S02.E05: A Hen In The Wolf House

[Glory]

And I find him very charismatic. Anyone else?

 

You are not alone. I quite like him. And I quite like that he went from a bit of a "mercenary man who's only concern is money" to this snarky kind of outsider who still thinks SHIELD is kind of dumb but, hey, whatever, they're paying his bills so it's okay. 

 

Tripp still has my heart though. I want them to give him lots of things to do. He's so dreamy. 

[Chicago Redshirt]

I wish they had not had Bobbi Morse identify herself as Bobbi Morse, because as someone who knows comics, it was obvious to me that she was also a mole. Also, using her real name when she was supposed to be undercover doesn't seem to be the best move.

 

I'd like to think that Mockingbird is protected by Plot Armor, but I suppose she is not a high enough character in the comics or the potential MCU for that to be the case.

[Jamoche]

I wish they had not had Bobbi Morse identify herself as Bobbi Morse

Even worse - Marvel's promo email had her name in the title. I couldn't have avoided the spoiler if I'd tried.

[JayKay]

I feel like an ass for saying this, but my good faith with these writers was so low that I found it plausible that Bobbi could wind up a Hydra hailing villain. Maybe part of why I so enjoyed this episode is because I was aware of how badly they could have screwed it up.

[redfish]

I don't know. Why do I get a Wolfram&Hart (from Angel) vibe from the boardroom in Hydra? And how come they're virtually in the public? That building isn't exactly subtle. How come the government/military doesn't seem to make hunting down Hydra a priority as much as they're going after Shield? Also I thought the actress looked a little too young to be a seasoned spy/agent or give off an ex-wife (ball and chain) vibe to Hunter.

[Jeezaloo]

I have to give props to DianeTheySureDoServeANiceCupACoffeeAndASliceOfPieOutHereInTheNorthWest, he's nailing playing Skye's ("That's not her name...") dad. I was sure I saw him look away from the obelisk in reverse motion and was excited to see whether or not a time-garbled m***** would lecture him about the faddish nature of gum.

[ottoDbusdriver]

I have to give props to DianeTheySureDoServeANiceCupACoffeeAndASliceOfPieOutHereInTheNorthWest, he's nailing playing Skye's ("That's not her name...") dad.

 

It would be hilarious if Skye's real name was something like Bertha Grizzelda Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho, great-great-great-great granddaughter of a president on a parallel world :)

 

It's bad enough that the obelisk is really called 'The Diviner' -- I think that's worse than calling it the obelisk or an 084.  Does 'The Diviner' find water too ? 

[Loandbehold]

 

It's bad enough that the obelisk is really called 'The Diviner' -- I think that's worse than calling it the obelisk or an 084.  Does 'The Diviner' find water too ?

Nope. Just Bette Midler.

[Chicago Redshirt]

I don't know. Why do I get a Wolfram&Hart (from Angel) vibe from the boardroom in Hydra? And how come they're virtually in the public? That building isn't exactly subtle. How come the government/military doesn't seem to make hunting down Hydra a priority as much as they're going after Shield? 

The open had a Navy team that was tasked with rooting out Hydra getting killed. So the U.S. government is expending at least some resources trying to track Hydra, and presumably others are as well. They just don't seem to be doing all that good a job.

 

I think it's safe to say that part of that is because Talbott has taken an extra interest in getting SHIELD because he has been kidnapped or knocked out by them a couple of times. As we can intuit from how comic book Talbott is obsessed with the Hulk, he's going to tend to hold a grudge longer than most.

[jhlipton]

And I find him very charismatic. Anyone else?

But I do think, FurryFury, that the character has thus far been poorly utilized and integrated.

 

 

I like Hunter.  I like the concept of a team big enough that they don't have to send out everyone all the time, and I enjoy the snark *and that he gets as good as he gives).

 

Nope. Just Bette Midler.

 

LOL

[venturestar]

Seriously, it seems like Skye got out her "Jump to Conclusions" mat (copyright, Tom Smykowski 1999) and pulled the idea that it was a map from nowhere.

 

 

I don't think it came from nowhere. Skye refers to the markings as a code in one of the earlier episodes. It makes sense that she is coming at this from her hacker background and seeing this as a code she has to break.

 

When she gets the map idea, it's after she was just told that she was likely an alien. What's the first thoughts that might go through her mind? I come from another world, was I even born on this planet or somewhere else? And so it that frame of mind, thinking about other planets, she sees the writing. It makes perfect sense that she would now look at it and see a map of the universe (assuming that is what it's a map of).

 

But I do think that some latent brainwashing is at play, otherwise the entire Hydra arc was pointless.  Why have her at Hydra for what amounted to 2 episodes?

