S02.E17: Melinda

[ElectricBoogaloo]

The story of Melinda May's transformation into "The Cavalry" is revealed as she finds herself at a crossroads in the war between Coulson and Gonzales. As Skye learns more about her true heritage from Lincoln, the truth about the Inhumans will send her in a new direction.

 

Promo:

[Sakura12]

I can't wait for this one. I want to see the Cavalry in action. And Skye bonding with her Zombie Mother. 

Edited April 8, 2015 by Sakura12

[kennyab]

I can't wait for this one. I want to see the Calvary in action. And Skye bonding with her Zombie Mother. 

 

I usually don't do the grammar correction thing, and I certainly don't want you to think that I'm picking on you, Sakura12, because this is a mistake I see happen quite a bit (heck, I've seen it made in published materials that should have been better edited). But since this latest episode is about Melinda May and how she got her nickname, and I'm guessing we're going to see the word used quite a bit throughout this thread, I want to go ahead and tackle it.

 

Calvary is the hill upon which Jesus was crucified.

Cavalry, in the modern sense, refers to soldiers in armored vehicles (originally, French soldiers on horseback), and this is May's nickname.

 

Again, no offense intended, and I hope I'm not being too pedantic. Like I said, "Calvary" is used for "cavalry" all the time, but these words are a bit more culturally significant than they're/their/there (and goodness knows I make those mistakes all the time and have to shake my head at myself and hit the edit button).

 

And I'm also very excited about this one! I'm hoping May's defining moment is a real butt-clencher.

Edited April 8, 2015 by kennyab

[Sakura12]

No worries, I wasn't paying much attention when I was posted that. Fixed it. 

[Cranberry]

Moved some general cavalry discussion to the small talk thread; feel free to continue there! These episode threads end up as the comments on the AoS features on the main site, so we like to keep them to episode discussion only (and avoid too many posts before an episode airs, too). Thanks!

[AimingforYoko]

Wow, I didn't think they'd go there. I mean, I kinda figured the kid got killed, but I didn't figure she was the baddie and May killed her on purpose. I definitely see how that could fuck you up. And we see how May got her nickname.

[Lantern7]

Wow. That was traumatic. May's nickname gets revealed, and all she had to do was kill an evil girl to acquire it. Creepy child was creepy. Anybody else expect the chorus to chime in with, "Are you my mummy?" Also traumatic: Raina's gift getting revealed. It doesn't seem like a fair trade . . . you become a human porcupine, and you get the mojo of the dude from Heroes who got whacked in the first season. Oh, and she doesn't get Tim Sale's art skills in the process. Ah . .. Mystery Sock. Good times.

 

And Skye remains the daisest daisy ever. I don't mind, but I can see where it would grate. With the big-time Inhumans years from being cast (let alone seen), this is the best we can do. Not too bad . . . I feel that Skye has grown as a character, as opposed to being merely the most special of snowflakes.

[xqueenfrostine]

This episode was pretty underwhelming.  Moments that should have been meaningful just felt kind of empty and melodramatic.  The actress playing Skye's mom is just so wooden and flat, and she and Chloe Bennet have zero chemistry together.   The tearful reveal to Skye that Jiaying was her mother was rushed and unearned.  And the demonstration of Skye's powers just didn't seem as impressive as some of her earlier displays.  The avalanche was too far away from the characters to have the kind of impact it should have.  It felt like we were just watching stock footage from a nature program.

 

And May's story? Really rushed.  We've been waiting two seasons this story and it wasn't given enough screen time to really breathe.  Instead the story was kind of used to service the Skye/Inhuman plot line and act as a convenient reason to get May to doubt Coulson far more quickly than she should have given their history.  I'm really not happy about that.  I mean, I can definitely understand how killing a child could take May out of the field and cause the collapse of her marriage, but it bugs me that it feels like to molded May's story to fit around Skye's.

 

Creepy, but really very sweet, Cal was one of the only truly great parts of this episode.  I did like the scene of Skye having dinner with her parents.  It was much more emotionally satisfying than any of the scenes between Skye and her mother.

 

The Skype convo between Fitz, Hunter, and Coulson was pretty great too.  Fitz's plea to come hang out with them despite having NewShield right on his tail was so adorably Fitz.

[Malbec]

The scenes between Skye and Jiaying hit me hard in the feels.  Really beautifully played by both actresses.  Chloe nailed that moment of epiphany, and I just love the complexity Dichen Lachman brings to her character.  As poignant as her scenes were, there is still a real edge of darkness to her character that could go either way.  

