S.H.I.E.L.D. Exposed – “The Asset”
Now this is a little more like it!
Covert ops, high stakes and doomsday weapons, this is exactly what I wanted out of this show and the episode kicks off in a big way as a secret SHIELD convoy is attacked by an unseen force and its cargo stolen. That cargo being Fitz and Simmons old instructor and renowned scientist Dr. Franklin Hall.
The team races against the clock to infiltrate the compound of sleazy dirtbag Ian Quinn and retrieve The Asset. Skye’s hacktivist roots come into play as she can get into a social gathering with little effort and help the rest of the team get inside. It’s good to see her develop some combat skills under Agent Ward (and I’m betting we’ll be seeing more of her under Agent Ward as the series goes on, yes?) and prove to be a valuable and quick-witted member of the team. But, honestly, the true highlight of her performance this episode was… Well…
I’m sorry, I’m only human! Chloe Bennet’s chest A) in that dress and B) in that wet dress, running, had me mesmerised! They were magnificent. Not even a little ashamed of that.
Onto the Coulson Mystery, we find him talking about how he feels rusty, and what used to be simple muscle memory has now become difficult for him, further adding to speculation of resurrection. In fact, the repeated use of the term “rusty” has me thinking he’s a robot of some sort, be that a Life Model Decoy or Synthezoid.
The Asset is a good episode for SHIELD after last week’s lacklustre efforts. We see a lot more science fiction-y elements, some good character development and a cliffhanger that promises more to come. When Dr. Hall falls into the mass of Gravitonium (the fakest sounding element since Unobtanium), Coulson takes the tech and the element and has it secured away in The Fridge, rather than launching it into the sun via Slingshot. As the vault is locked, the mass continues to pulsate, eventually forming an outstretched hand as credits roll. What does this mean?
This is the origin of the supervillain known as Graviton and we should hopefully be seeing him return as the series has been picked up for a full first season! Exciting times. With the promise of more super-powered beings in upcoming episodes, I’m excited again for SHIELD and I hope you folks will join us next week as we play a game of Eye-Spy.