S02.E21: S.O.S. (1) / S02.E22: S.O.S. (2)

[Tarasme]

That was a fun two hours.

All the good:

 

1. Kyle Maclachlan was the best part of the finale. Every choice he made with that character was precise, targeted, honed (I refuse to write S--- O-. I just won't. You can't make me) etc. I think the Mr. Hyde persona looked out of sync for the briefest moment- the production set up this huge expectation for the monster that he would become, only to get a taller crustier vein-y-er, murder-y-er version of crazy Cal. But then, as the scene continued, the unexpected glory and magnificence of the choices KM was making shone through to make it by far the most memorable character I've watched this season (best genre villain hands down, could also give best drama villain- Boyd Crowder- a run). 

 

2. I loved the last two scenes between Cal and Daisy. Posters here get upset with so much praise heaped on Skaisy but it was pretty awesome for me to see Cal as her daddy telling her how much she meant to him and what her presence in his life has done for him. Then, for her to do what she could to help him have a functioning member of society life, free from the burden of his sins- rather than being imprisoned physically and emotionally to the end- was bittersweet wonderful.

 

3. Bobbi's escape/ headbutt/ subsequent take down of Ward (the judges give her this one on appeal as the knockout happened after the bell). This was so cool! Only time during the movie I exclaimed out loud.

 

4. Bobbi took a bullet for Hunter! And still snarked at him when she came to! I'm probably the only one around that loves these two. I sure hope that- of all the possible 'ships- this one gets a chance at blossom and further growth. 

 

5. Fitz, Mack, & Coulson take down Gordon- awesome scene. It didn't even dawn on me that no one should touch the terrigen crystal- I felt relief when Coulson caught it then... EEEEEEAAAYYYOHhhhno. Arm's gone. Thanks Mack.

 

 

The bad:

 

1. Agree with other contributors that I'd have preferred a continuation of the philosophical/moral complexities arising from trying to answer the question of how to protect people while preserving their freedom. Instead? Shocking twist followed by crazed megalomaniac lunatic.

 

2. WTF Leo and Jemma? Huh? I was right there with Fitz and "You want to talk about this now?" I don't get why moving those two along the will-they-won't-they continuum was necessary to execute the cliffhanger. The team would have been just as devastated to lose Jemma without a missed dinner date. TPtB could have picked something else to make us say "hey! Jemma's doin' good! Surely something bad is now going to happen..."

 

3. Dichen Lachman. Someone really early in the thread had made a great comment about Jianying's and Raina's scene being a battle between who could be the worst actress... I say Dichen had Ruth well and surely beaten on this front before they ever entered the ring. Big. Gaping. Charisma sucking. Hole.

 

4. Lincoln. Hard to even remember what he did and didn't do after all the good stuff.

 

5. Bad ol' Inhumans that lent credence to SHIELD's need to categorize, index, and putta stop to'em. Man I wish they'd have taken another direction and left some layers to the conflict.

 

6. Ward as HYDRA reborn leader? Um. Ok?

[ae2]

Everyone is acting like Simmons was 100% all in love with Fitz and they were practically at the altar. All we got from her was a "let's talk" and she grabbed at his hand, then she absent mindedly agreed to dinner.

 

For all we know, she wanted to finally admit to him that she is gay and that's why she's not in love with him. Or that she is secretly married to Coulson and they have 3 adopted babies at their secret home.

[FurryFury]

I think it was heavily implied she realized her (never hinted at previously) feelings for him when seeing Hunter distraught over Bobbi. I mean, we got May/her husband talk because of that and then FitzSimmons, and later they've planned a date, it was all quite clear.

Edited May 13, 2015 by FurryFury

[jmonique]

 

3. Dichen Lachman. Someone really early in the thread had made a great comment about Jianying's and Raina's scene being a battle between who could be the worst actress... I say Dichen had Ruth well and surely beaten on this front before they ever entered the ring. Big. Gaping. Charisma sucking. Hole.

 

Oh thank god, I thought it was just me. I've never seen Dichen in anything else, and her performance as Jianying does not make me inclined to go hunt down anything else. Except, maybe whomever cast her in this role. Because, hello Whedons: I know she was on Dollhouse, but there are Asians who can act in Hollywood.

Edited May 13, 2015 by jmonique

[Chaos Theory]

Dichen Lachman never had much range as an actress but when you find the right roll for her she kicks ass. I loved her in this and I thought she was great and actually sad to see her killed off.

[FurryFury]

Yeah Dichen wasn't good on this show, I actually like her better on The 100, I think that character fit her strengths better.