 

Melinda's story was also gripping and a wonderful showcase for Ming-Na. Ugh, poor May :(

 

I thought this episode was one of the strongest all season.  Every storyline was firing.  My only semi-complaint is that it's kind of obvious Coulson is going to be validated somehow, but that storyline also played out well in this episode.  May sensibly consulting with Simmons and Bobbi reaching out to May were refreshing bits of common sense among all the REALD skulduggery.

[MisterGlass]

I agree that the endings were the best parts, but I thought May's story played out well.  It explains why May shut down the way she did.  It would make sense for Shield to have had brushes with the Inhumans, even if they didn't know what they were seeing.  My worry is that this makes her more susceptible to the pull of NewShield, especially with the added pressure of being excluded from a massive project when she has been Phil's second in command and constant supporter.  I don't want to see May join 'real' Shield for real, and if Bobbi does come to the original Shield side, the show might feel obligated to swing someone the other way, especially since Simmons has been shown loyal.  May's faith is what needs to be validated.  She deserves a win.

 

Cal was so sweet.  He was so excited when he got to show that he knew Skye's birthdate.  It almost makes you forget that he's a murdering nut.

 

Fitz stuck in the bathroom was a fun stinger.

 

I think that 'Sparkplug' is well meaning, but he does have a tendency to blunder into things.

[ottoDbusdriver]

Meh.  Wasn't really impressed by May's backstory. And to make it worse, it was tied into the 'Skye's Parental Issues Hour'.

 

Why was Lincoln even going into the room where Cal was locked up ?  And then was astounded just because it was what Rayna described -- ooh, Reyna is a psychic or a telepath or both.  Whoop-dee-doo. I guess those aren't quills on her head but antennas for psychic energies or something.

 

As soon as I saw that bad guy grab the girl, I thought what is this 'CSI:Cyber' ?  Will Mundo be bursting in at the last moment to save the child instead of May ?

[kennyab]

So after all of the time of Raina wanting to believe in the Clairvoyant she becomes one. Nicely played.

[Sandman]

I enjoyed this episode; I saw notable chemistry between Dichen Lachman and Chloe Bennett. They sold me on their scenes, although May's backstory did feel a little rushed to me as well. Still not impressed with the self-declared righteousness of "real" S.H.I.E.L.D. Yeah, Bobbi, when you say "it needs to be brought into the light of day," you really mean "brought under the control of my secretive, backstabbing faction, rather than his." Oy.

I thought it was nifty touch that, after all S.H.I.E.L.D's insistence that they've never had a verifiable psychic on the Index, Raina has essentially become what she was hoping to find in the Clairvoyant. Edited to high-five kennyab.

I hope Gordon's not in charge of assigning Inhuman codenames! "Sparkplug" needs work. Raina will be lucky if she doesn't get called "Psionic the Hedgehog." And so much for Skye's little family secret.

Edited April 19, 2015 by Sandman

[tennisgurl]

Holy hell, that kid was creepy!

 

Poor May. I liked getting her back story, but I`m not sure how I feel about it being tied into the Inhuman stuff. On the one hand, it makes sense that SHIELD crossed paths with these guys at some point, before they knew what they were, but it seemed more like it was about the Inhumans back story, and not May`s. I`ll need to think on that a little bit.

 

Fitz in the bathroom was adorable. 

 

I actually liked the stuff with Skye and her family, especially the weird family dinner. Cal and his weirdness makes everything better. 

 

I`m still waiting to see if the Inhumans are on the up and up. I don't think they are totally bad guys, but there is definitely some shadiness. 

[thuganomics85]

So, that's how Melinda became "The Calvary."  I figured it had to be something big enough to make her become as cold as she is, and I guess being forced to kill a young girl, would certainly do the trick.  Pretty decent reveal, but I wish we spent more time on it.  In particular, I wish we got more Melinda/Andrew stuff, because since I feel like I barely know the guy, seeing how it ruined their marriage, really didn't hit me as it should.  Sure, talking about wanting kids and sexy times in the shower help, but there could have been more.  I guess I am somewhat curious about whatever Andrew was up to with Coulson.

 

At least they went ahead and let Skye know that Jiaying is her mother, so that isn't going to be one of those dumb secrets some shows do.  And we already got a family dinner!  That wasn't as bad as it could have been!  But I'm all for anything involving Cal.  Cal is the best.

 

Loved the final scene with Fitz, and Hunter/Coulson hopefully teaching him how to lose a tail, and hopefully meet up with them.  That should be fun.  But if they are still planning on trying to find Ward, I have to think Fitz won't be very happy about that.

