Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Roundtable: “The Dirty Half Dozen”

After returning to Afterlife, Skye wants to go back to rescue Lincoln. Jaiying refuses, believing it’s too dangerous. But when Reina reveals she had a vision of Skye rescuing him, Skye goes anyway, joining up with her old team at S.H.I.E.L.D. so as not to allow Hydra to follow Gordon’s transporting trail again. Jemma tries to kill Ward during the mission, but takes out Bakshi instead. After retrieving Mike and Lincoln, the team returns to S.H.I.E.L.D., all except Ward who made his escape. He calls Coulson and reveals that helped them in order to get Agent 33 back into S.H.I.E.L.D. where she can get more help than he can give her. Coulson promises to see what he can do for her. Coulson does keep the promise he made to Gonzales, giving him Fury’s toolbox and opening it for him. Gonzales doesn’t quite know how to respond when he learns that Fury isn’t dead and might be wanting the box back. Before he can speak, Coulson is called away to take a call from Maria Hill. Coulson had more of an agenda during the “rescue” than he admitted to anyone, it seems. His real mission was locating Loki’s scepter. Coulson isn’t the only one who knows, though, because even as he’s reporting to Hill, Reina is having visions.

1. Jaiying is suspicious and cautious about Reina and her gift. Did you feel Reina used her visions to manipulate Skye into going after Lincoln? Or was she just being helpful for a change and wanted to help Lincoln because he had helped her?

Louise: I think Reina plays by her own set of rules, so anything she does is for her own sense of self and preservation. Nothing with sending Skye off to help Lincoln seems that helpful to all the Inhumans, just to her and Lincoln.

Leah: I don’t feel Reina is ever being helpful unless it helps her in some way.

Rueben: I think that Reina might be turning a leaf albeit a very, very small leaf. I think she wants to repay Lincoln; but in the end her “bad” side is going to reappear and with her newfound powers, that isn’t going to end well.

Jan: I got the feeling Reina rather liked Lincoln. He made an effort to comfort her when she was at a low point, so I think somewhere inside she did want to help him. When it comes down to it, though, Reina will do what serves Reina best, even if it is harmful to others. She is the anti-Skye, in that way. Jaiying is right to want to reign Reina in, but I don’t think it will be that easy and I foresee big conflict between them.

2. Bobbi originally went with nu-S.H.I.E.L.D. because of Fury’s choices to sacrifice people for the greater good. Gonzales defended a choice he made this episode with basically the same reasoning. Do you think the looks and comments Bobbi makes suggest she’s not fully comfortable with her choice?

Louise: Slowly Bobbi’s getting to see the real Gonzales and what he wants to do and I think Bobbi is starting to realize that everyone in charge might make similar choices. As to if she’s regretting the choice, I can’t tell, but watching what happened play out might not help to solidify her decision now that Mike’s out his eye for good and they lost Bakshi.

Leah: Bobbi does not seem to be fully comfortable with her choice, however I don’t think she is at the point where she thinks she made the wrong choice – yet.

Rueben: I think she might be questioning what is happening with Gonzales. Any person can start out with good intentions (i.e. Fury and Coulson) and then circumstances beyond their control (i.e. Gonzales) change the chessboard dramatically, making it necessary to make course corrections that you as a leader never thought you’d make. It will be interesting to see if she shifts her allegiance again.

Jan: I don’t think Bobbi has been comfortable with her decision from the beginning. Her ideals are great, but if she were the one making the final decisions she would likely find herself making similar choices. Gonzales has his secrets too, just like Coulson and Fury, and at some point she is going to have the realization that in their business it can’t always be a democracy. Tough calls have to be made.

3. What are your thoughts on Jemma making an attempt on Ward’s life? Would you have thought her capable of it prior to this?

Louise: I’m really glad she’s taking more initiative and being proactive about what she thinks was a wrong done. Before everything last season I didn’t think she was capable of it, but she’s been hardened by everything.

Leah: I’m not sure I like the new Jemma, I’m glad she isn’t just an in the lab scientist anymore but I’m not loving the direction she is headed. She’s a little too emotional to be running around with human crumbling bombs. If she took down everyone that she thought was a threat Skye wouldn’t be here, or she would be locked up.

Rueben: I don’t think the Jemma we knew before the dump in the ocean by Ward would have done anything like the Jemma we know now. She’s been changed by that experience as much as Fitz. I was, however, quite surprised that she followed through with her plan even if Ward was still able to walk clear of it all.

Jan: I was surprised that mild mannered Jemma was the one to feel she had to take the initiative and do what had to be done to protect everyone else. Ward deserves it and more, after all he did to them, but it’s definitely an indication that the meek Jemma we originally knew has adapted to her surroundings. Fitz took the brunt of physical scarring from what Ward did to them, but Jemma has more of the emotional scars.

4. Maria Hill seems to still recognize Coulson’s position, since Gonzales wasn’t invited to participate in her call. Do you believe the revelation that Fury isn’t dead will alter the uprising and lead to Coulson’s return to being the recognized Director?

Louise: Is it bad that I want to reserve judgment on this until after Age of Ultron comes out? I think that he has the backing of Fury and saying that he’s not dead does give him support and control.

Leah: Just because Gonzales and his New S.H.I.E.L.D. took over Coulson’s base doesn’t make them the true leaders of S.H.I.E.L.D. As far as I think Coulson is concerned he is still in charge. He seems to be going about his business like he would have before – with a few modifications. We’ll see how it shakes out I suppose.

Rueben: I think it is possible once the truth about Fury being alive could change things; but I don’t necessarily know if that will be good or bad for Coulson and the rest of the team.

Jan: I hope Coulson is back in charge before long, because the audacity of Gonzales and his crew just taking it upon themselves to create their own S.H.I.E.L.D. warrants a little eating of crow. I do enjoy how Coulson just keeps doing what he’s doing and not letting their little “let’s play S.H.I.E.L.D.” game get in his way.

5. What was your favorite scene in “The Dirty Half Dozen”?

Louise: In a sign that I’m a horrible person, the scene where Cal and Jaiying were fighting at the start of the episode because I think there’s ramifications of his outburst that Skye’s their daughter that we haven’t seen yet.

Leah: Skye’s take down of a dozen agents inside the Hydra facility was fantastic. Whoever their fight coordinator is does impressive work.

Rueben: I have to agree with Leah that fight sequence with Skye taking out all those Hydra operatives. That was REALLY impressive.

Jan: I loved when, after Ward recites the long list of things he regrets, Skye says she’s still happy she shot him and everyone agreed. The comedic timing of all actors in that scene was perfection.

6. Who was the MVP of the episode?

Louise: Jemma for taking the challenge of being on the mission for two reasons: helping Mike and also taking care of what she perceived as a threat.

Leah: I’m giving it to Coulson. He continued his mission and got the band back together – even if it was only temporary.

Rueben: Without question the MVP goes to Jemma, as she not only stepped up with Coulson, getting herself on the mission but also following through on her plan to eliminate Ward even if it didn’t go quite as planned.

Jan: This week I would have to say Coulson. He came up with the plan to rescue Lincoln and Mike, and never let Gonzales ongoing grandstanding ruffle him. Plus, he was still funny through it all.

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