[Malbec]

Dichen Lachman never had much range as an actress but when you find the right roll for her she kicks ass. I loved her in this and I thought she was great and actually sad to see her killed off.

I agree.  This must be like the acting equivalent of #TheDress because I thought her performance was mostly excellent.  (She did waver a little bit in some of Jiaying's "big emotion" scenes, but I thought she was otherwise charismatic and complex).  

[I Love Me]

If that rock/liquid thing that sucked Jemma in was something that killed Inhumans then I'm guessing Jemma comes back as the anti-Inhuman.  The human that can kill Inhumans or slightly less human but still able to kill Inhumans.  I don't think the thing that is the downfall of Inhumans would turn her into an Inhuman.  I see it transforming her into a balance between humans and Inhumans.  Maybe it is sentient and could somehow ascertain that there might be some new Inhumans popping up?  Maybe it can sense the mist that was released into the ocean and made a counterbalance?  Dunno.  This is pure speculation (partly wishlist) on my end.  It would be interesting to me to have the person that was really strongly against enhanced people turn into one herself, albeit one that kills other enhanced people.  

[tv echo]

I enjoyed this finale a lot more than I expected I would, although a little too much Coulson and Skye for me. (shrug) And when did hacker Skye become such a fighting machine?  I know she trained with Ward and May, but still it's only been about a year, right?  And Skye as leader of any team?  Really? 

 

I'm not worried about Jemma Simmons.  I've read enough post-finale interviews to feel confident that she's returning next season, although she might be changed in some way.  Also, they've already released the official S3 synopsis, and EH is listed among the returning cast members.

 

Some of the surprises were telegraphed.  Raina confronts Jiaying alone and in the dark.  Of course she's going to get herself killed.  Simmons hints to Fitz that she might be amenable to something more than friendship.  Of course something bad was going to happen to one of them.

 

I would've enjoyed the finale more if I wasn't reminded of other shows in certain aspects:

 

• Jiaying sucking the life out of that poor guy = Jasmine sucking the life out of her followers (Angel)*

 

• Mack cutting off Coulson's hand to stop the spread of the stone infection = Rick cutting off Herschel's foot to stop the spread of the zombie infection (The Walking Dead)

 

(* In Whedon's world, if a benevolent leader seems too good to be true, she's probably a life-sucking demon.)

 

I'm glad Ward stayed evil, but head of HYDRA?  Really?  That just downgrades HYDRA's threat level several notches.

 

At the end, I would've liked a scene with Lincoln to find out what happens to him and the other Inhumans.  As it is, he pretty much disappeared once the fight ended.  And the other Inhumans are where?  Instead we just got more Coulson and Skye.  (eye roll)

 

ETA:  Corrected - I meant Jasmine (played by Gina Torres), not Glory.

Edited May 16, 2015 by tv echo

[Kromm]

Jemma's not dead, and I don't think they could have made it any clearer without actually showing it.  

 

There's no way they do a death without milking it.  No agonized "I'm dying, goodbye!" scene?  Ergo, the person is alive.

 

What actually happened?

 

Smaller possibility: she's transformed into something else (thus making her a Super).

 

Bigger possibility: it's simply a kidnapping/transportation

Coulson's hand already supplied the necessary dark, as well as Skye's mama being revealed as a total monster and the whole Agent 33 thing. So Jemma actually being dead wouldn't be necessary to supply that.

Edited May 13, 2015 by Kromm

[Donny Ketchum]

That was an excellent shocker, as was Ward killling May!Agent 33 by accident.  I had sort of hoped Agent 33 would come out from under his spell, but this works for me too.

 

Also, I'm irrationally and grotesquely pleased to see it confirmed that Ward shot his dog.  I thought all of the protestations last season that either it was Garrett that killed Buddy or that Buddy got away were silly wishful thinking since there was just no reason to show us Buddy through the scope and to let us hear the second shot if Grant wasn't killing his dog.  I'm glad they didn't leave this ambiguous forever.  And boy did Bobbi have his number.  I think it's interesting that while 33 was killed, the writers left Ward alive.  He's an evil SOB. so he might end up being an awesome big bad next year.

 

Damn, I guess all those Ward/Skye shippers, if there are any, are totally crushed by this. Ward is not just grey anymore; he's 100% EEEEVILLLLL. There's no romance that'll blossom there. But heh, he's gonna be head of Hydra? I really, really think we're going to get a subplot of Ward fighting to be leader against some new character. That'll be fun to see. But I do hope he gets demoted to recurring status. Good for May, though; tricking Ward and Kara. I think it's possible she was hoping that one of them would die, preferably Ward, but it did work out in her favor.

