S02.E12: Who You Really Are

[tennisgurl]

 

At the very least they need to find someone who can understand what she is going through regarding unwanted/uncontrollable power and perhaps help her with anger/anxiety issues.

Where the heck is Bruce Banner when you need him?!?!

[Jediknight]

Yes.  I just don't understand why they think it's so important to keep the world's most destructive weapon not only alive, but close by.

Well they can't kill Dr Banner, and they don't want to piss him off just yet.

 

In all seriousness, they know the Diviners have been activated.  So they know in addition to Raina, there's a whole lot of other superpowered beings out there.  Skye can help in the fight against the evil ones, and training her while she's around friends, is probably better for her to learn to control the power.

Edited March 11, 2015 by Jediknight

[Gregg247]

Remember how, in S1E1, Skye confronted that guy who ended up becoming Deathlok and told him how lucky he was to have these super-powers?  Well, I guess she's rethinking her position on that right now, huh?

 

I assume that once she gets her powers under control, she'll be able to create extremely targeted earthquakes around her target rather than just general rumblings all over.  Otherwise, what a lame power to have!

 

I think I can buy Skye as a computer hacker and/or a super-powered person more than as a competent kung-fu fighting field agent.  The way she's whipping out guns and beating up bad guys right now seems lame to me.

 

Where's Ward?  I used to hate that guy, but once he turned villain, he's much more fun.  Kind of like Tom on The Blacklist --  the weakest character on a show suddenly gets cool.

[Chicago Redshirt]

Where the heck is Bruce Banner when you need him?!?!

Some day, the immediate response in my head to any time someone asks "Where's ______________?" will not be "At home, washing his/her tights!"

 

Today is not that day. 

[mybabyaidan]

Yes.  I just don't understand why they think it's so important to keep the world's most destructive weapon not only alive, but close by.  Because she's one of "us"?  But Coulson only got her involved in the first place because he knows she isn't, so... I don't know.  If the castaways had only killed Gilligan they would have gotten off the island almost right away.  I'm seeing Skye as the Gilligan here.

They aren't just a team though, they are family. Skye is their friend, their family. If they ALL were like "kill kill kill" I'd have a really hard time seeing them as the good guys anymore. I don't even think Simmons would be ok putting Skye down, even with all her abomination talk. It's all well and good when it's someone you don't have a relationship with, someone you don't really know. You can distance yourself. But when it's your good friend, your team member, it's a whole new ballgame. Right now they can calm down and figure out their next steps. Everything that just happened was all very reactionary.

[Chicago Redshirt]

A guest from the movies (no, not one of the stars) stops by to advance the plot a little bit. And Skye breaks some stuff!

http://previously.tv/agents-of-shield/a-smashing-good-time/"> Read the story

Two nitpicks on a fine recap:

 

According to closed captioning, the Kree word for "key" is Kava, not "Carver."

 

Skye's father didn't find the Obelisks, as far as we know. He just somehow knew what the one was, presumably through Skye's mom. Whitehall found the one Obelisk that we'd seen all this time, which had been found in the 1940s. Presumably the others were found at the same time as Whitehall found that one back then.

[tennisgurl]

I feel like the Skye issue is actually a pretty complicated one, just like it is whenever you deal with a non-evil person who ends up with really destructive powers they cant fully control. You don't want to punish them for something that isn't their fault, but you cant just let them live their live like normal, as they are a danger to themselves and others. Especially when its a close friend. Its not like Skye wanted this, it just happened.

 

With the world they live in now, someone really needs to come up with some kind of plan on how to deal with issues like these. Something that can keep people with powers from losing control and hurting themselves or other people, but without punishing them or denying them their basic human rights. Like I said, its a tricky issue, one that cant really be solved by either ignoring the problem, or just killing anyone with powers. I can understand the fear of these powers, but immediately saying that they are a plague that needs to be destroyed does not help at all. Its the X-Men thing. The authorities say that mutants are dangerous and must be stopped, but by telling them that they're dangerous freaks who needs to be hunted down and captured, your turning people who might otherwise be totally law abiding citizens into criminals, who now are extremely bitter towards the world at large. Its a vicious cycle.  

