Agents of Shield Roundtable: “Love in the Time of Hydra”

Ward lives! He also has a new teammate…Agent 33, also known as the chick with May’s face. Correction, part of May’s face. She still carries massive scarring as a remembrance of the awesome fight when May electrocuted her face. Agent 33 is now crushing hard on Ward in their own twist on Stockholm Syndrome, but he seems to have plans that don’t include romance. Skye’s wounds are healing slowly, and Andrew has recommended to Coulson that she be taken off active duty. May agrees. Coulson takes Skye to Fury’s old cabin in the woods and drops the bomb that she’s staying there for a while. Oh, and don’t try to leave because there are lasers surrounding the property. As if Skye didn’t already feel like a freak. Mack and his friends at the other S.H.I.E.L.D. try to indoctrinate Hunter and convince him Coulson needs to be stopped, but Hunter is having none of it. He doesn’t agree with all of Coulson’s decisions but he’s doing an okay job. Bobbi tries to smooth things over with him, but he ultimately escapes, even though they are on an aircraft carrier and hours away from dry land. Bobbi decides she needs to return to Coulson’s team and finish her mission before Hunter can get there and tip them off.

1. There is a whole other S.H.I.E.L.D. in town. What did you think of their case for starting their own version of the agency?

Louise: Their version of S.H.I.E.L.D. reminds me of kids who form their own clique when someone else does something they don’t like. So basically, I’m not a fan of the idea of this version and find it odd that Gonzalez has so much support so quickly.

Rueben: It’s troubling to me that this other S.H.I.E.L.D. has formed. I can see their concern, but to just surreptitiously create their own separate version seems unnecessary. It’s going to cause nothing but problems and dissension.

Liz: I agree that they have a good point. Using the new S.H.I.E.L.D.’s own references to Fury, Fury had Rogers to check his motives. Coulson has May but she will go along with what ever Coulson does because she’s loyal. Rogers stood up to Fury and remained loyal to his own decisions. I do agree with Hunter though, they should have gone to Coulson, himself, with their worries.

Jan: I don’t much care for them. One thing I’m curious about is by whose authority are they claiming to be S.H.I.E.L D.? Fury handed it over to Coulson. Talbot is on Coulson’s side, so that means the military recognizes him to be S.H.I.E.L.D. I guess anyone can hang a shingle on the door and claim to be S.H.I.E.L.D. these days. You don’t break off on your own just because you don’t always agree with management decisions.

2. Mack seems totally loyal to nu-S.H.I.E.L.D, but did anyone think Bobbi’s allegiance doesn’t seem as obvious?

Louise: I think she’s playing a very different game than Mack, and that might have to do with Hunter or not. But yes, she’s keeping her own ideas closer to her vest.

Rueben: I have to wonder about Bobbi’s commitment especially in light of Hunter getting away. She “seemed” loyal when she was undercover at HYDRA and that could play a role here.

Liz: I think Bobbi is truly loyal to the new S.H.I.E.L.D., however, we don’t have all the facts. Like we don’t know what she and Gonzales did go through after Hydra and all. So I don’t know yet what her loyalty to Gonzales is based on.

Jan: I’m very curious what’s going on with Bobbi. Her actions say she is nu-S.H.I.E.L.D., but it’s hard to tell with her. She’s not reporting the goings on to Coulson, though, so that makes me think she is either really with nu-S.H.I.E.L.D. or else she is reporting to some other party.

3. Ward and Agent 33 have become a modern day Bonnie and Clyde, and appear to be operating as free agents. Their objective hasn’t been revealed yet, but what were your thoughts on the unforeseen pairing?

Louise: Dangerous games are afoot with them together as the lone HYDRA agents around, but it’s not shocking that close proximity would bring them to that point.

Rueben: That is a good analogy of Ward and Agent 33. By the way, did anyone catch that she admitted her real name in that final scene between the two as that of “Carol”? I think Carol is going to simply, for now anyway, follow Ward’s lead because he seems to have an objective, but I’m not sure what Carol/Agent 33 would be doing if left to her own devices.

Liz: I can’t even speculate on this. I don’t have enough information to go on as far as these two are concerned.

Jan: I actually feel bad for Agent 33. None of this has been her own making. She was kidnapped and brainwashed. Then she was left broken and apparently Ward has built her back up. I couldn’t help but think as he told her about how his family left him hollow and it was easy for him to be manipulated into becoming a killer that he’s learned his craft from masters. He could be being genuine, but with Ward I feel it’s more likely he’s pulling a con on her to further his own cause.

4. Do you think it was wise for Coulson to take Skye away and leave her alone, knowing her father is still out there somewhere?

Louise: I think she needs to have some time to learn more about herself, but leaving her alone might not be best. Her father probably can’t find this location, but who knows.

Rueben: No, I don’t think it was wise to leave her completely alone; and if the clips for next week’s episode are any indication, she’s going to be on the run and in some deep, deep trouble.

Liz: I think that the very fact that Coulson was having second thoughts about that is enough to give me pause. Where Skye is concerned, he and everyone else seems to be stumbling around in the dark.

Jan: I feel it’s a very bad idea. She already feels lost and alone, and now they put her basically in a prison. It’s a nice prison, but she can’t leave so it’s still a prison. And I don’t think it’s really going to be as safe as they think it is.

5. What was your favorite scene in “Love in the Time of Hydra?”

Louise: Surprisingly, the scene between Coulson and FitzSimmons.

Rueben: To be honest I can’t really say I had a favorite scene in this episode; but I have to admit watching Agent 33 change her face was interesting. And, I can say the scene of Hunter learning the other SHIELD was on a huge ship in the middle of the ocean was not expected.

Liz: My favorite scene was watching Skye and Coulson on the plane, eating Twizzlers. It was a sweet (pun) moment for them.

Jan: Hunter referring to the nu-S.H.I.E.L.D. members as “Hufflepuff.” He had many great lines, but that one made me laugh the loudest.

6. Who was this episode’s MVP?

Louise: I’m giving it to Fitz because he seems to be the only one thinking about Skye as a person rather than someone on the Index.

Rueben: I have to agree with Louise that Fitz was the MVP for the very same reason.

Liz: It was kind of a slow episode, in my opinion. I can’t really name an MVP this week.

Jan: I have to give this one to Hunter. There were multiple dynamic players this week, but Hunter not only had the best one liners, he never wavered no matter how hard nu-S.H.I.E.L.D. and Bobbi tried to convince him.

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