S02.E03: Making Friends And Influencing People

[Cranberry]

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.

 

[ottoDbusdriver]

Tonight's episode of Marvel's Agents of SHIELD is brought to you by -- Fitbit.  The activity tracker of choice of snipers and assassins everywhere.  Talk about your blatant product placement.

 

Getting a little tired of the 'Silence of the Lambs' act between Skye and Ward.  I was waiting for him to say 'Quid Pro Quo, Clarice' after telling Skye about her father.

 

 

Next Week: An homage to 'True Lies', complete with dancing.  Really ?

[Jack Kerouac]

Not bad, but not great, either. I liked the parts with Fitz, but the Simmons stuff was a bit boring. There was no real tension in the episode.Overall, a 'meh.'

[AimingforYoko]

Damn, it's hard to watch Elizabeth Henstridge without a smile on my face. She really is the definition of adorable.

Did I hear Whitehall refer to the 'Faustus' method? Are we going to meet Doctor Faustus?

[Guest Accused Dingo]

I am really liking this season.   

 

I wasn't sure which Simmons I like better HeadSimmons or HydraSimmons.

 

Poor Fitz seeing Ward like that.  Not that I cared, but I was wondering if he remembered to turn the air back on in Ward's cell.

 

So Simmons is pulling a "Ward" on Hydra.  Well at least she is prettier then he is.

 

I am liking a darker Skye.....Ha!

[Amethyst]

While the plot continues to meander, I thought this was better than last week.  Excellent acting by Iain and Brett in the prison scene.  I thought Fitz would forget how to turn the oxygen back on and needed help from Mack.  Speaking of which, really loving that Fitz and Mack are becoming friends.  Mack's little "We'll figure it out" instead of putting all of it on Fitz was really sweet.

 

I had to give Skye credit, she took out Donnie and didn't blow Simmons' cover.  Which is why I really wish they would stop the whole "Skye's daddy/special snowflake" plot, because she's developing well as an agent.  Do not care about her father or her dark past.

 

Coulson and May are keeping secrets from the rest of the agents.  In other news, water is wet.

[monocles]

I'm just saying, if working for Hydra would net one a cute apartment (and were those newsprint sheets?), I can see the appeal.

 

Tonight's episode of Marvel's Agents of SHIELD is brought to you by -- Fitbit.  The activity tracker of choice of snipers and assassins everywhere.  Talk about your blatant product placement.

It may have needed to be more blatant, because my sister said aloud "Ugh, I wish there was actually something that could show me my heartrate like that."

[JayKay]

Kinda surprised that Fitz facing down Ward happened so soon. That scene had me watching like a hawk, which doesn't usually happen with this show. Fitz seems to be getting better on his own, and Mac is a great help. I am so glad that he was angry at Ward, too. Torture is wrong, but he still allowed Ward to live - which is the standard Ward uses to gauge his own morality, I guess. I find Fitz so much more interesting now that he isn't half of Fitzsimmons.

 

Same goes for Simmons. Her storyline had me genuinely worried about her, yet again. They keep almost killing her and it is exhausting. The scene with Coulson in her apartment actually recalled season one fondly. Creepy dark-haired Hydra agent who singled her out is only going to be trouble. I'm excited that she's having her own adventures, but I am starting to miss seeing her with the rest of the team, especially now that they're finally clicking.

 

"Don't be sorry. Just wait." Brrrrr. I love May. I also love her solidarity with Tripp in their hatred of Hunter. Go, Tripp, go.

 

Skye continues to be likeable. I can't believe that the writers listened to media and fan input, but I don't know how else to explain the shift in narrative style this season. The tighter focus on the interaction between various members of the ensemble rather than highlighting one character over the others has worked wonders. Even the small moments between characters do a better job of building camaraderie than all of the private pep talks between Skye and Coulson last season put together.

 

I think the door was left open for Donnie to return with a huge grudge, since he froze over in the water. Ice cocoon? I don't know, it could happen.

[Pepper the Cat]

What song was playing when Jemma woke up,and got ready for work? I've never heard it before and I liked it.

They better not try and brain wash Jemma. Don't think I could watch that!

I think Donnie survived and we will see more of him. He will be out for revenge.

[mac123x]

I didn't realize it was a Fitbit either, so they missed with me.  At least it was semi-relevant to the plot, unlike their loving shots of the Chevrolet logo on every car. 

 

I thought May and Skye were going to have a chat about Donnie being the first person Skye has ever killed.  I mean, they set that up earlier with Hunter asking if she'd ever killed, and May giving her the "it doesn't get any easier" speech.  Guess they're saving it for later.

 

Simmons working for Hydra but really working for Coulson is ... trite?  Cliche?  A little bit stupid?  Also, way to compromise her cover by showing up at her building, Coulson.  For all any of them know, the old lady who lives next door with 5 cats is actually watching her, a la Nurse / Agent 13 and Captain America.

 

One question:  I've seen people refer to Hunter as being British, but I'm getting an Australian accent from him.  What is his country of origin?

[AimingforYoko]

In the comics, Hunter's Royal Navy and Nick Blood is English, so I'd go with English.

[benteen]

Good episode and a good storyline for the Simmons character.  Skye taking out Donnie with the rifle was a pretty cool moment.

[Jack Kerouac]

What song was playing when Jemma woke up,and got ready for work? I've never heard it before and I liked it.

God Help the Girl by God Help the Girl.

[DeLurker]

Ward's awfully buff for a guy in lock down.  Guess the push ups are working for him.

 

I like Mack and Fitz, although Mack sometimes tries to fill in the blank when Fitz is struggling to find a word.  So frustrating IRL so I hope Fitz eventually says something.

 

I felt bad for Donnie - he just wanted to be left alone.

 

 

Damn, it's hard to watch Elizabeth Henstridge without a smile on my face. She really is the definition of adorable.

Her picture needs to be posted next to adorable in the Wiktionary.

Edited October 8, 2014 by DeLurker

[thuganomics85]

I guess it's cool that the show didn't even bother dragging it out that Simmons was undercover and not Team Hydra.  Because, I never was going to buy it.  No way would they make her evil!  I would never hate Elizabeth Henstridge!  This story has some promise, but I am worried over he being separated from everyone else.  And, is her and Coulson's meeting spot really just her apartment?  I just can't see Hydra not having some kind of camera or guards watching all their employees' places.  Seemed kind of lazy to me.

 

Cool that they brought back that Ice Kid from the Academy episode.  Looks like he was Skye's first shot, but since they didn't "find the body", he will totally be back.  Still, I continue to like this Skye way more then last season's.

 

Ward returns, and Fitz is rightfully mad at him.  I'm glad they at least acknowledge it, but I'm still wondering if they want us to buy his excuses.  I don't know; right now, I feel like the show is trying to play both sides, and see which way reaction goes on the Ward redemption issue.  I'm still not biting.

 

Mack is still awesome.  Loved that Melinda got her revenge on Lance!

 

Glad Whitehall is just using an American accent now for whatever reason, because I didn't want to hear Reed Diamond's bad German accent, for the entire season.

[SnoGirl]

I really liked the episode. I was hoping for a bit of old Fitz to resurface with a "What the Hell Ward" but I guess it just shows how changed they all are. I'm slightly concerned about Fitz's reaction to Ward. I sort of can't believe he'd choke out the air like that...

Loved the team working together trying to get Donnie. Even with Simmons on the other-side of things, she was still there with them.

Loved Coulson's "we'll talk when I get home" to Fitz. Definitely got that season one vibe with Coulson being a father figure to FitzSimmons and Skye with that line. And it's pretty much confirmed now that Simmons asked to leave right? Poor Fitz. The Monster is in the basement and your best friend wanted to leave.

[Lantern7]

HydraSimmons and HeadSimmons are equally adorable. This is opposed to "adorkable," which is what Coulson and May will bring next week. And it's nice to see that Fitz isn't woobie enough to not hold a grudge against Ward.

 

Never heard of "Fitbit" before. I take it they actually exist to take your pulse right away. Minimum, it does show that Skye is progressing as an agent, although she still has Daddy Issues. Also, it turns out What's-His-Face didn't have to touch May, because the chick is ice cold. And we didn't need a pulse reading to have that confirmed.