Edited March 11, 2015 by tennisgurl

[gazebo]

I think Skye should've told Coulsen about her new powers right away.  But I can understand why she was afraid to do so and why Fitz was afraid for her and covered up for her.  I was impressed by how quickly Coulsen defended Skye and protected her.  In the last scene, we see Skye willingly go into the cell and lock herself up from everyone.  What a shitty situation she's in right now.  I felt sorry for her.  I was glad that not everyone turned against her.

 

I am wondering like mad who Bobbi and Mac are working for.  I don't believe they are traitors and working for Hydra.  I wonder if they are actually working for Nick Fury who sent them to Coulsen's team to spy on them.  For what reason, who know's?  I'm getting a little annoyed at Bobbi and Mac's secrecy.  I think I'm even more annoyed that Mac attacked Hunter and rendered him unconscious (I don't think dead, well, I hope he's not dead) and then kind of panicking and wondering what to do next.

 

Lady Sif is always a joy to watch.  The actress is beautiful and she delivers all her lines with such force and dignity.  Her fight with the Kree dude was awesome!

 

I think the friendship with Fitz and Simmons may very well be done.

[Malbec]

I think Skye should've told Coulsen about her new powers right away.  But I can understand why she was afraid to do so and why Fitz was afraid for her and covered up for her.  I was impressed by how quickly Coulsen defended Skye and protected her.  In the last scene, we see Skye willingly go into the cell and lock herself up from everyone.  What a shitty situation she's in right now.  I felt sorry for her.  I was glad that not everyone turned against her.

 

I agree with this, BUT I have to say that I think it was completely irresponsible for Skye to take a field assignment when she knew she did not have the earthquakes under control.  I said this in the ethics thread so I don't mean to rehash, but I think it's one thing to keep the secret when she's on SHIELD territory (where people have more or less signed up for dangerous crap, albeit not earthquakes specifically) and another thing to put civilians at risk. 

 

I think her reluctance to tell was quite human, not an irredeemably horrible thing; her reaction was similar to real-world people who get major medical diagnoses and keep it to themselves for a while, because saying it out loud makes it real.  So I'm not down on Skye so much as I feel like the story "cheated" a little bit by not carrying her freak-out in the hospital to its logical conclusion: surgeries getting messed up, patients falling out of their beds, important medicine and medical equipment being destroyed, etc.  To me, THOSE kinds of consequences would be more effective as a source of narrative tension than the writers tossing Jerkass Balls to half the team.

[gazebo]

I agree with this, BUT I have to say that I think it was completely irresponsible for Skye to take a field assignment when she knew she did not have the earthquakes under control.  I said this in the ethics thread so I don't mean to rehash, but I think it's one thing to keep the secret when she's on SHIELD territory (where people have more or less signed up for dangerous crap, albeit not earthquakes specifically) and another thing to put civilians at risk.

 

I completely agree.  Skye screwed up there.  She should've never agreed to go on that field assignment, although later on she did opt out as she did realize that she could've hurt people with her "earthquake" powers.  I guess you're right that it would've been more relevant if Show had put Skye in a hospital and we see the effects of her untrained powers.  But hey, that was never going to happen because no way was Coulsen going to put Skye in the hospital.  Skye was exposed to alien forces and if she was put into a regular hospital and some mysterious powers were manifested, the media would be curious and try to uncover SHIELD.

[KirkB]

Skye didn't immediately know she had powers, just that she saw Tripp die and something happened to Raina. She and Fitz figured it out more or less at the same time (because he was the only one around really) but he's not in a position to be of much help to her. I can understand Skye not going to Simmons, what with her "Kill them all!" mentality right now and I get why she'd be scared. But once she started to realize "When I get upset things break" and knew that put the team at risk she should have confided in Coulson. May is sort of an unknown quantity. She's not too close to Bobbi or Mack or Hunter. Coulson, though, is alien touched himself and is literally the last person in the world who would freak out or turn her away because she's different. 

Edited March 11, 2015 by KirkB

[sinkwriter]

 

According to closed captioning, the Kree word for "key" is Kava, not "Carver."

 

Thanks for this, Chicago Redshirt. When I watched the episode, I thought Sif said "Kava," so I was really confused about "Carver" in the recap.

 

Side note: I didn't realize Skye had shot herself with an icer, until I read the recap and the comments here. I thought she shot herself with a gun, and part of me thought for just a moment, "Holy shit! Are they actually getting rid of her character?"