 

 

I don't think the Hydra storyline necessarily means latent brainwashing is in play or that the brainwashed one is Simmons. I can think of a couple other reasons for the Hydra storyline.

 

It gives a reason for Simmons to be out of the way, so Fitz has to struggle on his own to reconnect with the team.

 

If they are building to a Ward redemption storyline, having Simmons betray her boss after only a few weeks undercover may give her some sympathy for Ward, or at least a greater understanding. And having Simmons be the most in favor of accepting Ward while Fitz is one the other side of the argument gives good conflict in their relationship.

 

It shows Simmons' growth. Skye makes a point that Simmons sucks at lying, and May replies that that isn't true anymore. This is a way of showing that Simmons took a level in badass as well.

 

I do assume the brainwashing will come in play at some point and they needed to establish it. Showing how the brainwashing occurs is more interesting if Simmons is in immediate peril from it, rather than just Donnie and some unknown agent.

[ottoDbusdriver]

I still don't see how Hydra was fooled by Bobbi Morse to be in charge of security -- for starters, all of SHIELD's information was distributed to the Internet and I'm assuming that includes all their secrets as well as personnel records.  So Hydra must have known that Morse was a former SHIELD agent (since she used her real name while working for them), but they acted like she'd been there for years and was a trusted Hydra operative.  That makes no sense at all.

[Mars477]

Yeah... The ending to Winter Soldier was really stupid.

[jhlipton]

It shows Simmons' growth. Skye makes a point that Simmons sucks at lying, and May replies that that isn't true anymore. T

 

 

But Bobbi also said she was really bad at lying..

[KirkB]

I still don't see how Hydra was fooled by Bobbi Morse to be in charge of security -- for starters, all of SHIELD's information was distributed to the Internet and I'm assuming that includes all their secrets as well as personnel records.  So Hydra must have known that Morse was a former SHIELD agent (since she used her real name while working for them), but they acted like she'd been there for years and was a trusted Hydra operative.  That makes no sense at all.

 

Not everyone in Hydra is as smart as they like to think they are. But Morse probably isn't the only SHIELD agent to switch sides since SHIELD fell. They may well have brainwashed her but they also may believe her because she's that damn good and because until now she hasn't done anything to make them think she isn't loyal.

[venturestar]

But Bobbi also said she was really bad at lying..

 

Yeah, but Bobbi didn't see Simmons try to lie prior to this. Compared to last season this was a big improvement for Simmons.

[Chicago Redshirt]

But Bobbi also said she was really bad at lying..

Compared to spy level-lying Simmons is still bad. 

 

Last season, Simmons' lying was just flat out bad for regular people. For example, when she tries to lie to Stillwell by saying she was attracted to him and ultimately has to tase him. Or when she was undercover on the train, and created the elaborate backstory about Coulson being the absentee dad who frequents prostitutes.

 

We also have to consider that Bobbi was a) playing a role to a certain extent when she criticized Simmons' lying and b) being a bit of the evil person Hunter makes her out to be. 

 

The fact that she survived whatever number of weeks as a Hydra mole shows that she has gotten significantly better at lying than last season (and/or that Hydra is just as incompetent at determining moles as SHIELD.)

Edited October 27, 2014 by Chicago Redshirt

[Sandman]

In the comics continuity, Bobbi Morse (well, at least one version of her) is a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent of long standing; is it possible that the show's version of Bobbi hasn't been one until now? Coulson said he was going to offer her a place on the team. I took her insistence on being called "Bobbi" rather than "Agent Morse" as an indication that she wasn't actually an agent before the end of the episode. If she were a contractor before, does that degree of distance from S.H.I.E.L.D. possibly make her undercover identity more plausible?

[Chicago Redshirt]

I think Coulson referred to her as Agent Morse. I took "Call me Bobbi" as her being like "We're all friends here...except maybe for my ex."

[rujasu]

Last season, Simmons' lying was just flat out bad for regular people. For example, when she tries to lie to Stillwell by saying she was attracted to him and ultimately has to tase him. Or when she was undercover on the train, and created the elaborate backstory about Coulson being the absentee dad who frequents prostitutes.

 

Don't forget: "Yes.  We are the C-I-A.  The Central.  Intelligence.  Agency.  People."

[Sandman]

I think Coulson referred to her as Agent Morse. I took "Call me Bobbi" as her being like "We're all friends here...except maybe for my ex."

 

You're probably right, but I couldn't help thinking that Coulson called her "Agent Morse" after he, well, made her one.

 

ETA: On rewatching, I noticed Coulson does refer to Morse as "one of our best agents," so she's not new to S.H.I.E.L.D.

