AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D: “Repairs” Roundtable

This episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. finally seemed to live up to the promise of the pilot. Here are our thoughts on “Repairs”.

1. Was the “ghost” haunting poor Hannah the scariest villain so far?

Mel: Right up until his motives were revealed, yes, he reminded me of Jubal Early from the final episode of Firefly. But then it turns out he was just some dude who couldn’t tell a girl he liked her, so he sabotaged a freaking nuclear device to get her attention? Man up!

Louise: He was the creepiest, but I don’t know about scariest. Well, let me qualify that – he was the scariest until he was off the plane and his true raison d’etre was revealed. Otherwise, he was really just a lovesick puppy who wanted someone to notice him.

Frea: No, Melinda May was way scarier than Tobias. This is the second time Whedon’s used a ghost plot to great advantage with women overpowering it in the end. Granted, I know Whedon’s just executive producer, but I was thinking about that episode of Angel the entire time, and how Cordelia overcame the ghost and the ghost’s mother not through beatings but by standing up for herself, and I think it was interesting that May and Skye were both very quick to see what was really happening, in different situations.

2. We were promised insight into Melinda May’s backstory. Did the show deliver?

Mel: I was worried after last week’s Ward backstory lameness, but this was pretty good. No Shaky Cam Flashbacks, no melodrama, just the truth behind a legend and bit of hope for May. And somehow, I love Coulson even more.

Louise: I think it gave me something, but not enough. I suppose that knowing how much she changed is important, but since the story didn’t come from her I don’t know what to make of it. I’d rather head her story from her own mouth rather than through Coulson or anyone else in SHIELD.

Frea: I think so. I was expecting not to get that backstory for a long time, really, so I was happily surprised that Coulson set that record straight. I am also actually laughing at the fact that there is a genuine SHIELD Academy because that sounds way too much like a high school alternate universe fanfiction trope to be taken seriously. But even so, the idea that Melinda May would be an urban legend there amuses me greatly, and very well, AoS, I accept your canon as my headcanon.

3. How do you feel about this new, empathetic Skye?

Mel: I like her a lot more than cynical, defensive Skye, but what a 180! Maybe she’s finally feeling secure enough to let her guard down with the team. Or maybe the writers realized the audience wasn’t connecting with her. Whatever the reason for this infusion of emotional intelligence, I prefer it.

Louise: Sure makes me like her more. She’s at least got a dimension now.

Frea: I think she’s been empathetic all along, but I like that they’re bringing that to the forefront. I think it makes a lot more sense than Action!Skye that Ward was trying to create. Eventually I see Skye compiling all of the bits she’s learned from Melinda and Ward and Coulson and becoming the most kickass handler SHIELD’s ever seen. And when people point out that she could have been a great field agent, I think she’ll just smile and think of Coulson.

4. MVP? (like I need to ask!)

Mel: Melinda May. Of course.

Louise: Melinda! All the way down to her drawing out the bad guy.

Frea: Giving this one to Simmons. HOLY CRAP FREA WHAT. No, really. Aglet to win at Scrabble takes some excellent chutzpah. But seriously, how do none of them know what an aglet is? I thought everybody knew that. …oh, fine, it’s Melinda May because it’s always Melinda May. That scene where the lights were going on and off and the ghost kept appearing and disappearing…and then Melinda did exactly the same thing? MELINDA MAY.

5. Favorite scene?

Mel: It’s a toss up between Skye and Hannah talking on opposite sides of the door, ghostly Tobias creeping on May who suddenly disappears and rescues Hannah, and the final scene with Fitz demanding answers and May smirking in the cockpit.

Louise: Is it sad to say the tag at the end of the episode? With May putting shaving cream on Fitz.

Frea: Skye and Hannah, sitting on opposite sides of the door and talking about faith. You don’t see much faith in TV shows, and speaking as somebody who grew up in the church, I’ve noticed that a lot of times Christians are painted as wackjobs on TV (usually because their extreme views have killed somebody on a crime show), or very rigid and very unforgiving, and I am impressed that the show took the time to give both Skye and Hannah some nuance in that scene and to show characters’ beliefs as anything but simply agnostic or indifferent. The detail about Skye’s history with the nuns is such a great character detail.