[Chicago Redshirt]

I am wondering like mad who Bobbi and Mac are working for.  I don't believe they are traitors and working for Hydra.  I wonder if they are actually working for Nick Fury who sent them to Coulsen's team to spy on them.  For what reason, who know's?  I'm getting a little annoyed at Bobbi and Mac's secrecy.  I think I'm even more annoyed that Mac attacked Hunter and rendered him unconscious (I don't think dead, well, I hope he's not dead) and then kind of panicking and wondering what to do next.

 

Bobbi had a private conversation with Mack in this episode in which they both said that they aren't Hydra. So it's pretty much a given that neither is in fact Hydra.

 

Closed captioning said something to the effect of "breathing weakly" after Mack did whatever hold he did on Hunter. So Hunter is still alive.

 

Thanks for this, Chicago Redshirt. When I watched the episode, I thought Sif said "Kava," so I was really confused about "Carver" in the recap.

 

You're welcome!

 

On another note, a couple things occur to me on further reflection:

 

As of Thor: The Dark World, Loki has incapacitated/killed Odin and taken his appearance to usurp the throne. So I wonder why Loki-as-Odin would have ordered Sif to investigate the Kree presence on Earth. Something we'll never get an answer to, I guess but oh well.

 

So Sif is able to track down Kreeminator. Why doesn't he explain what he's doing on Earth before the fisticuffs? 

 

Kreeminator has his memory partially wiped by his own weapon. At some point, isn't he going to get his memory restored and keep coming after Skye and the Abominations? (which would be a killer name for a rock band, by the way.)

[Malbec]

I completely agree.  Skye screwed up there.  She should've never agreed to go on that field assignment, although later on she did opt out as she did realize that she could've hurt people with her "earthquake" powers.  I guess you're right that it would've been more relevant if Show had put Skye in a hospital and we see the effects of her untrained powers.  But hey, that was never going to happen because no way was Coulsen going to put Skye in the hospital.  Skye was exposed to alien forces and if she was put into a regular hospital and some mysterious powers were manifested, the media would be curious and try to uncover SHIELD.

 

Oh, I totally agree Coulson would never put her in a "Muggle" hospital.  But I was referring to the fact that Skye and Bobbi were in a hospital when they found Kree Dude (he had gone there for the nitrogen) and Skye's powers went out of control.

[JTMacc99]

Complicating Factors: She's gotten away with it a few times, but even the most self-centered person is eventually going to notice all the glass in the room exploding like it's the freakin' Quickening. (Highlander reference. To the five people who enjoyed that: you're welcome!)

 

Thank you!

 

I think we made a step forward in the FitzSimmons repair job this week.  Let's see how they deal with it next week.

[shrewd.buddha]

One of the (many) things that bugs me is that the characters are constantly saying that they are more than a team, they are a family. .. Especially since they have no lives outside of SHIELD.
But the second there is a bump in the road everyone starts lying, keeping secrets and faking reports.
But then they will say they trust each other with their lives - - until the next incident.
It is one of lame storytelling tacticts that makes AoS "that kind of show", and will be repeated over and over.

Edited March 12, 2015 by shrewd.buddha

[ottoDbusdriver]

I agree sending her off to train with Asgardians is probably a good idea. She'd have a harder time hurting any of them. But there are several problems involved. For one, Sif just wanted to kill Skye. They can't be sure she wouldn't finish the job once they were on another world. Speaking of which, it would also take Skye off the show and while that might please some people this part of the show kind of hinges on Skye.

 

I really wouldn't be upset if the Skye pulled a Poochie from the Simpsons and died off-screen on the way back to Sif's home planet.  </snark>

[Raja]

Its the first time I noticed but where crop circles left behind the other times the Asgardians used the bifrost?

[VCRTracking]

Yeah. It was definitely there in the first Thor movie and the previous AoS episode with Sif.

 

I definitely felt bad for Skye through the whole ordeal, panicking when the Kree said the Inhumans were a weapon that needed to be destroyed, apologizing to Simmons(and calling her Jemma for the first time) and finally icing herself for the good of the others.

 

I didn't recognize it was Fitz who fired the gun at first. Bambino I really like Leo and Iain has been killing it these last two episodes(and the whole season actually).

[ottoDbusdriver]

Its the first time I noticed but where crop circles left behind the other times the Asgardians used the bifrost?

 

Yes.  It happened in the first Thor movie (not sure about the 2nd one) and in last season's episode where Lady Sif appeared.

 

ETA:  @VCRTracking beat me to the punch.

Edited March 12, 2015 by ottoDbusdriver

[redfish]

One of the (many) things that bugs me is that the characters are constantly saying that they are more than a team, they are a family. .. Especially since they have no lives outside of SHIELD.

But the second there is a bump in the road everyone starts lying, keeping secrets and faking reports.

But then they will say they trust each other their lives - - until the next incident.

 

I don't think they know what a family is. It probably would have been better if they had started from season 1 where they grudgingly have to work together with no idea who each other are and then learn to develop mutual respect and then even liking each other. I think throwing in family concept into their dynamic was too soon. They went through the ringer in the last half of season 1 where no one was able to trust anybody. And what held them together was their mission to stop Hydra. Making them run hot and cold with their "relationship" to each other just doesn't seem organic. But the show's pacing (ito. character development/character relations/plot) is at the mercy of the movies.

[Texasmom1970]

Where's Ward? I used to hate that guy, but once he turned villain, he's much more fun. Kind of like Tom on The Blacklist -- the weakest character on a show suddenly gets cool.

I asked the same thing in last week's episode. I think he is infinitely more interesting and attractive being all evil.

Edited March 12, 2015 by Texasmom1970

[MisterGlass]

 

Now Coulson has given the mechanic a promotion to field agent. Are there not enough highly trained agents available any more?

...

Does Shield even exist as a legitimate organization now? Who is paying for equipment and salaries? How does the government not know where their bases are - since they were supposedly built by the government?

 

Yes.  Coulson is the highest ranking survivor who was willing to stay with SHIELD and not go either rogue or to another organization.  They have a few agents scattered in other cities around the globe, but they have a very small core team.  Well, maybe not that small, since we have at least a few more Koenigs to meet :-)  Mack was at least in SHIELD, but Hunter wasn't even an agent.  Mack's technically minded, good with people, and more cunning than Coulson realizes. 

SHIELD has arrived at a kind of truce with the army by turning over prisoners and cooperating on attacks.  They have an informal working relationship with other entities that is leftover from the past.  I think they also pose as other agencies.  My impression is that most of their resources were hidden by Fury as part of his back-up plan.  I can believe that he would wipe or isolate records related to their bases.  They may be facilities that were slated for demolition, and were only demolished on paper.

[sinkwriter]

 

Where's Ward?  I used to hate that guy, but once he turned villain, he's much more fun.  Kind of like Tom on The Blacklist --  the weakest character on a show suddenly gets cool.

 

I'm guessing he's somewhere recovering from his gun shot wounds and making a new plan, now that he's no longer working for anyone.

[Donny Ketchum]

I asked the same thing in last week's episode. I think he is infinitely more interesting and attractive being all evil.

 

I'm guessing he's somewhere recovering from his gun shot wounds and making a new plan, now that he's no longer working for anyone.

Meh.  I didn't really miss Ward and still don't, really.  While he is better as evil, I can deal with him being gone for a few more episodes.  Really, he's taken Skye to her father, as promised.  He's got no real reason to be around now, anyway.  Won't be surprised if he's dumped off the main cast this season or next.

[mac123x]

I love how everyone just stands around with their jaws hanging open while the room shakes.  "What's causing that?" Have none of them ever lived in California?  It's a freaking earthquake; get under a sturdy table or in a doorway!

 

Until I read this thread it didn't occur to me that Bobbi and Mac were working for Tony Stark, but it makes a lot of sense.  In the Avengers movie, he didn't trust Fury, and Bobbi and Mac are trying to get something of Fury's that Coulson has, so it's pretty plausible. 

Edited March 12, 2015 by mac123x

[Sakura12]

I don't live in California, but when I was there a few years ago and the ground started shaking I knew what it was. I don't know why they were all so shocked, maybe earthquakes don't exist in the MCU, of course then they should've thought it was an alien threat or a powered being battle. 