Edited November 3, 2014 by Sandman

[Ottis]

Enjoyed Skye's dad. Especially loved at the end when he was watching them and getting upset when she was saying he was a monster. He really sold it. Also; it is weird to see him since I know the actor as "The Captain" from HIMYM. You would not even know it was him. What range.

 

 

Wow. Not Dune, Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet, Showgirls .... I think HIMYM is one of the few roles I've never seen KM in! I will say that it is tough to see people age. He looks good still, he just doesn't look like he did in the roles I remember.

 

I agree that the spinny move after the hallway fight was silly. I actually laughed.

Edited October 28, 2014 by Ottis

[ChelseaNH]

The spinny move was silly, but I liked her execution of it.  The fight itself was kind of choppy but the finishing move convinced me that she had the physical prowess for the role.

[Traveller519]

Simmons swooning was mighty high from being rescued to seeing trip (I was ready for the two of them to start making out right then and there) to getting back to base with the team right up until she had to face Fitz. Those two are going to have a long way to go to get back to being friends.

 

I'll second that I hope buttoned-up Simmons remains in the past, I really like seeing her in her Hydra gear, much more natural and appealing to the male viewer.

 

The past two weeks have had times that made me roll my eyes only to be releived that the show had actually faked me out and wasn't creating artifical drama. I am a little bummed at the quick team up between Dad-skye and Whitehall though. I think the show was fun with the multiple elements at play.

 

Based on what we know of the Avengers plot, it's the Avengers work at rooting out Hydra Cells that leads to the creation and rise of Ulton. I wonder how far the show can take it before it's not stepping on the toes of the movie franchise.

Edited October 31, 2014 by Traveller519

[KirkB]

Based on what we know of the Avengers plot, it's the Avengers work at rooting out Hydra Cells that leads to the creation and rise of Ulton. I wonder how far the show can take it before it's not stepping on the toes of the movie franchise.

 

Maybe something Coulson and his team finds or does is what inspires Stark to do whatever he does?

[missbonnie]

I'm over the wall scribbling crap. And oooops, someone is stupid and now the genie (Ward) is out of the bottle. You would think that an operation like SHIELD would have enough brains to know the dislocating my thumb to get out of handcuffs trick.

[Kel Varnsen]

Wow I think I am actually really starting to like the show. I am as surprised as anyone. It makes it a lot better when the missions have serious stakes and the SHIELD team has more field agents than support people.

 

Also Agent Morse is awesome. West Coast Avengers is one of my favourite comic series of all time, So how much money would I have to pay Disney to make a Marvel one shot short with Jeremy Renner, Adrianne Palicki and Don Cheadle where their characters go to California and meet up with a famous actor named Simon Williams?

[Chicago Redshirt]

Based on what we know of the Avengers plot, it's the Avengers work at rooting out Hydra Cells that leads to the creation and rise of Ulton. I wonder how far the show can take it before it's not stepping on the toes of the movie franchise.

I didn't know that, and I assume other people didn't know that. It's the sort of thing you might want to spoiler-tag.

[Traveller519]

Good call, CR, fixed.

[Sandman]

... They just need to keep her away from time travel to the old west, demons and shape shifting aliens.

 

Isn't that always a good idea?

[John Potts]

Glad to see that Coulson really did have an effective extraction plan for Gemma. Of course, the presence of Agent Morse within HYDRA begs a whole lot more questions (How long has she been there? If she's been there a while, how did she not know of the SHIELD takeover plan? If she's only been there a while, how did she obtain such a high ranked position?).

 

It's always "one step forward, two steps back" with Skye. Yes, Director Coulson is keeping secrets from you - he's the guy in charge of an undercover organisation. Didn't you used to be part of a secret organisation of your own? Did you make sure everyone knew everything at all times? Actually, that might explain how easily you were captured in the first episode, now I think about it.

 

kennyab  Really looking forward to more Special Agent Dale Cooper

Was anyone else expecting him to say "Sorry, haven't had my damn fine coffee yet!" after beating up the HYDRA security guards?

[Guest Accused Dingo]

It's always "one step forward, two steps back" with Skye. Yes, Director Coulson is keeping secrets from you - he's the guy in charge of an undercover organisation. Didn't you used to be part of a secret organisation of your own? Did you make sure everyone knew everything at all times? Actually, that might explain how easily you were captured in the first episode, now I think about it.

?

Tehnically Skye let herself get captured by SHIELD. And Skye has never liked secrets so that fits with her character.

[ChelseaNH]

And yet she erased all official records of her existence, and goes by an alias she created for herself.

[kitlee625]

Well more accurately, she doesn't like secrets being kept from her, but doesn't have a problem keeping them from her teammates. She's kept the secrets of GH-325 and Coulson's writing from Simmons and the rest of the team, even though Simmons in particular has been very interested in that.

Edited November 26, 2014 by kitlee625