 

So, Raina can also predict the future, like the Clairvoyant?  Hmm, I guess that's one way to get what you want.  I'm glad Luke Mitchell is still around, but I hope they do something with Lincoln soon.  He's a bit dull right now.

[mybabyaidan]

Hmm...Not really impressed with Jiaying.  She was ok in smaller doses, but she just fell flat for me here.   I thought the mother/daughter reunion was a little underwhelming.

 

Poor May.  Poor Andrew.  And I still want to punch Bobbi and Mack in the face. 

 

Loved the end tag, I missed Fitz the entire episode so it was nice to see his face.

[xqueenfrostine]

 

So, that's how Melinda became "The Calvary."  I figured it had to be something big enough to make her become as cold as she is, and I guess being forced to kill a young girl, would certainly do the trick.  Pretty decent reveal, but I wish we spent more time on it.  In particular, I wish we got more Melinda/Andrew stuff, because since I feel like I barely know the guy, seeing how it ruined their marriage, really didn't hit me as it should.  Sure, talking about wanting kids and sexy times in the shower help, but there could have been more. 

 

I agree.  The bones of May's story work out fine, but the lack of time spent on "Old May" both in this episode and for the entire series robbed the transformation of May's character of the emotional punch it should have had.  The toss in of "Hey!  May wanted kids!  That's why this is especially traumatic" didn't feel right, as those seeds weren't planted earlier in the series.

[Humbugged]

Holy hell, that kid was creepy!

 

Poor May. I liked getting her back story, but I`m not sure how I feel about it being tied into the Inhuman stuff. On the one hand, it makes sense that SHIELD crossed paths with these guys at some point, before they knew what they were, but it seemed more like it was about the Inhumans back story, and not May`s. I`ll need to think on that a little bit.

 

Fitz in the bathroom was adorable. 

 

I actually liked the stuff with Skye and her family, especially the weird family dinner. Cal and his weirdness makes everything better. 

 

I`m still waiting to see if the Inhumans are on the up and up. I don't think they are totally bad guys, but there is definitely some shadiness. 

That one guy Ethan .Something is going on with him ,maybe this is where the missing Diviners come in ?Those who are being denied falling in with HYDRA if they are creating supers?

[Eegah]

When Gordon showed up in the flashback, anyone else get excited for a second that we were seeing a cameo from Stick? Those sunglasses really make him look like Scott Glenn.

[Sakura12]

I liked this episode. 

 

Seeing why people called May the Cavalry. They think she took down 30 guys by herself. She did take most them while fighting an Inhuman, the name still works for me. But I can see why she doesn't want to be reminded of that. I don't mind that they connected their stories. Shield had to have run into the Inhumans at some point, they are powered people. 

 

I liked Skye and her mother. I thought the discovery scene was well acted by both CB and DL. The dinner scene was really sweet, it does make you almost forget that Cal's a crazy psycho.

 

I don't think the Inhumans are bad, I think they are only for their own race. Kind of like Magneto. They probably think of themselves as above the regular humans.

 

So Raina's the Clairvoyant now. She was looking for one, now she is one. Sparkplug needs more of a personality, he's just kind of there. Coulson will probably be vindicated but dude does keep a lot of secrets from his own team. 

[Boundary]

I've always thought this show, even at its best, is kinda sub-par. Especially this weekend after comparing it to fellow MCU show Daredevil, which is nothing short of excellent. However, I do like Agents Of SHIELD together with its flaws, which in part is a result of being a network show: cranking 22 episodes of high quality, with all the attendant restrictions, can't be easy.

 

This episode though, I feel it was the first time this show rose above its usual standards. Tying May's flashback to Skye's lesson from her mother about parental love and its sometimes misguided actions, was really smart. It was also used to explain Carl's previous behaviour. Is it grating that May and Coulson be used as a prop for Skye? I can see how that can be to some people. But I think Skye's experience needs to tie back to her team, otherwise she might drift away from the rest of the show. 

 

So far the Inhumans don't seem bad at all, in fact I understand why Skye would feel at home but I have a trepidation that something bad is around the corner. It could be Raina or it could be a dark secret this utopian society is hiding. There's obviously a lot of detail about the Inhumans being shelved for the movie but it'll be an interesting perspective if humans are maintained as the bad guys for a while. This obviously goes back to the heart of 'Real' SHIELD vs SHIELD in a way. For now though, Skye/Daisy is better off with her family. Although it won't last, I'm genuinely happy for the character.

