Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Epitomize: Permit's Do the Twist

If TV episodes were measured in plot twists, "Afterlife" would exist Agents of Due south.H.I.E.L.D.'southward finest 60 minutes. There'southward nothing in this week's episode that comes shut to rivaling the daze of Ward's betrayal in last twelvemonth's "Plow, Plough, Turn," but yous accept to give the testify points for trying. Whoa — Mike "Deathlok" Peterson is back, and he'southward on Coulson's team! Surprise — Fitz and Simmons managed to smuggle Nick Fury's weird little cube away from Gonzales! Gasp — Skye'due south mom is alive later on all! (In hindsight, we should have seen that last 1 coming — you lot don't cast an actress as talented equally Dichen Lachman for a five-minute flashback in a single episode.)

Unfortunately, piles of plot twists also crave piles of exposition. "Afterlife" is an important hr of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., but it'due south also a fleck of a clunky one, as the show's increasingly sprawling cast stands around explaining things to each other for the benefit of the rest of us.

Much of this week's exposition comes from Skye'south new buddy Lincoln (Luke Mitchell), the bland hunk tasked with easing her transition into the weird little Inhuman community known as Afterlife. Nothing ominous about that! Following her sudden teleportation away from Coulson's little motel in the woods, Skye wakes up naked, dislocated, and jabbed with dozens of glowing little needles. Nothing ominous about that!

Equally Lincoln explains it, Skye isn't merely regular special — she's the almost special of all the special people. The Afterlife is a community of people who possess the basic qualities that might make them worthwhile candidates for Terrigenesis, simply Skye has already passed with flight colors. Her earthquake powers aren't going anywhere. The next step is figuring out what to do with them.

The whole thing is more than than a little sinister. Afterlife has the cheery, eerie, "what could possibly go incorrect hither?" vibe of the Village from The Prisoner, and Lincoln withholds key data — including their exact location and the presence of Skye's male parent, Cal, and her sworn enemy, Raina. Of course, Skye being Skye, such concerns are swept under the carpet in favor of flirty banter involving Lincoln's electricity powers and cute turns of phrase like, "Skye's the limit." It's all very promising. It'southward non like a handsome, apparently well-meaning male mentor/love interest has ever betrayed her before, right?

Skye may be getting a limited perspective, but "Afterlife" is generous enough to give us a glimpse into what'due south really going on. Cal is even so an unwilling convict of Gordon, who delivers an ominous alert: "You take not only sealed your fate but the fate of your daughter as well." Cal's later see with Jiaying, his (electric current?) wife, goes just as poorly; when he asks to see Skye, she refuses. Jiaying meets Skye, only she doesn't reveal the true depth of their connection. As the Obi-Wan to Skye's Luke, it'due south clear that she plans to examination her girl before she puts whatever more cards on the table.

As Skye forges her new alliances at Afterlife, her S.H.I.East.L.D. allies continue to knuckles it out back in the real world. Coulson and Hunter are however flying solo, simply it isn't long earlier they get a major assist from Coulson'due south secret marry: Deathlok (J. August Richards), last seen in last year's "Commencement of the End." Long before Agents of Due south.H.I.E.L.D. introduced the Inhumans, Deathlok was the TV show'due south closest link to the comics, and his presence is always welcome (even if "Afterlife" basically drops him in just and so he can use his cool robo-arm to disable a Quinjet).

The residual of the team remains in the relatively lax custody of fake-Due south.H.I.Due east.50.D. leader Gonzales — just that doesn't mean they've given up the fight. May's refusal to turn on Coulson is rewarded with a spot on Gonzales'south board of directors, which will make up one's mind Coulson's ultimate fate if they ever manage to arrest him. "We cannot afford to exist enemies to each other," he says. "A house congenital on shifting sand volition fall, and without a potent and united foundation, Due south.H.I.E.Fifty.D. will fall again."

Information technology's a noble sentiment, but Gonzales may change his tune when he realizes that Fitz and Simmons have successfully managed to hoodwink him, smuggling out Nick Fury'south secret cube under the guise of Fitz "quitting" the organisation. Fans volition undoubtedly cheer the long-awaited revival of Fitzsimmons, and their tactics are undeniably assuming, though it'south unclear where Fitz will go with such a valuable and mysterious slice of technology.

Coulson, even so, has lasered in on a target: Grant Ward, whose relatively limited appearances this season have been uniformly terrific. After an episode like "Afterlife," it's a promisingly proactive programme; now that we've spent an hour learning what everybody wants, information technology should be thrilling to see them gunning for it.

  • The readers have spoken: Gonzales'south alleged "real Due south.H.I.E.50.D." will now be known as "faux-S.H.I.Eastward.L.D." (or, every bit flash0ahahh put information technology in concluding week'due south comments section, "F.I.E.Fifty.D."). Thanks for your comments, tweets, and emails, everybody!
  • Naught happens at Afterlife without the approval of the mysterious "Elders." Is it possible nosotros'll be getting a full council of senior Inhumans — or even a console of Kree — before the flavor comes to an stop?
  • As far equally I can tell, Lincoln has no straight corollary in the comics. In that location is, however, an Inhuman with like electric powers: Nahrees, a young woman who in one case battled the Fantastic Four.
  • Raina tells Skye that they're really non so different afterwards all — you know, the same speech that every villain has given every hero in every story since the dawn of storytelling. Screenwriters: Please, please, please retire this phrase.
  • Skye is pretty glib about Gordon using his teleportation powers to send fresh Chicago deep-dish-pizza over thousands of miles, but I'd love to see Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'due south various Inhumans use their powers on those goofy micro levels more often.
  • Speaking of food: I need to find a cafeteria that can brand me a version of Fitz's long-standing sandwich of choice, which consists of prosciutto, mozzarella, and (but a hint of!) pesto aïoli.
  • Side by side week on Agents of S.H.I.East.L.D.: Every bit Jiaying and Skye get some much-needed mother-daughter bonding time, we finally observe out why May was nicknamed "the Cavalry."
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Recap: Let's Do the Twist