[kennyab]

I don't live in California, but when I was there a few years ago and the ground started shaking I knew what it was. I don't know why they were all so shocked, maybe earthquakes don't exist in the MCU, of course then they should've thought it was an alien threat or a powered being battle. 

 

I think the strange part is that it's following them around, first in Puerto Rico, then at their base, then in wherever that hospital was. Earthquakes don't usually hide in your carry-ons.

Edited March 12, 2015 by kennyab

[Bruinsfan]

I love Sif, but I think May could have taken her.

I think that's a fault of the TV budget, only being able to do limited stunts and effects. By rights Sif should be able to lift a bus one-handed, and small arms fire should be like paintballs to her. Without highly advanced weaponry human agents shouldn't be able to do more than dodge her blows and keep her busy for a bit (and only that if they're extremely capable and acrobatic like May or Bobbi).

 

Speaking of which, it would also take Skye off the show and while that might please some people this part of the show kind of hinges on Skye. At the very least they need to find someone who can understand what she is going through regarding unwanted/uncontrollable power and perhaps help her with anger/anxiety issues. 

Too bad the X-Men franchise is off limits, this is really the sort of thing that's their forté.

[KirkB]

Look, I like May as much as the next person but I don't think May could take Sif if her life depended on it. The weakest Asgardian is stronger and tougher than even the strongest, toughest normal human. Even Captain America wasn't really able to do anything to Loki. I'm not sure about the Kree but I question Bobbi being able to go toe to toe with someone who fought Sif so easily.

[jhlipton]

Look, I like May as much as the next person but I don't think May could take Sif if her life depended on it. The weakest Asgardian is stronger and tougher than even the strongest, toughest normal human. Even Captain America wasn't really able to do anything to Loki. I'm not sure about the Kree but I question Bobbi being able to go toe to toe with someone who fought Sif so easily.

 

I think this is the Marvel equivalent of Rock-Paper-Scissors:

Kree beats Bobbi

Bobbi beats Sif

Sif beats Kree

 

We just need hand gestures now.

[Chicago Redshirt]

Look, I like May as much as the next person but I don't think May could take Sif if her life depended on it. The weakest Asgardian is stronger and tougher than even the strongest, toughest normal human. Even Captain America wasn't really able to do anything to Loki. I'm not sure about the Kree but I question Bobbi being able to go toe to toe with someone who fought Sif so easily.

There is an element of how in comic books, anyone can be made to beat just about anyone. Hence, Spider-Man has defeated Firelord (a herald of Galactus), the Juggernaut, basically the entire X-Men (except for Prof. X hypnotizing him). 

 

Here, though, Bobbi was losing to Kreeminator but was just wanting to distract him long enough for him to get blasted with the big-ass gun and then amnesia-ed by his own weapon.

 

There may also be the element that Kreeminator was holding back, because he had a heart of gold (or sapphire) and didn't really want to hurt the puny humans. He just wanted to wipe out abominations.

[ChelseaNH]

And Skye demonstrates her mad hacking skills again -- by finding a video on Twitter.

 

You'd think an agency dedicated to protecting humanity from weird stuff would maybe be on the lookout for people talking about weird stuff that happened.

[thuganomics85]

Late for this one.  Just my luck that I end up being out of town during the return of Lady Sif.

 

I'm surprised (but happy), that they already got rid of the whole "Fitz and Skye keep Skye's power a secret" story, because that would have been ridiculous if they dragged it out too long.  I did find it amusing that, even if Skye didn't freak out, Fitz almost blew the entire damn thing by having his I-pad hanging around, for Simmons to just pick up.  You don't even have it Password Protected, Fitz?  Worst spy ever!  Still, it's all moot now.  Cat's out of the bag.  I'm actually surprised how lopsided it is.  Only Coulson and Fitz seem to fully back her.  Everyone else, even Melinda, seemed to be against her on some level.  There are differences; Simmons and Mac seem way more angry over this while Bobbi seemed concern but sympathetic.  This can't end well.  I actually felt bad for Skye at the end; locking herself in the room, knowing the majority of her team (still not fully buying the family stuff; they really need to work on that), thinks she's a threat.

 

I also wonder how this is going to effect Fitz and the rest of the team.  Really have a feeling this is heading towards a Fitz vs. Simmons scenario.  Their relationship has clearly been bumpy this season, but they really are at each other's throats now.  And, I suspect Fitz/Mac will be the same way.  Yep, I think this could get ugly.

 

Meanwhile, Sif is bacK!  Love her and Jaimie Alexander.  Usually, I hate amnesia storylines, but I liked how Sif was with everyone, and they got some good humor out of it.  Loved the big grin she had over Thor's name, and Melinda knew why.  Coulson did too, but I still think anytime people go gaga for Thor, he's just like "Whatever.  That's more Captain America for me!  Team Steve Rodgers for life!!!"  Liked them bringing the Kree into this, and seeing how dangerous they can be.  Assuming "Odin" is still actually Loki, I wonder why he wanted all this looked into.

 

I will admit these past two episodes have been Skye-centric, but I still don't mind since everyone is being effected by this, and I don't think the propping has been that bad, yet.  I didn't even mind the Sif praise, because she was still not all there at the time, so the praise really doesn't mean that much to me.  I have faith they won't regress to early S1.  They better not.

 

Could care less about Bobbi/Hunter.  I'm more curious over whatever the hell is going on with Bobbi and Mac.  I still don't think they are acting like full-blown villains, so I have to think they are helping a third party.  The Tony Stark/Maria Hill theories seem like the most obvious choice so far.

 

Next week looks fun.

[Raja]

You'd think an agency dedicated to protecting humanity from weird stuff would maybe be on the lookout for people talking about weird stuff that happened.

They do, at the director's headquarters Skye is the agent in charge of that

[nottopbravo]

Side note: I didn't realize Skye had shot herself with an icer, until I read the recap and the comments here. I thought she shot herself with a gun, and part of me thought for just a moment, "Holy shit! Are they actually getting rid of her character?"

 

One can dream, can't one?   It seems the show would move a lot better without Skye and her (never seen in Season 2) hacker abilities.

[sinkwriter]

 

It seems the show would move a lot better without Skye and her (never seen in Season 2) hacker abilities.

 

I guess they figured she would be more interesting if she became more like May (as if anyone could be as awesome as May). I actually liked that one of the leads of the show was a hacker. But I guess that's too nerdy for a lead female character. *sigh*  

[Sakura12]

I don't know why they need Skye to be like May, they have Bobbi now. May and Bobbi can handle all the fighting, Hunter can be their back up.

 

Also it would be hilarious to me if Skye exploded key boards every time she touched them. She can have an identity crisis of not being able to do things she was good at anymore. 

[sinkwriter]

Especially because it's pretty ludicrous that Skye would be able to learn everything May can do and do it almost as well as her in such a short time. May has trained for years.

[paigow]

How does Mack explain unconscious Hunter???

 

A: Skye caused a quake that dropped a wrench on his head

B: Delayed concussion effect from Kreeminator fight

C. Cialis overdose

[ChelseaNH]

They do, at the director's headquarters Skye is the agent in charge of that

 

Sif's fight with Kava took place during the day, she came out of the ocean at night, the team found her and investigated her during the day -- so it's been most of a day since people recorded Sif's fight, and SHIELD hasn't come across it yet?

[tennisgurl]

I hope they don't turn Skye into a super uber badass overnight. I actually like Skye these days, and I don't need her to get Mary Sued again. Thats` my main worry about this story, that we will end up with another Skye centric show, when she (and the show) are better off with her as part pf the ensemble.

 

Still sad about Trip. He could have had so much more potential. 

[Raja]

Sif's fight with Kava took place during the day, she came out of the ocean at night, the team found her and investigated her during the day -- so it's been most of a day since people recorded Sif's fight, and SHIELD hasn't come across it yet?

Well until a Google bot took notice of a critical number of circles clicking on the video and uses it to advertise it first for YouTube eyeballs it is lost in white noise. Any individual video is just a drop of water in The sea if you're not directed to it. Even for a rag tag SHIELD or an intact NSA.

[ChelseaNH]

That's not how the MCU has been treating social media.

[Grammaeryn]

On rewatch, I had an out there idea. What if Backup is Captain America? Both Bobbi and Mack seem to have suffered a lot from the Hydra reveal. Cap was the first one who said SHIELD needed to be destroyed. The fact that there is a small rag tag version of SHIELD might concern him enough he'd recruit Bobbi and Mack to make sure things won't go off the rails. Plus, that kind of maneuver could lay some groundwork for Civil War conflict. Stark funding NuSHIELD, Cap spying on and distrusting it.