 

Also, I kind of would love one more team member become an Inhuman. That would give Skye a run for her money and give the team an extra boost. Can I volunteer Fitz as tribute? Or Hunter? He's cool, but it would make him better. I'm just glad Coulson didn't end up being an Inhuman. I like him as the human team leader, so please never. ever turn him that way show.

I think Lincoln will be back for sure.  Any other Inhumans, I'm not sure about.

 

Meanwhile, Melinda doesn't get to shoot Ward, but almost finds something just as sweet: she totally set-up Ward to shoot and kill Kara!  Ha!  Couldn't happen to a better pair of psychos!  And now Ward has had enough and is going to reform Hydra.  Yep, the Redemption Tour is dead and buried! Ward ain't no shades of grey now: dude is a pure villain, if he goes through with this.

 

Kara dies but Ward lives, wtf show! Someone better get to keep their promise next season and kill him.

 

Adrianne Palicki and Nick Blood are both confirmed for next season. 

Yay!  I don't want Hunter or Bobbi (especially Bobbi!) to go, so I'm glad they'll actually stick around on the main show, not be spun off!

 

Also, the one sad thing about Kara being killed is that television and movies are really lacking those black hat, evil couples.  And I mean romantically-involved ones, like boyfriends and girlfriends or husbands and wives.  General Hospital had just such a couple in the form of Theo and Suzanne about four years ago.  And I was kinda hoping Ward and Kara would be the next great evil couple on television.

 

But oh, well.  Kara dying works for me, too, if it sends Ward even deeper into his evil.  No redemption! :)  And having her picture at the end, not Skye's, tells me that he is definitely over Skye and wasn't just trying to manipulate Kara when he said that.  He really, truly fell for Kara.

[Raja]

After introducing the Madam Masque name I was shocked by Agent 33's death. I suppose they have harvested the mask technology for Hydra.

[DeLurker]

I'm just hoping in Season 3 there are vacation photos of May in that red bikini she packed in her bag as she went off on vacation.  :)

 

I also wonder if Cal's vet clinic is in Milwaukee.

Her packing the bikini was done so subtley, but I thought it was way sexier by implication.  Very well played Ming-Na! 

 

When she went back for the gun I immediately thought "Where is she going to put that when she's in the bikini?".

 

I'm thinking the vet clinic is in Cal's former office building and it all has been updated as part of urban renewal.

[FurryFury]

Also, the one sad thing about Kara being killed is that television and movies are really lacking those black hat, evil couples.  And I mean romantically-involved ones, like boyfriends and girlfriends or husbands and wives.  General Hospital had just such a couple in the form of Theo and Suzanne about four years ago.  And I was kinda hoping Ward and Kara would be the next great evil couple on television.

I think this is because evil is usually equated with selfishness on TV. But that said, you may like Vanessa and Fisk on Daredevil (even if I do not). Also, I think there's an ABC drama Wicked City in the next season that seems to have something like that from what I hear.

[pitchy]

I think it was heavily implied she realized her (never hinted at previously) feelings for him when seeing Hunter distraught over Bobbi. I mean, we got May/her husband talk because of that and then FitzSimmons, and later they've planned a date, it was all quite clear.

 

Never hinted at -- but I've known people who were best platonic friends suddenly realize that's not all it was and then it's sort of killer, in a good way.  Not a bad foundation either.

[FurryFury]

Never hinted at -- but I've known people who were best platonic friends suddenly realize that's not all it was and then it's sort of killer, in a good way.  Not a bad foundation either.

The fact that it happened in real life doesn't make it good TV. There was a lot of time to hint at her even entertaining the possibility of this, but it never happened.

[DeLurker]

I love the fight scenes in this show.  They do a good job, especially with Bobbi and May, selling their competence and badassery that I forget it is a male vs female fight. 

 

A lot of shows choreograph the fights like there is no difference between a 6 ft something dude and a 5 ft 6 in girl fighting.  The only thing that does get me is no one ever grabs the girls by the hair.

 

When Ward stomped on Bobbi's leg I cringed and yelped a bit.

[kitlee625]

I enjoyed this finale a lot more than I expected I would, although a little too much Coulson and Skye for me. (shrug) And when did hacker Skye become such a fighting machine?  I know she trained with Ward and May, but still it's only been about a year, right?  And Skye as leader of any team?  Really? 

 

I'm glad Ward stayed evil, but head of HYDRA?  Really?  That just downgrades HYDRA's threat level several notches.

 

At the end, I would've liked a scene with Lincoln to find out what happens to him and the other Inhumans.  As it is, he pretty much disappeared once the fight ended.  And the other Inhumans are where?  Instead we just got more Coulson and Skye.  (eye roll)

 

Not only leader of the team, but also the leader/savior of an entire people. *eyeroll* This episodes was very heavy on the "we must telegraph over and over again that Skye is Special." At this point I wish they'd just start calling her The Chosen One.