[Raja]

We're so evil we must wear black lab coats.

[shapeshifter]

Never heard of "Fitbit" before. I take it they actually exist to take your pulse right away. Minimum, it does show that Skye is progressing as an agent...

...or to show that her the writers got the fans' message about needing to seriously remake her character, heh.

Next week does look like a lot of fun.

Edited October 8, 2014 by shapeshifter

[2KllMckngBrd]

I hate to come here only to rag, but I feel like I am about to give up on this show. As I've said before, I loved the 1st season, even if I did often feel like I needed a cheat sheet to keep up w/the Marvel World(s). But now I am just bored. Eyes started glazing over around 15/20min mark, and I was tweeting to stay up till Chicago Fire (another ball of, holy crap is it over yet) came on.

 

So lets start w/the good. That Elizabeth Henstridge could put a smile on anyone's face. She's charming and delightful, and pulls off the comedy each week. Her interaction w/Coulson in her HydroPad, makes me miss her on the team even more. And Fitz is completely heartbreaking. Also like the relationship fine ass man from Another World and NYPD Blue, has w/Fitz (I actually always think of the "translator" sketches from Key and Peele, in reverse, when they are onscreen).

 

Now to the bad. I am so damn bored. I didn't care about the big bad of the week. I don't care about the Dangerous Minds-Coolio/Michelle Phieffer, Sky/Ward crap I am subjected to every week. And I don't care about who fathered Sky unless it was Coulson. or Fury. At least that would be interesting. The May, and mini-May stuff is even getting old. I just feel like I'm missing something.

 

Help... Let me off this boring ass ride.

[sinkwriter]

I felt so bad for Fitz. And wanted him to punch the hell out of Ward for his "I saved you" bullshit. If I were Fitz, I would have wanted to say, "It would have been kinder to put a bullet in my brain! Yeah, I found 'a way out' - I was supposed to die, and Simmons was supposed to live! Instead you've left me searching for words! Do you know how hard that is for a brainiac like me?? You bastard." Maybe I should have felt disturbed that Fitz was turning down Ward's air, but I didn't feel much of anything. Ward did something horrible. Maybe he should feel a few seconds or more of what it felt like for Fitz. And Fitz didn't kill the guy, so +1 for Fitz.

[Dusty]

 

We're so evil we must wear black lab coats.

Gah! You beat me to it!

 

So, uh, I guess they forgot to lock the door to Vault D.  It looks like HalluSimmons has longer hair than HydraSimmons...er...real Simmons.  I thought that was neat.  Was it me or did Ward have a farmer's tan?  Also, dude. Roll down your sleeves.  Who do you think you are, Teal'c?  I'm glad we got that out of the way and I have no problems with Fitz taking Ward's air away.  Go Fitz!  I think Ward's excuses are total bullshit.  I'm not sure if he's trying to justify what he did or if he really believes it but I call bullshit.  Giving someone a fighting chance would be to throw an extra oxygen bottle in there or something.  They literally had to make something out of nothing.  If I recall they had to use like glue from the window.  Ward is not smart enough to figure that they could find a way out without giving them anything to work with in the first place! So bullshit.

 

I did notice that Coulson didn't answer if Simmons asked to go on assignment.  I do hope that they don't drag her out being in Hydra for the whole season.  I want the band back together! (Minus Ward.  He can stay in the basement)  I also hope they don't go the route of Hydra brainwashing Simmons. I know there's going to some point where it's going to be threatened or she's going to be found out because this is tv and that's just what happens.  But I would rather her be saved with no question as to whether or not she was brainwashed.

 

The fitbit thing was overdone even if I didn't know it was a fitbit.  I still think they showed it WAY too much.  It's like, yeah I get it.  Steady heartbeat oh nos! Ward got to her!  Skye didn't headshot Donnie so he's totally coming back.  I think that Skye is better this season than she was last season but I still really don't care about her storyline.  When her scenes come on I'm waiting for the next bit or listening in so I'm aware of whatever information I need to be aware of in the future for plot reasons.  I don't know what it is.  I can't bring myself to care about her or her daddy issues.