[Raja]

On rewatch, I had an out there idea. What if Backup is Captain America? Both Bobbi and Mack seem to have suffered a lot from the Hydra reveal. Cap was the first one who said SHIELD needed to be destroyed. The fact that there is a small rag tag version of SHIELD might concern him enough he'd recruit Bobbi and Mack to make sure things won't go off the rails. Plus, that kind of maneuver could lay some groundwork for Civil War conflict. Stark funding NuSHIELD, Cap spying on and distrusting it.

I don't know Mac seems to be all about the alien crap. When General Talbot was talking to the UN it was aliens can you believe it aliens attacked us when we turned to SHIELD only to have Nazis in Hydra form almost take over SHIELD.

While SHIELD is no longer the first line of defense in the world's eyes I don't see Captain America becoming director General Rogers setting up an intelligence apparatus.

[KirkB]

In a world of men in flying armor, giant green monsters and alien invasions, a couple of people fighting with swords on a pier probably wouldn't attract all that much attention from the people on the pier, let alone SHIELD. The fact Skye found it at all is somewhat surprising. On the other hand, the show runners seem to have forgotten the fact Asgardians transporting to Earth sets off atmospheric anomalies SHIELD can track. That was how they found Sif and the Warriors Three and the Destroyer in Thor and Sif in her first appearance on AoS.

Edited March 13, 2015 by KirkB

[chaifan]

Is it just me, or did the hotel near the beach in Portugal look an awful like Peggy's apartment/boarding house in Agent Carter? 

[chaifan]

Sif's fight with Kava took place during the day, she came out of the ocean at night, the team found her and investigated her during the day -- so it's been most of a day since people recorded Sif's fight, and SHIELD hasn't come across it yet?

 

Hey, the people on the boardwalk in Portugal still hadn't even stood the tables back upright, so it seems it takes a while to get things done around there.

[Llywela]

Now Coulson has given the mechanic a promotion to field agent. Are there not enough highly trained agents available any more? 

 

Does Shield even exist as a legitimate organization now? Who is paying for equipment and salaries? How does the government not know where their bases are - since they were supposedly built by the government?  ..Too many questions.

No, there aren't enough highly trained agents any more, and no, SHIELD doesn't exist as a legitimate organisation any more. Those aren't questions left hanging, those are questions that have been explicity addressed and answered by the show throughout season two. The government doesn't know where their bases are because SHIELD has always been outside of that kind of direct government control, and the equipment and salaries I guess are coming from reserves accessed via Fury's toolbox, which he gave to Coulson - plus we've seen them stealing and scrounging.

As of Thor: The Dark World, Loki has incapacitated/killed Odin and taken his appearance to usurp the throne. So I wonder why Loki-as-Odin would have ordered Sif to investigate the Kree presence on Earth. Something we'll never get an answer to, I guess but oh well.

Well, the show has to play it as if Odin is giving the orders, because Sif won't know that he isn't. And in that last scene in The Dark World we saw that Loki hadn't just usurped the throne, but was playing at being Odin, for whatever reason. Evidently he is still doing that - is ruling as Odin, which means making the choices Odin would make (more or less), whether simply to avoid being caught out or to prove that he is capable of being a good ruler, I daresay the next Thor movie will tell us.

I think I can buy Skye as a computer hacker and/or a super-powered person more than as a competent kung-fu fighting field agent.  The way she's whipping out guns and beating up bad guys right now seems lame to me.

Especially because it's pretty ludicrous that Skye would be able to learn everything May can do and do it almost as well as her in such a short time. May has trained for years.

I don't think the show is suggesting that Skye has learned everything May can do, or that she can do it as well as her. In this episode, we saw her training with May - a session in which May scoffed at the very suggestion that Skye could hurt her - and we saw her looking petrified in the face of a Kree before getting taken out by her own earthquake power. That hardly puts her at May's level, or anywhere near it. From what I've seen, Skye has learned enough from May that she can just about hold her own in a fight, if the wind is in her favour, and she's learned how to shoot - she's ahead of where she was last season, but with a long way to go still.

Edited March 13, 2015 by Llywela