 

Haha. Same thought on Ward. Really? That guy is the worst you have?

 

And yeah I'm very curious about what happened to the other Inhumans. Isn't Skye supposed to lead them into the promised land or something?

 

Her packing the bikini was done so subtley, but I thought it was way sexier by implication.  Very well played Ming-Na! 

 

When she went back for the gun I immediately thought "Where is she going to put that when she's in the bikini?".

 

Now I really want to see her on vacation, in her bikini, chasing down some Hydra agent with that gun.

[MandolinMagi]

Her packing the bikini was done so subtly, but I thought it was way sexier by implication.  Very well played Ming-Na! 

 

When she went back for the gun I immediately thought "Where is she going to put that when she's in the bikini?".

Was that a bikini or a thong? 

[Lyndy]

Remember in Heroes when the show understandably loved the hell out of Zachary Quinto and kept him well past his "sell by" date thereby sucking all of the badassery right out of him? (See also Spike on Buffy.) 

 

I submit for your consideration... Former Agent Ward. Let him go, show. So, so bored of this guy.

[KirkB]

Early on I thought Fitz might have a thing for Skye, or Ward, and oddly enough I thought the same thing of Simmons. I'm not opposed to Fitz/Simmons romantically, exactly, though I would I prefer them as friends because I usually find that genre shows like this work better with more action and less romantic entanglements. They have a tendency to dominate or even derail this kind of show. If the actors have the right kind of undeniable chemistry where even I have to admit I'd rather they have it in then it's less of an issue. IMO I don't think Simmons and Fitz (or Iain and Elizabeth) have that.

 

Ward becoming the head of Hydra is okay by me. Age of Ultron and AoS seem to be all but wiping out Hydra as a significant threat, for the time being at least. Maybe they want to focus on AIM or some other group for a while?

 

I kind of thought Skye was going to destroy the plane in the air and the crystals would be dispersed that way. Leaking slowly into the water like that, how many people REALLY take fish oil pills? Even eating the fish directly, unless this stuff is seriously potent it's going to take an awfully long time for it to build up and affect anyone.

[FurryFury]

Remember in Heroes when the show understandably loved the hell out of Zachary Quinto and kept him well past his "sell by" date thereby sucking all of the badassery right out of him? (See also Spike on Buffy.) 

 

I submit for your consideration... Former Agent Ward. Let him go, show. So, so bored of this guy.

While I agree with you about Spike (never got into Heroes), I do think giving Ward one more season is OK. I don't think there was too much of him this year, and there probably wouldn't next year as well. I think it would have been a tiny bit anticlimactic for him to go down this year because he hasn't been connected to the major storylines at all. A character like that who was so important to the team in the past deserves a more epic death, I think, and the next year will definitely give it to him. So I'm looking forward to Ward as the Big Bad of season 3.

[Donny Ketchum]

While I agree with you about Spike (never got into Heroes), I do think giving Ward one more season is OK. I don't think there was too much of him this year, and there probably wouldn't next year as well. I think it would have been a tiny bit anticlimactic for him to go down this year because he hasn't been connected to the major storylines at all. A character like that who was so important to the team in the past deserves a more epic death, I think, and the next year will definitely give it to him. So I'm looking forward to Ward as the Big Bad of season 3.

I agree.  I think Ward could believably last for one more season.  But just one more.  To carry him beyond it, though, is gonna border on unbelievable.  I'd prefer a death for him next season, but I won't mind if he's just finally carted off and locked up to give Brett an option for return guest appearances.

Edited May 13, 2015 by Donny Ketchum

[APSimpson]

The finale was incredible. After it ended I immediately watched it again and will watch it a third time tonight. That's how seasons should end, with two hour extravaganzas.

I love, love, love, love Bobbi. Please don't leave. You are my Ward substitute as the protector of the team. You are what I want in a heroine: a Wonder Woman-like warm, compassionate, and protective big sister. Hope she stays on the show and is featured prominently in season 3.

Brett Dalton's acting when Ward mistakenly shot Kara was top notch. Love the actor and the character, even if they didn't mold him into what I wanted. Although, the "revelation" at the end where Ward has a team of thugs around him wasn't the jaw-dropping moment I was led to expect. I guess that's why I shouldn't put too much stock into what execs cheer about when they watch these shows.

The close-quarters fight scene between Bobbi and Ward was a highlight of the show. The fast-paced editing and rawness of it was spectacular, and the blood all over their faces was visceral as was the sound.

