- Title: Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. – Scars
- wiki: link
As we’ve witnessed over the show’s two seasons Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. continues to ride the wave of a Marvel film release which continues to help lift the show out of the muck the show has been stuck in for much of the Second Season. The first episode following Avengers: Age of Ultron reestablishes the status quo for S.H.I.E.L.D. going forward, blending the two groups together and, before the episode’s end, dumping the problematic character of Gonzales (Edward James Olmos) like hot garbage. The episode also says farewell to Mac (Henry Simmons) who goes out in a less than sterling manner by sticking more to his preconceptions and prejudices than principles. And, of course, “Scars” also begins the show’s new arc of S.H.I.E.L.D. vs. the Inhumans.
Raina‘s (Ruth Negga) gift of precognition, and her history of untrustworthy behavior, works to her detriment but the show’s benefit as her warnings against a sit down between the Inhumans and S.H.I.E.L.D. is ignored. Given what we’ve seen so far I don’t buy the whiplash-inducing vicious turn of Jiaying (Dichen Lachman) in instigating a war with humanity but the plot point results in putting Skye (Chloe Bennet) in the middle of a war between her two families which should give the show’s writers several strong stories to explore where she actually belongs. Sadly, it also takes any real choice out of the character’s hands and all but guarantees Skye obviously choosing S.H.I.E.L.D. in the end after she inevitably learns the truth about her mother’s hidden motives.
“Scars” also gives us the unexpected early return for Ward (Brett Dalton). Honestly I’m a bit disappointed the show didn’t spend any time attempting to work Agent 33 (Maya Stojan) back into S.H.I.E.L.D. Ward’s return and Bobbi’s (Adrianne Palicki) capture creates a B-story serving the plot to quicken Hunter‘s (Nick Blood) forgiveness and possibly keep Mac around a bit longer. There’s also the matter of Cal (Kyle MacLachlan) who juices up and sends after S.H.I.E.L.D. suggesting Gonzales death won’t be the only blood spilled this day.