 

Most of the time I have nothing to ponder after each airing and I just tend to enjoy the show for what it is. But not this episode. I quite enjoyed it enough to write a longish post. The only annoyance is that Lincoln seems to be in on the family secret. Something tells me he won't keep it to himself.

[benteen]

Wow.  I didn't think they would go there with that ending.  Pretty effective though and totally explains why May is the way she was.  Enjoyed seeing her and Coulson from back in the day although I wish we had gotten to see more of Old May.

 

The dinner with Skye, Cal, and Jiayang was a weirdly sweet one.  It was a very nice payoff.  I like the chemistry between Skye and her mom and Skye realizing she was a year older was funny.

 

Enjoyed the ending with Fitz too.

 

Lincoln is a bore.

Edited April 15, 2015 by benteen

[Humbugged]

I've always thought this show, even at its best, is kinda sub-par. Especially this weekend after comparing it to fellow MCU show Daredevil, which is nothing short of excellent. However, I do like Agents Of SHIELD together with its flaws, which in part is a result of being a network show: cranking 22 episodes of high quality, with all the attendant restrictions, can't be easy.

 

This episode though, I feel it was the first time this show rose above its usual standards. Tying May's flashback to Skye's lesson from her mother about parental love and its sometimes misguided actions, was really smart. It was also used to explain Carl's previous behaviour. Is it grating that May and Coulson be used as a prop for Skye? I can see how that can be to some people. But I think Skye's experience needs to tie back to her team, otherwise she might drift away from the rest of the show. 

 

So far the Inhumans don't seem bad at all, in fact I understand why Skye would feel at home but I have a trepidation that something bad is around the corner. It could be Raina or it could be a dark secret this utopian society is hiding. There's obviously a lot of detail about the Inhumans being shelved for the movie but it'll be an interesting perspective if humans are maintained as the bad guys for a while. This obviously goes back to the heart of 'Real' SHIELD vs SHIELD in a way. For now though, Skye/Daisy is better off with her family. Although it won't last, I'm genuinely happy for the character.

 

Most of the time I have nothing to ponder after each airing and I just tend to enjoy the show for what it is. But not this episode. I quite enjoyed it enough to write a longish post. The only annoyance is that Lincoln seems to be in on the family secret. Something tells me he won't keep it to himself.

 

What it did was it tied Skye's fake mom and her real mom ( kinda like they did with Cal and Phil) .Both of them blame themselves for what happened to Katya(?) ,May because she had to kill her ,Jiayang because it was supposed to be her job to do (and she could possibly have stopped the mother before it happened).

 

Gordon is who I would be watching more than Lincoln with the secret(he knows exactly who Skye is ).Thing is Raina seems to have lost none of her ability to play men (even if it probably only works on the eyeless

[tennisgurl]

Also, still eye rolling at REAL SHIELD. They have this superior attitude that just grates. I can sympathize with them, as individual people, but as a group? There is a smugness to them I don't like. 

 

Hope we get to see more of Andrew in the future. And always more Fitz.

 

It really weirds me out that this all takes place in the same world as Daredevil. 

[tankgirl73]

As soon as they took the kid into the warehouse, I figured she was involved.  Then a little bit of thought as to "what would make this so traumatic for May that she would lose herself?  Certainly not just dealing with a super-strong woman and some soldiers.  Hmm, they were really emphasizing her plans to have children, and she's smiling at this little girl and so concerned for this little girl -- oooh, the little girl is actually the big bad and is the woman is just one of her victims/minions and May is going to have to kill the little girl.  That would do it."

 

I didn't figure out that the woman was her mother.  I did like that touch.  But otherwise I was disappointed that they went this route because it seemed too obvious.  Judging by the comments here though, maybe it wasn't too obvious and maybe I've watched too many melodramatic TV programs.  :p

 

I also liked how it tied in to Skye and her mom.  The importance of the mother-child relationship and the strengths and the dangers of it.  Where's Lily and Harry in all this?

 

Cal.  Cal Cal Cal.  He wasn't always a monster, he went crazy because of his love for his family.  That's actually really tragic. 

 

Fitz.  Fitz Fitz Fitz.  Could he be any more adorable?  He also hasn't really had any noticeable issues with his speech the past few episodes.  And of course he could figure out how to open the toolbox.  Take that, hypoxia!  "Are you watching Mexican football?"

