After last week’s pseudo Thor sequel, the ratings went up for “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D,” all for good reasons. It was actually a pretty cool episode, with some pretty shocking subplots. We’ll see if the audience stays, even when this week’s episode is up against the holiday classic “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer” on CBS. Meet me after the jump for my thoughts on “Repairs.”
Ratings and Dancing
As long as we’re talking about ratings, the ones for tonight’s episode might not be that bad, even against legendary reindeer. First, a lot of folks might just think that two days before Thanksgiving is a bit early for Christmas specials, even beloved ones. And second, tonight “Agents” is the lead-in for the grand finale of one of ABC’s top rated programs, “Dancing with the Stars.” That’s gotta have some pull.
All in all though the show has had strong ratings. There’s been a slow decline since the pilot, along with that positive hiccup last week, but it remains fairly high rated for the season so far. “Agents” may not be the television sequel to Marvel’s The Avengers that some folks thought it would be, but it is a damned good action and espionage series. I’d be watching if there was no comic book connection, and you should be too.
Roxxon and Rocking
As we begin, Hannah Hutchins, a untried telekinetic, who was apparently responsible for the destruction of a particle accelerator in her small town, and the deaths of several people, accidentally blows up a local Roxxon gas station. SHIELD goes to investigate.
As the mission call goes out, we have verification that the thing between Agents Ward and May was not just a one time thing, but an ongoing thing. I think if it gets out, it’s going to be a bad thing. I wonder if Skye already knows. She’s sticking close to Coulson and calling Ward and May the nicknames ‘warm’ and ‘fuzzy.’
Flash and Fuzz
The accident at the particle accelerator caught my ear for a different reason. Rumor has it that same concept may be what gives Barry Allen super powers in upcoming episodes of “Arrow” and the CW’s “Flash” pilot. Perhaps SHIELD is trying steal their thunder?
When the Agents arrive to see Hannah with their ‘welcome wagon,’ they find her house surrounded by a lynch mob that would make the angry villagers in Frankenstein look tame. Hannah’s neighbors do not like her, and her uncontrolled telekinetic attempts to protect herself are not making them happy. May gets fuzzy and tranqs Hannah before she throws any more cop cars around.
Believing
One thing does bother me however. Everyone seems to be disbelieving or unwilling to believe in telekinesis. It just feels wrong. In a world where gods walk the earth, men live for decades in suspended animation, build weaponized armors, and can turn themselves into gamma irradiated monsters – telekinesis is that unbelievable?
The Bus is on its way to The Fridge. On board, while Coulson and May gently and calmly interrogate Hannah, Fitz and Simmons decide they need to haze freshman agent Skye. I don’t like my two favorite scientists being mean, even if it’s in good fun. It seems very out of character, and unnecessary. Meanwhile Hannah doesn’t think she has powers, she thinks she’s being haunted by demons. Good twist, I like it.
From Hell
Demons or no, it seems that Hannah is not telekinetic. Much like the Marvel Cinematic Universe theory on Asgardians, magic and the supernatural are not a thing. While we are all left wonder how they’ll explain Doctor Strange when his time comes, for now, we find out that real culprit is Tobias Ford.
Tobias Ford was one of the folks killed in the particle accelerator accident, or was he? He believes he’s in Hell, but apparently the accident opened a gate to another, assumedly inhospitable, world – from which he can manifest here at times. There’s your demon.
The Calvary
Over the course of the episode, part of Fitz and Simmons’ hazing of Skye consists of telling her why May is called The Calvary. They told her she killed a hundred men on a horse with some such nonsense. The truth comes out when Coulson and Skye are hiding from Ford on the grounded Bus.
Coulson reveals that they were on a mission in Bahrain to collect a metahuman that had set himself up as a god. Lives were in danger and May went in alone, and did what had to be done. After that, she became what she is today, but before that, Coulson says, she was like Skye.
Aftermath
May takes down Ford by talking him down, but not until after some wonderfully choreographed hand to hand combat. There’s hope for May after all it seems, and Skye makes the attempt to be friends – notably still unaware of the hookup with Ward.
Next: the return of Mike Peterson in “The Bridge.”
Filed under: agents of shield, Glenn Walker, Marvel, television Tagged: ABC, Agent Phil Coulson, Agents of SHIELD, Arrow, CBS, christmas, dancing with the stars, Doctor Strange, Flash, Frankenstein, grant ward, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, melinda may, mike peterson, ratings, roxxon, rudolph, SHIELD, skye, telekinesis, The Avengers, The CW
