S.H.I.E.L.D. Exposed – “Aftershocks”
Rest in pieces, Trip…
Ow! Ow! Okay, that was in poor taste but I needed SOMETHING to lighten the mood as Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. returns in the shockingly intense Aftershocks.
Emotional fallout is all over the shop in this episode. Between Skye and Raina’s transformations, the team’s raw emotions running wild and the introduction of more Inhumans, we’ve got a jam-packed episode.
In a flashback to the 80’s, we see Skye’s mother, Jiaying, caring for the a young Inhuman who recently went through Terrigenisis. This is the same Inhuman we saw at the end of the last episode but as a teen, traumatised by the loss of his sight and is also a teleporter. She is revealed to have counselled many generations of Inhumans, thanks to her longevity. This segues nicely into Skye, isolated from everyone else in quarantine.
She’s feeling guilty; blaming herself for the death of Trip as well as the cave-in she inadvertently caused, coupled with the fear of her teammates reaction to her newfound abilities (especially after Jemma, distraught, declares that these powers are a disease and must be destroyed. Also should we be calling her ‘Daisy’ now? Screw it, I’ll keep calling her Skye.
On the flipside, Raina escapes the temple after slaughtering a couple SHIELD scientists and seeks out Skye’s father, Calvin. Calvin is delighted to hear of Skye’s transformation and proceeds to ramble like the hammiest villain you could imagine and we’re introduced to the new Raina, who was transformed into a more beastial Inhuman form. Shout-out to the make-up department because Ruth Negga is almost unrecognizable in her thorny make-up. It really looks fantastic! She is horrified by her new appearance and Calvin suggests she either learn to live with it (after all, this is what she always wanted) or to not live with it at all.
It’s interesting to see the difference at the end of the episode between Skye and Raina. Skye is amongst family but has never felt more isolated and afraid while Raina is alone and ready to kill herself but after a timely rescue by Gordon (yes, that’s the teleporter’s name) seems to be whisked off to meet a new family that will help her adapt to her new powers.
The rest of the team is naturally shaken. Fitz and Mack bond over a shared experience after Mack explodes, telling Fitz that he doesn’t know what it’s like to lose control of his body or to feel trapped within it and Fitz just responds with a simple “Yes, I do.”
The rest of the team lets Bakshi lead them to the heads of Hydra and play them hardcore into killing each other and then bust in to mop up the rest, leaving Bakshi alive and in the custody of General Talbot. Though if Hydra is without it’s heads right now, does that mean that Baron Von Strucker is the only leader of Hydra left and, if so, does that mean we’ll be seeing him in the future?
The stinger is a little subdued, as the RC Lola that Mack built reveals a scanning device in it’s hood and quickly locates the Toolbox that Fury had given to Coulson. What is Bobbi and Mack’s agenda here? I don’t think they’d go straight for a Hydra heel turn after Ward and I’m not buying that they’re doing it for Fury so… S.W.O.R.D.? Secret Avengers? Who knows, we’ll have to wait and see.
Be sure to come back next week as we see the return of Lady Sif and Skye’s powers unveiled in Who You Really Are.