 

Bobbi and May bonding was interesting.  May was being sincere and duplicitous at the same time.  I think... I think, if I'm interpreting things right, that May believes that Bobbi is sincere in her belief that she's doing the right thing and she doesn't hold it against her, even if she (May) believes that she (Bobbi) is in fact wrong.  She knows what it's like to do the right thing but have others believe you're wrong.

 

But that leads to -- what is Coulson up to?  And this is the big reveal of this episode, I think.  More than Raina's psychic powers (which, I totally didn't make the connection with the Clairvoyant -- nice).  More than May's past.  More than Skye's parentage.  The reveal is that Coulson has been up to something and THEY DIDN'T CLUE IN THE AUDIENCE.  The lead character, the one we're supposedly following the most closely, has being doing stuff off-screen -- and not just 'going to the bathroom, they don't need to see that' stuff, but potentially character-altering, game-changing stuff. 

 

Is this something that's going to be covered in Age of Ultron, perhaps?

 

Or is the reported spinoff going to be "Marvel's Agents of SHIELD: Mutant Academy"?  Is Phil Coulson the next Professor X?  Is the "civil war" going to be between Coulson's SHIELD-based Home for the Superpowered and Jiayang's Ashram for the Gifted?  (Apologies that I'm not an expert on the Marvel universe, I'm sure the 'civil war' is also an established canon thing, I'm just not up to date on what it is yet.  So it was a fun speculation).

 

Is Coulson operating under Fury's orders?  Was he told to do all this by instructions in the toolbox?  And why *not* tell May?

 

Or is all this a ploy -- fake information planted by someone or other to make May/Simmons/everyone doubt Coulson in order to deceitfully remove him from power?

 

Raina said she dreamed about something else, didn't she?  Skye with her parents was the second thing she described.  Was it about being hunted?  Whatever it was, we also have to now figure is not a dream but is the future.

 

One last thing -- as a professional musician, I really appreciated that they took Skye's vibration powers and applied it to sound with the water glasses.  I figured they'd shatter, but it was still a lovely moment - "very destructive powers but look what beautiful music you can make!"

[Eegah]

With that first scene of May talking about having a kid, I thought the incident would involve her being rendered sterile somehow. SO glad they didn't go that way, as it's such a cliched and quite sexist plot device.

[Sandman]

Speaking of the music Skye made, did the three-note sequence Skye played when she first took over the vibration of the glasses remind anyone else of Star Trek? I'm sure there's a recognizable sci-fi theme there, but I'm not quite remembering. (Or maybe Doctor Who?) Argh.

[sinkwriter]

 

The Skype convo between Fitz, Hunter, and Coulson was pretty great too.  Fitz's plea to come hang out with them despite having NewShield right on his tail was so adorably Fitz.

 

That was one of my favorite parts. When Hunter asked if there was an electric hand-dryer in the bathroom and said "You're gonna be fine, mate," I found myself laughing with glee. The three of them could be highly entertaining. I would be okay with the three of them on the run together for a little while.

 

 

Also, still eye rolling at REAL SHIELD. They have this superior attitude that just grates. I can sympathize with them, as individual people, but as a group? There is a smugness to them I don't like.

 

So much agreement. I feel like the "REAL SHIELD" is being pretty self-righteous, especially given how many secrets and lies they've told simply to infiltrate SHIELD and tear apart Coulson's team. And I certainly feel like they're holding back stuff from May, rightfully so (given that she's his right hand woman) but again, if they want people to join their side, they're not going to achieve it through deceit. Also, just because they don't trust Coulson's decisions doesn't mean theirs are any better or more right. So I'm finding myself pretty annoyed when Bobbi and Mack and Gonzalez try to sell me their POV. But I agree with tennisgurl -- I can sympathize with them as individuals who feel like the current system is messed up and they want to fix it. I just don't like the way they're going about it.

 

Cal.  Cal Cal Cal.  He wasn't always a monster, he went crazy because of his love for his family.  That's actually really tragic.

 

There was something endearing about the joy he got in telling Skye the story of her birthday. Warped, but endearing. (And I was amused by Skye's comment, "Wait - I'm 26?" LOL. How old did she think she was? I'm assuming at least two or three years younger?)

Edited April 15, 2015 by sinkwriter

[DeLurker]

25. She mentioned it when she was talking a out how she ever stated anywhere longer than 2 years and bouncing around hosted families.

Very surprised the Mom reveal was not dragged out longer.

[Bec]

Considering Skye can hone her earthquake powers enough to make music with wine glasses, maybe Raina's psychic powers can be honed, too. If she can see into the future of anything she wants, on purpose, that would make her very powerful.

