S.H.I.E.L.D. Exposed – “Seeds”
Mysteries wrapped in enigmas wrapped in a chimichanga!
This week sees the team takes a trip to Fitz and Simmons’ alma mater on the case some technological “pranks” that may be more than they appear. Meanwhile, Coulson and May are on the trail of the partner of the SHIELD agent who was murdered delivering Skye to an orphanage. Again, MAJOR SPOILERS for UK viewers who haven’t found another way of watching the show til March.
The SHIELD Science and Technology Academy (one of three academies designed to train would-be SHIELD agents) finds it’s origins with the Strategic Scientific Reserve (last seen in Captain America: The First Avenger) and FitzSimmons have been invited back to talk about a recent “prank” that went awry but when another student is victim to another freezing device, the team believe this to be enemy action and set out to find the culprits. Ward and Skye visit the SHIELD Wall of Valour, a memorial to all the SHIELD agents who have fallen in the line of duty and while she muses at her place in SHIELD (and not so subtlely foreshadows Bucky Barnes’ return) May and Coulson are on the hunt for rogue SHIELD Agent Richard Lumley.
The resulting interview with Lumley reveals the reason his partner (and many others) were murdered. The child they delivered, aka Skye, has some sort of latent superpower. SKYE WATCH! With this revelation, a new mystery is presented to us. What are Skye’s powers? Who were her parents? Is she a Mutant or an Inhuman? We’ll find out but for now, WILD SPECULATION! Coulson reveals some (though I’m not sure if he tells her she might have powers) info to Skye, much to her dismay and just goes to show how the relationship between Skye and Coulson has become something akin to a Father/Daughter relationship and I think that’s for the better.
The mystery at SHIELD Hogwarts thickens as the lonely savant Donnie Gill is revealed to be behind the frosty reception the team got as he conspires with a classmate to create some sort of snow doomsday machine under the contract of… IAN QUINN! Last seen in The Asset, Ian Quinn commission the two brilliant kids to build the device and on his word begin a demonstration, creating a superstorm. Donnie and the machine are struck by lightning but he’s soon rescued by the team. As he’s being lead away to The Sandbox, Donnie exhibits some cryokinetic abilities, further cementing his identity as Blizzard (An Iron Man villain in the comics).
Later, Ian Quinn inadvertently phones Coulson and Ian says that the Clairvoyant sends his regard, which is a brilliant stinger. Tying a one-episode villain in with the larger plot of Centipede is a great idea and gives the team more of an impetus to bring him down.
Overall, an enjoyable episode with lots of humour (May blurting out that her and Ward have been banging while on a stakeout with Coulson was hilarious), intrigue and building more plot points for the future. We’re having another short hiatus but we’ll be back February 4th as the team has a train to catch and are met with a very interesting guest star!