I was encouraged by the romantic progress between Fitz and Simmons. Simmons expressing her feelings for Fitz was surprising and delightful. I liked Fitz' reaction, too, and that he didn't immediately placate Simmons. I always shipped the two of them because they're a perfect match and she already makes food for him and everybody knows that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Here's hoping Jemma is going to be okay after being sucked into that Kree stone. Maybe it acts as a portal and just teleported her somewhere.

As great as everyone was, Coulson was at his best as the diplomat and peacemaker. Talking down Cal was great, and the Couson/Mac/Fitz defeat of Gordon was awesome. Coulson saving the two of them by catching the crystal and then Mac acting quickly to sever Phil's arm to save his life was gripping and Clark Gregg's scream was perfect!

The scene with Cal in the cell and Coulson was exciting and even frightening. Klye Maclachlan has been wonderful and you could say he stole the scenes he was in. I have no problem with them mind-wiping him and giving him a second chance at life.

So much to talk about with this finale, but I'll leave it there for now. Hope everyone enjoyed it!

[Suit and Tie]

Was I the only one who thought while May and her ex were talking on the phone that Ward would show up and kill her ex and make May listen to it?

[GMahler]

I have been waiting patiently to finally see Cal transform into Mr. Hyde...unfortunately it was not worth the wait....

[Donny Ketchum]

Was I the only one who thought while May and her ex were talking on the phone that Ward would show up and kill her ex and make May listen to it?

I don't think it would've been possible since I don't think Ward knows where May used to live.

[ottoDbusdriver]

I have been waiting patiently to finally see Cal transform into Mr. Hyde...unfortunately it was not worth the wait....

 

It was a little underwhelming ... the effect didn't last very long .... and I'm not sure what his backup plan was if they didn't have any adrenalin handy.  Because he would be dead.

[sinkwriter]

I wonder if May is going on vacation by herself... or with her ex-husband. I would be totally okay with Blair Underwood making occasional appearances next season.

[BPOX]

The fact that it happened in real life doesn't make it good TV. There was a lot of time to hint at her even entertaining the possibility of this, but it never happened.

The sandwich was a pretty good clue. It literally said love Jemma. She also denied that she had refused him, pointing out that she left because having her around made him worse.

I kind of thought Skye was going to destroy the plane in the air and the crystals would be dispersed that way. Leaking slowly into the water like that, how many people REALLY take fish oil pills? Even eating the fish directly, unless this stuff is seriously potent it's going to take an awfully long time for it to build up and affect anyone.

Yeah, it just needs to produce a couple to keep the plot alive on the back burner. I'm sure the movie will introduce a new source of mist.

 

 I think it would have been a tiny bit anticlimactic for him to go down this year because he hasn't been connected to the major storylines at all. A character like that who was so important to the team in the past deserves a more epic death, I think, and the next year will definitely give it to him. So I'm looking forward to Ward as the Big Bad of season 3.

I don't see him as big bad, just complicating factor.  You'd think they'd want a more mysterious big bad for the next season.

 

As great as everyone was, Coulson was at his best as the diplomat and peacemaker. Talking down Cal was great, and the Couson/Mac/Fitz defeat of Gordon was awesome. Coulson saving the two of them by catching the crystal and then Mac acting quickly to sever Phil's arm to save his life was gripping and Clark Gregg's scream was perfect!

 

Yeah, I super appreciated that he saw through Jaiyang's plot immediately. I liked that much of the plot was people trying to avoid fighting.

 

[kieyra]

I agree.  This must be like the acting equivalent of #TheDress because I thought her performance was mostly excellent.  (She did waver a little bit in some of Jiaying's "big emotion" scenes, but I thought she was otherwise charismatic and complex).

I don't think I've ever participated in this show's forum, but I came around tonight to see what people thought of Dichen Lachmann as the season's big bad. Unfortunately the dress is white and gold to me; I didn't mind her much in Dollhouse, but since then she's sucked the life out of every scene I've seen her in in Being Human, The 100 and now this. By this point I was past being annoyed and genuinely curious about how she keeps getting cast in these reasonably big roles with her totally flat affect. I guess there's something there I'm not seeing. (As an aside, is she pregnant? Her face seemed fuller.)

Don't have much more to add--I've never been completely able to pay attention to this show, but they got me several times tonight, including the final scene.

[Boundary]

I'll split the difference regarding Dichen. I haven't seen her in anything else before but I was ok with her, her expressions managed to hide what was underneath and I thought that worked well for the character. The interactions with Cal were quite good, she balanced out his expressiveness. But when she was supposed to hit the high notes, especially when confronted by Skye, she fell flat. I didn't get the menace of someone willing to kill her daughter nor did I get the conflict that should result if you throw a mother's love into the mix. Her actions sold the character, if you live that long and have being cut up and put together and experimented upon, maybe the anger builds up.

