Published on April 8th, 2015 | by Sharp-O
0S.H.I.E.L.D. Exposed – “Afterlife”
Oh, Skye, what is your fascination with the forbidden hut of mystery?
Afterlife is kind of a weird title, and the in-universe explanation is just as ropey to be honest but otherwise a brilliant episode that gives a better look at the Tomorrow People Inhumans and the Coulson’s fight back against the ‘Real’ SHIELD.
After drinks at the bar, Coulson and Hunter head to the retreat and spend most of the episode bonding and being fun guys before they attempt to steal a Quinjet from the ‘Real’ SHIELD. I love that Hunter, while being totally loyal to Coulson, has no problem voicing his concerns at Coulson’s plans. Nick Blood has rocketed to the best new cast addition since Mack turned out to be a filthy traitor. But the biggest thing to take from this C-plot is…
DUH-DUH-DUH-DUH-DUH! DUH-DUH-DUH-DUH-DUH! Mike ‘The Terminator’ Peterson! He never said he’d be back but I always hoped and he’s rocking some brand new armour and even Agent status under Coulson. This was a fantastic return and a much needed boost since the situation’s been pretty dire and there’s only so much Coulson-puppy kicking you can take before you get turned off of the show, right?
Over with the Tomorrow People Inhumans, sorry, I can’t help it! Skye is recovering at the Inhuman’s super-secret base cared for by Lincoln. The reason for the Tomorrow People mix-ups is because Luke Mitchell is another TP alumni, the others joining the CW’s DC shows and this Inhuman safe haven has some very Tomorrow People vibes, with the voiceless extras and the teleporting in and out, the only real difference is that this place is much swankier than a disused subway station. Much more sunlight and Japanese archways.
Luke Mitchell is a fantastic actor and I’m not referring to his stint in TP, I know him from Australian soap opera Home & Away, where he played the charming, good hearted and extremely attractive Romeo (Fun Fact: after 4 years as a regular cast member, he suffered the indignity of dying OFF-SCREEN of skin cancer. Woof.) Tangent aside, he brings all of the same good looks and charm to this role but with his shiny new American accent.
There’s shady goings-on at the safe haven, not so subtly hidden by Lincoln and Skye eventually loses her temper and storms into the forbidden hut of mystery to find Raina and the two trade barbs (geddit?) until Skye’s new trainer enters the room…
WHAT THE FUUUUUUCK! I really did not expect to see Dichen Lachman to return as Jiayang, Skye’s mother. She’s a little scarred up, hinting that she healed after being disected by Whitehall, adding a healing factor to her longevity. We also check in on Cal, who isn’t handling confinement too well and even less so when he realises that Skye is near. He seemed very unsurprised to see his wife alive again so maybe he knew all along? I hope they address that in the future.
Meanhile, the ‘Real’ SHIELD has it‘s agenda flag flying; Gonzales, Mack and Bobbi all seem to be trying their best to recruit May, Fitz and Simmons, respectively. Just being “SHIELD Agents” isn’t enough for our team and that’s what Gonzales and his stooges don’t seem to grasp. This isn’t loyalty to a cause or to a badge, this is family. A dysfunctional, arse-kicking family and what Gonzales has doesn’t compare. Fitz and Simmons, while at odds with each other, would still have each other’s ba–
Oh, well FUCK ME then! No wonder Fitz is leaving! Oh yeah, you read that right. Utterly disgusted by Jemma’s actions and the general douchery of ‘Real’ SHIELD, Fitz packs his bags and leaves…
SWERVE! The stinger reveals that Simmons swapped out the real Toolbox for a fake and now Fitz is on his way to Coulson with it and his favourite sandwich. Finally, there’s some hope for the team!
Afterlife is a brilliant episode that really gives the show a kick in the arse. Multiple reveals and further mysteries mean I’ll be interested in seeing where the show goes as opposed to going through the motions and basically watching just to continue these reviews. What did you guys think? Let me know in the comments and we’ll be back next week for the secret of The Cavalry in Melinda.