Edited October 8, 2014 by Dusty

[ElectricBoogaloo]

We're so evil we must wear black lab coats.

Ha, I said the exact same thing to Mr. EB! I was surprised they weren't also wearing black gloves! One of Mr. EB's friends is a tattoo artist and insists on wearing only black gloves because he insists they look cooler. Meanwhile I am stuck with the purple and powder blue ones in my lab.

[VCRTracking]

The scene with Fitz and Ward was so intense and heartbreaking. Iain nailed it. Also liked that May and the rest aren't forgetting Lance shot them!

[Jediknight]

Oh thank Zod Simmons isn't HYDRA.

 

Had to love the security guard who mentioned Simmons' smile as brightening his day.  Simmons, taking down HYDRA in her own way, one smile at a time.  And if they do anything to her, they'll have to deal with the fury of Coulson, May, Skye, and Trip.

 

Fitz was awesome this week.  He got some measure of revenge against Ward, and showed Ward he wasn't buying his crap about saving him.  I also like the growing friendship between Mac and Fitz.  The mention of the XBox was a nice touch.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I always loved the FitzSimmons friendship so part of me is sad that they have been separated (mostly because Fitz seems to really need her and now that Coulson has told him that she's gone, he feels abandoned) but I think it will be good for them from an acting as well as a story standpoint to have them apart for now.

[owenthurman]

That wasn't a fitbit. I think it was the samsung thingy. But either way, if nobody can tell for sure which brand of activity tracker it is, then I'm not sure it's product placement.

[jhlipton]

I felt bad for Donnie - he just wanted to be left alone.

 

Maybe, until he flat-out murdered the restaurateur.  Then hell to the noes. 

[DeLurker]

 

The fitbit thing was overdone even if I didn't know it was a fitbit.  I still think they showed it WAY too much.  It's like, yeah I get it.  Steady heartbeat oh nos!

They could have chose to show that through acting, but ....

 

 

Maybe, until he flat-out murdered the restaurateur.  Then hell to the noes.

Oh yeah - forgot about that.  That wasn't good.

 

Simmons cracked me up when she was getting a little pouty since she was doing low level bio-chem at Hydra and she was usually elevated to more important assignments quickly.

[CoolMom]

Maybe, until he flat-out murdered the restaurateur.  Then hell to the noes. 

But that guy sold him out to Hydra.  He said something along those lines right before Donnie froze him and the Hydra guys walked in.

[ottoDbusdriver]

During the briefing by Coulson about Donny Gill, the CGI on the video in the background of Donny growing ice was terrible -- it made it look like he had prehensile fingertips.

 

"Iceberg in the Middle East.  Gill's not subtle".  Except that Morocco isn't in the Middle East.  Tripp needs a geography refresher, because Morocco is no where near the Middle East.

 

While Donny Gill is good at distributing coldness, why were the ropes on the ship still frozen after he stopped touching them ?  In bright sunshine on a hot day ?  Because ... science, they should have been melting.  Even the iceberg surrounding the ship was starting to melt as there were pieces broken off in the water.

 

Seriously, Skye never killed Donny Gill -- it looked like she shot him in the shoulder, as there was blood pouring out of a hole on the surface of his left shoulder and no sign of a chest wound where the bullet exited.  I still don't see how he "accidentally" fell over the side of the ship considering he started to fall down immediately after he was shot.  Did he get up and throw himself overboard ?  So Skye getting all worked up over her first kill was just bullshit.  Though when they show him falling under water, he appears to be shot through the chest, as there is blood slowly leaking from a newly appeared chest wound.  Based on the fact that there was no ship superstructure directly behind Donny when he was shot, the only shot Skye had was a sideways shot on his body, which explains the shoulder wound, but not how the bullet exited from his chest as if he was shot in the back.

 

Who is Agent 33 ? She wasn't in Seasons 1 or 2 -- is she in the Marvel comics universe ?

[shapeshifter]

Also, dude. Roll down your sleeves.  Who do you think you are, Teal'c?...

LOL! Seriously. We get it. Brett Dalton has been working out.