[redfish]

There was a couple things that bugged me. Agent 33/Kira. Yeah sure she aligned herself with Ward and was kind of crazy but no one made any real effort to help or save. After she was brainwashed by Whitehall/Hydra they pretty much abandoned/forgot her so it makes sort of sense that she would gravitate to the one who didn't leave her behind. Coulson made a lot of effort to save/help Cal but no one seemed to care about her. That scene with Bobbi was off to me. Sure Bobbi could rationalize it was part of her mission selling Agent 33 out to Hydra but the least she owed some sort of an apology. Making excuses and explanations and rationalizations for what she did negates the person who suffered on the other side and is a real dick move.

 

And now Hydra is reduced to being a thug like gang organization?

 

Oh and happy belated Mother's Day from Agents of Shield to Skye, your mother is a psycho vampire but at least she has a father and a father figure that she rely on. Augh.

[Raja]

Secret Warriors not Secret Avengers.That was Daisy's thing in the books - the team were all the sons/daughters of superheroes/villains

 

The project in the books was codenamed Caterpillar and that was the name on the file that Phil handed her

 

And there is now a bunch of Inhumans underground with a bunch of crystals,crystals in the food chain and that rock for that side of the team to chase.

The thing is we are not in the books. On screen SHIELD/Fury and Coulson putting together a team of enhanced  individuals are called Avengers Initiative. Played on screen "Warriors" can be anything from a basketball team to regular soldiers."Secret Avengers" works because it lets everybody know enhanced people but no action figures on sale about them. Maybe not even an inside SHIELD reputation like The Cavalry has.

[MisterGlass]

 

And now Hydra is reduced to being a thug like gang organization?

 

More like returning to its Nazi roots to regroup.

[Donny Ketchum]

There was a couple things that bugged me. Agent 33/Kara. Yeah sure she aligned herself with Ward and was kind of crazy but no one made any real effort to help or save her. After she was brainwashed by Whitehall/Hydra they pretty much abandoned/forgot her so it makes sort of sense that she would gravitate to the one who didn't leave her behind.

They tried to help her twice.  Both times, she refused their help.  Not their fault.

Edited May 14, 2015 by Donny Ketchum

[sinkwriter]

 

That scene with Bobbi was off to me. Sure Bobbi could rationalize it was part of her mission selling Agent 33 out to Hydra but the least she owed some sort of an apology. Making excuses and explanations and rationalizations for what she did negates the person who suffered on the other side and is a real dick move.

 

I think Bobbi owed Agent 33 more of an apology for not trying harder (or at all) to get Agent 33 back.

 

However, in the moment, I think Bobbi knew that it didn't matter what she said. Agent 33 (and Ward, for that matter) are so consumed with revenge and "closure" that nothing she said would have given them what they wanted. It likely would have meant they would go ahead and kill Bobbi (now that they've gotten their "closure") or they'd continue to torture her because they didn't believe her sincerity, no matter how hard she apologized. So Bobbi went for brutal honesty (this is what you signed up for as an agent), and tried to free herself and kick some ass along the way.

[APSimpson]

And on that Ward note, no redemption thank the stars. Just classic "I'm going to blame everyone else other than myself."

I'm actually looking forward to Ward's crusade. Revenge seems to be something integral with Ward, going back to the reason he was in juvenile detention, his attempt to burn down his house and family. It's all "closure" to Ward and as crazy as that may seem, there is some truth to that idea. Feeling like you've been wronged can create shame and a sense of failure if you don't try to balance that, but in taking action you can make things much worse. It's kind of refreshing seeing a character like Ward, even though he's in the wrong, take care of his business without apology. Inside that psychopath is still a vulnerable little boy. Did you see the look on his face when Kara was talking to Bobbi about how Garrett Made Ward kill Buddy the dog? As bad as Ward is, I am still sympathetic to him. I am holding out hope that at some point down the line he gets the TAHITI treatment. Maybe that could be the source for a spinoff? Brett Dalton would make a great lead for an action show.

 

Love that Fitz and Mack have repaired their friendship.  So now we can get to Fitz, Mack, and Hunter kicking it.  They'll also hog the XBox making Koenig mad.

Yeah, I was relieved that Fitz and Mac are back! He even called him Turbo. <3 And didn't Weaver mention that Mac used to be the chief engineer of that ship? It appears that Mac was more than just the mechanic, and probably could serve Fitz' role (not entirely, of course) to some degree but never tried to circumvent or compete with him. That just speaks to the coolness of Mac. 

