Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Roundtable: “Many Heads, One Tale”

As the title of the episode implies, although we have been exploring a number of separate story threads this season, they ultimately lead to the same place. Hydra has been around longer than any of us imagined, and while Fitz’s side gig to find a way to retrieve Will from the other planet seemed unrelated, it’s actually playing into Hydra’s agenda. Malick wants an Inhuman who was banished to that planet long ago to return and help him rule the world. So far, S.H.I.E.L.D. is the only organization to successfully bring someone back though.

1. It seems many of us may have misjudged Rosalind after her phone call with Malick last week. What was your reaction to learning she had no idea what Malick was doing right under her nose in the ATCU?

Roz: I still don’t trust her, even if she’s been played for years. There’s something about her that still makes me hesitant, because it only rang as a half-truth to be manipulated that much without knowing it. She’s supposed to be smart, and that proved that she wasn’t.

Liz: Once I saw that she was reporting to Malick, I started to wonder if she really was being open with Coulson – as far as she knew. Malick has been proven to be the mastermind behind everything for a long time, and now we know that he has been aware of Hydra’s history going back centuries. Yes, I do trust Rosalind. I think she was used by Malick and he filled her with what he wanted her to know for his purpose only. Besides raising an army for someone/thing, he’s trying to find out how to bring someone back through the portal.

Jan: I was on the fence with her last week…what we saw seemed damning, but I couldn’t get over how nonchalant she was in her conversation with Malick. I do believe she has been deceived, and she did have her man help Bobbi and Hunter escape, which was a show of good faith. I think she will assist SHIELD from here on out.

Rueben: It certainly seemed as though she had no clue what Malick was doing, but there is that small lingering doubt in the back of my mind that perhaps she’s just playing a role.

2. It wasn’t Coulson who was being delivered to Hydra in last weeks episode, it was Andrew. Shocking that Hydra is collecting and creating Inhumans or it makes so much sense we should have seen it?

Roz: This backstory for how long HYDRA’s been around feels way too forced right now so I don’t know if I want to believe that they’re collecting Inhumans to get through the monolith and back. Their actual policy of making more Inhumans to get through and back, though, that feels like them.

Liz: I didn’t see that coming. Now that we know what Malick is doing though, it makes sense. But I wonder if he’s building this army for his use or someone else.

Jan: I was totally surprised by this development. But at the same time I’m slapping myself on the head thinking “Of course!” Totally something Hydra would do, and I’m excited to see how the separate storylines we have seen develop this season converge.

Rueben: I guess we shouldn’t be surprised by anything that Hydra does at this point, right? It’s disturbing they are making Inhumans and that it all has something to do with the monolith. After Malick referenced that their leader (or whatever) – that scary “thing” that killed the rest of Will’s team in the alternate universe – seems to be the true “head” of Hydra, it only makes me wonder what the hell is really going on.

3. Fitz and Simmons are still tap dancing around their feelings. Do you agree with Fitz that they are cursed?

Roz: He’s taking a hard-line that they’re cursed, and I don’t agree entirely. I think they’re having some really bad luck now that they both know what’s going on between them both.

Liz: Oh, I think the tap dancing was finished in this episode, don’t you? They laid it all out on the table, even admitting they have been too afraid to talk about their feelings for each other and have missed golden opportunities. They’re not cursed. What has happened between them was created by them. It can be fixed if they choose to fix it.

Jan: I thought the kiss went a long way towards bringing them back, but Fitz still thinks they are cursed, and I don’t think it’s going to be easy for them. Simmons, to me, doesn’t seem to know which man she really wants right now. She loves both. I still see a lot of hurt ahead, so while they may not really be cursed, it’s probably going to feel like it.

Rueben: I wouldn’t say they are cursed, just a bit clueless (for a long time) and short on luck.  They obviously know they have feelings for each other, but her time in the alternate universe with Will, well, that really screws with what they could have.

4. How great was it to see Bobbi fully back in action and leading a mission?

Roz: SO SO GREAT! I love her fighting skills being used again.

Liz: It was fun seeing Bobbi back, and with enhanced weapons! Awesome!

Jan: I couldn’t contain my glee, and actually cheered out loud. So great to see her back to her old self without any lingering doubts or weaknesses.

Rueben: It was really, really great to see her back in action; and I love the almost Wonder Woman like bracelets that control those baton weapons of hers.

5. Did you have a favorite scene in this episode?

Roz: Oddly, I was happy to see Hunter playing the hacker this week.

Liz: I think my favorite scene was when Malick was giving Ward that history lesson. When he pulled out that piece of the monolith, and talked about it being cut from the original, I began to think back. The image of that big monolith came into my head and I wondered why it was that no one ever talked about the chunks taken out of it. There was more than one square-shaped hole in that thing. That scene pulled a lot of strings together, including why Ward is still around, because I gotta tell ya’. I was very bored with his story line.

Jan: I loved Hunter passing himself off as a computer expert, when it appeared he didn’t know what the forward slash was. He never fails to make me laugh.

Rueben: That moment in the plane between May and Lincoln.

6. Who was MVP of “Many Heads, One Tale”?

Roz: Coulson for his play to find out what Rosalind was really about.

Liz: There were a lot of MVPs in this episode. I felt it was a very strong one. Coulson and Rosalind. Fitz and Simmons. Malick and Ward. Lincoln and May. All of them, really!

Jan: Tough one for me this week. I will go with Coulson also, for being one step ahead of everyone and finding a way to get information from Rosalind.

Rueben: I think they all stepped up in this episode, but it was Coulson who stood out for me because of his play against Rosalind.

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

Images courtesy ABC/John Fleenor