[kennyab]

The reveal is that Coulson has been up to something and THEY DIDN'T CLUE IN THE AUDIENCE. 

 

Back at the end of the first half of the season, Coulson told one of the Koenigs to activate the Theta Protocol if things went south, so the idea was planted.

[ae2]

I haven't read many of the comics, but it really hit hard last week and this week how Agents of Shield could really be the Origin story for upcoming movies (and heck, other spinoff shows). This is a great thing, imo, because we rarely get to dive deep into why heroes and villains are what they are.

 

As it stands, we've seen the making of Deathlok, Quake, whatever Raina is becoming (Porcuvoyance?), Ward/Agent 33, and even Mr. Hyde.

[jah1986]

I admit I haven't watched this show in a couple weeks, just come here read the recaps and you guys posts, felt like I haven't really missed anything. But tonight was really good IMO. It almost felt like there wasn't any Coulson then I realized he was in the flashbacks but he was the Coulson I liked. May was awesome and I'm really sad what she lost with her husband and her self. So Rayna's power is precognition? Why does she have to have thorns for that power?  I didn't even mind the Skye scenes, but the scene with Cal at the end just seemed shoved in.

[Raja]

. So Rayna's power is precognition? Why does she have to have thorns for that power?  I didn't even mind the Skye scenes, but the scene with Cal at the end just seemed shoved in.

Probably nothing, but like the mutants the Inhumans sometimes come out looking funny. At least they didn't turn into an actual dog with Gordon's transporting power. There was a SF series based on comics universes called Wild Cards that did a similar alien mist origin for the change in the world seeing one in ten people affected in some way. Going with the playing cards reference for every Ace produced like Lincoln or Skye/Quack of various power levels there where  ten "Jokers" like Gordon and Rayna.

 

Going forward towards future MCU projects there will be the tension of the 'Aces" who can hide and the Jokers that the Real SHIELD and like minded folkwill immediately focus their attention on putting down.

[Primetimer]

We finally learn why May is called 'The Cavalry,' and also why she's not crazy about that story.

Read the story

[I Love Me]

I thought Jiayang's comment about how they (her and Cal) tore the world apart looking for Skye (after Cal pieced Jiayang back together) was interesting.  So, the mom was also killing the fuck out of everyone and anyone for at least a year.

[ottoDbusdriver]

I thought Jiayang's comment about how they (her and Cal) tore the world apart looking for Skye (after Cal pieced Jiayang back together) was interesting.  So, the mom was also killing the fuck out of everyone and anyone for at least a year.

 

Somethings not adding up about the whole Skye origin story.

 

We've been told that Skye (as a baby) was discovered to be an 084 (I'm still curious how SHIELD discovered that Skyebaby was an 084 and needed to be protected at all costs) and that everyone in the village in China including all but one member of a SHIELD team were killed defending Skyebaby against two monsters/powered people/whatever.

 

If Skye was born on July 2, 1988 and the SHIELD file on Skyebaby was closed in April, 1989, does that mean Cal and Jiaying were out of the village at Costco or Walmart when shit went down at the village -- or did this incident at the village occur when Jiaying was in the hands of Whitehall and Cal was out looking for her (since Jiaying was eviscerated by Whitehall sometime in 1989 after she was captured in a village in China).

 

Did Jiaying lie to Skye as well ? She said that after Cal sewed her back up (again, if she has these awesome regeneration powers where she can regen complete organs, why does she still have facial scars ?) which would be sometime in 1989 and after that she and Cal scoured the earth looking for Skye for years.  And Jiaying said that since she couldn't find Skye and didn't like what Cal had become, she could help others so she came to the Afterlife (for the first time ?  Because we know that she was at the Afterlife in 1983 when Gordon was first exposed to the Terrigen mist).  

 

We know that the Chinese village that was wiped out was certainly not the Afterlife.  Why would Cal and Jiaying have been playing house there ?  And how would Cal have even met Jiaying in the first place if she was head of the Afterlife ?  It's not adding up at all.

Edited April 15, 2015 by ottoDbusdriver

[rujasu]

Funny how this episode is titled "Melinda" when, given the content, it probably should have been called "Daisy."  No surprise there.  I didn't like most of this episode, but the bit with Fitz/Hunter/Coulson was pretty good.

[kennyab]

We know that the Chinese village that was wiped out was certainly not the Afterlife.  Why would Cal and Jiaying have been playing house there ?  And how would Cal have even met Jiaying in the first place if she was head of the Afterlife ?  It's not adding up at all.