[Primetimer]

Ranking the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on how well they keep their minds on their jobs.

Read the story

[shrewd.buddha]

We're so evil we must wear black lab coats.

And they have the Hydra symbol on everything -- even their field jackets. For a secret organization that existed within Shield for 60 years, they certainly got a bunch of logos printed in a hurry...

 

And I'm in the same boat of boredom with one of the posters up-thread. I can't exactly pinpoint the reason... Maybe because they are again dragging out the same stories they drug out during season 1  : a) Coulson isn't quite himself  b) Skye-flake's issues with ancestry.com   c) Fitz needs a lot of TLC.

[I Love Me]

The last episode and this one have convinced me that Fitz is heading into a very dark place.  A bad place.  Poor Fitz.  The lighting they use on him and his facial expressions scream "I'm going dark, turning as we speak!".  I will speculate that he completes his turn the same time (episode) Simmons returns from her Hydra assignment.  For maximum drama, of course.  Bring it!

[kitlee625]

I find Fitz so much more interesting now that he isn't half of Fitzsimmons.

 

Same goes for Simmons.

 

Skye continues to be likeable. I can't believe that the writers listened to media and fan input, but I don't know how else to explain the shift in narrative style this season. The tighter focus on the interaction between various members of the ensemble rather than highlighting one character over the others has worked wonders. Even the small moments between characters do a better job of building camaraderie than all of the private pep talks between Skye and Coulson last season put together.

 

I think the door was left open for Donnie to return with a huge grudge, since he froze over in the water. Ice cocoon? I don't know, it could happen.

 

Agree with all of this. I'm really glad to see Fitz and Simmons develop as individuals, and having Skye as a part of the ensemble, rather than the Audience Surrogate with Special Pow-Wows with the boss every episode makes her a lot more likeable. I'm glad that in general they are mixing up the interactions this season: Coulson and Fitz, Coulson and Simmons, May and Skye, May and Trip, Hunter and Skye, Fitz and Mack, etc. It feels more like a team.

 

And yes, I bet that Donnie is totally coming back.

[mac123x]

Black lab coats seem counter productive.  White shows stains, so when you get something on your coat you know to change it.  Given that Hydra is working with some crazy stuff, you'll never know that you've gotten a mutagenic feakazoid, gonna-turn-you-into-a-6'ft-tall-chinchilla-with-wings compound soaking into your skin.

 

I also hope they don't go the route of Hydra brainwashing Simmons. I know there's going to some point where it's going to be threatened or she's going to be found out because this is tv and that's just what happens.  But I would rather her be saved with no question as to whether or not she was brainwashed.

 

1.  Saved before getting the treatment

2.  Saved in the midst of getting the treatment

3.  Saved after getting the treatment and needs to be deprogrammed

 

Which causes the most angst and drama?  Probably 2, since they can play the "is she or isn't she?" card repeatedly.

[jah1986]

It wasn't terrible.  Fitz and Ward was really good. I cheered when he started depriving Ward of oxygen.  I like Mac and Fitz too, he seems to respect him and not pity him like everyone else does.

 

I also loved that song Simmons woke up to.  Please don't brainwash her, I just don't want to watch that story line.

 

When are Tripp and Mac going to become regulars instead of guest stars?

[GinevradiBenci]

I really enjoyed this episode. Simmons may be a terrible liar, but it seems like there's just enough truth in her undercover story to let her plausibly maintain it - the little note of pique about being kept down doing junior grade science when she's usually advanced more quickly was really good, as were her responses during the interrogation. As Coulson pointed out, she's been through the fire and come out the tougher for it. (Oh, and Couson making dinner for Simmons was adorable, and I wanted to hug them both.)

 

Hunter fit in a lot better, Mac's gentle but no-nonsense handling of Fitz is great, I like Skye's journey into becoming more of a rounded agent, and I have no objection to how they're handling the Ward situation. They're not trying to make him claim brainwashing, and since his explanation of being loyal to Garrett primarmily and thus Hydra secondarily jibes with my own conclusions, I think it's a pretty mature bit of storytelling. And Fitz's confrontation with Ward was really great. Ward was trying to justify things and Fitz went really dark in response.