 

I enjoyed Mack calling Skye Tremors.

Yeah, that was cute! I was thinking, what if he had called her "Quake" instead? ;)

 

However I am a teeny bit sympathetic to Kara. First, "leave no agent [named Skye] behind" SHIELD never did try to recover her. Then when she did make it back, how did Bobbi not go to her and sincerely apologize? "I didn't know there would be anybody at the safe house. I had to maintain a deep cover to protect all of SHIELD from Hydra, but I'm really sorry you were caught." Obviously Bobbi wasn't going to give any kind of sincere apology under kidnap and torture, but I think Kara was owed one.

I've been wrestling with this as well, and the way I reconcile this is that Bobbi showed compassion for Kara when she was being treated back at the base. Kara even said during that conversation that Bobbi was the only person who talked to her like a human being. And even though Bobbi didn't actually say "I'm sorry" or apologize, she did show care and concern, and to me that is just as valuable. The irony is that in Kara's attempt to exact an apology or revenge, Bobbi probably was the only person who really did care about Kara, other than Ward. The scene where Ward gives Kara the gun when Bobbi is on the ground after the fight, and Kara hesitates to shoot her, I thought that maybe Kara would have a change of heart and realize that this is wrong, that it's gone too far. But sadly, there was no shred of that left in Kara; she was gung-ho with whatever Ward was going to do and in him found her purpose.

 

You'd think the agents would be scrambling to find those Inhuman crystals once the whole plane carrying the crystals went into the ocean. So, if you have that particular brand of fish oil, does that mean that you will turn Inhuman or turn into a big grey rock, turn into ashes and blow away?

It will be interesting to see if this becomes a plot point for next season or if it was just a wry moment meant to make us chuckle and we never hear about it again.

[Llywela]

Yeah, I was relieved that Fitz and Mac are back! He even called him Turbo. <3 And didn't Weaver mention that Mac used to be the chief engineer of that ship? It appears that Mac was more than just the mechanic, and probably could serve Fitz' role (not entirely, of course) to some degree but never tried to circumvent or compete with him. That just speaks to the coolness of Mac. 

I think Mack and Fitz have discussed the overlap in their roles before - Mack said that he's a good engineer, he can do just about anything you ask him to do, given the right schematic to work from, but he doesn't have the genius that Fitz has, to design and build something entirely new from scratch. That inventiveness is what's unique about Fitz. Mack could build you an icer from a schematic, but it took Fitz to invent it in the first place.

[Malbec]

It was never said, but my impression of Bobbi is that she would have expected Kara to make exactly the same call if their positions had been reversed, if Kara had been the one undercover at SHIELD and Bobbi had been at the safe house.  From that perspective, while it's kind of harsh, it does makes sense to me that she wouldn't consider it something to apologize for.

[myril]

The finale was incredible. After it ended I immediately watched it again and will watch it a third time tonight. That's how seasons should end, with two hour extravaganzas.

I love, love, love, love Bobbi. Please don't leave. You are my Ward substitute as the protector of the team. You are what I want in a heroine: a Wonder Woman-like warm, compassionate, and protective big sister. Hope she stays on the show and is featured prominently in season 3.

There with you, the rewatching and the love for Bobbi. Feeling a bit like Simmons, when she geeked out about Bobbi after she was saved by her from Hydra and they got back into the base. "She's amazing"

As I am now finally in love with Mack. Someone not making a big fuzz but getting things done.

 

The close-quarters fight scene between Bobbi and Ward was a highlight of the show. The fast-paced editing and rawness of it was spectacular, and the blood all over their faces was visceral as was the sound.

Some good fight scenes, but this one was the best. I agree. Applause to the choreographer and stunt people and the actors.

Can only join the choir in awe of Kyle Machlachlan. Did he come up himself with the lullaby he sang in the Quinjet? That moment was terrifying and cute.

 

That scene with Bobbi was off to me. Sure Bobbi could rationalize it was part of her mission selling Agent 33 out to Hydra but the least she owed some sort of an apology. Making excuses and explanations and rationalizations for what she did negates the person who suffered on the other side and is a real dick move.

Bobbi might have owned Agent 33, Kara, an apology but certainly not under the circumstance of torture. Not to mention, Bobbi had to assume, that the moment she would apologize she would be killed. So it would have been empathetic but a dumb move on her side.

Bobbi saying later, that she can't do it anymore, has IMO a lot to do with what happened to Agent 33 and her own role in it. Bobbi had herself distanced, had rationalized whatever she has done to be able to do it and keep doing it. No, Bobbie didn't apologize when she maybe should have, when she talked to Agent 33 on the base, offering to be there for here, but think, now, if she could, she would do that first thing.