 

During WWII, a young Whitehall captured Jiaying, but she was freed by Peggy Carter and the Howling Commandos, and Whitehall went to prison. She worked with young Inhumans for the next few decades, helping them (including Gordon) learn to use their abilities. This may or may not have been at Afterlife, as we don't know when that particular sanctuary was established.

 

Whitehall was released in the 80's and some of the Hydra forces inside of SHIELD helped him hunt down Jiaying. Presumably some time between 1983 and 1988 she met Cal out in the real world, probably while scouting young potentials, and they fell in love. I'm guessing she decided to retire from the Inhuman business for a time during that period or the village was a pre-Afterlife sanctuary. They had Skye. Whitehall and his HYDRA/SHIELD agents found them and their baby in the village. They destroyed the village, killing almost everyone, kidnapped Jiaying, and I'm sure wanted to take Skye too. But a couple of the agents (I'm assuming non-Hydra who were caught up in this) were horrified by that and escaped with Skye. The official SHIELD report said that monsters attacked the village, but Coulson and May found out that it was actually SHIELD (well, actually SHYDRA) doing the attacking.

 

They knew to classify her as an 084 because they knew about her mother, who they probably thought was an alien.

 

Whitehall does his experiments on Jiaying, Cal finds her and puts her back together, and they go searching for Skye. After a while, Jiaying decides to go to Afterlife to help out (which, if the Chinese village was a sanctuary itself, may have been established at an even more remote, hard-to-get-to location since their existence had been compromised by Whitehall).

Edited April 15, 2015 by kennyab

[Julie23]

For an episode titled "Melinda", there was an awful lot of Skye/Daisy.

I liked the backstory on May, but think there should have been more beginning or more afterward (instead of spending half the episode on Skye family and her powers.

I agree that something in the story Jiaying and Cal told Skye was hinkey. I wasn't buying it, maybe because of the way the actress was playing Jiaying, or maybe because we were supposed to not trust her? I don't know it just seems odd that 25 years have passed and they never had a clue where she was.

I want to punch Bobbi and Mack in the face when they get so high and mighty about Coulson's secrets and how Shield 2.0 is soooo much better and honest - which is laughable considering hey were all spies.

 

Love. love Coulson, Hunter and Fitz dynamic.

[kennyab]

I thought Jiayang's comment about how they (her and Cal) tore the world apart looking for Skye (after Cal pieced Jiayang back together) was interesting.  So, the mom was also killing the fuck out of everyone and anyone for at least a year.

 

Not necessarily. I tear my house apart every morning looking for my keys. That's just an expression. It was probably after Jiaying left that Cal started becoming more desperate, leading him to experiment on himself, and those turned him into a psycho killer.

Edited April 15, 2015 by kennyab

[KirkB]

Except, didn't Jiaying say she left BECAUSE of what Cal had become, or was becoming? Both of them were running around looking for Daisy and it sounds like Cal started to go more and more off the deep end until she couldn't take it anymore and ran back to Afterlife. That doesn't mean she wasn't doing a lot of damage herself only that Cal might have crossed some line she wasn't willing to. 

 

I do agree that I think something else is going on here. I hadn't thought about the facial scars until it was brought up but if Jiayang has a healing factor which allows her to remain ageless in appearance and can regenerate internal organs, or heal them when they're put back in, why WOULD she still have marks on her face? I'm not sure what it means though. Is it not really Jiayang and someone is playing Cal and Skye? Or did the makeup people just put the scars on her because it looked cool and no one considered it important?

 

As for May, it's no wonder she went rigid every time someone mentioned the Cavalry. Killing a kid, even a warped mind controlling one, would have to weigh pretty heavily on anyone with a conscience. 

Edited April 15, 2015 by KirkB

[kennyab]

Scars are a sign of healing. It's a comic trope that we don't see scars on characters like Wolverine. Realistically, though, even a person with faster healing would likely have scars, as the composition of the new tissue would still be different from that of the surrounding tissue, leading to different colorations. They are only signs that there was once damage, they aren't themselves damage.

Edited April 15, 2015 by kennyab

[DeLurker]

I thought this was a really good episode - very intense.  May's backstory had me completely immersed and creepy kid was way way creepy!  I had totally forgotten that May was riding a desk when the show started.

 

I don't buy May would have let it show on her face that she knew nothing about the theta protocol.  May's got the best poker face plus she's too good at spycraft to make that kind of oops!