[Enigma X]

I liked this episode. The only thing that I probably did not like is the whole brainwashing angle. Why? Because I would rather believe that people have their own twisted reasons for joining HYDRA. 

 

I am pretty sick of the smug dude working with HYDRA (not Ward, but the other smug dude not in a cage). I don't know his name, but smug should give you a hint.

[Sandman]

You mean German Smug Dude (Whitehall)? Or South Asian Smug Dude (Bakshi)? There's a lot of smug to go around at HYDRA (and S.H.I.E.L.D., too, to be perfectly frank).

 

I didn't realize it was a Fitbit either, so they missed with me.  At least it was semi-relevant to the plot, unlike their loving shots of the Chevrolet logo on every car.

 

Apparently I'm clueless when it comes to product placement; I automatically assume that the little black bits of tech are S.H.I.E.L.D. toys, especially those whose function seems to be verifying a trainee agent's level of cool.

 

Who is Agent 33 ? She wasn't in Seasons 1 or 2 -- is she in the Marvel comics universe ?

 

I kept thinking the agent under conditioning was Lucy Lawless. But I guess Agent 33 is now a Happy Hydra Helper.

 

Yeah, writers, would it have killed you to have Tripp say "Icebergs in North Africa"? Because the Middle East is, y'know, way east of Morocco.

 

ETA: mac123x, perhaps HYDRA scientists have learned that mutagenic freakazoid ichor comes in fluorescent shades that show up well against basic black? Or perhaps they. Just. Don't. Care. ("This is HYDRA! Ve don't WHMIS here!")

Edited October 8, 2014 by Sandman

[shrewd.buddha]

According to TVbythenumbers.com : 

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. earned a series low 1.6, down two tenths from last week's 1.8 adults 18-49 rating.

[Cranberry]

I liked this episode. The only thing that I probably did not like is the whole brainwashing angle. Why? Because I would rather believe that people have their own twisted reasons for joining HYDRA. 

 

Yeah. At least Ward pointed out that it wasn't done often -- most people in HYDRA chose to be there.

[Enigma X]

Sandman, South Asian Smug Dude (Bakshi) is to whom I am referring. Whitehall is only an episode away from being mustache-twirling villain but a ways to go before I consider him smug.

[Sandman]

I dunno -- I thought Whitehall's little "I got a case of cognac for cheap, and now it's worth zillions" speech qualified as smug. He's not only an evil super-Nazi scientist, he's an arriviste consumerist hoser! I think he must have already twirled his mustache so hard it fell off.

Edited October 8, 2014 by Sandman

[Lyndy]

It's possible I'm watching this show entirely for Fitz. Dude is breaking my damn heart right now. 

[Tryangle]

And they have the Hydra symbol on everything -- even their field jackets. For a secret organization that existed within Shield for 60 years, they certainly got a bunch of logos printed in a hurry...

 

Hydra-branded jackets. Because being conspicuous is for wimpy secret organisations...

[Sandman]

One day they're a super-secret covert organization, bent on world domination, the next they're the new hot "must-have" brand, bent on, er, world domination. 

 

I'm sure HYDRA yoga wear is next.

Edited October 8, 2014 by Sandman

[Leia1979]

Hydra got a bulk deal on logo-print clothing. Even SHIELD had Hydra logos on the targets, which seemed stupid to me. If you're a cash-strapped organization, you just buy the plain ones. It could have just been a hand drawn one, like someone was making a statement.

 

I'm glad Simmons' cover was a more easily believable lie for her character--joining for the quality lab and advanced tech resources rather than being all "rah, rah, Hydra!" Sell that science angle, because you are a terrible liar.

 

Ward used to be really boring. Then I rather liked evil Ward. This current incarnation is just creepy. 

[miracole]

 

don't care about the Dangerous Minds-Coolio/Michelle Phieffer, Sky/Ward crap I am subjected to every week.

Now Gangsta's Paradise is going to play in my head every time those two have a scene along with the Stevie TV skit quote  "If you flip the chair, you flip their minds" . Been spending most our lives, living in...

 

I love Fitz and Mac.

 

Didn't mind Hunter this epi.