MARVEL’S AGENTS OF SHIELD: “Wake Up” {Roundtable}

Tuesday night’s new episode of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. found the team trying to bug Senator Nadeer’s office while the real May worked to uncover the truth about what happened to her and Aida’s next move puts everyone’s life at risk.

Here is what Karen, Roz and Rueben had to say about what went down during that new episode:

Aida, Aida, Aida

1. We finally got to see how May was taken down by Aida and Radcliffe. Did it play out how you imagined?

Roz: Meh, I guess it worked, but the way that May went down seemed too easy. I mean, I know it was AIDA who needed to do it quickly, but May’s better than that!

Karen: I love how this show lets us see the various events played out through different “eyes” as they’ve done this season. Very cool with the scenario inside a scenario deception in order to keep May from getting loose. I hadn’t really imagined *how* they’d gotten May, but I guess I should have, since she’s such a badass. It was within my realm of believabilaty.

Rueben: I’m torn, as I wanted to know how she could have been taken down, but I have to admit that it was almost too easy – even with May going tow-to-tow with Aida. I’m glad that finally gave us insight into how she was taken prisoner, though.

2. Were you surprised by Radcliffe’s revelation that there is a second LMD?

Roz: No, not really. It can’t be an LMD arc without multiple copies of people around.

Karen: Nah. I’m sure there are a lot of LMDs. Well, okay, not “a lot,” but more than we know. *cough*Koenigs*cough*

Rueben: It make sense that there is more than one LMD, but I have to admit I wasn’t expecting Radcliffe to have an LMD until Fitz held the gun against him. I just didn’t see that coming. What’s more troubling is just how many others there are and “who” they are.

3. What are your thoughts on Mack and YoYo now? And how about her nickname for him – Turtle Man.

Roz: I’m again not totally sold on this relationship and it feels awkward amid everything else.

Karen: I actually dig them together, but ‘Turtle Man’? That’s just weird. I think Yo-Yo could be good for Mack because he’s so tightly wound, and he might be a nice grounding influence for her. Plus they’re both really pretty.

Rueben: I’m now a little indifferent about the whole relationship thing, I guess, but what struck me as odd was that unusual nickname. Did we even get a real explanation for why she chose that name for him…it just seems odd.

May in Stealth Mode

4. Who told Nadeer about their plan to bug her office? Radcliffe wasn’t there for that so was it really Aida’s severed head or is something else going on?

Roz: I feel like Talbot is in on this with Nadeer too, because he’s just that sort of jackass, but I don’t know for sure. I mean, we have more than one LMD so who’s to say that Yo-Yo isn’t, or Jemma or Mace.

Karen: I’m telling you, it’s not a coincidence that the episode after Shockley mentions his “boss” that Talbot shows up. Why did we get to see him say that when it didn’t add anything to the plot? Because we needed to know that there was someone higher on the food chain than Nadeer. I think it’s Talbot. I thought it was him at the end of that episode (the one with Vijay), and I think it still. Especially since *POOF* he shows up on the very next episode after being gone for most of the season. Not a coincidence. Timing is everything.

Rueben: Given what you both have said, and the fact that I was scratching my head, it does really make sense that it’s Talbot. I guess every time he is in an episode – because he’s such a prick – that I block him out. But, it does stand to reason that he would be the mole.

5. What do you think about the “framework” where Aida and Radcliffe have the real May trapped? How long will that hold her?

Roz: Right, this is giving me Starbuck flashbacks from BSG in how she dealt with her issues and man is that bad. As for how long it can last, well, May’s been carrying that weight from Bahrain for how long? It’ll go long enough.

Karen: Yeah, they had to go deep to keep her there, and they found her vulnerability. Good job somewhat-bad guys. It’ll keep her busy until she gets deja vu, and then she’ll break out. We know she’s strong enough. But the PTSD is gonna be a bitch. She may never trust reality 100% again.

Rueben: You both have great points; and that made me really think about the twists and turns of the “framework” and what kind of ramifications it’ll have on May once she gets out. But how long that will take is anyone’s guess because she does have a lot of deep-seeded issues where the massacre in Bahrain is concerned. It’s going to be quite a journey to see how she breaks free.

Coulson looking very serious

6. The Radcliffe at SHIELD is an LMD [WHAT?!] and the real Radcliffe is working with Nadeer. Holy sh*t. What next?

Roz: Elephants are going to fly I’m sure or something else equally out of this world. I’m not sure I can take how out there all of these stories are going, but I know I’m not the only one.

Karen: Awww c’mon! You had to know he wouldn’t put himself in danger, right? Why not “clone” himself? It also means he can hold/read/peruse the Darkhold book without ramifications. Working with Nadeer? I didn’t see THAT coming. Although LMDs aren’t inhumans, so she could probably see a use for them – or at least (*cough*Talbot*cough*) the Watchdogs could. Man, I just can’t seem to get that frog out of my throat. By the way, did anybody watch Lois and Clark? They did a cloning storyline too! (for all of you that did watch it, see what I did there?)

Rueben: Oh man, Karen, I hadn’t thought about that Lois & Clark storyline, but yep I remember that. I hated that whole storyline actually. As for it being used in SHIELD, ARGH!, I didn’t expect Radcliffe to be working with Nadeer; that came totally out of left field for me. I can’t see any of this ending good for anyone.

7. Do you have any other thoughts on the episode? Fave scene or fave line?

Roz: Can I just love Fitz for realizing Ratcliffe was an LMD with what he valued above all else? Asimov’s rule FOR THE WIN!

Karen: Right! The Laws of Robotics in action! They’re programmed in for a reason. Mostly so they don’t kill their creators, but they still do the job as Asimov intended. Also, even if it was just in a fake world, May and AIDA fighting was pretty awesome. And I want to mention again how innovative this show is by allowing us to see the same events from different perspectives. They don’t overuse it, which they could do – but when the storytelling warrants it, they do it really well. The layering of the scenes when Fitz/Coulson/Reyes were in another dimension was genius, and now seeing May being captured after the fact to get her side of things… both great sequences.

Rueben: Yes, I love the way they tell the different sides of the story from opposing perspectives. It’s very clever and well done. I think the big thing that is bothering me is who the h#ll is this Superior that Nadeer said to Radcliffe. Finding that out is going to be very interesting.

The next new episode of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will air on ABC on Tuesday, January 31 at 10/9c.

Here is the synopsis for the next new episode entitled “Hot Potato Soup:

Agents Sam and Billy Koenig (returning guest star Patton Oswalt) are hunted down to get at the Darkhold book, and only Coulson and the team can save them before the clock ticks out.

Also, here is the trailer for the new episode: