and Cal, and even suspected ulterior motives from Agent Ward (Brett Dalton), trapping them in a kitchen with one HYDRA guard. Cal gets free and kills the guard, but leaves Skye so that she wouldn’t see his potential brutality on Whitehall. He approaches Whitehall with his scalpel, but Whitehall is shot from the back by Coulson. A notable line was when Cal screams at Coulson about what he did, to which a confused Coulson replies “You’re welcome?”

Ward and Skye do get free, and Ward says he’ll lead her out. As soon as he checks for enemies behind cover, Skye takes the dead guard’s gun and shoots Ward, walking away to find Coulson and the team. Coulson tries to find Cal, who is upset (in his own, special deranged way) about robbing him of his revenge against Whitehall. A fight ensues, with Cal gaining the upper hand against Coulson before Skye comes in and breaks it up. Before leaving, Cal reveals Skye’s real name; Daisy.

Daisy goes to the underground city to try and stop and rescue Raina. Coulson tells the team to abort the city’s destruction, which forces Trip to run back underground to remove the detonators. Raina, in the meantime, was guided by the possessed Mac into the area that she would place the obelisk.

In the end, Daisy finds Raina, who manages to place the obelisk into the center of the room. Trip manages to enter the room with Daisy and Raina before the stone doors close, but Coulson arrives too late. A crystal grows where the obelisk sits, releasing a mist around the room that enshrouds Raina and Daisy in a stone casing, while killing Trip by turning him to stone. The episode ends with Daisy releasing herself from the rock casing, with the room and earth shaking around her.

Many comic book fans and internet news sites have revealed what these developments lead in to. However, the reveals, which are important overall to the show itself and the MCU, may go over the heads of those who aren’t Marvel or comic book readers. Whoever the viewer, this episode builds more momentum for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D in its own way, rather than rely on the films for guidance. New episodes were advertised to return in March, so fans can commence a countdown.
Image from ACE/INFphoto.com.