S.H.I.E.L.D. Exposed – “The Dirty Half Dozen”
This is a perfect appetiser for Age of Ultron (if you’re American and haven’t seen it yet).
This is it, boys and girls, the moment we’ve been waiting for; the Agents of SHIELD tie-in to Age of Ultron and it does a cracking job of establishing the playing field ahead of the May 1st US opening and even from my perspective, having seen the movie, it answers a major question I had and even does some clever nods to whet your appetite.
How does the episode hold up on it’s own merits? Pretty damn well! After all the infighting and set up for Coulson’s return as the head of SHIELD, this episode goes a long way in showing why Coulson was chosen and why his team is beloved while Gonzales and his team are mistrusted.
So hey, Coulson’s got the band back together, including Skye! Raina’s premonitions prove useful as she gives Skye the motivation and incentive to rescue Lincoln, reuniting her with the team just as they’re setting off. I love that the episode takes the time to address the fact that Ward betrayed EVERYONE and is a monster but, fair play to Brett Dalton, Ward comes off as quite repentant but there really is no forgiving him, as Ward himself admits later.
During the rescue mission, Skye has an awesome single shot fight scene that brings to mind the awesome hallway sequence in Daredevil. Chloe Bennet appears to be doing all the stunt work too which is astounding.
Another cool moment is Simmons trying to kill Ward with a Splinter Bomb. Fully deserved but Ward’s response is just PERFECT. Simmons has changed, we’ve seen it and certainly not for the better. It’s just so satisfying to having the psychopathic Judas say it to her and be disappointed. Loved it!
The mission is a success, Lincoln and Mike are rescued, Ward is in the wind and Gonzales finally gets his grubby mitts on the unlocked Toolbox, only for Coulson to sandbag his accomplishment and strut off triumphantly to chat with Maria Hill about the location of Loki’s staff! This was an awesome little detail that answered my question from Age of Ultron. We also get an idea of what the Theta Protocol is because it involves The Avengers. I think I know what it is but I’ll wait ‘til next week to see if I’m right and to avoid spoilers.
Overall, a fantastic episode in it’s own right that is made better by it’s connection to the larger MCU.