Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Roundtable: “The Things We Bury”

“The Things We Bury” answered a lot of viewers questions, but undoubtedly raised some new ones. Through flashbacks, we finally learned what really happened in the village where infant Skye was originally found.

1. This episode answered some questions raised in the past. We know about the village that was wiped out, and that Skye’s mother was among those killed, and why. What were your thoughts about the revelation that Whitehall was the one responsible and Skye’s mother is the secret to his youthful appearance?

Liz: After I got over the shock of what I was seeing, at first I was sad for the Doctor. But he is definitely unhinged by his wife’s murder and daughter’s being taken by SHIELD. But we learned that he wasn’t the monster that caused the incident at the village. We also learned that Skye’s mother was something ‘special’, but did the Doctor know that? I’m thinking he did, but did he gain all his knowledge about the Diviner and the city from her? Though the Doctor’s story was told and his end game revealed, it was unsettling when he mentioned he would be reunited with his family in eternity. Does that mean that he knows the city is deadly and that he’s going to take Skye there so they can die and be reunited with his wife?

Louise: I feel like the reveal about Whitehall was a little obvious (like of course he’d do something with that), but that doesn’t mean it’s not without meaning or motivation. Someone who’s been working along side Red Skull has to have some devious methods to keep things going. What caught me more is just how long the HYDRA working in SHIELD went back. That one guard said that Pierce let Whitehall out in 1989! That said, I hope that’s not all we see of Skye’s mother (Dichen Lachman), because she’s an amazing actress and can do so much.

Jan: The revelation that Whitehall was the one who slaughtered the village, and Skye’s mother, took me totally by surprise. I guess it probably shouldn’t have as it seems so obvious now. But it did. Whitehall takes “mad scientist” to a whole new level. At least we have an idea now as to what caused Skye’s father to be the way he is.

2. Mack has now made it clear that he would have issues with the leader of SHIELD having alien blood running through their veins, and has also raised questions about Coulson’s stability. Do you foresee an attempted mutiny on the horizon?

Liz: No, I think that Mack was just trying to work things out in his own mind. I don’t think he’d try a mutiny.

Louise: I think Mack’s operating on a different set of information than everyone else so I always take his reaction to the alien technology with a grain of salt. I doubt he’ll do something about his feelings, because I think at some point FItz or Skye will say, “hey Skye’s half alien and she’s not going to do something bad”.

Jan: I am still not sure I trust Mack. His acceptance into the group has been too seamless for me, and I keep waiting for signs that he should either be trusted or not. His questioning of Coulson feels like a red flag to me. Time will tell, but the way it keeps coming up makes me think something will arise in the future.

3. Ward resolved his brother issues, in a deadly way. Does Christian’s confession that he pushed Ward to do the awful things in his past, and the knowledge that Ward was being truthful, change how you interpret Ward’s actions? Do you trust him more or less after that deadly resolution to his past? Do you feel he’s truly with HYDRA now, or is he working another agenda?

Liz: I don’t trust him more, but I don’t think he is as much of an enemy as we have been led to believe. I still think he’s a loose cannon, even more so now. Ward is broken so I think he’s a rogue with his own agenda. He’s not going to be controlled by either SHIELD or Hydra. I think he’s lining himself up with Hydra right now to take down the Doctor and possibly Whitehall, if the Doctor doesn’t get to do it first.

Louise: I’m not really changing my opinions on Ward yet. He’s still rather off his rocker and he goes to some extreme measures to excise his personal demons. I was never sold on him as a character before and I’m still not sold now, even if he wants to be HYDRA because he feels that SHIELD let him down.

Jan: I still can’t get a grip on Ward. I was sure he had his own agenda, a score to settle with his brother, and he did. Now that he dealt with that, I’m not sure whose side he is on or even if he knows. At face value, he’s going with HYDRA, the only place he’s likely to be accepted. But I’m not so sure that he isn’t working an angle to help SHIELD and try to score a few points. He did tell Skye there would be more “presents” to come. He’s still going to put his own agenda first though, whatever that might be.

4. Who was the MVP of “The Things We Bury”?

Liz: This is always a hard question for me because there always seems to be more than one MVP. I have to give this week’s MVP to two characters and they’re both villains. Ward and the Doctor. I feel like they are the same but with different end games. In another universe, they could be a great team.

Louise: I’m giving it to two people: Bobbi and Jemma. They both worked hard with the information from that HYDRA agent to figure out what’s what.

Jan: Coulson, as usual he was at the top of his game, covers every detail. Loved the plan involving the EMP Trojan horse. No matter how many things he’s juggling at once, he manages to keep it all straight.

5. What was your favorite scene this episode?

Liz: All of the Agent Carter ones! And the scene where Coulson was giving Tripp and Skye their instructions about the button and the watch. Also, Fitz strengthening his bad hand so that both hands worked well again. I can’t just pick one scene this week!

Louise: The resolution of Coulson’s errands for Tripp and Skye in Hawaii. It was great to see that the random drop offs paid off.

Jan: My favorite scene was at the very end, with Whitehall, Ward, and Skye’s dad. The dialogue, the looks, and all the history coming together. Skye’s dad’s cryptic comment about the enemy, which on surface seemed to indicate Coulson, but based on the flashback we see that Whitehall is his enemy as well. Each man has their own agenda. It’s hard to tell exactly what some might be, but I’m fascinated to see how it plays out.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on ABC.