 

I'm feeling a bit iffy about SkyeMommy.  There's stuff that is not being told.  But Cal, crazy as he may be, was so happy to have the dinner it was almost tangible.  KM somehow makes Cal both crazy and charming, sometimes at the same time. 

 

Is the same actress playing Raina now that she is all thorny?  Her voice sounds different to me.

 

I'm glad they ended with Fitz and his chat with Hunter.  It made me happy and left me with a little upbeat note.

 

ETA:  kennyab - thanks for the history lesson on Whitehall, Jiaying, Cal, Agent Carter, et al!

Edited April 15, 2015 by DeLurker

[Traveller519]

It looks like there could be more Blair Underwood in the coming episodes. Even as a straight male, I can appreciate all the "Tall, Dark, and Handsome" between him and Henry Simmons on the same show. Also, Underwood and Ming-Na are making 50 look really good!

 

I really wish this show would let it's fight scenes play out. The jumping between the flashback and everything else really took away from the action (not to mention the commercials). However, I did appreciate the juxtaposition of May at her desk following Bahrain and deciphering the Coulson files.

[Spartan Girl]

Poor May.  No wonder she hates being called the Calvary.  I wouldn't blame her if it just reminded her about how she had to kill that child.

 

Those flashbacks of her being so happy with Blair Underwood's character kind of makes me hope that they'll get back together...but at the same time, I don't think that's likely.

 

I don't trust "Real SHIELD" or Skye's parents.  All the photos and evidence of Coulson's alleged plans just gives me this nagging feeling that Coulson is being set up somehow...

[Llywela]

Is the same actress playing Raina now that she is all thorny?  Her voice sounds different to me.

It's the same actress. I wondered about the different sound to her voice as well - it sounds as if they've stuffed her mouth with prosthetics. Maybe that's part of her change?

[Humbugged]

For an episode titled "Melinda", there was an awful lot of Skye/Daisy.

I liked the backstory on May, but think there should have been more beginning or more afterward (instead of spending half the episode on Skye family and her powers.

I agree that something in the story Jiaying and Cal told Skye was hinkey. I wasn't buying it, maybe because of the way the actress was playing Jiaying, or maybe because we were supposed to not trust her? I don't know it just seems odd that 25 years have passed and they never had a clue where she was.

I want to punch Bobbi and Mack in the face when they get so high and mighty about Coulson's secrets and how Shield 2.0 is soooo much better and honest - which is laughable considering hey were all spies.

 

Love. love Coulson, Hunter and Fitz dynamic.

That was explained in 1:12

 

The agent that put her in the orphanage left orders (she faked a higher clearance to do it) that she was to be moved every 6 months ,which is pretty much what Skye told her mother night .It sounds like they made it seem she had screwed up as an excuse for the moves .

All the agents on the team that extracted her then got killed off one by one (probably by Cal)  DEATH FOLLOWS HER

So there were clues at that point ,SHIELD (or that team) managed to stay one step ahead of him for 14-15 years .

 

She then ran away and erased herself at some point , and did it so well that SHIELD couldn't find anything on her when she was picked up in the pilot.That is where the clues would have dried up .Raina only found out about her when she dug into SHIELD files and made the China connection.

 

So if a worldwide intelligence agency managed to 'lose' someone that was supposedly under their protection and never find them again for a decade  you can see the trouble juiced up and crazy Cal would have had.

[Mz Anthrope]

I'm feeling a bit iffy about SkyeMommy.  There's stuff that is not being told.  But Cal, crazy as he may be, was so happy to have the dinner it was almost tangible.  KM somehow makes Cal both crazy and charming, sometimes at the same time.

 

 

I do as well.  Personally, I am wondering if they've implanted the 'I stitched her back together' into Cal's head and this is another person who's been made to look like Skyemomma - much like May'ette' who was hoping Ward would love her *gag*.  They could have gotten all the personal information abotu Skye out of Cal and are now using it for their benefit.  I am not buying this storyline and am really suspicious of something larger, more ominous in play.  And Lincoln seeing them all together does nothing to keep any secrets.  Personally, my bets are on Gordon for being much more than he's portraying himself to be.  I think him more the puppet master than on stage himself in this drama.

[JTMacc99]

I thought Jiayang's comment about how they (her and Cal) tore the world apart looking for Skye (after Cal pieced Jiayang back together) was interesting.  So, the mom was also killing the fuck out of everyone and anyone for at least a year.

 

I thought the line "after your father pieced me back together" was the most interesting/disturbing one of the episode.  How exactly does one become emotionally okay with that?