 

Was I the only one who thought while May and her ex were talking on the phone that Ward would show up and kill her ex and make May listen to it?

Didn't think it watching the episode, but could be something for him to try in the next season.

[FurryFury]

Bobbi saying later, that she can't do it anymore, has IMO a lot to do with what happened to Agent 33 and her own role in it. Bobbi had herself distanced, had rationalized whatever she has done to be able to do it and keep doing it. No, Bobbie didn't apologize when she maybe should have, when she talked to Agent 33 on the base, offering to be there for here, but think, now, if she could, she would do that first thing.

I was just thinking the same. Bobbi is very pragmatic and is probably THE definition of a real agent of Fury's SHIELD, but she's still a hero. She still feels bad for ruining Kara's life, even if she never intended to do it. Torture and everything was awful, but it was something she was used to and something she could pull through. But selling out a comrade and then having her actions be thrown in her face is something much harder to get through.

 

One thing I want to say about Bobbi, I'd love for the show to add more nuances to the character to make her more different from May, because as it is, they overlap a lot, which is I think one of the reasons why Bobbi's been mostly kept away in her little corner and allowed to interact with mostly Hunter, Mac and Gonzalez's SHIELD. The actresses have a very different manner, which is great, but the writing should be there as well. Maybe they could film some May/Bobbi scenes and let them talk about their issues and experiences.

Edited May 14, 2015 by FurryFury

[Sandman]

Cal was singing "Daisy Bell," sometimes known as "A Bicycle Built For Two." It dates from the 1890s.

[Ottis]

I liked it. It wrapped up some story lines and introduced more possibilities.

 

I didn't know anything about Hyde, but whatever that was, was comical. And it seemed to be played for comedic effect, so that's OK.

 

Not sure why 33 felt the need to be in May form as she went from one place to another, and Ward of all people should be aware of that possibility, but I did like that it happened because of May's trickery on the radio. That gives Ward another reason to hate May and drive his actions.

 

I liked the ending with Skye and her dad. If the show just had that, and left out "Skye should lead our people," it would have been just right.

 

Raina can't really be dead, can she?

[WatchrTina]

 

Can only join the choir in awe of Kyle Machlachlan. Did he come up himself with the lullaby he sang in the Quinjet? That moment was terrifying and cute.

As Sandman just said, that song has been around for a long time and, unless I am mistaken, it's the song sung by HAL the computer in "2001: A Space Odyssey" as his "life" is coming to an end.

 

 

Raina can't really be dead, can she?

I think Raina is completely dead -- her gift had nothing to do with healing -- but Skye's mom is only mostly dead.  I mean, if she can survive being chopped into pieces and her internal organs put in jars, then a snapped neck and broken back should be nothing more than a summer cold to her.

Edited May 14, 2015 by WatchrTina

[FurryFury]

Doubtful. She needed sacrifices to heal (Cal had to kill an entire village to "resurrect" her after Whitehall), and nobody's going to offer them to her, unless there's a devotee hidden somewhere. Plus, I imagine SHIELD took care of her remains.

Edited May 14, 2015 by FurryFury

[Sandman]

You all have NO IDEA how tempted I am to toss the phrase "It would take a miracle!" into this part of the conversation ...

[myril]

Cal was singing "Daisy Bell," sometimes known as "A Bicycle Built For Two." It dates from the 1890s.

 

 

As Sandman just said, that song has been around for a long time and, unless I am mistaken, it's the song sung by HAL the computer in "2001: A Space Odyssey" as his "life" is coming to an end.

 

Thanks. And maybe that's why the tune sounded somewhat creepy familiar to me, if Hal sung it. But wasn't so much thinking if MacLachlan came up with the words himself but with the idea of singing a lullaby or if the writers put it in there. Sometimes I wonder about strange details ;-) But now knowing the title likely the writers had the idea.

[ottoDbusdriver]

And maybe that's why the tune sounded somewhat creepy familiar to me, if Hal sung it. But wasn't so much thinking if MacLachlan came up with the words himself but with the idea of singing a lullaby or if the writers put it in there. Sometimes I wonder about strange details ;-) But now knowing the title likely the writers had the idea.

 

Considering the title of the episode, 'S.O.S.', just be glad Cal wasn't singing ABBA tunes.  </snark>

[myril]

Considering the title of the episode, 'S.O.S.', just be glad Cal wasn't singing ABBA tunes.  </snark>

 

Some consider Abba's SOS to be one of the best pop songs. But might be more a tune for Ward.